At least two worshippers were confirmed
dead few hours ago, as a truck loaded with forest wood logs rammed
into a Muslim congregation observing this year Eid prayers to mark
the annual Eid-el-Kabir celebration at Ijebu Igbo, Ogun State.
Also, a police officer was killed by a
stray bullet in an ensuing melee shortly after the incident, throwing
the entire community into confusion and mourning.
An eye witness account said the truck
had a break failure before ramming into the worshippers, leaving tens
of others critically injured.
A worshipper, Alh. Ademola Balogun
KLASS, told our Correspondent on phone that he and his family members
escaped deaths by whiskers, but, not so with his Toyota Tundra with
number APP 995 DD, which was badly damaged.
“I do not see reason why these trucks
should be allowed to operate today. Me and my family escaped this
narrowly. As I speak to you three persons had died. It is very bad
here this morning. The question is why should the truck be allowed to
work today? Why?” Balogun queried.
The death of the policeman, it was
gathered, occurred when the sporadic gunshots by the policemen
drafted to quell looming violent protest by worshippers against the
truck and its owners hit one of them.
Residents of Atikori claimed that the
driver of the truck, Ope Sulaiman from Oke Agbo, took to his heels.
The chairman of Ijebu Igbo West Local Council Development Council
Area, Goke Adekunbi, has appealed for calm, assuring that necessary
steps would be taken on the matter.
He also prayed for the repose of the
dead.
•Daily Trust.
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