OYRTMA Official Not Responsible For Tricycle Rider's Death, Says Chairman

By Sola Isola

The Chairman, Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA), Major Adekoya Adesagba has said that no official of the agency is responsible for the death of a commercial tricycle rider in Ibadan, stating that rider is not dead.

Stating this in statement on Saturday, Adesagba described the news making round alleging OYRTMA officials as untrue, misleading, and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Authority.

He explained that the rider violated traffic law and in a desperate move to avoid lawful arrest, feigned collapse, pretending to be dead, in order to incite mob action against OYRTMA personnel.

“The attention of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority (OYRTMA) has been drawn to false reports circulating on social media, particularly on Facebook, alleging that OYRTMA officials were responsible for the death of a commercial tricycle rider at the University of Ibadan axis on Wednesday, August 27, 2025.

“We wish to state categorically that the report is untrue, misleading, and aimed at tarnishing the image of the Authority.

“For the past three months, OYRTMA officials have been stationed at the U.I axis, enforcing compliance with traffic lights to ensure sanity and orderliness on our roads, an effort heavily supported by the financial commitment of the Oyo State Government.

“On the said date, at about 11:30 am, a commercial tricycle with registration number MNY 805 QU willfully violated the traffic light. The rider was flagged down but attempted to escape dangerously. He was eventually apprehended at the Preboye traffic light. In the course of enforcement, the rider bit one of the officers and, in a desperate move to avoid lawful arrest, feigned collapse, pretending to be dead, ostensibly to incite mob action against OYRTMA personnel.

“As the officers were being distracted by the crowd, the rider suddenly stood up, entered his tricycle, and sped off before the arrival of policemen from Sango Police Station.

“Therefore, the allegation that OYRTMA officials killed a tricycle rider is not only false but also mischievous. To put the record straight, we pose the following pertinent questions to those spreading the rumors:

“Who took the allegedly “dead” tricycle rider to the hospital? Which hospital was he taken to, and which doctor certified him dead?Where was his supposed corpse deposited? Who removed the said tricycle from the scene? Did the police officers who later arrived at the scene find a corpse or a tricycle? Did OYRTMA officials abandon their duty post, or did they continue their lawful duties as evidence that no such death occurred?

“These questions remain unanswered because the incident was clearly staged by the tricycle rider to evade the consequences of his traffic violation.

“OYRTMA assures the public that it remains committed to carrying out its statutory duties in line with the law and will not be distracted by baseless allegations. We call on members of the public to always seek the truth and not be misled by unfounded speculations.”