Tragedy Strikes APC Solidarity Walk in Osun as Trailer Ploughs into Crowd

Blessing Bello, Reporting 

EDE, Osun State — At least one person has been confirmed dead and several others seriously injured after a trailer lost control and rammed into supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) during a political solidarity march in Ede, Osun State.

The incident occurred on Wednesday during the “Walk for Ambo Victory” rally, organised in support of the party’s gubernatorial candidate, Bola Oyebamiji.

Witnesses reported that the vehicle careered into the crowd at Oke Gada, a busy area of the town, sending sympathisers and participants scrambling for safety.

The deceased, identified only as Ahmed, is understood to have died at the scene, whilst many others sustained life-threatening injuries and were swiftly transported to nearby hospitals for emergency treatment.

Olufunsho Fagbohungbe, Head of Media and Publicity for the Oyebamiji campaign in the Ila/Ifedayo/Boluwaduro Federal Constituency, confirmed the harrowing details via a Facebook post on Wednesday.

According to Mr Fagbohungbe, the driver of the articulated vehicle claimed that a brake failure had caused him to lose control before the trailer struck the APC members.

“Sad! A trailer whose driver claimed had brake failure ran into our APC people doing their Walk for Ambo Victory at Oke Gada, Ede. It claimed a life already and left many injured severely,” he wrote.

Emergency responders and local residents were quick to arrive at the scene, assisting in the rescue of the wounded and ensuring they received immediate medical attention. The area was cordoned off as rescue efforts continued.

Reacting to the tragedy, the APC Director of Media and Information in Osun State, Kola Olabisi, confirmed the occurrence and disclosed that the party leadership had already deployed a fact-finding team to the location.

Mr Olabisi stated that the investigative team is expected to submit a comprehensive report on the circumstances surrounding the crash. He assured the public that the party would release further details once the findings had been reviewed.

“We have sent a team to investigate the incident and determine what actually happened. As soon as the team returns with its findings, we will be in a position to provide more details,” he said.

Efforts are currently underway to contact the families of the victims, whilst the police have launched a separate enquiry to establish whether the driver’s claim of mechanical failure can be substantiated.

No official statement has yet been released by the Osun State Police Command regarding potential charges.