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Okowa's Convoy Kills Elderly Man As Journalists Escape Death

SaharaReporters reliably learned that the governor and his convoy were returning from the meeting of the Niger Delta Coastal States in Warri, jointly convened by former Information Minister Edwin Clark and Mr. Okowa, at around 5-6 PM when the accident happened in Umutu community.

Pandemonium broke out on Friday last week when Delta State Governor Ifeanyi Okowa's convoy killed an elderly man in Umutu community, Ukwuani Local Government Area of Delta State.

SaharaReporters reliably learned that the governor and his convoy were returning from the meeting of the Niger Delta Coastal States in Warri, jointly convened by former Information Minister Edwin Clark and Mr. Okowa, at around 5-6 PM when the accident happened in Umutu community.

It was gathered that journalists who were in the convoy of the governor narrowly escaped death during the accident but sustained severe injuries. The driver of the vehicle, whose name was given as Isaac, was injured in the accident.

Narrating the incident to SaharaReporters, a government house staff who was in the convoy said that while returning from Warri after the event, the government house press crew bus in the governor's convoy that was carrying journalists and cameramen rammed into the elderly man who was driving a pickup vehicle.

According to our source, the elderly man was rushed to Abraka Hospital and then referred back to a hospital in Asaba where he died following shortage of blood and severe injuries.

"The bus that killed the man was driven by one of our drivers called Isaac. Several journalists and cameramen would have been dead by now but God saved them. So many of them were seriously injured and taken for treatment in government house clinic,” he said.

"Youths in the community almost unleashed terror on the convoy but the presence of the governor and other top government officials salvaged the situation which could have turned bloody. Governor Okowa had to personally come down from his car to appease the people. The driver as I talk to you now is still being detained in Asaba by the police," our source stated.

One of the journalists in the convoy who pleaded for anonymity told SaharaReporters that the governor's convoy was in high speed when the accident occurred, adding that the governor did not caution his drivers to drive at a moderate, safe speed.

Our source also disclosed that Mr. Okowa has concluded plans to send a government delegation to the family of the deceased to open a discussion on how to settle the matter for burial.

As at the time of filing in this report, several phone calls to the Delta State Commissioner of Information Patrick Ukah for commentary were rebuffed.

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