17 die as passenger buses collide on Abuja-Lokoja Expressway
The Federal Road Safety Corps has said no fewer than 17 people died in a motor accident which occurred at Irepeni on Okene- Lokoja – Abuja highway in Kogi State on Tuesday.
FRSC Sector Commander, Solomon Aghure, told reporters in Lokoja that the accident, which occurred at about 5 a.m., involved two vehicles in a collision.
Mr. Aghure said that the two vehicles ; a luxury bus and a Toyota Hiace were both conveying a total of 55 passengers to different destinations.
He said that 15 passengers died on the spot while two others died in hospital, bringing the total number of casualties to 17.
“The Toyota Hiace was going to Auchi , Edo State and the luxury bus was coming from Okene axis.
”The luxury bus overtook a car and in the process lost control.
”Of course it was night, so it came and hit the smaller Toyota bus, pushing it into the bush.
”The vehicle somersaulted, and 15 people died on the spot and two later died in the hospital,” Mr. Aghure explained.
The sector commander said that 25 other passengers who sustained varying degrees of injuries were taken to a private hospital for treatment while the corpses of the 17 were deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre, Lokoja.
He said that further investigation into the accident had commenced.
Mr. Aghure urged motorists to avoid night travelling and speeding while driving.
“It is very important for motorists to obey the speed limit which is 90kph for commercial vehicles and 100kph for private vehicles,” he stated.
In order to reduce stress and road accidents during the festive period, Mr. Aghure said that 522 personnel had been deployed to different routes in the state.
He said that additional personnel were also being expected from Ekiti and Kwara states to complement those on ground and advised motorists to always obey traffic rules.
(NAN)
We have recently deactivated our website's comment provider in favour of other channels of distribution and commentary. We encourage you to join the conversation on our stories via our Facebook, Twitter and other social media pages.
More from Peoples Gazette
Agriculture
FG tasks ECOWAS on leveraging financing strategies for agroecology
The federal government has urged stakeholders in the agriculture and finance sectors in the West Africa region to leverage financing strategies to enhance agroecology practices
Politics
Katsina youths pledge to deliver over 2 million votes to Atiku
“Katsina State is Atiku’s political base because it is his second home.”
Ibadan
Kidnapped Oyo schoolchildren, teachers regain freedom after about two months in captivity
The release of the victims followed a series of sustained protests over the prolonged captivity of the victims.
Agriculture
Plateau govt. procures 500 truckloads of fertiliser for sale at subsidised rate
The governor directed that fertiliser be sold to farmers at a subsidised rate of N20,000 per bag.
Economy
Court clears FCCPC to investigate air ticket pricing complaints
Mr Bello said investigating consumer complaints was fundamentally different from regulating prices.
States
National Cash Transfer: 1,908 vulnerable residents receive debit cards in Edo
The initiative is in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, the World Bank, and the National Cash Transfer Office.
Africa
Rwanda spent $32 million on fuel subsidies in four months: Minister
He said the subsidies were to shield consumers and businesses from surging oil prices triggered by the conflict in the Middle East.
Heading 3
FG to integrate 80 million Nigerian students into NIMC database
He said the ministry had integrated the National Learners’ Identification Number (LIN) with the NIN through the Nigeria Education Management Information System (NEMIS).
