12th October, 2021
Okafor Ofiebor/ Port Harcourt
Mrs. Precious Sunday, the mother of the two male pupils crushed to death by a truck under the Isaac Boro Park flyover, Port Harcourt, Rivers State, on 5 October has rejected attempt to compensate her with the sum of N1 million.
The bereaved mother who was pregnant and due for delivery when the accident occurred gave birth to a baby girl last Saturday.
But she said she is too traumatized and devastated over the loss of her two boys on same day through the act of reckless truck driver that she could not even celebrate the birth of her new baby.
The two brothers – Godswill (13) and Promise (12), were returning from school when a truck, said to be reversing, crushed them, ripping out their brains.
The incident resulted in pandemonium and anger from members of the public who threatened to burn the truck, but they were prevented by policemen who barricaded the area before evacuating the remains of the boys to the mortuary.
Mrs Sunday lamented that she was not allowed to see the remains of the two boys because of her condition, adding that having given birth, she was ready to see their corpses.
The bereaved mother regretted that her family was being offered N1 million as compensation for the death of her two children by the truck owners.
Narrating the incident, Mrs Precious Sunday said: “I put to bed (Saturday) morning. Somebody called me yesterday that the owner of the truck said we should come and collect N1m. Can you imagine? Is it good? I have not seen my children’s corpses. Their bodies are at the University of Port Harcourt Teaching Hospital mortuary. Their father went there to see them. They didn’t allow me to see them because of my condition then.
“Is this not insensitive? You crushed my two sons, 12 and 13 years old, I haven’t seen their corpses and you’re offering us N1m
“I want to see the person that killed them. I also want to see the owner of the truck. I believe that he (truck owner) must be a father. Let them come and tell me what happened.
“Even before I gave birth on Saturday I was at that same spot on Friday. People usually stand there and cars pass as well. So, how did it happen that my children were killed?
The distraught woman said she has been in a state of shock since the unfortunate incident happened
“Let the police and the government helps me.”
Speaking on the incident, an eyewitness confirmed that the pupils who were on uniform were returning from school when the incident happened.
The truck, which according to him, experienced brake failure, rammed into the two brothers and crushed their heads beyond recognition.
But other accounts indicated that the boys were crushed as the truck driver was trying to reverse.
Reacting to the tragic incident, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Nnamdi Omoni, said the truck driver was still in detention, adding that investigation was ongoing.