A recurring scene outside Imo State University turned deadly on Sunday evening, when an illegal street race in front of the school’s main gate left one passerby dead and another fighting for recovery in hospital, prompting the swift arrest of the driver believed responsible.
According to police, the incident unfolded at around 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 26, when Dike Chibuike Micheal, a 30-year-old man from Oguta Local Government Area, was allegedly driving a Lexus ES 350 at excessive speed while participating in unauthorized street racing near the university’s front gate. In the chaos of the race, the vehicle struck Chibuike Friday, a 19-year-old student attempting to cross the road, and the impact sent the car spinning out of control, where it went on to strike a second person, Bright Ukwuoma, causing further injuries.
For residents who live near the area, the tragedy felt less like an isolated accident and more like the inevitable outcome of something that had been building for months. One eyewitness, speaking on condition of anonymity, described the racing as a fixture of the area rather than a one-off event, often drawing crowds who would gather to cheer the drivers on. “They have been doing this for some time. I wonder why the government has not done anything to stop them,” the witness said, adding that the young man killed had simply been passing by when he was struck. “Most times, people would gather to hail them while they engage in such recklessness. It has to be stopped.”
Police response came quickly once the alarm was raised. The Divisional Police Officer overseeing Orji Division mobilized officers to the scene, where the suspect was arrested and, notably, rescued from an angry mob that had gathered in the aftermath. Both victims were rushed to hospital, but Chibuike Friday was pronounced dead on arrival, while Ukwuoma remains under treatment. Friday’s body has since been deposited in the morgue pending an autopsy.
State Police Public Relations Officer DSP Henry Okoye confirmed that preliminary investigations point to unauthorized racing as the direct cause of the crash, with a fuller inquiry now underway to establish the complete circumstances surrounding the incident.
Commissioner of Police Audu Garba Bosso condemned the incident as a reckless act that cost an innocent life, extending condolences to Friday’s family and well-wishes to Ukwuoma for a full recovery. He has since directed the State Traffic Department to conduct a comprehensive investigation into both the immediate and underlying causes of the crash, while assuring the public that the suspect will face prosecution once the investigation concludes.
