One unnamed officer of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) was mauled to death while two others sustained serious injuries on Friday afternoon in Ibadan, the capital city of the state.
PMParrot reporter who happened to be driving in from Lagos on the fateful afternoon submitted that the officer and those who got injured were part of a patrol team of OYRTMA drafted to maintain road sanity in Challenge Area of sprawling city.
According to our reporter, the patrol van cum towing vehicle of the government agency was on a hot chase of a grey Toyota Sienna Bus when the accident accured.
Read our reporter’s account: “I was coming in from Lagos when I stumbled on the accident. I had earlier seen an OYRTMA officer sprinting and trying to cross the overhead bridge at Methodist Grammar School. But I just assumed he was probably running to join his mates. But as I continued my inward trip to link Challenge, I just had to stop because I suddenly ran into a crowd who slowed down the movement of traffic. This was about 900 meters before I got to Yinka Ayefele’s Music House.
“I packed my car and quickly ran towards the FRSC Bus that was about to ferry away the dead officer and two others to the hospital. But the bus left immediately.
“One Okada operator gave the account of what happened. In his report, he said he saw the ‘hot chase’ from where he was repairing his motor-cycle across the road. He said the OYRTMA truck was chasing the Sienna Bus from the Challenge end of Ibadan. Suddenly, the truck lost control and crossed over to the other lane and then flew across the wide gutter and stopped afterwards.
“He pointed at one private owner of a motorcycle who jumped out of the way when he saw the OYRTMA truck coming towards him. His motorcycle was crushed before the truck eventually stopped.
“According to the eye-witness report, it was after losing control that the OYRTMA truck started to fling its occupants in different directions. The dead officer, perhaps, was crushed in the process. The Sienna, had by this time escaped.
“The officer I saw sprinting away was one of those lucky not to be injured and was running away from the crowd for fear of being lynched.
“When I approached the private motor cycle rider I mentioned earlier, he said his name was Mr Niyi and that he could not remember what happened. He merely continued to thank God.
“Most of those who gathered at the scene called on the government of Senator Abiola Ajimobi to call the officer to order and also ensure that they are properly trained to carry out their assignments arguing that they are always overzealous and aggressive.”
When PMParrot contacted Mr Obisesan, OYRTMA’s PRO, he confirmed that one officer lost his life in the accident but insisted he could not say much to us until after he secures a ‘clearance’ from superior officers of the agency.
Packaged by Alice Egbedele
