Week of Sorrow: Family and friend of NYSC member killed by train in deep grief

An uncontrollable amount of grief has met the death of a female NYSC member who was crushed by a train in Ikeja, Lagos.

The loved ones of a female member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Nneka Odili, who died following injuries sustained in a train accident have been thrown into deep grief.

She was reportedly crushed by the railway vehicle on Thursday, March 8, 2018.

Loud sounds given as a warning by observers who watched the sad development occur had failed to alert her of an incoming train.

 

This was reportedly as a result of a headphone plugged to the ear of the deceased.

“Nneka’s death is something I still don’t believe is real. How can she just die like that, somebody I still related with not too long before then?

"I really cannot say much; her death is one of the most painful things to have happened around me," Oma, a close friend of the victim told Punch News in a report.

Her feelings though grave was however lesser to one expressed on Facebook by Jessica Odili, a relation of the deceased who completed a course in Home Economics at the Federal College of Education, Technical, Omoku, Rivers State.

The mourner who seemed resigned to her fate could only mutter a few words in respect to the incident which has brought devastation to loved ones.

“After so much joy in the family this period, the devil decided to give us sadness. RIP the best sister and aunty. What a life," writes Odili.

Her pain bears a similar reflection to a grandmother, Mrs. Oyesanya, who lost her grandson in a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) accident.

Grandmom cries over pupil beheaded by BRT

“We fed Ezekiel at 7:15am but picked up his corpse two hours later, at about 9:45am,” says Mrs. Oyesanya, the grandmom of Daniel Ezekiel, a pupil who was killed by a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) in Lagos.

On Monday, March 5, 2018, the deceased made to go to school after having a belly-filling breakfast at the residence of his grandparent's, but unfortunately did not make it for his daily learning.

 

He reportedly died on his way to school in Ogolonto, Ikorodu.

“But we didn’t know that was the last time we will see him,” Oyesanya told Vanguard News in tears. She was described as one who hasn't come to terms with the death of the pupil who wore an excited mood before leaving home for his school of learning.

"And on that fateful day, he left home to school. But I was alerted of the incident that happened by someone who told me to find out if Ezekiel was safe. Immediately I started calling his teacher, but she refused to pick my call.

"I thought they were on assembly ground so I called the school director who also didn’t pick my calls. At that moment, I knew there was a problem.

"I was confused and my husband also called to inform me to proceed to his school. On my way, someone told me that Ezekiel had been rushed to Ikorodu General Hospital.

"When I got to the hospital premises, I was told to identify the lifeless body of Ezekiel; at that moment, I knew I had lost our dear child. I couldn’t believe my eyes that the child I fed at exactly 7:15am had become a corpse for me to pick at exactly 9:45am,” she said amidst tears.

“We are only two in this house, my husband and I. Since we are getting old and all our children are grown up, we thought it will be nice to have a small child that can keep us company. So we contacted a lady in our community to help us find someone to stay with us.

"They eventually helped us to get Ezekiel from the Northern part of the country; that was around August last year.

"Our initial plan was to enroll him in school by October this year but due to the fact that it was late to do so, we decided to enroll him in January this year, a decision I now regret.

"He was 15 years when they brought him to us, and they told us that he was in JSS3 in Kaduna State before he came to Lagos. But when we took him to school, they told us that he should start from Primary Four," says Oyesanya who thinks the BRT driver cut short her grandson's dreams.

How death of Daniel Ezekiel occurred

An eyewitness, Mr. Akin Adeolu, mentioned that the sad event occurred around 07:45 AM, a time when school children make their way down to school.

Reports gathered stated that the deceased, Daniel Ezekiel, 16, had made to cross the road when the vehicle hit him, severing his head upon impact.

This happened at Ogolonto bus-stop, says Vanguard.

It appeared to be a sad error by the victim who reportedly mistimed his run. The fear of experiencing mob justice encouraged the BRT driver to make a run for it.

“We have commenced initial investigation into the ugly incident to determine the cause for further action.

“However, we commiserate with the family and colleagues of the deceased, God will give them the fortitude to bear the loss," a statement by Primero Transport, the owner of the BRT buses reads.

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Operatives of the Lagos State Rapid Response Squad (RRS), were on hand to maintain order following the tragedy.