A campaign vehicle reportedly owned by Monday Okpebholo, the Edo state gubernatorial candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has been involved in an accident.
According to reports, the bus and another private car collided near the Warrake-Afuze road in the Owan East Local Government Area of Edo State.
Five individuals reportedly died in the tragic incident.
It was revealed that the deceased were on their way back from a funeral when they were involved in the fatal accident.
Among the victims identified was Emmanuel Edionwe.
The remains of four individuals were taken to the Edo State University, Uzaurie Mortuary in Etsako West Local Government Area for burial.
According to Daily Post, sources revealed that the campaign bus collided with the victims’ silver Camry Sedan while trying to navigate a tight curve on the road, with several eyewitnesses confirming that the crash was due to poor driving.
A family member of Emmanuel Edionwe, one of the victims who wished to remain anonymous, expressed their sorrow over the incident.
“We are devastated beyond words. Emmanuel was a good, easygoing boy who should not be dead today.
“He and his friends were driving in the silver Camry car. After the accident, we learned that five of them have died after the head-on collision with the APC governorship candidate’s campaign vehicle.
“In the accident, Emmanuel and four of his friends died. There is just one of them who is in critical condition and is now being treated by doctors at the hospital.”
“Edionwe died at the Irrua Specialist Hospital (ISH) in Irrua, where he was later transferred for specialist care.
“It was officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) who evacuated the bodies from the scene of the accident. Four of them died yesterday. One died this morning. There is only one surviving person in critical condition,”
he said.
The Sector Commander for Edo State in the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Matthew Cyril Zango, who has been informed about the incident, mentioned that there were two fatalities, in contrast to the five deaths that were initially reported on various social media sites.
Zango explained that the APC’s campaign vehicles were going from Auchi to Afuze.
He further stated that one of the vehicles, named Thunder, which was transporting musical instruments, collided with a silver Camry Sedan that was moving from Afuze while attempting to make a turn on the road.
“Two of the occupants of the car who were said to be returning from a burial ceremony lost their lives in the crash,” Zango said, noting that he was yet to get further updates on the accident from the Afuze unit commander of the FRSC.
