Ondo police investigate bus fire as driver flees
By Boye Oyeyemi
An 18-seater Toyota Hiace commercial bus was on Tuesday gutted by fire at Okerigbo area along the Akungba-Ikare Road in Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, with the driver reportedly fleeing the scene before emergency responders arrived.
The incident, which occurred in Akoko South-West Local Government Area, destroyed the vehicle completely. No life was lost and no injury was recorded.
The cause of the fire could not be immediately established as of the time of filing this report.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Abayomi Jimoh, said officers from the Akungba Police Division were mobilised to the scene after receiving a distress call.
Jimoh disclosed that preliminary findings showed the bus was completely burnt, while the driver had escaped before the arrival of security operatives.
He added that efforts were ongoing to trace the driver as part of the investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.
“The Ondo State Police Command has commenced an investigation into the fire incident involving an 18-seater commercial bus. Preliminary findings revealed that the bus was completely burnt, but no casualty was recorded,” the police spokesperson said.
He urged residents with useful information to assist the investigation, assuring the public that the command would unravel the cause of the fire while remaining committed to protecting lives and property.
