Benin City was thrown into mourning yesterday after a tragic accident claimed the life of a two-year-old girl, allegedly due to the reckless actions of the Edo State Public Safety Response Team (PSR).
Eyewitnesses say the chaos unfolded near Ring Road when PSR operatives forcefully tried to seize control of a moving commercial bus. In a desperate attempt to escape, the driver lost control, crashing into a roadside POS kiosk where the little girl and her mother stood. The impact was fatal.
“She didn’t stand a chance,” a distraught witness recounted. “The force flung both mother and child against a concrete slab, but only the child didn’t survive. It was heartbreaking.”
The tragedy sparked immediate outrage. Enraged bystanders confronted the PSR officials, attacking them before marching them—along with the child’s lifeless body—to a nearby police station.
As of now, the Edo State Government and police authorities remain silent on the incident, further fueling public anger.
Many citizens are now demanding the disbandment of the PSR, citing its aggressive and untrained enforcement tactics. Some have also called for a return to the previous administration’s cashless, digital revenue collection system, which eliminated the need for street enforcers.
“This wasn’t just an accident,” one protester said. “It was government negligence. If they had proper policies, this innocent child would still be alive.”
With emotions running high, calls for justice grow louder, leaving Edo State authorities under pressure to respond before tensions spiral further.
