Five feared dead in Ogun auto crash

No fewer than five persons were feared dead and others seriously injured, in yesterday’s early morning accident at Oju-Ore, along Owode / Idiroko Road, Sango, in Ado-Odo Local Council of Ogun State.
   
The accident, which involved a truck laden with rice, tin tomatoes and other items, occurred around 5:00a.m.

An eyewitness said the truck crushed two commercial motorcyclists, their passengers, and passersby, after it tumbled due to over-speeding.

When The Guardian visited the scene, passersby and onlookers claimed casualties were still trapped under the fallen truck. Mr. Saheed, who disclosed that many motorcyclists were affected, said there were still casualties trapped. 
 
Efforts to confirm this proved abortive due to the presence of hostile armed soldiers and mobile police officers, who barricaded the scene, as the goods were being offloaded into another truck. 
 
Officials of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and the police on ground were not also helpful. 
   
There were, however, conflicting figures of casualties. While some people mentioned 10, another said nine and a traffic official, who refused to disclose his identity said three. But a release by the State Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Clement Oladele, said only one person died. 
 
The FRSC boss, who said another person was injured, noted that a truck, motorcycle and four persons were involved in the accident that claimed the life of one person, while another sustained various degree of injuries.
   
But his claim was a clear departure from what The Guardian saw at the scene. There were two damaged motorcycles lying beside the truck as at 10:00am
 
He said the body of the victim had been deposited at the mortuary of the General Hospital, Ota, while the survivor is receiving treatment at same hospital.
   
Oladele said that officials of the FRSC, TRACE and other traffic agencies had been deployed to the scene to ensure free -flow of traffic.