Toba Owojaiye Reporting
Tragedy struck Ilorin, Kwara State, as a Nigerian Prisons Services (NPS) bus carrying inmates to court was involved in a fatal accident. Eyewitnesses claimed the driver violated traffic regulations, resulting in a devastating collision that claimed the lives of four people and left several others injured.
The incident took a horrifying turn when the vehicle struck and killed a motorcyclist on Niger Road, attempting to escape an angry mob seeking justice.
Initially, reports indicated multiple fatalities, but Prisons authorities contradicted these claims, insisting that no lives were lost. Tensions escalated as the enraged crowd contemplated taking matters into their own hands, only to be dispersed by armed prison guards firing gunshots.
The inmates’ transport van eventually reached its destination without further incidents amid the chaos. The incident also triggered a protest by local motorcycle riders, or “okada riders,” who demanded justice for their members and highlighted that the victims were individuals supporting their families.
The police confirmed the incident and assured the public that order had been restored in the affected areas. The Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) Public Relations Officer alleged that the incident might have been an attempt by suspected criminals to free high-profile inmates being conveyed to court, causing pandemonium.
Despite the chaos, Correctional Service personnel managed to reach the court, and the injured were promptly transported to the hospital for medical care. As the community grapples with this tragic event, the hope for justice and accountability remains paramount.