.Driver arrested as police begin investigation
Fidelis David in Akure
A 35-year-old Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), Adediji Sesan, has been crushed to death by a vehicle after attempting to stop the driver for a routine inspection along Hospital Road, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident, which occurred at about 9:30a.m. yesterday, opposite Mega Primary School, adding that the driver had been arrested and detained.
According to the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, preliminary information indicated that the deceased was on routine patrol with his team when he flagged down the vehicle for an inspection of its particulars.
Abayomi said the driver initially stopped but allegedly drove off when asked to produce the relevant documents, hitting the VIO officer in the process.
“The victim, who was reportedly on routine patrol with his team, was said to have flagged down the vehicle for a routine inspection of its particulars. The driver initially stopped but allegedly drove off when asked to produce the relevant documents, hitting the VIO official in the process,” the police spokesman said.
The vehicle involved was identified as a white Mitsubishi van with registration number AGL 992 XX, driven by 37-year-old Ayoade Idowu, of Gbogi Street, Akure.
The police spokesman said Sesan sustained serious head injuries and was immediately rushed to the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Teaching Hospital, where a doctor on duty confirmed him dead. His remains, he added, had been deposited at the hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy.
The incident had earlier attracted public attention after a video shared on social media showed residents shouting in distress as the officer lay trapped beneath the vehicle. The footage also captured the apparent distress of some of his colleagues and the gathering of residents at the scene.
The police said operatives had visited the scene and commenced investigations, adding that the case file was expected to be transferred to the Motor Traffic Division for further investigation.
He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State Command, Felix Ohagwu, expressing condolences to the deceased’s family, colleagues and associates, assuring them that the circumstances surrounding his death would be thoroughly investigated.
“He assures the public that a thorough investigation will be conducted and that appropriate legal action will follow in accordance with the law,” Abayomi said.
The command also urged motorists to exercise patience, obey lawful traffic instructions and cooperate with authorised traffic enforcement officials.
“No road user should endanger the life of another in an attempt to evade routine checks or traffic regulations,” the police spokesman added.