‘Fending for 3 kids hard,’ widow of Ogbomoso tricyclist killed in trailer container accident cries out
In just a twinkle, life changed for the worse for Mrs. Rukayat Mustapha and her three children, Nafisat, Suliyat and Alimot. as the breadwinner of the family, (now late) Mustapha, her husband, died in a gruesome accident at the Takie Roundabout, Ogbomoso, following the fall off of a 10m long container from an articulated vehicle (trailer) on his commercial tricycle, instantly sending him to the great beyond. One other also died at the hospita) and another, a clergyman, lost his leg as it was amputated, they were also in the ill-fated tricycle commonly called Maruwa.
The fatal accident attracted sympathies from far and near. But since then, life has turned upside down for the 35 year-old widow and her three children, two of which are in secondary school, one in SS one and the other in primary five.
“We daily find it difficult to feed adequately. I can’t fend for myself and the children,” Mrs. Mustapha told ogbomosoinsightonline.com.
“I sell grains (maize, guinea corn, roce and so on) at a small shop at Isale-Ora but the income from it is insufficient, the capital base is small, and so, the profit is small. Life has become unbearably hard,” she lamented.
The four of them are now suffering negligence caused by the government for failing to provide efficient road infrastructure and of a trailer owner who mounted a container without firmly securing it. “Yet no compensation is paid to the dependents of the deceased, the breadwinner, either by the government or the transporter whose negligence caused his untimely death. It’s high time accident victims and their dependents got entitlement in terms of compensation from the government and owner of the vehicle that caused the accident. Perhaps that will instill more caution.
The life changing accident
Recalling the death of her husband, Rukayat said he woke up early as usual that morning of January 7, 2025, to observe his prayer. One strange thing however was that he normally ate his breakfast at home but on that day he took it out in a flask explaining he needed to go out quickly to fix something in his tricycle.
She informed he started the commercial tricycle business about three years ago. The family lived at Kere in Ogbomoso (she has now rented a room within the town because their personal house at Kere is at a location undeveloped) and that day as the late husband ventured out he was chartered by a group of people going to a prayer mountain, to drop them at the Takie park. Usually, he plied Oja’gbo – Kere – Iya Oje route.
The passengers were disembarking at Takie in front of the motorpark when the container fell from the trailer as it navigated the sharp bend.
‘They lied to me he was involved in a fracas and at the police station’
“I had gone to Araada market to buy grains for my business,” Rukayat narrated.
“When I returned, l noticed some people standing in groups near my shop but it didn’t catch my interest.
“I then hit my left leg against a stone but l still walked on and when l got to the shop l overheard a woman abusing her daughter who had said that ‘woman’s husband had died’ (referring to me) but it didn’t make any sense to me.
“Then, a woman was running towards my shop wailing but someone stopped her, that I had not been informed. I became suspicious and then three men were mumbling that ‘ehn, Baba Nafi ‘s maruwa was hit by a vehicle and you know he won’t accept such, so, he is at the police station.’
“I then began to notice maruwa parking and so we went to the police station at Owode. It was still hazy but shortly after, l sighted a maruwa flattened, and my eyes saw two legs protruding from the flattened maruwa which l knew instantly were those of Baba Nafi. I ran there to confirm my husband was dead. I urged him to stand to his feet and then I passed out. It was later in the hospital l heard in my subconscious mind, people saying, ‘where would he be buried?’ My life came crashing down that day.”
Mama Nafisat now appealed to good-spirited individuals to come to the aid of the family, “to get money to expand my business so the education of our children will not suffer unduly and we will be able to feed ourselves and clothe ourselves. We have been living on charity, from hand to mouth. May God help you too.”
Note: For anyone so moved, she can be reached via 07031047784.
