3 Nigerian Pastors Dead In Ghastly Accident

3 Pastors from the Anglican Church in Ekiti State have been killed in an auto crash along Otun-Iro road in Moba Local Government Area of the state.

The state police spokesperson, Sunday Abutu, who confirmed this to newsmen said the clergymen were travelling from Ipere-Ekiti to Iro-Ekiti when their bus somersaulted, leading to their instant death.

He said the incident also left five others in the bus with injuries, and they were taken to the Federal Teaching Hospital in Ido Ekiti for treatment. The remains of the deceased were deposited in the morgue.

“We got the information, our men from the traffic section were deployed to the axis. The body of the deceased were recovered and moved to hospital,” he said.

“We are monitoring the situation, and investigation is still ongoing to ascertain the cause of the accident.”

According to Abutu, the deceased included Felix Okeowo, who was said to have been transferred from Saint Peters’ Anglican Church, Ipere Ekiti and was on his way to assume duty in his new station in Iro-Ekiti when the accident occurred.

Others were identified as Arije of Saint James’ Anglican Church, Eda Oniyo Ekiti, and Omotoso of Saint Mary’s Anglican Church, Ewu Ekiti.

Between January and September 2022, road crashes killed more than 69 persons in Ekiti, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).

FRSC Sector Command in the state, Olusola Joseph, blamed the incidents on over speeding by drivers and poor condition of the roads.

He called on drivers to prioritise safe driving and ensure that their vehicles, including their tyres, are in good condition.

The Nigerian Bureau of Statistics (NBS), said there were 6,627 road traffic accidents in the country during the first half of 2022.

These crashes involved a total of 10,579 vehicles between the months of January and June.