BY TIMOTHY AGBOR, OSOGBO
The Osun State Police Command has taken a 40-year-old commercial bus driver, Adepoju Sarafa, to a Chief Magistrate’s Court in Osogbo, Osun State, for allegedly running over a motorcyclist and his passenger, thereby leading to their deaths.
Sarafa was reported to have driven dangerously on the highway without having a driver’s licence, thereby causing the death of one Emmanuel Aderoju.
According to the police prosecutor, Inspector Akintunde Jacob, the driver of a Mazda bus with registration number: Osun RLG 684 XA, hit an okada rider, Mustapha Fatai, who was on board his motorcycle with a passenger simply called Aderoju, along the Lameco Roundabout area of Osogbo.
Jacob said that the passenger gave up the ghost on the spot in the accident that happened in the early hours of September 28, while the okada rider, who sustained serious injuries, was on admission in a hospital.
The charge against the driver read that “Adepoju Sarafa, on the 28th day of September, 2022 at about 9:30am at Lameco Roundabout area, Osogbo, Osun State, being the driver in charge of a MAZDA bus with registration number: Osun RLG 684 XA, drove the same vehicle on the highway in a manner which was dangerous to the public and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 18, Cap 146, Volume II Laws of Osun State of Nigeria 2002.
“Adepoju Sarafa on the same date, time and place, being the driver in charge of the aforementioned vehicle, drove on the highway without driver licence and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 7 of RTL, Volume 6, Cap 115, Laws of Osun State of Nigeria, 2002.
“You, being the driver in charge of the aforementioned vehicle, drove same on the public highway which caused the death of Emmanuel Aderoju of Ofatedo area, Osogbo, Osun State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27 of RTA, Cap 548, Laws of Nigeria.
“Being the driver in charge of the aforementioned vehicle, you drove same on the public highway which caused injury to one Mustapha Fatai, Ile Ologe’s Compound, Ilobu, Osun State and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 27 of RTA, Cap 548 Laws of Nigeria.”
Sarafa pleaded not guilty to the allegations without having a legal representation.
Chief Magistrate Olusola Aluko ordered him to furnish the court with a formal application for his bail and directed the prosecutor to forward the duplicate of the case file to the Director of Public Prosecution in the state for legal advice.
The defendant was remanded in Ilesa Correctional Centre while the matter was adjourned till December 15 for mention.
