Just In:Youths Protest As Sisters Die In Benin Road Accident

By Hayford Amadi with agency report

Tension rose in Benin on Saturday morning as a BMW sedan 5 series car overrun and killed four sisters at Uselu along Lagos-Benin road, Benin city.

The driver of the car who was with his wife was said to have lost control and overrun the four women who were waiting by the roadside for public transport. One of them was pregnant.

The incident which happened around 6: 30 a.m. arouse the anger of the Uselu youths who mounted roadblock to protest the killing of the four women.

An eyewitness said the police later came and started shooting apparently to disperse the angry youths who have blocked the highway.

In the process, five persons among the youths were said to have sustained gunshot wounds; one in the shoulder, another in the chest and the last person got hurt by the side of the eye.

Spokesman of the group, Osas Ikpomwosa said the police left with two of the injured youths as they retrieved the four bodies of the victims and deposited them at the University of Benin Teaching Hospital, UBTH, nearby.

“The accident happened around 6:15 am opposite Uselu park, we woke up to see four female bodies on the road and two persons in the car, a man and a woman. I don’t know where they were coming from. One of the bodies was inside the gutter two on the road with one pregnant woman who was across the road making four. I guest they were going to New Benin market,” he said.

He said when the police came they rescued the car driver who was trapped in the gutter with the woman beside him.

“We later saw a hand inside the gutter, it was the hand that made us know that somebody was actually inside the gutter. The police came and packed all the dead bodies to the hospital,” he said.

However, the protesting youths vowed never to open the highway until their members arrested by the police were released.

The Edo state Police Public Relations Officer, Chidi Nwabuzor confirmed the incident and said it was unfortunate.

He said his men were only on the ground to restore peace and order at the place and they were doing their best to achieve that.

“It was unfortunate, our men are there to restore peace and they are doing their best. It was an accident and It’s quite unfortunate,” he said.