Posted by By PHILIP NWOSU on
A dark cloud, pregnant with tears, sorrow and apprehension has enveloped the home of Colonel Abide Aprezi, the former aide-de-camp (ADC) to ex-military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
A dark cloud, pregnant with tears, sorrow and apprehension has enveloped the home of Colonel Abide Aprezi, the former aide-de-camp (ADC) to ex-military Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
The family of the former ADC is in deep shock, following the death of the Colonel in a fatal motor accident along the Ilesa (Iloko)-Ife Road last Saturday.
He died with three of his children,
Andrew, Hannah and Simon.
A member of the family, Shedrack Aprezi, told Daily Sun that the Colonel had left on Saturday morning to an International School in Ilesa, Osun State to pick up his two children, Andrew and Hannah who were twins.
The family member said while he was making preparations for the trip, his two other children, Simon and the first daughter, whose name he declined to give, joined him on the trip.
He said while it was a safe, smooth ride to Ilesa, the same could not be said from Ilesa to Lagos as their vehicle got involved in an accident and the Colonel, and the three children perished.
"What happened was that he left home on Saturday to go and pick up his two children from the school in Ilesa. Before he left, his first daughter and the last born volunteered to join him and they went, picked up the children and on their way back, we heard they had an accident.
"When we got there, that is the scene of the accident, we saw that the two back tyres of the Prado jeep got broken, because we did not see any tyre at the point where the tyres were supposed to be. But then we saw that the vehicle somersaulted severally, because there were a lot of bruises all over the car.
"The first daughter survived, because when the vehicle started somersaulting, the other people fell out of it, leaving only the daughter who was inside till it stopped."
Shedrack Aprezi said that when the storm was over, it was the first daughter of the former ADC "who called us and told us the story."
He said that eyewitnesses also told the family that the Colonel and his last child, Simon died instantly, while the ones they picked up from the school, Andrew and Hannah died later in a hospital.
Recalling his last discussion with the former ADC, the family member said:: "The last time I spoke to him was on phone, we were to go somewhere on that 28th of May. We were to attend a relation's thanksgiving service together, but unfortunately, he said he could not go because of the assignment he had and that he would talk to me about it later."
Colonel Aprezi was unable to tell his cousin the details of this assignment before his death. The news of his death shook many military officers that heard it.
General Abubakar led over 10 generals and several other military officers, including the Governor of Osun State, Brigadier-General Olagunsoye Oyinlola (rtd) to commiserate with the family.
The former Head of State while signing the condolence register, wrote: "What can one say but give glory to the good Lord, the Giver and Taker, who has taken Abide and the children. May the good Lord look after those he left, may He strengthen them to bear the loss and protect them and bless them.
"Abide, Adieu, you have been loyal to me to the end."
The Governor of Osun State wrote: "Dear brother, your sudden departure is a shock to all but we believe in the dictates of the scripture that in all things, we must give thanks to Him that has freely given and has taken freely too."