Oyo State has been struck by two devastating accidents within hours of each other, resulting in the deaths of a two-year-old girl and two adult men.
On Tuesday afternoon, emergency services in Saki received a distress call regarding a child who had fallen into a well in the Sango area of the town. The well, located at Orita Mokola Junction, became the scene of a desperate recovery operation.
Dr Moroof Akinwande, Chair of the Oyo State Fire Services Agency, confirmed in a press briefing that the emergency team was alerted at 1:43 p.m. and responded swiftly. Despite rapid intervention, the girl was recovered deceased.
Firefighter CFM Adediran Jacob led the retrieval efforts, descending into the well as part of the agency’s rescue protocol. The body was later transferred to police personnel for further proceedings. The cause of the fall remains unknown, and investigators are now working to determine what went wrong.
Dr Akinwande used the opportunity to urge residents to take greater safety precautions. “Wells and pits must be securely covered to prevent such heartbreaking accidents,” he warned.
In a separate and unrelated incident that same evening, tragedy struck again when a lorry transporting frozen goods lost control and plunged into a river in the Ajegede Ode-Aje area of Ibadan.
The Oyo State Fire Services attributed the crash to brake failure. Two men—identified as the truck driver and his assistant—were confirmed dead. The operation, led by officer ACFS Olubunmi, successfully retrieved the bodies from the wreckage and handed them over to the Agugu police division.
“These incidents underscore the urgent need for preventive safety measures and regular vehicle maintenance,” Akinwande concluded.
