Tension gripped Sagamu in Ogun State on Monday after enraged residents staged a protest following the death of a pedestrian, Jide Oyeleke, who was struck and killed by a hit-and-run driver.
The incident occurred along Ewusi Road in the Sagamu Local Government Area.
Witnesses said the driver of a Toyota Camry, reportedly speeding excessively, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a nearby barbershop where Oyeleke was standing.
According to eyewitness accounts, the driver, believed to be a suspected internet fraudster, fled the scene immediately after the crash, leaving the victim lifeless at the scene.
Confirming the incident, spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, said the incident led to an angry reaction from youths in the community.
“The fatal crash happened between Bright Fashion Junction and Royal Chemist on Ewusi Road,” Akinbiyi explained.
“A witness said the vehicle, allegedly driven by suspected Yahoo boys, was on high speed, which led to the loss of control. The car veered off the road, crashed into a barber’s shop, and fatally struck the victim.”
He added that local residents, outraged by the incident, demanded swift justice and called for the immediate installation of speed bumps to curb future tragedies on the busy road.
In the aftermath, the victim’s body was taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital mortuary in Ago-Iwoye, while the car involved in the crash was moved to the police Motor Traffic Division in Sagamu.
This incident is the latest in a string of similar tragedies in the state.
Just recently, a 500-level student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Victor Onakoya, was arrested after his vehicle collided with a motorcycle carrying a couple in the Ago-Iwoye area, resulting in their deaths.
Akinbiyi confirmed that the earlier crash involved a Toyota Camry with registration number JJJ 168 GY and a red Bajaj motorcycle bearing plate number KNN 873 ZY. The student was reportedly rescued from a mob attack by police officers after the crash.