The Kwara State Correctional Service has responded to the accident that occurred in Ilorin, the state capital, on Thursday morning when one of its vans was transporting inmates to court for trial. Thankfully, the Prisons authorities have confirmed that no lives were lost in the accident.
Reports indicated that the driver of the vehicle, alleged to have driven against traffic, unfortunately, crushed and killed a motorcyclist along Niger road while attempting to escape an angry mob.
The enraged mob was prepared to set the vehicle on fire and potentially harm the prison staff, but the armed guards from the prison fired sporadic gunshots to disperse the crowd.
Anonymously, a resident described how the mob, upset about the accident, attacked and damaged the bus escorting the inmates’ vehicle to court. Fortunately, the van carrying the inmates managed to leave the scene of the accident without further incident.
The accident led to a protest by a group of local motorcyclists, known as okada riders, in the Ilorin metropolis. AbdulAkeem Sulaiman, the Zonal Spokesperson of the Motorcycle Riders Association in the state, called for justice for their fellow riders, emphasizing that those involved in the accident were struggling to earn a livelihood for their families.
The Police Public Relations Officer of the command, Ajayi Okasanmi, assured that normalcy had been restored in the areas affected by the protest. He also stated that no deaths were reported and the police would take necessary steps to ensure justice for those affected.
Furthermore, the state NCoS Public Relations Officer, Philip Adegbulugbe, claimed that suspected hoodlums had attempted to free high-profile inmates during the incident, leading to pandemonium.
The Correctional Service personnel managed to reach the court safely, and those injured in the accident were transported to the hospital for medical treatment. Thankfully, they are responding well to treatment, and there were no fatalities.
