A learner driver has been arrested for crushing a housewife, Mrs Sarah Ajesi, to death on Irese Road, Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The family’s lawyer, Ibukun Fasanmi, who noted that the deceased and her husband were knocked down, said the latter was hospitalised and later discharged.
He confirmed that though the two persons in the vehicle had been arrested, the owner of the car had not been arrested.
Fasanmi said the family had written a petition to the state Commissioner of Police, Oyeyemi Oyediran, asking him to intervene in the matter.
He said, “The gruesome murder of Mrs Sarah Ajesi by the duo of one Mr Wale and his woman friend, is most unfortunate and calls for dispassionate investigation and prosecution, to say the least.
“By a letter dated July 26, 2022, we called on the Commissioner of Police, Ondo State, to wade into the matter with a view to reviewing all the noticed lapses delaying the proper investigation and prosecution of the matter. The corpse is still in a morgue without justice.
“It is understood that Mr and Mrs Ajesi had gone to work and on their way back around 4pm on July 18, 2022, were recklessly knocked down by a vehicle registered as a commercial van with number plate RBC 867 XD in the most dangerous manner that anyone could imagine.
“While Mr Ajesi managed to find his feet on the ground after a very horrible fall, the woman behind the wheel of the vehicle mentioned above reversed and further crushed late Mrs Sarah Ajesi in the head in a most gruesome manner and indeed caused her untimely death.
“Though it is understood that two of the culprits, that is the woman that drove and the man tutoring her, are currently in police detention, we call for the arrest and prosecution of the man who gave out his car for such an unlawful venture that caused the untimely death of the deceased.
“This fellow is allegedly being aided by some people in authority to prevent being arrested and/or extend the investigation to him. Okeke is the owner of the commercial vehicle with number RBC 867 XD, which is now in the custody of the police at the area command, Okuta-Elerinla, Akure.”
According to the legal practitioner, the vehicle was not registered or dedicated for driving lessons.
“The driver does not have a learner’s permit. The man known as Wale, who acted as her tutor, had no such authorisation to teach learners on the highway with a commercial Sienna vehicle. The owner of the vehicle is complicit in that he released his vehicle for such an illegal venture, thereby contributing to and causing the death of Sarah Ajesi,” he added.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the incident, said the case would not be swept under the carpet.
“There is nothing like sweeping under the carpet in this kind of case. If the lawyer has written to the CP, he can follow it up by coming to my office, to check if the letter has been treated. We shall do our best on the matter,” the PPRO added.