By; Odeyemi Samuel, Akure.
A plantain chips hawker, identified as Johnson Ogah was reportedly killed by a commercial bus at the gate of the Federal University of Technology, Akure, the Ondo State capital on Thursday.
According to an eyewitness, the driver of the Mazda bus with registration number OYO XC 247 YYY, coming from Ile-Ife in Osun State and heading towards Akure, lost the control of the vehicle and hit the deceased with three other vehicles at the opposite direction.
The eyewitness said the 25-year-old man died on the spot while the plantain chips he was hawking scattered on the road.
To this end, the driver of the vehicle, identified as Bamidele Orimisan from Oke Amala, Modakeke, Osun State had been arrested and detained at the Okuta Elerinla Divisional Police Station, Akure.
Confirming the incident, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Femi Joseph said the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the State Specialists Hospital, Akure while the Police had commenced investigation into the matter.
“The driver is in our custody and we have started investigation over the incident” the PPRO explained.
Similarly, Ondo Sector Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Mr. Edward Zamber, who also confirmed the incident to our correspondent on the telephone, said the accident occurred as a result of brake failure of the vehicle affected.
He warned the people, especially children against hawking on the road, saying it was a way of endangering their lives.
He said “that is the danger in hawking on the road, we have been telling the people to desist from this act, but they refused, I think this has to stop so that lives will not be wasting away”
What a sad event. May God grant the deceased family fortitude to bear the loss and help prevent the recurrence of any of such in Akure. The reporter (Odeyemi) and the editor(s) concerned however need to be corrected that Modakeke is an area within Ile Ife, not a separate town from Ife as he wrongly portrayed in this report.