Six family members die in Edo crash

A forensic specialist with University of Benin Teaching Hospital, Dr. Ralph Omojele and five members of his family lost their lives in a road crash by Okada junction, along the Benin-Ore Expressway.

Omojele’s family members affected were his three children, an uncle and a cousin.

The victims were said to be on their way from Lagos, Wednesday evening, when the accident occurred.

It was gathered that late Omojefe and his family members had escorted a younger sister who was on her way to the United States, to Lagos, having won the American visa lottery, and were on their way back to Benin when the accident happened.

President, UBTH chapter of the Association of Resident Doctors, Kingsley Okafor, who confirmed the incident, said he had visited the family and that the late Omojefe’s wife had been taken to their village in Delta State.

Okafor said the association had declared seven days of mourning during which period members are to wear black armband.

He said, “We will observe a minute silence everyday before any clinic session.”

At the time of filing this report, officials of the Federal Roads Safety Commission said they were yet to get details of the accident.

The accident, it was learnt, might have been caused by burst tyre or loss of control.

Meanwhile, the Edo State Police Command, on Thursday, paraded a kidnap kingpin during pre-anmesty days in the Niger Delta, Wilson Emvobosa, over his involvment in recent abduction cases in the state.

Emvobosa was paraded at the state police headquarters along with 29 other suspected criminals, including one Justice Ighere and Temitola Henry, who were arrested over alleged  vandalisation of petroleum pipelines at Ologbo.

Also paraded was a 55-year old man, Fidelis Mbama, who was arrested for the alleged rape of a 15-year-old girl, in the New Benin area, on 4th November, 2013.

Mbama confessed to the offence, but pleaded for forgiveness.

The state Commissioner of Police, Foluso Adebanjo, during the exercise, reiterated the command’s readiness to rid the state of all criminal activities and to make it safer for residents during the “ember” months.

He said, “Today, we have in our custody 29 confessed suspects who are suspected kidnappers, armed robbers, and rapists.”

Adebanjo said all the suspects would be charged to court immediately.