Confusion as hospital denies killer convoy’s visit

There was confusion on Saturday as the private hospital that a convoy, suspected to be that of a government official visited last Wednesday along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway, denied that the convoy stopped at the place to see a patient.

But residents of the community, where the hospital is located, insisted that a government convoy stopped at the hospital shortly before the accident it allegedly caused.

It was learnt that some members of the community went to Hamkad Hospital on Thursday to demand the identity of the convoy that had visited the day before. They, however, did not succeed.

The administrative manager of the hospital,  who identified himself as Mr. Fajobi, told  bignews24hours that he was not aware that any convoy stopped at the hospital or  that it later caused an accident a few metres away.

An oncoming truck, in a bid to avoid hitting the escort vehicles, had rammed into pedestrians at the bus stop Fajobi said, “Some people came here yesterday to ask the same question. I am not aware that a government convoy came here. I am also not aware that it caused an accident on the expressway.”

However, the residents, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, insisted that the convoy stopped at the hospital.

One of them said, “A convoy came here last week. People were so intimidated when they saw the number armed policemen in the convoy.

“We later learnt that they caused an accident on the expressway. One of the victims was brought to the hospital, it was an elderly woman.

“If we had known that the convoy would wreck such havoc, we would have tried harder to get the identity of the official. The number plates of many of the vehicles were covered.”

 Mrs. Victoria Adeoye, an elderly woman lived opposite the bus stop.

Victoria was said to have died at the Ile-Epo General Hospital.

Her eldest son, Dr. Olusegun Adeoye, said, “I left Lagos that morning for Abuja, where I live. I was settling down at my desk at work when I got a call that my mum was dead. I came back to Lagos the next day.

“From what I was told, the convoy didn’t bother to stop when the accident happened. My mother sustained a deep gash on her back; she was bleeding profusely. When my younger brother heard the news, he quickly rushed down to the scene and took her to Hamkad Hospital.

“Unfortunately, the doctors came out and said the case was beyond them and that my mother should be taken to a government hospital.

“I was told that she was still conscious and could speak at the time. They told my brother to take her to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital, Ikeja or the Lagos University Teaching Hospital, Idi-Araba.

“She eventually died at the Ile-Epo General Hospital before the doctors could start treatment.”

Fajobi said many people had visited the hospital and did not succeed in getting the identity of the convoy.

“Hamkad is making so much efffort to hide the identity of the convoy. Those who saw the convoy said the insignia on one of the cars was covered.

“As if that was not enough, the Lagos Police Public Relations Officer said they were searching for the driver and the owner of the truck. How can she make such statement when we have given the police the original particulars of the truck?” Olusegun lamented.

Immediately after the incident, the driver of the truck reportedly fled the scene. The vehicle’s documents were later taken  and handed over, with the vehicle, to the police at Oke-Odo division.

 showed that the truck with number plate, EPE 160 XA, is owned by one Alhaji Monsuru Sodipo, a resident of Abeokuta, Ogun State.

The driver’s name was also given as one Morufu Adedeshin, also a resident of Abeokuta.

It was learnt that as of Saturday, the incident was yet to be recorded at the Oke-Odo Police Division as policemen at the station had not taken statements from Victoria’s sons.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Ngozi Braide, could not be reached as her telephone rang out, while text messages were not replied.