It has been a gloomy Christmas for Segun Opikhara, father of Hiphzibah and Joshua, the two toddlers who were crushed to death by a mini bus allegedly conveying four Rivers State Taskforce members in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital on Wednesday, 22 December.
Hiphzibah and Joshua, aged one year six months and three years respectively were crushed to death at while waiting at a roadside after Easy Motors Bus Stop, on Port Harcourt-Aba Expressway.
But he said the driver of the bus who was chasing another vehicle when the incident happened ran away after the incident.
He said though the driver that hit the children have not been found, one of the taskforce members was apprehended by a traffic Policeman while the bus was impounded and taken to Mini-Okoro Police Division.
He expressed sadness that the recklessness of the Taskforce officials led to the death of his children, saying one of the kids died instantly, while the boy died the next day at the hospital.
He said, “I am the father of the children that were killed by a mini bus that was chasing another bus.
“From findings, I knew that they were Taskforce members from Obio/Akpor local government Council. My children were standing by the roadside, watching their right to cross the road, when the mini bus that was conveying four taskforce members hit them.
“I was in my office when I was called. Before I rushed down, my daughter was already gone. I rushed her to the clinic not believing she was dead.
“My son also was taken to the hospital. He didn’t get himself and also died the next day. I am appealing to the taskforce management, the police and the government to fish out these people that killed my beloved children.”
Opikhara therefore called on the Obio/Akpor local government authority and the state government to fish out the taskforce members responsible for the act.
At time of filing this report, neither the Obio-Akpor local government Council or the Rivers State Government has reacted to the tragic incident.
