NUJ chair, wife, daughter dies in auto crash

DAYO JOHNSON FOUR persons – a  couple, their daughter and house
help-yesterday, died in a miltiple accident involving
the convoy of  Ondo State deputy governor, Alhaji Ali
Olanusi.
A  traditional ruler, the Osunmakinde of Ife Tuntun,
Osun State, Oba Obawure Taofeek Olaposi, who was seriously injured in the crash, is on admission in
Ondo State Specialist  Hospital,  Akure. The deceased are the Chairman of the Nigerian
Television Authority (NTA) chapel  of the Nigerian
Union of Journalists, NUJ, Alex Akinwale, his wife,
Rebecca, and daughter, Pauline.
The Akinwales first  child, Paul, who was also
involved in the crash, however, survived. The wife was  a staff in the Marketing Department of
the NTA,  Akure. However the deputy governor escaped death.
Eyewitness account revealed that the  crash occurred
at  Apomu-Owena along Akure –Ondo Road when  a
white Toyota Camry car belonging to the monarch
ran into Olanusi’s  convoy among other vehicles while
trying to overtake. Sunday Vanguard learnt that the driver of the Camry
dangerously overtook the  vehicles and, in the
process, rammed into  on-coming vehicles including
those  in  the deputy governor’s convoy resulting in
the multiple accident.
The NTA couple were coming from Ondo town after attending a burial ceremony. It was gathered  that the Camry rammed into the
couple’s car before hitting the deputy governor’s
convoy.
The monarch and a teenager  in his vehicle are
receiving treatment at the Akure specialist hospital.
The corpses of the deceased were said to have also been deposited at the hospital mortuary.
The Chief Press Secretary to the deputy governor, Mr
Daisi Ajayi, said his principal was on his way to Ondo
for an official assignment when the incident occurred. Ajayi said  one of the security cars in Olanusi’s
convoy was  badly damaged as a result of the
incident.
Meanwhile, it was  wailing at the premises of the
NTA,  Akure following the death of the couple.
Immediately the news of the death of the Akinwales spread, workers trooped to the television station
located at Oba-Ile to confirm  it.