Hit-and-Run Accident Claims Lives of Vigilantes in Edo State

On Tuesday morning, two members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria were killed by a hit-and-run trailer driver along the Benin–Lagos Expressway. Eyewitness accounts differ regarding the circumstances of the accident. The police have confirmed the incident and are investigating to locate the fleeing driver while appealing for more information.

In a tragic incident on Tuesday morning, two members of the Vigilante Group of Nigeria (VGN) lost their lives when a hit-and-run trailer driver struck them along the Benin–Lagos Expressway, right outside the University of Benin in the Ugbowo area of Edo State. The victims, identified one as Mustapha through an identity card, were riding a motorcycle when the speeding trailer collided with them and then fled the scene.

Eyewitness accounts vary on the circumstances surrounding the collision. Some witnesses claimed the vigilantes were trying to signal the trailer to stop, while others insisted it was a minibus that initially knocked them down before the trailer ran over them. An onlooker described the scene as “horrifying,” stating that the trailer did not even slow down as it approached. “One of the men had his head crushed instantly,” remarked a roadside hawker present at the time. “People screamed, but the driver just kept going.”

The horrifying event quickly caught the attention of passersby, many of whom expressed their frustration at the reckless driving prevalent on the highway. Furthermore, they lamented the dangerous reality faced by security volunteers like the vigilantes, who often work to keep their communities safe but find themselves vulnerable on the roads.

Moses Yamu, the spokesperson for the Edo State Police Command, confirmed the occurrence and stated that investigations have been initiated. The police are actively working to locate and apprehend the driver who fled after the accident. In the meantime, the bodies of the victims have been taken to a morgue, and police are appealing for anyone with information that could assist in the investigation to come forward.

The hit-and-run incident on the Benin–Lagos Expressway serves as a grim reminder of the dangers faced by vigilantes in the line of duty. With conflicting eyewitness reports complicating the narrative, the police are diligently pursuing leads to track down the driver responsible for this tragic loss of life. Community members remain vocal about their concerns over reckless driving and the safety of those who endeavor to protect their neighborhoods.

Original Source: guardian.ng