ENUGU—Driver of a popular transport company narrowly escaped mob action in Enugu after crushing a six-year-old girl, Safiya Sanusi, to death while overtaking on the wrong side of the road. He is, however, in police detention, which rescued him from the mob. The deceased and five of her school mates were on their way home from school when the accident occurred.
Eyewitnesses account said the bus was heading for Abakaliki from Enugu when it overtook vehicles on the right hand side and in the process overran the pupils who were walking on the untarred part of the road, killing little Safiya instantly.
Vanguard gathered that the driver of the vehicle escaped from the irate mob that was angered by the dangerous driving which resulted in the accident.
The crowd was reported to have broken the windscreen of the vehicle, which was later recovered by the police and taken to Emene Police Station.
The driver was also taken into custody by the police, while the corpse of Safiya was deposited in Annunciation Hospital mortuary.
Father of the deceased said the late Safiya was a pupil of Emene Practising School, near St. Joseph Catholic Church, Emene.
Meanwhile, human rights group, Civil Liberties Organisation, CLO, has intervened in the matter to ensure that justice was done. South East Director of the group, Mr. Olu Omotayo, wondered why a driver should overtake on the wrong side of the road without regards for pedestrians.
“It should be noted that the recklessness exhibited by drivers of the popular transport company has over the years resulted in death of hundreds,” he said.
Omotayo said law enforcement agencies had a lot to do in this regard, especially the Federal Road Safety Corps.
“We cannot continue to close our eyes to recklessness on the roads, exhibited by drivers of a particular company who feel that they are above the law.
“We also call on well meaning Nigerians to also demand for justice, punitive and adequate compensation against the company (to be given to Mallam Sanusi and his family) to serve as deterrence to the company so that it can check its reckless drivers,” he added.
Although the company has offered N100,000 compensation to the deceased’s family and a promise to foot the bill of the little girl’s burial, the father, however, rejected the offer.
Vanguard Nigeria
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