Tension flared in Sagamu, Ogun State, on Monday as angry youths staged a protest following the death of a bystander, Jide Oyeleke, who was killed by a hit-and-run driver along Ewusi Road.
The incident occurred around 9 p.m. on Sunday when the driver of a Toyota Camry, reportedly speeding, lost control of the vehicle and crashed into a barbershop, fatally striking Oyeleke.
Spokesperson for the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the incident to PUNCH Metro.
He said eyewitnesses alleged the vehicle was driven by suspected internet fraudsters, commonly known as “Yahoo boys.”
“It was a fatal crash caused by excessive speed and reckless driving,” Akinbiyi said. “The vehicle veered off the road, rammed into a barbershop, and killed Jide Oyeleke on the spot.
The incident occurred between Bright Fashion Junction and Royal Chemist on Ewusi Road.”
In response to the tragedy, local youths took to the streets on Monday, demanding justice and calling on authorities to install speed bumps to curb future incidents along the busy road.
The victim’s body has since been deposited at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) morgue in Ago-Iwoye. The vehicle involved was towed to the Motor Traffic Division of the Sagamu Police Command.
This incident comes just days after a similar case in the state. PUNCH Metro had earlier reported the arrest of Victor Onakoya, a 500-level student of Olabisi Onabanjo University, who allegedly caused the deaths of a couple while driving recklessly along Igan Road in Ago-Iwoye.
Onakoya’s vehicle, a Toyota Camry with plate number JJJ 168 GY, collided with a red Bajaj motorcycle bearing plate number KNN 873 ZY. He was taken into custody after a mob attempted to lynch him at the scene.