It was a bloody Sallah day in Nigeria as a Boko Haram attack and three different auto accidents resulted in thirty-three deaths
The foregoing was the situation in parts of Borno, Ogun and Edo states yesterday after Boko Haram terrorists attacked an Internally Displaced Persons (IDP’s) camp at Banki on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon, stabbing 11 to death, and a timber laden truck ploughed into a crowd of Muslims at Eid el Kabir prayers in Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State.
Two children worshippers were instantly.
Enraged by the development, other worshippers swooped on the truck driver in order to lynch him, but they ended up clubbing to death one of the policemen from Ijebu-Igbo Police Divisional Headquarters who came to the driver’s aid.
The deceased policeman’s colleagues gave his name as Joseph Adejuwon.
Eyewitnesses said the truck was navigating a hilly road on the seedy Atikori area when it veered off the road and crashed into a packed vehicle before mowing down the two victims.
Several other people were injured.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), who did not want to be identified by name, said two pedestrians were killed on the spot.
He said: “The crash occurred with a truck killing two on the spot. I learnt that a mob (gathered) and became irate, even preventing security operatives access to the scene.”
Speaking separately, the Public Relations Officer of the state’s traffic agency, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the driver of the truck lost control following a break failure, and first crashed into a stationary Toyota car before running over the worshippers.
He said: “This morning, just before the Eid prayer at the Atikori praying ground, Ijebu-Igbo, a Bedford truck with Registration Number AA523JGB laden with logs had a break failure, lost control and ran into a parked Toyota Thundra with Registration number APP995DD.
“It damaged the Toyota before running over two children at the praying ground, killing them while several other Muslim faithful sustained various degree of injuries, including some security operatives.
“According to the Chairman of the Local Government, Hon. Adekoya, both the dead and the injured, including a Civil Defence officer, were taken to the general hospital in Ijebu Igbo while the deceased police officer died on arrival at Shilom, a private hospital.”
The Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said the deceased policeman was an orderly to a Divisional Police Officer.
Oyeyemi said the driver of the truck had been arrested.
Boko Haram men stab 11 IDPs to death in Borno
Members of the deadly Boko Haram sect sneaked into IDPs camp at Banki on Nigeria’s border with Cameroon on Thursday night, stabbing 11 people to death.
The camp is home to more than 45,000 people.
Reports yesterday said the terrorists, at about 11.30pm on Thursday, smashed the barricade protecting the camp and descended on helpless IDPs.
Eleven people were killed while two others were wounded before soldiers guarding the camp were alerted to chase them.
They went away with food items meant for the IDPs.
It was gathered that the hoodlums resorted to the use of knives as against guns to avoid alerting soldiers.
A victim however raised the alarm, attracting the attention of the soldiers who responded accordingly.
Banki is 130 kilometres (80 miles) southeast of Maiduguri, the Borno State capital.
19 die in auto crash in Edo, says FRSC
Twenty hours to the celebration of the Eid-el-Kabir, 19 people, including five children, died in a separate auto accident at Ogoneki, off the Asaba-Benin Expressway in Edo State.
The accident, which involved a trailer and a passenger bus, occurred at 4.30 pm, according to the state sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Samuel Odukoya.
He said 24 persons were trapped in the accident.
Sixteen of the victims died on Thursday while three others gave up the ghost in a hospital yesterday.
Five others sustained various degrees of injury.
“The trip was from Benin to Auchi and the cause of the accident was attributed to dangerous overtaking,” Odukoya said.
“Three females, 11 males, a female child and four male children were killed in the accident, while five men were injured and have been taken to the hospital.”
The third accident involved a Nissan Civilian bus conveying players and officials of Ifeanyi Ubah Football Club to Ijebu Ode, Ogun State.
The team was on its way to the city for the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 36 fixture with Sunshine Stars of Akure billed for tomorrow.
The club’s Chairman, Chuma Ubah, who described the incident as pathetic and excruciating, said the team was coming out of the trauma.
He assured their fans that two of the seriously affected players of the team were responding to treatment while others and their fans had continued to support the team.
Ubah, in a statement, said: “Sequel to the reports making the rounds this morning, we wish to confirm that FC Ifeanyi Ubah’s team bus conveying the players and officials was involved in an auto accident.
“The accident occurred along Benin/Ore Expressway while we were on our way to Ijebu Ode to honour the Nigeria Professional Football League (NPFL) Match Day 36 fixture with Sunshine Stars billed for Sunday, Sept. 3.
“Six of our players sustained varying degrees of injuries and two that are unconscious hitherto have regained consciousness and are receiving treatment presently at the closest medical facility near the scene of the accident.
“We wish to express our felicitations for your concern, support, show of emotions, deepest thoughts and prayers at this sad time,” he said.
Ubah said the club would come up with decisions on the matter as related to their ability to honour the match as scheduled.
