Ibadan flood sweeps away motorist, other

A man was said to have been swept away with his car during a torrential rain in Ibadan on Thursday while another man identified as Ayuba also lost his life.

An eyewitness said the motorist was travelling along Omotara Agboola bridge when he missed his way and drove into the river below.

The narrow bridge was flooded but several vehicles and commercial motorcyclists were eager to pass through as the downpour continued.

At a point, drivers and motorcyclists stayed away but the victim decided to move on despite pleas by others who were stranded.

“He was among the many drivers that were trapped at both ends of the bridge. We don’t know why he decided to drive through even though the bridge was submerged,” said a witness, who identified himself as Biola.

“The tyre of his car fell off the bridge and suddenly, he was gone. He fell into the river and we could not do anything to save him,” he added.

Biola said efforts were made to locate the car and the occupier on the other side of the river in Apete but it was too late. He said that some people claimed to have seen the car far away from the scene but without the driver.

Ayuba’s lifeless body  was found around Dandaru River after the rain subsided while men of the fire service pulled out the body around 5pm.

An eyewitness, Koyejo Akande, who knew Ayuba, said he saw him with some boys washing, fishing and playing along the river bank.

“I know him through another friend of mine. His mother had died, but he was staying with his grandmother at Iwo Road. The grandmother is popularly called ‘Alhaja Olounje’ (Canteen operator) at Iwo Road,” said Akande.