The Dubai-based Nigerian family reported missing while travelling from Lagos to Asaba last week has been found at last.


•The lucky kids, the doctor and the father of kids (standing). PHOTO: Emmanuel Osodi.


However, it was a tale of tragedy as three of the travellers – the mother, Edna, a Dubai-based staff of Standard Chartered Bank, her cousin, Chinyere, who had lost her only daughter last December, and the driver of the chartered Toyota Camry saloon car, Godfrey Inalegwu – were found dead in a village near Okada after their car plunged into a river, while trying to avoid a pothole. Only the three children – Loveth, 11, Precious 8 and Golden 6 – were rescued and taken to a private hospital in Ofumwegbe town, near Benin City, Edo State, Southsouth Nigeria. Their escape was simply miraculous, according to the rescuers.
P.M.NEWS in its Wednesday, 2 February 2011 edition, reported that the family was missing last week Wednesday during their trip from Lagos to Asaba in a Toyota Camry saloon car with registration number Lagos KU 108 EKY.
The husband of the Dubai banker, himself an accountant, Mr. Ugochukwu Onyeocha had told P.M.NEWS that when his family left Lagos about 10.00 a.m in the car, he communicated with his wife on phone twice, about 11 in the morning and 3 p.m.
He sensed something was wrong after he lost contact thereafter, believing that the wife was in an area where there was no phone network or that her phone was switched off. In the morning, he was awoken by a phone call from his mother-in-law that his wife and the children were yet to arrive Asaba. This prompted Onyeocha to involve the police. His report to the police at the State Criminal Investigation Department, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos however yielded no immediate clue as to the whereabouts of his family.
The police investigators told Onyeocha that the tracker in the Toyota car had shown that the car and the occupants got missing in a village called Otu Costain in Edo State.
The missing car was located at Okada, near Benin City.
It was discovered that the family had an accident and their vehicle plunged into a river. The survivors were later taken to Emiloju Medical Centre, in Ofumwegbe town, near Benin City, Edo State.
The Medical Director of the centre, Dr. Mohammed Yakubu, treated the three children.
According to him, “On 26 January, 2011 at about 7.30 p.m, these three children were brought here by kind-hearted villagers. They were unconscious. The villagers said the car in which they were travelling skidded into a river as the driver tried to manoeuvre a pothole on the road,” Mohammed said.
The doctor stated that the villagers with the help of policemen from a nearby police station were able to recover the car. But their mother, her cousin and the driver were dead. Only the three children were grasping for breath.
Dr. Mohammed said he was able to revive the three children and they were recuperating in his hospital, this morning.
The doctor added that the villagers with the help of policemen from Iguobazuwa Divisional Headquarters, Edo State, moved the three corpses to the mortuary of another hospital near the village.
As at the time of going to press, the father, Onyeocha, P.M.NEWS correspondent and Dr. Mohammed were on their way to the hospital where the corpses were kept.
The tragedy has confirmed the fears of Nigerians abroad, wary of returning home because of the epidemic of armed robbery, fraudsters, political violence and carnage on the roads.

—Oluwole Adeboye/Okada

May the dead rest in peace. May God give this man, the strength he needs. Amen.

Good that the kids survived, at least.

Very sad that lives were lost, during a short visit to 9ja, the man must be devastated.

Good job to the police, villagers and doctors that saved the kids.

To the Nigerians that just returned from Egypt I say welcome home & good luck.

Very tragic. This is a constant reminder of the state of our countries roads. This same Benin - Lagos road remains a death trap.

May the souls of the departed rest in peace.

ASANIGBO:


The tragedy has confirmed the fears of Nigerians abroad, wary of returning home because of the epidemic of armed robbery, fraudsters, political violence and carnage on the roads.

This has nothing to do with 'carnage on the roads'. Had the driver not been overspeeding, avoiding the pothole would not have resulted in their deaths.

This is so sad, though. lucky for the man that the kids survived.

This is really. The man must be devastated.

To think that some tribal bigots on this forum thought that they were kidnapped by their fellow Igbo people.

from here:

https://www.nairaland.com/nigeria/topic-597728.64.html#msg7672862

texazzpete:

This has nothing to do with 'carnage on the roads'. Had the driver not been overspeeding, avoiding the pothole would not have resulted in their deaths.

This is so sad, though. lucky for the man that the kids survived.

Obviously you don't own a car and that's why you made  such crass comment. Pot holes in freeways are death traps and can also constitute danger in low speed lanes. Do you expect him  to be driving at 25mph on Lagos-Benin expressway in case of unidentified potholes?.  Think before you type.

Where is Ileke di to come and make her sick jokes again?

sad indeed

nigerian roads

and our leaders have there kids abroad were they drive on good roads

while us back home are driving on roads that needs blood

driving on bridges that will collapse anytime


people like tinubu fielding his wife as a candidate while people like pat utomi, donald duke, dosumu and Sanusi are literally begging for positions; others like remi tiunbu, sade tiunbu, bianca ojukwu, alams are getting this positions on a plater of gold.

Shame on Nigeria and the people of Nigeria. Another life has been taking

the money meant for the road is sent to a 17 yrs boy in usa or uk to use on clubs and expensive things

Nigeria wake up, from yoruba in akure to igbo in onisha to hausa in kebbi to kanuri in borno to ijaw in balysea

our leaders do not care what ethnic group you are from or whether you die or live so long as they get there own share of the national cake. then it is good for the go !!!

enough said

wake up

Very unfortunte. May their souls rest in perfect peace! Amen

What's Tinubu's wife and the people you listed got to do with federal roads? What about the people responsible for the roads. Tinubu is not even an elected official. Talk about misplaced anger.

babapupa:

What's Tinubu's wife and the people you listed got to do with federal roads? What about the people responsible for the roads. Tinubu is not even an elected official. Talk about misplaced anger.

sorry but is it only federal roads that are bad, what about state roads when he was in power from 1999 to 2007

tell me

and please do not tell me about fashola (he is good)

I just wonder how you listed people who are not even in government talk less responsible for this accident and federal roads, at the same time completely ignoring the responsible parties. What about GEJ? What about the minister for works?


I know Tinubu is everybody's boogyman, but send your anger to the people you are actually paying to take care of your roads. This is common sense.

Verry sorry, Is this not the Lagos-Ore-Benin Road? PDP no fix that road for years. Even we okada men don complain tire. not to mention car drivers

aloy/emeka:

Obviously you don't own a car and that's why you made  such crass comment. Pot holes in freeways are death traps and can also constitute danger in low speed lanes. Do you expect him  to be driving at 25mph on Lagos-Benin expressway in case of unidentified potholes?.  Think before you type.

Look at this bush man.
At 25mph (and if you spot a pot hole 100m away), you'll be able to easily stop in time.
The OP says the car 'plunged into a river while trying to avoid a pothole'. No one drives at a river at top speed, so it's clear that the driver lost control of the car. Is this not only feasible at high speeds?

The roads are really bad