From Ighomuaye Lucky, Benin
The Edo Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Cyril Matthew Zango, confirmed on Tuesday, July 29, the accident that happened at the Ikpoba River bridge in Benin City, Edo State.
He said nobody drowned in the river and no vehicle plunged into the river, as widely circulated.
Zango said the victims of the accident were taken to hospital for treatment, and no life was lost in the process.
According to an eyewitness, a truck which had brake failure crashed into six vehicles on the Ikpoba River bridge.
The eyewitness said nobody died in the accident, but six persons sustained injuries and 20 others escaped unhurt.
Some other witnesses claimed three vehicles plunged into the river.
The accident occurred two weeks after the Priest of Ikpoba River, Prince Udinyiwe Eweka, warned of dire consequences of dredging the river without making necessary sacrifices to appease the river goddess.
The Edo State Government began dredging the river last week to provide a lasting solution to frequent flooding and river overflow.
The Edo Commissioner for Mining, Hon. Andrew Ijegbai, said the dredging would address persistent flooding as well as harness the river’s potential to boost revenue.
But Prince Eweka said consultations must be made to know what to give to the goddess for the dredging to be successful.
According to him, “This Ikpoba River has been here for decades. I grew up to meet this Ikpoba River here. We know that our past government tried to dredge the river. We knew what happened. It didn’t go well because we didn’t follow the rules and regulations of the river.
“We need to consult the gods on what they need before dredging the river. And some sacrifice needs to be done before we carry out anything like that. It is not that we just go to the river and start dredging; sometimes it might not work because of the power of the river.
“After our past Governor, Lucky, did his own, others tried to do the same, but all of them failed. No one worked because they didn’t do any sacrifice. So they have to go out there to consult what Ikpoba N’ogi Eze needs and give them their needs before we start dredging.
“When we do that, everything will just work out fine without any disturbance. Because you give what belongs to Caesar to Caesar, and give what belongs to God to God.”
