•The accident scene
A yet-to-be-identified final-year student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, has lost his life in a road crash after he and some other students embarked on a motorcade parade to celebrate the completion of their final examinations.
It was learnt yesterday from a Facebook user, Inside Edo, that the accident occurred on Monday shortly after the students finished their final examination.
Inside Edo disclosed that the vehicle had attempted to overtake another before losing control and ramming into a truck.
The post read, “A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen, close to the primary school, resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma.
“According to eyewitnesses, the crash happened during an attempted overtaking by one of the vehicles involved.
“The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control, causing the fatal incident. Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”
Similarly, the News Agency of Nigeria reported that the students were said to have been driving recklessly before crashing into a stationary truck.
The deceased was said to be part of a convoy made up of fresh graduates of the university.
NAN reported, “He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway on Monday shortly after their signing-out activities.
“Witnesses said the group drove recklessly and failed to observe basic safety rules during the celebrations.
“The tragedy occurred when the deceased attempted to overtake a moving truck but collided with a stationary vehicle parked along the road.”
Efforts to get the reaction of the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, proved abortive, as the official number available on the FRSC directory was not reachable at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, it was reported that Mathew later confirmed the incident, adding that one person died while five others were injured in the crash.
“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy.
“In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck,” Mathew said.
