Protest as van crushes three to death at police check point in Ondo

The protesting residents, who blamed the deaths on recklessness of policemen, dumped the bodies in front of the police Division.

Those killed were David Olowofeyekun, Gbenga Abayomi and Kola Akinduro, who was the Head of Korede Village.

They were on a motorcycle returning from their farms last Saturday when a Hilux van crushed them to death while waiting at a police check point along Lagos/Benin highway.

An eyewitness, Funmi Olowogboye, said the deceased were stopped at the checkpoint on Saturday evening and a driver of the hilux van who attempted to escape the police rammed into them.

Olowogboye said the victims who parked on the instruction of the policemen died on the spot.

Another community leader, Chief Oloruntobi Maiyegun, who spoke with journalists on phone, said he mobilised Amotekun and other security agencies to the scene to forestall break down of law and order when he was told that the people were mobilising to burn the police station.

It was however the arrival of the Ondo Police Commissioner, Mr. Oyeyemi Oyediran, the Amotekun Corps and other security agencies, that stopped the protesters.

Ondo Police spokesman, SP Funmilayo Odunlami, said the deceased flouted traffic and got involved on an accident.

“It was not due to the recklessness of the police officers. They took one way and they had an accident. So there was no way the police can be reckless in a situation whereby there is a route to take and they took another one.

“Of course it was an oncoming vehicle that they collided with and died. It was not police recklessness there,” she said.

Chairman of Odigbo Council, Mrs Margaret Akinsuroju, said the angry youths and bereaved families have given peace a chance and agreed for the corpses to be buried by their relatives.

According to her: “The police on duty could not arrest the reckless driver and got back to the scene only to see angry mobs, who were trying to blame it on them and lynch them, but they escaped.

“Other people were saying they mounted a checkpoint and it led directly to their death. The tension was so high, having counselled them and appealed to them, I left the place.”