Many feared dead as Anambra anti-tout squad vehicle collude with tipper fully loaded with sand

No fewer than six operatives of Special Anti Touting Squad of Anambra State, SASA, popularly known as Ndi Aka Odo, set up by Anambra State government to eradicate touting in State, were on Friday crushed by a tipper vehicle in Oba, Idemili South Local Government Area Anambra State.

The accident occurred after their vehicle rammed into a tipper fully loaded with sand along the Oba Idemili South Local Government Area of Onitsha-Owerri expressway, leaving some dead instantly while other got varying degrees of injury.

Newsmen gathered that the driver at high speed rammed into the tipper as they were driving out of a junction of a road in Oba while while on a daily stop and search operations.

Eyewitnesses near the scene of the accident said that about eight persons were in the branded Toyota Hiace bus carrying the anti-tout operatives before the accident happened.

Another eyewitness who identified himself as Peter Eze, told newsmen, that "The branded Toyota vehicle had about eight young men as the occupants and running at full speed before ramming into the tipper fully loaded with sand, and instantly some of the occupants died instantly, while other were badly injured."

"The operatives were on their routine stop and search operations when they rammed into the tipper which was coming out from another junction of the road.

"Some operatives of the anti tout squad were trapped in their vehicle, it was passers-by that were bringing out their bodies and more than six lifeless bodies littered the road while those injured were rushed to the hospital.

"The incident which ordinary should have generate sympathy, however, elicited jubilation by people who are angry about the operational method of the anti tout squad.

"Everybody knows the method of operation of the victims of the accident, and their recent illegal activities and callous behaviours of some of the operatives that have generated nationwide condemnations."

A video is currently circulating on social media showing the scene of the accident, lifeless bodies littering the road, while some bystanders and passers-by undertaking rescue operations, others were busy condemning the victims and their activities.

Contacted for comments a Federal Road Safety Corp, FRSC, Anambra State Command, said he was driving and could not make a comment on the accident.

The FRSC, Public Relations Officer in the state, Margaret Onabe, when contacted said she was making contact with their personnel around the area to ascertain the true position of things.

The State Police Command image maker, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, could not pick calls made to his phone as at the time of filing this report.

It will be recalled that last year, one motor park operator popularly known as Mgbiliba, was mercilessly beaten black and blue with pestle, and was almost paralysed following the alleged heartless beating given to him by the operatives who also took videos clips of the beating and posted to the social media.

The incident generated nationwide condemnation that even demanded their dissolution and scrapping by the state government, but was ignored after many newspaper reported it and even made the incident their editorial topics.

Many victims have suffered the same manhandling ss Mgbiligba and yet, they group operatives freely and have even expanded the scope of operation to the dislike by majority of the people in the state.