Sole survivor of accident that claimed 4 policemen narrates incident

The only survivor of the auto crash that claimed the lives of four policemen attached to X-Squad of the Lagos State Police Command, weekend, in Ikorodu area of Lagos, was discharged from the hospital yesterday.
 The officer, a female, Assistant Superintendent Ibitola Egbeola, leader of the team that was on a routine surveillance and patrol along Isiwu Road, Imota in Ikorodu, described her survival as a miracle.


Expressing shock over the death of her colleagues, Egbeola explained that an unmarked 911 lorry, which was coming from the opposite direction near Isiwu town, suddenly pulled out of its lane and rammed into their Nissan Frontier van, with number plate NPF 409 D.


Vanguard gathered that motorists stopped to assist the policemen to the hospital, but two Inspectors— Olusegun Ajiboye and Donatus Nwaego— who sat at the back, including a female Sergeant, Umoru Blessing, died on the spot.

The fourth policeman, Corporal Idowu Ibidapo, said to have sustained head injuries, died moments after reaching the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja.

The surviving ASP did not sustain any injury. Egbeola, who expressed shock after being shown the wreckage of what used to be her team’s patrol van, attributed her survival to providence. She said:

“The whole incident happened within a twinkle of an eye. We were going towards a U-turn at Agbowa when we saw the lorry veer off its lane, facing us. “There was no way our driver could manoeuvre, as there was a ditch to our right. The next thing I heard was a bang, followed by a black out. The next time I opened my eyes, I saw myself inside an ambulance, with Corporal Idowu, heading to the hospital. My survival can only be attributed to God.” 

 Meanwhile, driver of the lorry, who fled the scene of the incident, has been arrested. At press time, the suspect, Ibrahim Hamzat, 26, was still being detained at Agbowa Police Division.