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Drunk Driver Kills Three Members of Same Family, Motorcyclist in Lagos
The driver of a sachet water producing factory, Ademola Awe, has allegedly crushed three siblings and a motorcyclist to death on Ekundayo Street in the Epe Local Government Area of Lagos State.
The victims were identified as Esther Orimisan, 24; Kofoworola Orimisan, 17; two-year-old Emmanuel Orimisan; and the motorcyclist, Femi Shojedo.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Awe, who was driving a Ford pick-up van with number plate GGE 42 XN around 11pm on Saturday allegedly under the influence of alcohol, had hit another vehicle on his way, but while attempting to escape from the scene, he allegedly drove without the vehicle’s headlights in order to avoid being apprehended.
But tragedy struck when he drove into Ekundayo Street, as Shojedo, who was conveying the siblings to their home on Mosalasi Street, had a head-on collision with Awe’s van at the junction leading into the street.
An eyewitness, Bode Abisoye, said the victims were not aware that the van was coming towards their direction, adding that the tragedy would have been averted if Awe had switched on the headlights of the van.
He stated that Awe attempted to flee from the scene of the accident, but residents gave him a chase until he drove the van into a gutter.
Abisoye said, “He (Awe) scratched a car and was trying to escape, because of the cost of repairing it; in the process, he switched off the truck’s headlights and as he made to enter Ekundayo Street, he rammed into the motorcyclist and the three passengers he was carrying in front of the Model Hospital. We were telling him to come down to rescue the victims but he refused.
“We had to chase him till he drove into a gutter, but we noticed that he was drunk when we approached him. He even refused to alight from the vehicle and if not for the involvement of the police and the neighbourhood security men, he would have escaped.
“Aside from the motorcyclist, the three passengers were siblings, two girls and a two-year-old boy. All the victims were still alive when the accident happened, but they later died at the Epe General Hospital due to the severity of the injuries they sustained.”
A close relative of the siblings, who identified himself simply as Ayo, said they were on their way home when the accident occurred, adding that their mother had been informed of the development.
He said, “The motorcyclist usually conveyed them home every night, so on the day of the accident, he went to pick them from their mother’s shop located on Omojole Street. The motorcyclist was about to come onto Ekundayo Street when the driver used the van to kill them. The siblings were close to getting to their house on Mosalasi Street when the accident happened.
“I wonder why he (Awe) would drive at such a late hour without the headlights on; if the headlights were on, the motorcyclist would have seen the vehicle and the accident would have been prevented. The driver works for a sachet water company, and from what I gathered, he has been arrested and is being detained at the Epe Police Station.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Bala Elkana, said one Shakiru Ajayi informed the police of the accident, adding that Awe had been arrested and the corpses of the victims deposited in the Epe General Hospital mortuary for autopsy.
Elkana stated, “On Saturday, June 6, 2019, around 11.30pm, one Shakiru Ajayi came to the station and reported that a fatal vehicle and motorcycle accident occurred on Ekundayo Street, Epe. The accident involved a Ford pick-up van with number plate GGE 42 XN, driven by one Ademola Awe, and a Bajaj motorcycle with number plate LSR 99 OG, being operated by one Femi Shojedo.
“The motorcyclist was conveying three passengers of the same family and all of them sustained serious injuries and were rushed to the Epe General Hospital for treatment, where Shojedo and the siblings, Esther Orimisan, 24; Kofoworola Orimisan, 17; and Emmanuel Orimisan, two, died. The corpses were deposited in the hospital’s mortuary for autopsy. We have the driver of the pick-up van in our custody.”
The Punch
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The Christmas/End of Year party of the Igbobi College Old Boys Association (ICOBA) was filled with excitement, pomp and pageantry as the 84-86 set celebrated its 40th anniversary of leaving the school.
The highlight of the event was the donation of N20 million from the set’s endowment to serve as a seed fund for the national body’s endowment through the National ICOBA. The donation was received by Mr Femi Banwo, President ICOBA International and Mr Kunle Elebute, Chairman ICOBA National Endowment Committee
The 84-86 set’s Board of Trustees Endowment Committee had established an independent endowment in 2009 with a vision to create a lasting legacy for the set. Speaking at the occasion, the Chairman of the ICOBA 84-86 Board of Trustees and Endowment Committee, Dr. Falil Ayo Abina, expressed his delight, stating that it was a dream come true.
Dr. Abina explained that one of the core lessons learned at Igbobi College was “self-denial.”
He reminisced about the Self-Denial Fund (SDF), where students were taught to contribute their weekly “widow’s mite” to share with the less privileged in society. Dr. Abina emphasized that when the endowment committee conceived the idea of the endowment 15 years ago, they had this legacy in mind, aiming to serve a purpose greater than self.
The donation of N20 million to the national endowment is expected to inspire others within the alumni and other school alumni associations to follow suit.
This generous donation is the first in ICOBA’s history and arguably in Nigeria and sub-Saharan Africa.
The 13-member endowment committee, also include Demola Ipaye, Fola Laguda, Gbenga Aina, Demola Oladeinde, Jimi Onanuga, Abayomi Alabi, Kwami Adadevoh, Bayo Ayoade, Tunde Sadare, Wole Ogunbajo, Tunji Akinwummi, and Lanre Olusola, worked tirelessly to make this vision a reality and it was indeed mission accomplished for the ‘Nobles Nigerians ‘ as Igbobians are called.
The recent US presidential election should be praised for its credibility and peaceful conduct. The election serves as a model for Nigeria, highlighting the importance of free, fair and transparent polls, according to the publisher of online platform, Bluefames Media, Mr. Victor Udoh
The US election saw Donald Trump, the Republican candidate, emerge victorious over Democrat, vice president Kamala Harris. Trump secured 270 electoral votes, surpassing Harris’s votes.
While congratulating Trump on his victory, Udoh noted that the election’s smooth process, devoid of issues like ballot box snatching, violence and technical glitches.
In contrast, Nigeria’s electoral process often faces challenges, including delays, vote-buying and disputes over results, he lamented. Udoh emphasized the need for Nigeria to learn from the US example, ensuring credible elections that reflect the will of the people.
He said: “Nigerians and the international community monitored the outcomes of the US election. You could see that the US electoral process demonstrates the value of credible and peaceful elections, which experience Nigeria can draw lessons from to improve its own electoral system.
“By embracing transparency, accountability and peaceful conduct, Nigeria can strengthen its democracy and ensure governance that truly represents the people’s will.”
Udoh, a publicist and motivator, pointed out that learning from the US experience, Nigeria can address its electoral weaknesses and foster a more robust democracy, which in turn, can lead to better governance, economic growth and improved living standards for Nigerians.
“Nigeria must prioritize electoral reform and transparency to ensure that its citizens’ voices are heard and valued,” he stressed.
He, however, warned that “a second Trump term may have significant implications for global issues like dollar value, immigration, energy and geopolitical stability.”
Victor Udoh is the publisher of online platform, Bluefames Media
