The Kwara State Fire Service with a collective effort of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps, and Nigerian Police Force, on Saturday, recovered three corpses including the body a popular cleric, Sheikh Gani Aboto along Sobi road in Ilorin, the state capital, following Friday’s downpour.
A statement released by the Head of Media and Publicity of the Kwara State Fire Service, Hassan Adekunle, stated that the three human bodies and a Toyota Yaris with Registration Number APP544E were recovered from a river at Opposite Olusola Saraki Abattoir, along Sobi Road in Ilorin capital of Kwara State.
The Informant247 gathered that the incident occurred during the Friday’s downpour, when the casualties were struggling to drive through the bridge and suddenly got stuck by the flood, thereby pushing them into the river.
The personnel of NSCDC Akerebiata Division, NPF and Kwara State Fire Service and people in the neighborhood gave their full support in the rescue operations.
The statement read: “The rescue operation began early this morning (today Saturday 01/10/2022) at about 0810hrs. The corpse of one of the victims was found and recovered from the scene and immediately taken to a mortuary. Further searching continued this afternoon. The car was removed from the river and corpse of other two victims inside the car were recovered.
“The three victims involved in the accident were later identified as follows:
1) Sheikh Abdulganiyu Nuraini (popularly called Alfa Gani Aboto)
2) Alfa Azeez Omoekun
3) Alfa Nurudeen.
“The corpse of Sheikh Aboto is being taking to his country home Aboto, ASA LGA of Kwara State as at time of filing this report while that of the third person had been taken to Ilorin Muslim Cemetery for funeral according to the Islamic right.”
The Director of Kwara State Fire Service, Prince Falade John Olumuyiwa, therefore, urged the general public to please to be avoiding driving whenever there is heavy rainfall.