Metro

Ovia river accident: Edo deputy gov pays divers to retrieve remains of victims

Edo State deputy governor, Comrade Phillip Shaibu, on Tuesday paid the sum of N1.5 million to local divers to retrieve the corpses of the occupants of the vehicle that plunged into the Ovia River.

The deputy governor said that he decided to pay the money from his personal purse as a way of demonstrating his sympathy for the victims and their family members.

Meanwhile, LEVANT Construction Company has swung into action following a directive by the Edo State Government to fix the bad potion of the Ovia River Bridge which has claimed many lives and properties on the Benin-Ore Expressway.

Shaibu gave the directive when he visited the spot of the Ovia River Bridge accident on Monday morning in company of the state Commissioner for Roads and Bridges, Mr. Ethan Uzamere, and other senior government officials.

Consequently, the Benin-Ore Expressway has been diverted outwards at kilometre 19 with adequate caution signs put in place by the construction firm. These include reflective condone tapes and barricade to serve as adequate caution signs to road users.

Meanwhile, the search and rescue team mobilised by the deputy governor, continued with operation on Tuesday evening with a view to rescuing victims of accident which occurred on the bridge Monday morning.

It would be recalled that a Lagos-bound Sienna passenger car was said to have plunged into the River at about 11am on Monday, before officials of Edo State Government led by the Deputy Governor arrived the scene on an unscheduled visit.

The local divers had insisted on collecting N1.5 million naira before going into the river for the rescue operation.

Overwhelmed with emotion, Shaibu immediately demanded for the account details of leader of the divers and transferred him the money in view of the urgency.

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