BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Police in Osun State have arrested a driver named Joshua Akinokun for allegedly crushing three pedestrians to death along the Osogbo-Ejigbo Highway in the state.
It was gathered that the accident happened while Joshua, driving a Toyota Camry car with registration number LAGOS KJA 721 HE, lost control and rammed into pedestrians at Palm Crest area of Osogbo, the state capital.
The three casualties were identified as Tairu Haruna, Adamu Mamudu and Jubril Sule, a motorcyclist.
Following Police investigation, Akinokun, 27, was arraigned before a Magistrate’s Court in Osogbo for manslaughter and driving without licence.
Police prosecutor, Inspector Jacob Akintunde, informed the court that the incident happened at about 2pm on July 17, 2022.
The charge against him read that “You, Akinokun Joshua, being the driver in charge of a Toyota Camry car with registration number LAGOS KJA 721 HE, drove the said vehicle on the public highway in a manner which was dangerous to the public highway which caused the death of three people, namely Jubril Sule, Tairu Haruna and Adamu Mamudu of Sabo Area, Ejigbo, Osun State.
“You drove the aforementioned vehicle on the public highway and caused damage to a Bajaj motorcycle with registration number OSUN EJG 938 QE, ridden by the late Jubril Sule, valued at N350,000.00 (Three hundred and fifty thousand naira only).
“You, Akinokun Joshua, on the same date, time and place in the aforementioned magisterial district being the driver in charge of the aforementioned vehicle, drove the same on the public highway without a driver licence, insurance certificate of the said vehicle and road worthiness.”
Akintunde said that the defendant committed offences contrary to and punishable under sections 7, 18, 18(1) of RTL Volume 6, Cap 115 Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002; Section 21 (b) of RTA, Cap 548 Laws of Nigeria; and sections 139, 142 of RTA Laws of Nigeria 2015.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to the 12-count-charge slammed against him. The defence counsel, Ayo Laogun, urged the court to grant him bail in the most liberal term, saying that the accused person had reliable people to stand sureties for him.
Magistrate A. K. Ajala ordered that the defendant be remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre pending the August 24 adjourned date for ruling on the bail application.
In an interview with The Point, the defendant claimed that he was not the driver of the said vehicle and that he was not even at the scene of the accident.
Joshua, the alleged owner of the vehicle, said that it was being driven by his chauffeur when the incident happened.
