Ondo Police Detain Motorist After VIO Officer Dies During Akure Road Check
Police have detained a 37-year-old motorist after a VIO officer died following an incident during a vehicle inspection in Akure.
Police in Ondo State have detained 37-year-old Ayoade Idowu following the death of Vehicle Inspection Office personnel Sesan Adediji during a roadside inspection in Akure.
The incident happened at about 9:30 am on Friday along Hospital Road, opposite Mega Primary School. According to the Ondo State Police Command, Adediji, 35, was carrying out routine patrol duties with other officers when they stopped a white Mitsubishi vehicle bearing registration number AGL 992 XX.
Police spokesman DSP Abayomi Jimoh said preliminary information indicated that the motorist initially complied with the stop. He alleged that the vehicle was driven away after officials requested its documents, and that Adediji was struck during that movement. Idowu has since been taken into custody while investigators examine what happened.
Adediji suffered severe injuries to his head and was transported to the Federal University of Technology Akure Teaching Hospital. Medical personnel later pronounced him dead. Jimoh said the officer's body was placed in the hospital mortuary pending preservation and an autopsy.
Footage that circulated online after the incident showed an officer beneath the vehicle while people at the scene attempted to free him. An eyewitness cited by the source said Adediji had been trying to stop the vehicle shortly before he was hit. That witness account forms part of the information surrounding the incident and does not replace the ongoing police investigation.
The police said officers visited the location after the incident and that the case is expected to be transferred to the Motor Traffic Division for further investigation. Jimoh said investigators would examine the circumstances before any legal steps are taken in accordance with the law.
Authorities have also reminded motorists to comply with lawful directions from authorised traffic and vehicle inspection personnel. The command warned road users against taking actions that could endanger other people while attempting to avoid vehicle checks or traffic enforcement.
No final finding on criminal responsibility had been announced in the source report. Idowu's arrest and detention therefore remain part of an active investigation into the circumstances surrounding Adediji's death.