A truck has killed a graduate of accountancy, Abia State Polytechnic, Aba.
The victim, Ogechi Ezekiel, was knocked down by the truck on Tuesday while she was coming out of the polytechnic.
The incident happened along Aba-Owerri Road in Abia State.
Ms Ezekiel was said to have graduated with a distinction and had gone to the institution to complete her clearance ahead of her mobilisation for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) programme.
Nigerians who completed their Bachelor’s degree programme or a Higher National Diploma are legally required to undergo a mandatory 12-month NYSC programme.
Following Ms Ezekiel’s graduation with the distinction, a yet-to-identified organisation was said to have offered her a scholarship to do a master’s degree programme before Tuesday’s accident.
How it happened
A student of the institution, who identified himself simply as Bonaventure, told PREMIUM TIMES on Wednesday that a tricycle had hit the graduate and pushed her to the speeding truck.
“The truck immediately crushed her and she died instantly,” the student said.
A video clip of the incident has been circulating on various WhatsApp groups.
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The clip, seen by PREMIUM TIMES, showed the victim lying in a pool of her blood in the middle of the road.
Sympathisers were heard lamenting the incident.
This newspaper gathered that the tricycle rider fled the scene immediately after the incident.
Some students of the institution, it was learnt, attempted to set the truck ablaze but were resisted by security agencies who arrived at the scene to cordon off the area.
A source said the driver of the truck has been arrested by the police.
When contacted on Wednesday afternoon, Maureen Chinaka, the police spokesperson in Abia State, confirmed the arrest of the truck driver to PREMIUM TIMES.
“He is in our custody now,” said Ms Chinaka, an assistant superintendent of police.
The spokesperson said the police are investigating the incident.
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