A monumental tragedy has hit the All-Progressives Congress, APC in Edo State as the campaign convoy of its governorship candidate, Monday Okpebholo, on Thursday crushed five people to death while the life of other hangs in the balance at the Irrua Specialist Hospital, (ISH) Irrua, Esan Central local government area of the state.
The victims, one of whom was identified as Emmanuel Edionwe, were said to be returning from a burial ceremony when they met their gruesome death due to the accident which occurred on Warrake Road at the Uzebba axis in Owan West local government area of the state. Eyewitnesses said while four of them, said to be friends, died on the spot and their corpses evacuated by officials of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) and deposited at the Edo State University, Uzairue morgue in Etsako West local government area, another died Friday morning despite spirited efforts by doctors to save him.
Though the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) was yet to disclose the cause of the deadly crash as efforts to reach the Sector Commander in the area was unsuccessful, available information revealed that Senator Okpebholo’s convoy rammed into the victims’ silver Toyota Camry car as the driver was attempting to negotiate a sharp bend on the road. A journalist who was part of the APC convoy however confirmed the incident. He also confirmed that the victims were not part of the campaign train but persons travelling on their own.
A relative of Edionwe, driver of the car, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, said: “We are devastated beyond words. Emmanuel was a good, easy-going boy who should not be dead today. He and his friends were driving in the silver Camry car. After the accident, we just learnt that five of them have died after the collision with Okpebholo’s convoy. Emmanuel and four of his friends are dead. There is just one of them who is in critical condition and is now being nursed to life at the hospital.”
The family source disclosed that Edionwe died at the Irrua Specialist Hospital (ISH) in Irrua, where he was later transferred to for specialist care. Volunteering more information on the tragic accident, he said “It was officials of the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) that evacuated the bodies from the scene of the accident. Four of them died yesterday. One died this morning. There is only one surviving person in critical condition.”
The source disclosed that Okpebholo sneaked into the hospital that the victims had been rushed to, to check on them.
However, mum had been the word from the APC and its candidate as at press time, as there had been no statement to express their regrets over the sad development and commiserate with the bereaved families.
Edionwe’s family source who was quoted to have lamented the seeming silence from the APC and Okpebholo, reportedly said, “We feel really bad that the APC has not said anything about the accident. It is insensitive. No one who suffers such a loss should be left without closure”.
