Tragedy Strikes as Anambra Anti-Tout Squad Collides with Tipper Truck, Six Operatives Dead
At least six members of Anambra State’s Special Anti-Touting Squad (SASA), also known as Ndi Aka Odo, lost their lives in a tragic accident on Friday. Their vehicle collided with a sand-laden tipper truck in Oba, located in Idemili South Local Government Area along the Onitsha-Owerri expressway.
The crash occurred when the squad’s vehicle, a branded Toyota Hiace bus, sped out of a junction during a routine stop-and-search operation and collided with the tipper truck, which was also emerging from a different junction. Eyewitnesses reported that the squad’s vehicle was traveling at high speed before the impact. The collision resulted in the instant deaths of several operatives, while others suffered severe injuries.
One eyewitness, Peter Eze, noted that there were approximately eight operatives in the vehicle at the time of the crash. “The vehicle was speeding before it struck the tipper,” Eze recalled. “Some operatives died immediately, while others were badly hurt.”
The force of the crash trapped some of the operatives inside the vehicle, requiring bystanders to help extract their bodies from the wreckage. Over six lifeless bodies were visible at the scene, and the injured were rushed to nearby hospitals.
While this tragic event could have drawn public sympathy, it instead led to mixed reactions, with some celebrating the accident due to growing public frustration with SASA’s controversial methods. The squad has faced increasing criticism for its recent actions, with many people condemning the harsh tactics and behavior of some operatives.
A video circulating online shows the aftermath of the crash, with the bodies of the deceased on the road and people either assisting with the rescue or voicing their disdain for the squad’s conduct.
When contacted, a Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) official from Anambra declined to comment, stating they were driving at the time. Margaret Onabe, the FRSC Public Relations Officer, said she was trying to confirm the details with personnel on the ground.
The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, was unavailable for comment.
This incident comes on the heels of previous controversies surrounding SASA. Last year, the squad was involved in the brutal assault of a motor park operator, known as Mgbiliba, which ignited nationwide outrage. Despite calls for the squad’s disbandment, the state government has yet to address these concerns, allowing the squad’s controversial activities to persist.
