A 35-year-old Vehicle Inspection Officer (VIO), Adediji Sesan, has died after being struck by a vehicle during a routine inspection along Hospital Road in Akure, the Ondo State capital.
The Ondo State Police Command confirmed the incident on Friday, October 9, 2026, disclosing that the driver, identified as 37-year-old Ayoade Idowu, had been arrested and detained.
According to the police, the incident occurred at about 9:30 a.m. opposite Mega Primary School, where Sesan was reportedly conducting routine patrol with his colleagues.
Preliminary information indicated that the deceased had flagged down a white Mitsubishi van with registration number AGL 992 XX for an inspection of its vehicle documents.
The driver reportedly stopped initially but allegedly drove off when asked to produce the relevant documents, striking the VIO officer in the process.
Sesan sustained serious head injuries and was rushed to the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) Teaching Hospital, where a doctor confirmed him dead.
His remains have been deposited at the hospital mortuary for preservation and autopsy, the police said.
Video captures chaotic scene
A video shared by Akure-based radio station Crest FM on Friday showed residents shouting and gathering around the scene following the fatal incident.
Some of the officer’s colleagues appeared distressed as the incident unfolded, while eyewitness accounts indicated that the officer had attempted to stop the moving vehicle before he was struck.
The footage circulated amid reports of panic among residents and other road users who gathered at the scene.
The circumstances surrounding the encounter were initially unclear, but the police account indicated that the incident occurred during a routine vehicle inspection.
Police begin investigation
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, DSP Jimoh Abayomi, said the driver had been arrested and detained as preliminary investigations continued.
Abayomi disclosed that police operatives had visited the scene and commenced investigations into the circumstances surrounding the officer’s death.
He added that the case file was expected to be transferred to the Motor Traffic Division for further investigation.
The Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Felix Ohagwu, expressed condolences to the deceased officer’s family, colleagues and associates, assuring the public that a thorough investigation would be conducted.
The command also warned motorists against endangering lives while attempting to evade routine checks or traffic regulations.
It urged road users to exercise patience, obey lawful traffic instructions and cooperate with authorised traffic enforcement officers.
The police said appropriate legal action would follow in accordance with the law as investigations progressed.
