SEVEN persons were on Saturday confirmed dead after they were involved in an accident near Ehor village along the Benin-Ekpoma highway.
The victims included five adults and two children and they were driving in an Audi 80 car which had a head-on collision with a Toyota Hilux van.
Occupants of the Hilux van were protocol officers of the Edo State Government House.
They were said to be heading for Ekpoma, headquarters of Esan West local government area, as an advance party for Governor Godwin Obaseki, who was to attend the convocation ceremony of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
Edo Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Anthony Oko, who confirmed the incident, said the two children died on their way to the hospital.
Oko said all occupants of the Audi car died while driver of the Hilux van had injuries. He attributed the cause of the accident to loss of control by the driver of the Audi car.
The FRSC boss said the driver entered a pothole and rammed into the Hilux van.
An Edo government official, who pleaded anonymity, said the protocol officials did not suffer much injury.
The State Commissioner of Police, Danmallam Mohammed, who confirmed the incident, described it as “very unfortunate.”
Meanwhile, the state government has commiserated with the families of the seven victims of the accident involving the advance Protocol Team of the governor at Ehor Village, on the outskirts of Benin City, the Edo State capital.
In a statement, Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Communication Strategy, Mr. Crusoe Osagie, conveyed the state government’s condolences to the victims and their families.
He said, “We have confirmed from the police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) details of the accident involving the advance team of the governor’s protocol team. The development is extremely sad. We commiserate with the families of the victims and pray that God grants them the fortitude to bear the painful loss.”
