100-Year-Old Tree Falls In Oyo Market, Kills Traders

Four people have been confirmed dead after the ancient Odan tree at the Sabo area of Oyo town fell and crushed people that were under it during a downpour.

It was gathered that the sad incident occurred on Monday evening when the victims who were mostly traders at the Sabo Market took cover under the  tree. The rain reportedly started at about 4pm.

The tree which was said to be about 100 years old was said to have  suddenly fallen and trapped the people under it. Some lucky people escaped with injuries. 

Vehicles reportedly parked under the tree were also said to have been damaged. 

The chairman of the market, Akeebu Alarape, said four different loggers invited to cut the tree did not succeed until a fifth logger was able to cut parts of it before rescue operation commenced. 

The Head of Operations of the Western Nigeria Security Network, aka Amotekun Corps, in the Atiba area, Akeem Ojo, said  the tree fell on the victims around 6pm.

“A female student of the Federal College of Education (Special), Oyo, a woman with a baby strapped to her back and a boy she was holding, were pulled out from under the tree.

“One person was seriously injured and taken to a private hospital in the area, while motorcycle and mini bus parks under the tree were damaged,” Ojo added.

A resident, who narrated the incident on an internet forum, Nairaland, claimed that nine people were killed.

He wrote, “The rain started all of a sudden and some people that couldn’t catch up with the last bus went to sit under a huge tree where a meat seller sells his meat not knowing that will be their end. As it was raining, though not heavy, all of a sudden, a breeze started blowing, carrying house roofs [and] fuel station canopy away, and as if that wasn’t enough, the tree where some market women and their children were sitting fell all of a sudden and crushed about nine of them to death instantly.”

The Chairman, Sooro Local Council Development Area, Oke-Isiwin, Seun Oguntona, said those trading under the tree would be relocated.

The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, said four people were killed. 

He said  policemen were immediately deployed to the scene to forestall breakdown of law and order.