By Izunna Okafor, Awka
No fewer than six persons have been reported de@d in another avoidable road traffic crash that happened in Anambra State.
The aççident, which involved a fully-loaded tricycle (Keke Napep) and a commercial Sienna bus with, happened at over the weekend, near the Goodness and Mercy Motor Park, Onitsha, along the Upper Iweka axis of the Onitsha–Owerri Road.
According to reports, all the passengers in the tricycle d!ed, including an 8-month-old baby, a trader at Ogbo-Ogwu Market, identified as Mr. Joe Nwosu from Oba, among other yet-to-be-identified victims who were out for their daily hustle before the incident.
Eyewitness accounts have it that the May 1 early morning accident, which was attributed to loss of control, was caused by the taskforce and revenue agents working for the Anambra State government, under the umbrella of the Unified Hybrid Enforcement Team (UHBET).
Reports have it that the revenue agents, in the course of their enforcements, rushed and started dragging steering with the driver of the Sienna bus who refused to stop.
The drama reportedly lingered as the vehicle kept moving, amid panic and shouting from members of the public and bystanders. The revenue agents reportedly refused to let go of the driver’s steering, while the vehicle continued racing uncontrollably as they dragged the steering. This, eyewitnesses said, lingered till the vehicle eventually crashed into a fully-loaded tricycle (Keke), and crushed many innocent souls to death.
This was corroborated by a video from the scene shared by a social media user (by name Kings Funny), showing the crashed vehicle and the tricycle as the victims were being pulled out in the pool of bløød, while bystanders bemoan the with shock and criticisms.
Although, it is yet to be confirmed what later happened to or between the Sienna driver and the UHBET taskforce team after the accident, sources alleged that the revenue agents thereafter turned back and returned to their duty posts to continue their enforcement.
The incident, which was described as one among many other such outcomes from the unprofessional conducts and the excesses of the UHBET officers and some other government enforcement/security agents in the state, later triggered off a chain of reactions as angry youths stormed the Okpoko Divisional Police Station on Saturday in protest, to demonstrate their anger and demand justice.
The youths, in their numbers, stormed the Divisional Police Headquarters with picture of one of the victims of the accident, Mr. Joe Nwosu, and with placards containing various inscriptions, as they called for justice for the souls of the victims of the crash, while also calling for the immediate arrest and prosecution of the UHBET officials and every other person whose unprofessionalism, negligence, and carelessness contributed to the fatal crash.
Although, it was gathered that the DPO of the Okpoko Divisional Police Headquarters came out and addressed, calmed, and assured the protesters that necessary actions would be taken to ensure that justice is served; inquiries by this reporter, Izunna Okafor, revealed that, barely three days after, neither the Anambra State Government, the State Police Command, nor the Management of UHBET has issued any official public statements with respect to or in reaction to the ugly incident, as at the time of this publication.
Meanwhile, videos of the protest and the scene of the crash, as gathered from different media platforms, have continued to trend on social media, attracting reactions and condemnation from netizens and other members of the public, including relatives of the accident victims.
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