Eight Edo Libyan Returnees Die in Car Crash, Others Injure

 

Eight Libyan returnees from Edo State have been killed a motor crash while seven others are in critical condition along Sagamu-Ore expressway in Ogun State.

The seven who sustained serious injuries are now lying critically ill, while the corpses of the dead were taken to the Ijebu Ode General Hospital in the state.

The incident, according to information made available to journalists occurred at about 10:45 p.m. last week Tuesday close to Omoo River, J4 area of the road involved a white Toyota Hiace 18-seater commercial bus with an inscription God’s Care, with the registration number AYB 479 XA and a blue and white Volvo truck with number plate KSF 79 XL.

It was gathered that the ill-fated commercial bus had left Benin, the Edo State capital, late in the night with 15 male and female returnees from Libya after they had been profiled by the state taskforce on anti-human trafficking and illegal migration.

They were reported to have headed to Lagos State to receive spiritual and financial assistance from the General Overseer of the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Prophet T.B. Joshua, who has consistently been a benefactor to most trapped returnees and other less privileged members of the public. 

The identities of the victims are not yet known as at press time because there was no manifest from the commercial bus to indicate their names.

However, the Ogun State Sector Commandant of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Mr. Clement Oladele, who confirmed the incident in a telephone on Monday , said the crash happened when the driver of the truck drove against the traffic and had a head on collision with the commercial bus.

He explained that out of the 15 occupants of the commercial bus, nine were adult males, five females and one female child.

Oladele further stated that those who got injured included five males and two females while the other eight were burnt beyond recognition.

According to the FRSC commandant, the fatal accident happened due to “route violation following driving against traffic by the truck, dangerous driving and over speeding.

“The injured were taken to Ijebu Ode General Hospital and the corpses of the dead were deposited at the hospital mortuary. The burnt carcasses of the bus were removed from the road by the FRSC rescue team.”

He also advised motorists to desist from driving against traffic, while passengers in vehicles driving against traffic should caution their drivers and report the driver by dialing FRSC toll free number 122.

Following this incident, parents and relations of most of the returnees have been besieging the Motel Benin Plaza in search of their wards who returned to the state from Libya in the past one month.

Reacting, the Special Adviser on Media and Communication Strategy to Governor Godwin Obaseki, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, when contacted, said the state government was deeply saddened by the unfortunate incident.

He said however that the state government should not be blamed for the ugly incident, noting that on arrival from Libya all the returnees who are indigenes of Edo State were given the full complement of the state government by profiling them and giving them all the necessary assistance that would enable them reintegrate into the society and unite with their families.

According to him, “It is not like they were kept in prison like in Libya, they may have embarked on the trip to Lagos on their own volition. However, the state government will make effort to reach families of those who died or affected in the crash."