A ‘treacherous’ rock in Iberekodo, Abeokuta, crushed four persons, including mother, two children and a grandchild, to death when it tipped off its base and rammed lethally on them after knocking down the wall of their bedroom.
However, the man of the house, Ismail Lawal, Sukurat and Rofiat, survived the assault on the modest home by the deadly rock because they happened to be relaxing at the sitting room when it struck but they incurred serious injuries.
The rocky Iberekodo community in Abeokuta North Local Government Council of Ogun state were left in shock and grief.
The victims – Mrs Silifat Lawal, her two children: Rasheedat (15), Semia (4) and a grandchild Mariam – had barely fallen into a deep sleep on their bed after a Friday dinner when the rock killed them.
Some of the villagers said the heavy downpour that fateful day, which they claimed softened the base of the rock situating on a location overlooking Ismail Lawal’s home, caused the ground to give way. According to them, the rock, having lost its balance, tumbled and rolled lethally on Lawal’s home beneath.
[vc_row][vc_column width=”1/2″]It was gathered that the rock has been in existence in Iberekodo community before the Egba people settled in Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital, around 1830 AD[/vc_column][vc_column width=”1/2″]Mrs Khadijat Adegoke, a neigbour of the victims, said she was jolted from sleep by the deafening sound of the impact of the rock as it rolled down the hilly neighbourhood before smashing itself into Lawal’s home.[/vc_column][/vc_row]
“The incident happened around 9pm. The rain was very heavy since 5pm. When the rock shifted and crushed them, we didn’t hear because of the sound of the rain. The father came out shouting. We rushed there only to find out that all the four of them had been crushed to death.
According to her, neigbours got to know that the rock had dealt a lethal blow when Mr Lawal rushed out and began shouting for help but could not do anything as the victims had already been crushed.
