Seven persons have reportedly lost their lives in a fatal accident that involved the protocol team of Governor Godwin Obaseki of Edo State and a commercial vehicle.
The victims of the unfortunate incident which occurred along the Benin-Auchi highway, near Ehor, in Uhunmwode Local Government area, included five adults and two children.
Several other persons, including the driver of the Hilux van, who sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident, were said to have been rushed to the Central Hospital in Benin, the State capital, for medical attention.
The Governor’s advance team was reportedly heading to Ekpoma to attend the convocation ceremony of Ambrose Alli University.
It was gathered that the accident occurred when the Toyota Hilux van had a head-on collision with a commercial Audi car.
A source at the Central Hospital confirmed that accident victims were brought in but declined to give further details.
The State Commissioner of Police, Mr. DanMallam Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, described it as “very unfortunate.”
Meanwhile, the Edo State Government has commiserated with the families of the seven victims of the accident.
The Government in a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, conveyed its condolences to the victims and their families.
The statement said: “We have confirmed from the Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) details of the accident involving the advance team of the Governor’s Protocol team.
“The development is extremely sad. We commiserate with the families of the victims and pray that God grants them the fortitude to bear the painful loss.
“From our findings, the Audi vehicle lost its tyre and ran into a pothole, before colliding with the Hilux vehicle which was conveying protocol officers from Edo State Government House.”
The statement added that the State government would ensure that the affected families get the necessary support to lessen the impact of the sad incident.
