Oshiomhole escapes death in ghastly crash

Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State

• Three journalists killed, many injured • Gov alleges foul play, demands probe

Three journalists died yesterday in a road accident involving the convoy of Governor Adams Oshiomhole of Edo State.




The accident occurred on Auchi-Warrake road when Oshiomhole’s back-up vehicle carrying security personnel and the Government House Press bus had a head-on collision with a lorry.
Oshiomhole was returning from Owan East Local Government where he received former Deputy Governor of Edo State, Rev. Peter Obadan, who defected to the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN).
Dead were the driver of the press crew bus whose name was given as Samson, Olatunji Jacob, a reporter with the Independent Television (ITV), George Okosun also of the ITV and a cameraman of the Africa Independent Television (AIT), Fidelis Ohani.
Some other journalists in the bus were injured. They are Bright Osifo of the Edo Broadcasting Service; George Enofe, Government House photographer; David Acha a cameraman with the Nigerian Observer and Paul Ezenwa, a cameraman with DBN.
Others are Rosemary Obayuwana of Bronze FM; an official of the National Orientation Agency (NOA), Mrs. Obamogie and three others from the State Ministry of Information.
The Chief Security Detail of Governor Oshiomhole and other security personnel are also in critical condition.
The injured were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH). The incident forced the postponement of the planned kick-off of Oshiomhole’s gubernatorial campaign at the King’s Square in Benin City.
Members of the ACN who had gathered for the rally wore long faces when informed of the incident.
The State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), commiserated with Governor Oshiomhole, the Edo State Chapter of the ACN, the Independent Television (ITV) and the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) on the incident.
Publicity Secretary of the party, Pharm Matthew Urhoghide, said the party viewed the death of the four persons as a colossal loss to the journalism profession in particular and the state in general.
The governor, explaining how it happened through the Director, Media and Publicity of his campaign organisation, Prince Kassim Afegbua said: "the tipper truck emerged from the opposite direction and rammed into the flag vehicle of the Governor before crashing into several other vehicles in the convoy leaving three people dead and several others in critical condition.
"The Comrade Governor’s back-up vehicle was badly affected as well as three other vehicles conveying security officers and members of the Governor’s Press Crew; the Comrade Governor’s vehicle escaped by the whiskers.
"The Governor is also recovering fast from the shock of the incident as it could have been worse if the tipper truck driver had succeeded in his dastardly mission. At first, the driver of the tipper truck attempted to escape but was quickly apprehended by sympathizers."
"The Governor has ordered full scale investigation to ascertain the immediate and remote cause of this unfortunate incident which claimed the lives of three young, brilliant and very hardworking journalists at this moment of the take-off of the Governor’s re-election campaigns."
Afegbua alleged foul play in the incident and asked the Police to unravel the circumstances that led to the incident.
He explained that their suspicion was buoyed by the fact that there have been series of threats and boastful statements from the opposition camp, expressing very crude desperation about the July 14, 2012 gubernatorial election in the State as do or die affair.
"The Oshiomhole Campaign Organization wishes to express heartfelt condolences to the families of those who lost their lives in the line of duty. May the spirit of the Almighty God continue to abide with their families and may God grant them peaceful rest in the hereafter.

"As a mark of honour, the flag-off earlier scheduled for the day had been put off until further notice."