A commercial motorcyclist and his passenger were killed on Monday when a vehicle driven by personnel of a government agency collided with them in Imo State, South-east Nigeria.
The Imo State Environmental Transformation Commission (ENTRACO) officials were driving the vehicle at the time of the incident.
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The incident occurred at Akachi Road in Owerri, the Imo State capital.
ENTRACO is an agency of the Imo State Government that enforces environmental sanitation and traffic regulations in the state.
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How it happened
PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the incident happened after ENTRACO personnel had impounded a vehicle earlier for alleged traffic violations.
A witness, who asked not to be named, told this newspaper that some officials of the government agency entered the seized vehicle and drove off at high speed, during which they collided with the motorcyclist and his passenger.
The witness explained that the impact of the collision caused severe injuries, leading to the immediate death of both the motorcyclist and his passenger.
A video seen by PREMIUM TIMES on Monday evening showed the bodies of the deceased victims.
The ENTRACO Director of Operations in Imo, Ifeanyi Nwokedi, has confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday evening.
Mr Nwokedi expressed regret over the incident, explaining that the incident occurred when some ENTRACO personnel impounded a Ford Edge vehicle for allegedly obstructing traffic around Relief Junction, Egbu Road in Owerri.
The director narrated that while the vehicle was being relocated, it reportedly collided with the motorcycle that was allegedly riding against traffic rules, otherwise known as a “one-way route.”
The ENTRACO official, however, claimed that only one life was lost, while the other victim was taken to a hospital.
Mr Nwokedi stressed that the ENTRACO personnel involved had been handed over to the police for a “thorough investigation” to determine the circumstances surrounding the incident.
The official warned against the use of motorcycles within the Owerri metropolis, adding that the ban on the use of commercial motorcycles in the metropolis remains in force in the state.
The police spokesperson in Imo State, Henry Okoye, confirmed the incident to PREMIUM TIMES on Monday evening.
Mr Okoye, a deputy superintendent of police, said the state commissioner of police, Danjuma Aboki, has ordered an investigation into the incident.
