Five persons on Saturday drowned when a car plunged into a canal along River Niger in Kogi.

The incident happened in the Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday.

Pius Kolawale, chairman, Yagba West LGA, Kogi, who confirmed the incident, said it was unfortunate.

Mr Kolawale, however, confirmed that one of the five occupants in the car escaped death as he swarmed to safety, aided by a fisherman, who unfortunately himself drowned.

“Among the dead are three ladies and two men, including the fisherman.

“The five of them were coming from the Oga community on their way to Lokoja, but unfortunately, just along the canal, where there is a very sharp corner, they lost control and went straight into the canal.

“Only one of the occupants of the car escaped, while four died, including three ladies.

“The fifth person that died was a good samaritan, a fisherman, who tried to save them but died in the process,” he told journalists.

Mr Kolawale said when the incident happened at about 4:30 p.m. on Friday, he called the council’s Police Divisional Officer (DPO), who came with his men and took the corpses to a morgue.

“Already, family members of the deceased have come and taken their corpses today for burial.

“That very road the incident happened is that of Niger River Basin Authority solely for the maintenance of the dam, but people travelling from Oga to Lokoja take advantage of it to cross over to Ebira and continue their journey to Lokoja as a shortcut,” he said.

The chairman appealed to the road users, especially motorists, to drive with care and avoid speed violations while plying that very road.

The state FRSC corps commander, Stephen Dawulung, who confirmed the incident, described it as “very unfortunate”.

Mr Dawulung said that the road was not a conventional one but that because of the advantage it offered to travellers as a short route, they kept plying it.

(NAN)