NEWS DIGEST– In Ilorin, Kwara State capital, an accident involving a vehicle belonging to the Nigerian Prisons Services (NPS) carrying inmates to court caused four people to be feared dead with several others injured. However, the Prisons authorities stated that no lives were lost in the accident.
It was gathered that the driver of the vehicle allegedly drove against traffic and killed another motorcyclist along Niger road while attempting to escape mob action.
According to sources, the angry mob would have lynched the prison staff and burnt the vehicle, but sporadic gunshots by the prison’s armed guards scared the mob away. A resident of the area confirmed that the mob was disenchanted with the accident and attacked and vandalised the bus escorting the inmates’ vehicle to court. The van conveying the inmates, however, escaped from the scene of the accident and reached its destination without any issues.
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The accident led to a protest by a group of commercial motorcycles, commonly known as okada riders, in the Ilorin metropolis. AbdulAkeem Sulaiman, the Zonal Spokesperson of the Motorcycle Riders Association in the state, urged the government to ensure justice for their members. He stressed that those who lost their lives were out searching for their means of livelihood to feed their families.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Ajayi Okasanmi, confirmed the incident and stated that normalcy has been restored in the areas where the protest took place. He highlighted that the police have not recorded any death and would take necessary steps to ensure justice for those affected by the incident. Additionally, the state NCoS Public Relations Officer, Philip Adegbulugbe, noted that the suspected hoodlums attempted to free high-profile inmates who were being conveyed to court in the area, leading to pandemonium.
The Correctional Service personnel were able to manoeuvre their way to the court, while those who sustained injuries were moved to the hospital and are responding to treatment. It is comforting that no lives were lost in the accident, and normalcy has been restored in the affected areas. The government must ensure the safety of the people and bring to justice those responsible for reckless driving, leading to avoidable accidents.
