She Died Three Months After Giving Birth – Mother Of Wassce Candidate Killed By Truck In Ijebu Ode

Mrs. Olorunwa Sanni, mother of 16-year-old Omobewaji Sanni — a WASSCE candidate of Seico Secondary School who was tragically killed by a truck driver — shares her pain and loss with Bankole Taiwo.

Can you tell us about yourself?
I'm 51 years old, from Ijebu Ode. I design caps for a living.

What happened to your daughter?
My daughter, Omobewaji, was just 16 and taking her WASSCE exams at Seico Secondary School in Ikangba, Ijebu Ode, when she was struck by a truck. We were told that about eight students were walking home when the driver lost control and veered toward them. Omobewaji and another girl, Aliyah, tried to escape by running into a church compound and hiding behind the fence, but the driver still drove through and fatally hit them.

Did they both die instantly?
Aliyah died on the spot. Omobewaji was rushed to the General Hospital in Ijebu Ode around 11 a.m. The medical staff did all they could — she received four pints of blood, her wounds were stitched, and she was placed on oxygen. We were later referred to Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital in Sagamu. But while preparing for an X-ray, she passed away.

How old was Omobewaji?
She would have turned 17 in September.

Was she always a student at Seico Secondary School?
No. She was a student at Adeola Odutola College, Ijebu Ode. But when she reached SS3 last year, we discovered she was pregnant — already five months along. We had thought she was just dealing with malaria.
She had to drop out, but I believed one mistake shouldn’t ruin her future. I registered her as an external WASSCE candidate at Seico School so she could still sit for the exam. She gave birth to a baby boy on February 2 — just three months ago.

What was she like?
Omobewaji was kind, intelligent, and full of dreams. Since primary school, she had always said she wanted to be a doctor. Her teachers at Adeola Odutola College can vouch for her brilliance.
Even in the hospital, while in pain, someone who overheard her speaking was so moved by her intelligence that they gave us N10,000, pleading that we do everything possible to save her.
She was my last child. Her father died when she was not even two years old, and I’ve been raising her and her three siblings alone ever since.
Just before she passed, we were already planning her next steps. I had intended to enroll her in a nursing apprenticeship and then register her for JAMB next year. She wanted to study at the University of Ilorin. I had promised to support her dream of becoming a doctor. Now, she’s gone — leaving behind her three-month-old son.

What about the truck driver?
Initially, we heard the driver fled while the motor boy was caught. But I’ve since been told both are now in police custody.

How are you coping?
The pain is unbearable. I’ve been on constant medication and injections. But I draw strength from God — I have to stay strong for my grandson.

How is the baby doing?
He’s doing well, but caring for him has been tough financially. He was being exclusively breastfed, but now we rely on infant formula, which costs about N12,500 per tin. He’s almost done with the third one.
The hospital expenses trying to save his mum’s life must have exceeded N750,000. We’ve survived on help from kind-hearted people.
If there’s any support the government can provide, even if just a scholarship for the child, it would mean the world to us.

Did you ever imagine this would happen?
Not at all. That morning, she breastfed her baby, took pictures with him, and left happily for school. I never thought it would be the last time I'd see her alive.