Toyota Camry car on Tuesday crushed
five children to death in Ilorin, Kwara State.
Two other victims are said to be
receiving treatment at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH).
The accident, involving the car and
a Toyota Hiace bus, took place at Elekoyangan and Anfeyin communities on old
Jebba road.
Eyewitnesses said the accident
occurred at 9.30pm when the Camry rammed into a stationary bus parked by the
roadside, before hitting the children and killing five of them instantly.
Angered by the incident, members of
the communities, who include students of the State Polytechnic, Ilorin, carried
out a protest yesterday.
This obstructed movement on the busy
road and paralysed academic activities at the polytechnic and other schools in
the neighbourhood.
It was gathered that the driver of
the Camry lost control of the vehicle and rammed into the victims, who were
walking by the road side.
A member of one of the communities,
Isiaka Rahman, said: “This is a sad incident. Our children- Abdulfatai, Sodiq,
Fatai Kososi, Jamiu Mogaji, and Jamiu – were killed in the accident; Shola and
Gafar are in a coma.
“As we embark on a peaceful protest,
policemen suddenly came shooting sporadically at our houses.
“We had to run, they fired tear gas
at us. This made the youths to set bon fire on the road.
“Although the vehicle that caused
the havoc was immediately set ablaze, the driver and two others escaped.”
Police Commissioner Agboola
Glover-Oshodi confirmed the incident and urged the indigenes to remain calm.
He added that men and officers of
the state command would remain on the scene until normalcy returns.
Glover-Oshodi, however, sympathised
with the family and warned youths not take laws into their hands.
Tags
Society