Federal Lawmaker Seeks Justice For Hit-And-Run Accident Victim
A member of the House of Representatives, Honourable Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, has called on the police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the hit-and-run accident that caused serious injury to the victim, Raji Idris.
Seeeking justice for the man who was injured during the accident, last May, the federal lawmaker believes that the suspect is getting off “too easy.”
Akande-Sadipe, in a statement, said there is the need to investigate yhe activities of Sanyo Police Station, Ibadan, noting that yhe victim was knocked unconscious by a drunk driver identified as Mr. Dele Ayanjompe.
The victim was taken to the Frontida Clinic where it was confirmed that he had suffered trauma to his brain and sustained life-threatening injuries.
She further said Idris underwent extensive surgery to increase his chances of survival after which he remained in a coma for weeks, lamenting that, “his recovery is expected to take months, with his medical bill to date of over N4.5million”.
The Oluyole Federal Constituency representative berated the attitude of the Divisional Police Officer and Investigating Police Officer at Sanyo Police Station, who she alleged colluded with the driver.
She, therefore, urged the Inspector General of Police to investigate the activities of officers at Sanyo Police Station with a view to punishing officers involved in the alleged subjugation of the law.
Akande-Sadipe further called on the House Committee on Police to, within two weeks, ensure compliance by urgently investigating the matter such that the law is not made to allow the suspect go unpunished for his recklessness, endangerment of human rights and contravention of the law of the country.
“I am disturbed that while the victim battles for his life, the driver who hit him has been released by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) at Sanyo Police Station without any charges as the Investigating Police Officer (IPO), Sergeant Muritala, has allegedly colluded with the driver,” the lawmaker said.
She noted that the provision of Section 18(1) of the Road Traffic Act states that it is an offense for a person to drive a motor vehicle on a highway recklessly or negligently or in a manner dangerous to the public.
She also pointed at Section 343(1) of the Criminal Code, which states that “any person who rides a vehicle so rash or negligent as to endanger human life or to be likely to cause harm to another person is guilty of a misdemeanor and is liable to imprisonment for at least one year.”
Akande-Sadipe, who doubles as the chairman, House Committee on Diaspora Affairs, wondered why the driver has not been charged to a court, for a magistrate to determine his innocence.
“Considering the law states that suspects in such cases be charged to court for a magistrate to determine his innocence or guilt and the applicable punishment given, the Sanyo Police Station has violated the law and compromised the case by granting bail to the suspect without any charges under the premise that the victim’s father signed a bond not to press charges,” she said.
