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Tears flowed in Oyo on Monday as the remains of four pupils of Federal Government Girls’ College, Oyo, were buried. The pupils died in ghastly auto crash that occured on Sunday afternoon at a popular market in Sabo area, about one kilometre to the school.
The deceased pupils are John Olubukola (SS3), Giwa Taibat (SS3), Ladipo Mojisola (SS1) and Ibirogba Maryam (JS3). They were buried at the public Muslim cemetry and Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) cemetry in Oyo.
Reports said a trailer loaded with garri fell on the minibus conveying the four pupils to school, instantly killing the driver and the four pupils.
Five others escaped with various degrees of injuries and are receiving treatment in private hospitals in the town.
According to Mr. Akin Olumide Omitade, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) of the school, the pupils who were returning from their mid-term break, boarded the minibus from Owode, having arrived from different locations, with a parent accompanying one of them.
He said the deceased students were trapped at the back seat of the bus, a situation which denied them access to rescue operation because people around could not get a towing vehicle to lift the truck on time.
Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, said: “A DAF truck loaded with garri fell on a Suzuki commercial mini bus conveying students of the Federal Government College, Oyo.
“As a result, four of the students and the bus driver died while five others were injured and were taken to Peamark Hospital, Oyo for medical treatment. They are responding to treatment and Investigation has since commenced.”
Mr. Oluwaseun Onijala, the spokesman of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Oyo state, gave the registration number of the minibus as Oyo BDJ183 XA and the Mercedes trailer as Lagos 911, EPE139 XJ.
Onijala said the accident was due to dangerous driving but Omitade, the school’s spokesman said the road is usually made narrow by the bad shape of the road and display of wares by both sides of the road by traders.
Omitade called on the government to rehabilitate the road, adding that the market women should be made to vacate the road.
The market where the accident occured was closed for business on Monday to honour the pupils and sympathize with the parents of the deceased.
The school, in mourning, also suspended academic activities for the day.