Court Remands Driver Who Crushed OAU Final Year Student To Death

A Magistrate’s Court sitting in Osogbo,Osun State, has ordered the remand of the driver who allegedly crushed a final year student of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Esu Rita Ema to death recently.

The Osun State Police Command arraigned the driver, Lasisi Sodiq on Monday and slammed him with six count-charge bordering on driving without license, road worthiness and causing the death of the female undergraduate, Ema.

According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Akintunde Jacob, Sodiq while driving a Lexus car, caused the death of Ema on August 22, 2024 at opposite OAU main gate in Ile-Ife.

“That you Lasisi Sodiq, residing at Number 25, Ita Osu Area, Ile Ile, Osun State, on the 22/08/2024 at about 10.30hrs, at Opposite OAU Main Campus, under pedestrian Bridge, Ife/Ibadan Road Ile- Ife, Osun State in Ile-Ife Magisterial district being the driver in charge of a Lexus car with Reg. No. ABUJA ABJ 427 LQ drove the same vehicle on the public highway in a manner which was dangerous to the public highway and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 18 of Cap 146 Vol.2 law of Osun of Nigeria 2002.

“That you Lasisi Sodiq on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district being the driver in charge of aforementioned vehicle drove the same on the public highway without drivers license and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 7 of RTL, VOL 6, CAP 115 laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.

“That on the same date, time, and place in the aforementioned Magisterial district, being the driver in charge of aforementioned vehicle drove the same on the public highway in a manner which caused the death of late Esu Ema, student of Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) lle-Ife Osun State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 27 of RTA CAP 543 laws of Nigeria,” some of the charges pressed against Sodiq read.

Meanwhile, the defendant pleaded not guilty to the allegations.

The defence counsel, Leke Dada, applied for the bail of the accused person but the presiding Magistrate, A. O. Sarumi asked the defence to furnish the court with a formal bail application.

Sarumi then ordered that Sodiq be remanded in Correctional Centre and adjourned the matter till October 2 for mention.

The final year student of the Department of Foreign Languages, with Matriculation Number FRM/2019/041 was said to be going to the campus to submit her final year project to her supervisor, before she was crushed dead while crossing the Ife – Ibadan axis of road at the campus gate.