How 19 Travellers Were Crushed To Death on Sagamu Road
THE drivers at the centre of controversy over the armed robbery attack on passengers of a luxury bus on the Ijebu-Ode/Sagamu expressway, Ogun State, during which 19 persons were reportedly crushed to death have been re-arrested by the Police in Abuja.
They have consequently confirmed that the incident occurred last July 31, contrary to reports that it occurred this year.
One of them is the driver of the luxury bus (Young Shall Grow Motors), with number-plate XF 285 AKD, which conveyed 41 passengers on the ill-fated journey.
Police arrest drivers
The luxury bus driver identified as Mr. Okechukwukere Okafor who hails from Oyi Local Government Area of Anambra State was arrested alongside another driver who confessed to have rammed into the passengers, following recent actions of the Ministry of Police Affairs and the Senate which erroneously imputed that the incident happened last month and as such is a sign that the Police High Command has lost the capacity to tackle crime situations in the country.
However, a Police report detailing the date and how the incident occurred shows that “On the 31st of July 2009, at about 11. 30 a.m, a luxurious bus with registration above, loaded with passengers travelling from Enugu to Lagos were attacked by a gang of armed bandits at a spot between Federal Government College, Odogbolu and Babcock University along Ijebu-Ode/Sagamu expressway.
Robbers order to passengers
“That during the attack, the suspected armed robbers ordered the passengers of the luxury bus out of the vehicle and made them to lie face down on the expressway.
“That an on-coming truck with reg. XN 808 BEN, driven by one Osayinde Idahosa of Ewetube Egbe Estate, Benin City, who refused to be stopped by the hoodlums, crushed some of the passengers to death.”
Continuing, the report with SR: 3000/OGS/V.T/547 states, “That a total of 19 passengers of the luxury bus which includes 6 females and 13 males were crushed to death by the truck and that there was no Police escort attached to the luxury bus as confirmed by the driver, Oke Okafor who survived the incident.
“That some of the ten corpses have been collected by their relations for burial after proper identification and documentation and that some of the corpses were crushed beyond recognition and yet to be identified or collected by their relations or kinsmen.”
While noting that, “The case of robbery was transferred to State CID; Abeokuta for discreet investigation and the Motor Traffic Division, Obalende, handled the traffic aspect of the case diary No. RRA/49/09 opened for the case, the report said “That the case file in respect of the traffic aspect has been duplicated and forwarded to the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), for legal advice.
Drivers at the centre of controversy, spoke with Crime Reporters, weekend, revealing that the operation was carried out by over 30 robbers and lasted for several hours.
How driver ran over passengers
Osayande Idahosa, claimed he unknowingly, rammed over the passengers whom he said, he mistook for barricade used to block the road. Giving a vivid account of how it all happened that fateful night, Osayande said he was driving a truck loaded with foodstuff which he was taking to Lagos, when suddenly on approaching the Ijebu-Ode/Sagamu road, he heard gun shots.
“At that point, my conductor and another female passenger bent down and I slowed down in an attempt to reverse. But, when I looked behind, I sighted over 10 armed gunmen. I also noticed that the barricade they used to block the road in front was not high. So, I decided to take the risk. I accelerated and climbed the barricade but in my confusion, I swerved into the bush from where I came out and ran for dear life, with deafening sounds of gun shots behind me,” he stated.
Police vow to prevent a recurrence
Osayande said he remained inside the bush all through the night before the arrival of some police men the next day, where to his shock, he realised the supposed barricade he climbed were human beings.
The Police High Command, however, said that dragnets have been spread all over the nooks and crannies of the state for possible arrest of the suspected armed bandits, adding that adequate police presence had been maintained on the Sagamu/Ijebu-Ode and Sagamu/Ibadan expressway to forestall a recurrence of such incident.
April 25th, 2010 at 16:34
This story is so upsetting and I don’t understand how anyone could do this to another human bein. The people who commited this hanus crime have no heat and should not be aloud on the street to live in society. I feel that the people who took part in this crime are low lifes who do not feel any emotions and are very cruel people.
One day what they did to the innovent people will happen to them and it hit them sooo hard that if they dont die they would have nightmares about it for the rest of thier lives…they shall shoorel;t suffer
May 2nd, 2010 at 13:22
Dis is inhumane. But de first information i had was dat de ill-fated bus driver was ordered to crush de passengers. Now i understand better.
May 19th, 2010 at 07:36
This is a clear evidence that we have no police in nigeria. All these are crimes that could easily be prevented if we had a working security system. The report states the crime lasted for several hours. How many days do you need as security officers to intervain on behave of these innocent people?
May God bless the family of all those we lost their lives in this cruel way. As for the bandits; eternal misery awaits them for this inhumane act.