The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the arrest of a suspected internet fraudster, popularly known as a Yahoo boy, following a car crash that left at least three traders injured at New Market in Benin City on Sunday.
The New Market area is a popular hub for wholesale and retail trading, especially in second-hand clothing and footwear. On designated market days, traders spill over to the roadside due to overcrowding, making the area particularly vulnerable to accidents involving reckless drivers.
Spokesperson for the Command, SP Moses Yamu, who confirmed the incident in a statement on Monday, said the driver, identified as the suspect, lost control of a Mercedes-Benz saloon car and rammed into a group of traders along the busy market stretch.
“No deaths were recorded,” Yamu stated. “However, three individuals sustained injuries and are currently receiving treatment. The reckless driver is presently in custody.”
Eyewitnesses at the scene described the accident as chaotic and deeply unsettling. A trader, Sandra Osaro, who witnessed the crash, said the vehicle — a black Mercedes-Benz with Lagos registration number LND 192 JZ — was reportedly speeding from the Sakponba Road axis before losing control and veering into traders along Second East Circular Road.
“It happened so fast. The car was on top speed, and before we knew it, it crashed into traders and destroyed goods,” Osaro recounted. “We are grateful this didn’t happen on a market day like Tuesday or Thursday — those are the busiest days when the market is packed with people buying second-hand clothes and shoes.”
Another trader, Mama Ivie, shared a close call with death. She revealed that she had gone to church for a thanksgiving service earlier that day, having recently survived a separate fatal accident.
“I had just returned from church and was about to open my stand when the car crashed right in front of me,” she said, visibly shaken. “It destroyed my stand and tables. I can’t believe I escaped another accident so soon after the last one. God saved me again.”
The police have assured the public that investigations are ongoing and that the suspect will be charged accordingly.