Three killed, 3 tricycles crushed as Anambra revenue agents move …
By Chimaobi Nwaiwu,NNEWI
NO fewer than three people were killed, while three tricycles were crushed beyond repairs at the Onitsha end of the Niger Bridge Head Onitsha, near Dim Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu sculpture, when a lorry popularly known as 911 carrying Kings Vegetable Oil, heading to Asaba was made to fell.
The lorry according to an eye witness fell when revenue agents who claimed to be working for Anambra State government, were struggling with the driver for the steering of the vehicle in an attempt to stop the vehicle to collect tolls from the driver.
The scene of the accident has always been the most dangerous dark spot of tout activities against vehicles entering and exiting Onitsha, as many drivers and conductors have either been killed, or grievously wounded, while the vehicles were badly damaged by touts who operate there even without fear of soldiers who maintain Army Checkpoint there.
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Vanguard gathered that the vehicle which was coming out from the Harbour Industrial Layout area of Onitsha, driving through the Julius Berger Construction Yard to connect the Niger Bridge towards Asaba, was accosted by the log wielding revenue agents who jump onto doors of the drivers and conductors sides of the vehicles in demand for undisclosed revenue.
According to an eye witness, “as soon as they jump on the vehicle, the one on the side of the driver started struggling for the steering of the vehicle with the driver apparently to force him to stop and in the process he lost control of the vehicle, which crashed into the tricycles plying the area and crushing instantly the drive and some passengers they were carrying.”
One of the victims of the accident was Vanguard gathered said to have had his head chopped off, while the other victims bodies were mangled, with others who were fast to jump off from the tricycles when the vehicle was skidding of the road, sustaining various degree of injuries.
According to the eyewitness, “but for the officers and men of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, who have their Unit Office, near the scene, that brought their towing vehicle to lift the fallen 911 that trapped the three tricycles, more passengers would have been killed in the avoidable accident.”
The accident affected vehicular movement as entry to and exit from Onitsha to Asaba was made impossible following a long traffic that extended from Asaba end of the Head Bridge to Oko market and Onitsha end of the bridge to close to Upper Iweka.
The eye witness said that revenue agent who was struggling the steering of the vehicle with the driver did not escape unhurt as he sustained serious injury when he jumped off the vehicle and managed to escape to avoid being mobbed just as his other colleagues did following the death they cauaed.
The incident attracted serious backlashes for the Anambra State government who call all kinds of unprintable names to the government, accusing the Governor Chukwuma Soludo led government if claiming to have banned touting activities nut ended up increasing their numbers and activities and embolding them, as they operate with violence and without fear of security agents.