Six die in Edo accident, Abuja clash

Tragedy struck yesterday morning, when a BMW car allegedly crushed four children to death along Uselu-Benin-Lagos road in Edo state. 

This was as two persons were reported killed in a clash between the native Gbagyi and Igbo residents in Shafi village, a suburb of Apo spare parts market in Abuja yesterday.

The children were knocked down by the fast moving vehicle, while crossing Uselu- Lagos Expressway by Uselu Shell, near the traditional ground in Egor Local Government Area of Edo State.

Irked by the development, angry youths from the community blocked and made bonfire on the road.

It was gathered that businesses around the area were shutdown, while commuters caught in the web were stranded for hours.

Besides, pedestrians were forced to trek long distances as a result of the gridlock, despite police presence.

An eyewitness told The Guardian that the driver of the vehicle fled after the accident.

In Abuja, sources disclosed that trouble broke out in the early hours of Saturday between the two sides when the Gbagyi who sold land to the Igbo to build shack houses informed the Igbo to remove all extensions attached to the houses.

But while the Igbo were yet to remove the attachments, the Gbagyi allegedly resorted to dismantling the extensions to make way for a proposed road construction in the community.

Displeased with the action, some of the Igbo residents of the village moved to stop the demolishing leading to a fight.

A lady, who identified herself simply as Chioma, a resident, said the clash soon degenerated as both sides resorted to the use of dangerous weapons, including machetes and iron rods, leading to the death of an Igbo and a Gbagyi.

As the belligerents attacked themselves, sources said the police was nowhere to be seen. Telephone calls and text messages to Manza Anjuguri, a Deputy Superintendent of Police and spokesman of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Command were not replied to as of the time of filling this report yesterday evening.