The family of late Mrs. Victoria Adeoye, one of the victims of last Wednesday’s accident at U-turn Bus Stop on the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, has said the convoy which caused the accident, belonged to the wife of Kwara State Governor, Mrs. Omolewa Ahmed.
Victoria aged 63, died shortly after she was hit by a truck which was trying to avoid crashing into the convoy, said to be returning from a visit to Hamkad Hospital.
Eyewitnesses had said the convoy drove recklessly into the expressway from a side road without stopping to check for oncoming vehicles.
A second victim, who has been identified as Mr. Adebambo Olumuyiwa, an employee of Lagos Cheshire Homes and Services, was said to have died about an hour after the accident at the Ile Epo General Hospital.
Victoria’s eldest son, Dr. Olusegun told PUNCH Metro that the family had learned that Ahmed had gone to Hamkad Hospital to visit a popular Fuji musician, Kollington Ayinla.
He said, “We were informed by some persons within our community that the convoy, which caused the accident, belonged to the wife of Kwara State Governor.
“They said she had gone to see Kollington at the hospital. We learnt that he was admitted at the hospital for an ailment.
“In fact, we were told that after the accident, Kollington was quickly moved from the hospital to another location at Iyana Ipaja.”
When PUNCH Metro contacted Kollington on the telephone, he denied the allegations.
He said, “Are you asking if I was ill last week or a month and a half ago? I am not ill and certainly not hospitalised. As I speak with you, I am in my house. I even had a gig last Saturday at Osogbo. So I was not at that hospital you are talking about.”
Ahmed also denied that her convoy caused any accident in Lagos, adding that the convoy narrowly escaped from the accident rather than causing it.
A statement from the former Senior Special Assistant to the State Governor on Media and Communication, Dr. Muideen Akorede, added that the accident, therefore, had nothing to do with the wife of the Kwara State Governor.
Akorede said, “I have been reliably briefed by several people in the convoy, including the wife of the governor.
“The facts indicate that Mrs. Ahmed’s convoy narrowly escaped from the accident rather than causing it.
“On the said day, Mrs. Ahmed was returning from visiting someone in a hospital within the vicinity, when her convoy narrowly escaped being hit by a tipper-truck, having left the scene of the accident seconds earlier by choice of providence.
“The reported accident, tragic as it is, therefore had nothing to do with Mrs. Ahmed or her convoy. However, any loss of life is tragic and sad no matter the cause.
“Furthermore, Mrs. Ahmed was unaware of what happened until she got to Ilorin and was told about the near-mishap. As a kind-hearted person, she would have offered assistance if she had been aware of the incident at the time. We only got an inkling of the alleged casualty from the accident following a newspaper report the following day, which, however, did not mention her or her convoy.
“It is also untrue that the tipper-truck in question reportedly ran into by-standers in a bid to avoid a collision with Mrs. Ahmed’s convoy.
“All drivers in the convoy have a standing order to avoid over-speeding and to always comply with traffic rules.”
Olusegun, however, faulted Akorede’s statement.
He said, “Even if Mrs. Ahmed wasn’t the cause of the accident, what is her moral obligation as a leader since she was at the scene? Her account of the day’s events is different from eyewitnesses’ accounts.
“These are people that the electorates put in the office and when they get there, they act as if they are invincible. The fact is that her convoy drove recklessly into the expressway and caused the accident that killed my mother. Why did she go to such length to hide the identity of the convoy when she heard of the accident? Why did they move Kollington to another hospital?
“To make matters worse, the police are saying that the convoy cannot be prosecuted, only the driver of the truck. I am not after vengeance. All I want is for people to take responsibility for their actions. The driver and owner of the truck that the police had initially claimed could not be found eventually surfaced at my house when their identities were published. Everyone has been trying to bury this incident because of the personality involved.”
Meanwhile, PUNCH Metro learnt that while plans are underway to bury Victoria on the second week of December, Olumuyiwa is expected to be buried at the Atan Cemetry, Yaba on Friday.
Source: Punch
May 06, 2013, 07:10:29 AM