By Victor Akinkuolie, Ado-Ekiti
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It was, indeed a sad day for Ekiti Anglican Diocese on Tuesday as a lone fatal accident claimed the lives of its three clerics.
Five other clerics and some members of the church, who escaped by a whisker, sustained various degrees of injuries.
Hope Metro gathered that the clerics in company with other members of the church, were traveling along Otun/Iro road in Moba local government of Ekiti State, when their bus with number plate EKITI236TUN, somersaulted several times.
The three clerics; Reverend Felix Okeowo, from Saint Peters’ Anglican Church, Ipere-Ekiti; Reverend Arije of Saint James’ Anglican Church, Eda Oniyo Ekiti and Reverend Omotoso of Saint Mary’s Anglican Church, Ewu Ekiti, were said to have died instantly.
According to an eyewitness, the church bus was conveyings the clerics and other victims to a meeting when the accident occurred.
The source said five other clerics who also sustained serious injuries were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti, while corpses of the three clergymen had been deposited at the morgue of the hospital.
Eyewitnesses said unfortunately, one of the deceased clerics, Reverend Felix Okeowo, was recently transferred from Saint Peters’ Anglican Church, Ipere-Ekiti in Ilejemeje local government area of the state to Iro-Ekiti.
The incident has put the entire Anglican Communion into serious mourning, while sympathisers who besieged the scene of the accident wept uncontrollably.
A senior official of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Ekiti State Command, Mr James (surname withheld), confirmed the receipt of the incident.
He said though he was not authorized to speak on the matter, the accident occurred as a result of over speeding of the bus.
He also confirmed that the corpses of the victims had been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Teaching Hospital, Ido-Ekiti.
