Four Pupils Killed in Ogun Road Crash as Community Protests

A devastating road accident claimed the lives of four pupils of Iddo Primary School, Kobape, in Ogun State, sparking widespread outrage and protests in the community. The incident occurred on Wednesday around 3 pm at Sowo Village along the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway when a Toyota Corolla with number plate KSF 579 DM rammed into the schoolchildren while they were returning home from school.

According to eyewitnesses, the driver of the Toyota Corolla was speeding and lost control, hitting the pupils on the walkway. The impact of the collision was fatal, killing four male pupils on the spot. The pupils were later taken to the General Hospital, Ijaiye, where they were confirmed dead by emergency responders.

The incident triggered a strong reaction from the Community, with residents blocking the Abeokuta-Sagamu Expressway to protest the deaths of the pupils. Some angry youths even attempted to lynch the driver, but he was rescued by security operatives. The situation was eventually brought under control with the intervention of sister security agencies, including the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), the police, and the Nigerian Army.

Babatunde Akinbiyi, spokesperson for TRACE, confirmed the incident in a telephone conversation with our correspondent. “Four male children of Iddo Primary School, Iddo, Kobape, were walking home from school when a Toyota Corolla that was speeding lost control and rammed into the pupils on the walkway,” he said. “The impact of the collision reportedly led to the death of the four pupils at the spot of the accident.”

This tragic incident comes barely 48 hours after another fatal accident occurred at the Siun junction of the same expressway, claiming the lives of a motorcyclist and his passenger. According to Akinbiyi, the accident involved a truck, a car with number plate KTU 152 JB, a Mazda bus with number plate LSR 345 YK, a motorcycle with number plate KNN 515 VD, and a truck with number plate T5582 LA. The driver of the truck allegedly lost control and rammed into other vehicles, resulting in the fatal accident.

The Community is still grappling with the aftermath of the tragedy, and the authorities are urged to take measures to prevent such incidents in the future.