An official has revealed that twenty people died and 36 have been injured in separate car accidents involving Toyota Hiace buses in Kogi over the course of two weeks.
Corps Commander Samuel Oyedeji, FRSC Kogi Sector Commander, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday that the deaths were the result of three distinct accidents.
Oyedeji said the fatalities in just two weeks as very concerning and disappointing, especially given the corps’s efforts to prevent highway crashes.
The most concerning, according to the sector commander, was an accident on September 3 that killed 12 people and injured 6, when an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus collided with a Howo Sono Truck on the Obajana-Lokoja road.
“The deceased were buried in mass at the Central Mosque Obajana, while the injured were taken to the First Nation Orthopedic Hospital Zariagi for treatment.”
“The victims’ property and the vehicle are in the custody of Police (MTD) at Obajana Police Division.”
“On September 10, we had a single accident involving a Toyota Hiace bus that killed five people and injured 15 others at Zango, close to Chukwumereje Roundabout within Lokoja metropolis.”
“On September 13, three people were killed and 15 were injured at Omoko village along the Abuja-Lokoja road when another Toyota Hiace bus lost control and crashed at around 10:30 a.m.,” he said.
According to the FRSC Commander, joint rescue patrol teams from Abaji, Zebra 16 Abaji, and Zebra 13 Gegu were on the scene of the accident on Wednesday and retrieved the 15 injured victims.
According to him, the injured were taken to Abaji General Hospital and Ayaura Comprehensive Hospital.
He stated that the three bodies were put to Abaji General Hospital’s mortuary.
Oyedeji, who blamed the accidents on speeding, overloading, and bad vehicle maintenance habits among motorists, urged prudence to halt the carnage and preserve the lives of innocent residents.
He also recommended motorists to avoid nighttime driving and to strictly adhere to traffic rules and regulations in order to avoid unnecessary highway crashes. (NAN)