Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Vice President Yemi Osinbajo yesterday paid a condolence visit to the family of the police outrider, Inspector Ali Gomina, who died on Friday while the VP’s convoy was on its way to the Nnamdi Azikwe international Airport Abuja.
This is even as another outrider attached to the office of Vice President, Yusuf Bawa, lost his wife yesterday morning.
The late Gomina was on relief duty, to enable Bawa take care of his sick wife when he unfortunately lost his life in that accident.
Osinbajo, who was on his way to the airport for a scheduled visit to Lagos, aborted the trip in honour of the deceased.
The Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity to the VP, Laolu Akande, explained that the late Gomina in an attempt to clear the way for the Vice President’s motorcade, was hit by a speeding vehicle, which flung him against an oncoming articulated truck, known in local parlance as trailer.
The Vice President during his visit to Gui community in Abuja Municipal Area Council, assured that the federal government would support the family in anyway necessary to ensure they are comfortable.
Many residents of the community had gathered in Gomina’s family house to sympathise with the family.
The late Gomina who lost his first wife, Ajara, five years ago is survived by his second wife, Asiya and 12 children, the youngest being just two days old as at the time he died.
His second son, Abdullahi and first daughter, Hafsat, described their father as the best father anyone could ask for.
They however appealed to the government to offer them scholarship to enable all of them go to school, a dream their late father had hoped to fulfill in his life them.
They also appealed for assistance to complete a house he had started, to enable the family move in.
Asked if the government would look into the scholarship as requested by the children, Akande who spoke with journalists said: “That won’t be a problem at all.”
On the completion of the house the late police escort started, the VP media aide said: “Government will do everything that is right and is worthy of diligent and hard working officer like Inspector Ali Gomina.”
Meanwhile, findings revealed that the police had not been able to apprehend the motorist responsible for the accident that resulted in Gomina’s death.