Olufemi Olaniyi, Ibadan
There was pandemonium at Omi Adio in the Ido Local Government Area of Oyo State when a retired teacher was swept away as a bridge in Igisogba village in the area collapsed during a rainfall.
Our correspondent gathered that the sad incident happened at around 8:30pm on Monday after the rain had stopped.
The retired teacher simply identified as Nureni Adejumo, who was said to be returning home after the day’s job, parked his motorcycle at his in-law’s house. He was said to have stepped on the bridge and the wooden bridge caved in when he got to the middle and he fell into the river.
Efforts of the local divers to rescue him were said to proved unsuccessful as he was washed away quickly due to the high current of the river.
The Chairman of the Oodua Peoples Congress in Ido Local Government Area, Muri Adekola, told our correspondent that the teacher was going back home on a motorcycle and he parked at a point and went to check where to see if there was a place he could pass on the bridge.
The OPC chairman said, “It is true that the bridge collapsed and a teacher was swept away by the river. It happened yesterday (Monday). The man was a teacher in one of the schools in the Ido Local Government Area and he was returning home when he stepped on the bridge, he fell inside and that was the end.
“His corpse has not been found up till now. We have been calling on the government to assist us by constructing a concrete bridge on the river but they have not answered us.”
The OPC chairman renewed the call to the government to construct a bridge on the river to prevent further loss of lives.
Also, a resident of the area, Thomas Ige, told our correspondent that the incident caused pandemonium in the area.
Ige said, “The water level is still high. He was coming back to the area when the incident happened at around 8:30pm. The man has three houses in this community and was loved by the people. It is unfortunate that he ended his life this way.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Olugbenga Fadeyi, did not answer calls put across to his number.
The Commissioner for Information, Wasiu Olatubosun, also rejected calls put across to his telephone line by our correspondent.
