An eyewitness has related how an official of Edo State Public Safety Response Task Force and a commercial bus driver caused the death of a yet-to-be-named toddler in Benin, Edo State.
The incident occurred on Wednesday evening when the operative of the agency that is supposed to ensure safety in public spaces, accosted a commercial bus driver in a reckless manner at the Ring Road for an unknown traffic violation.
The eyewitness who declined having his name in print, disclosed that the taskforce personnel attempted to force the bus driver to stop by dragging the steering wheel with him.
The driver reportedly lost control of the bus and hit the toddler in the process.
He said: “The Public Safety Response personnel alighted form their vehicle and tried to force themselves into the commercial bus.
“The bus driver maneuvered and tried to escape, but the taskforce officials held on to his steering.
“The scuffle continued while the bus was still on motion. In the ensuing confusion, the driver lost control and rammed into the toddler who was standing beside her mother’s wares on the roadside.
“The vehicle smashed the toddler’s head to the concrete floor, while her mother escaped death by the whisker,” he said.
The State Police Command’s spokesman, CSP Moses Yamu, who confirmed the development, said investigation into the fatal incident has commenced.
Yamu in a statement on Thursday, gave the registration number of the white Vannette involved to be BEN 406 YA.
“The bus rammed into some pedestrian, ostensibly to evade arrest by members of the Edo State Public Safety Response.
“A girl of about 2-year-old lost her life while the mother is currently receiving treatment at the hospital.
“A member of the Public Safety Response accused of causing the accident was rescued from a mob and taken into custody for investigation.
“The lifeless body of the child was rushed to the hospital, where she was confirmed dead,” he said.
Yamu added that efforts are ongoing to identify and arrest the driver who he said fled the scene.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Betty Otimenyin, has “urged motorists to observe all traffic rules, obey constituted authorities and exercise patience while on the road.”
