Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
An articulated truck loaded with bags of cement wednesday morning rammed into vehicles, killing seven persons in Lokoja along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
An eyewitness account disclosed to THISDAY that the accident occurred at about 8a.m. at Feleke-NATACO Junction when the people, including students, were busy going to work.
The sources further disclosed that the truck which was coming from Obajana loaded with cement, was heading to the northern part of the country when it lost control as a result of brake failure.
In an effort to avoid casualties, the driver of the truck took one way and on getting to NATACO junction, the truck rammed into another oncoming lorry, smashed two tricycles and another two commercial vehicles, killing seven people on the spot.
Among those killed were three school children and some occupants of the tricycle and a female student of Kogi State Polytechnic, whose identity was unknown as at time of filling this report.
Also, several people sustained injuries as men of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were at hand to evacuate the dead persons while those who sustained various degrees of injuries were rushed to the hospital for medical care.
However, some students of the Kogi State Polytechnic who were said to have been irked by the killing of their colleague, went on rampage as they barricaded the Abuja-Lokoja highway, burning tyres which created a heavy gridlock on the road.
Two Dangote trailers were allegedly attack and burnt by the students. It took the intervention of security men to put the situation under control as they were able to dispatch the students from the federal road.
