16 Die in Edo, Ogun, Niger Road Crashes 

By Okon Bassey in Uyo, Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City, Laleye Dipo in Minna and Femi Ogbonnikan in Abeokuta

No fewer than 16 persons have reportedly died in various road accidents across three states at the weekend where others survived with various degrees of injuries.

While eight persons reportedly died in a multiple accident involving two utility vehicles and a Honda Civic car which occurred at Izom town of Niger State on Thursday night, eyewitnesses said all the passengers in the Honda Civic car lost their lives while the three others believed to be the motor boys of the utility vehicle trapped in the vehicles also died.

The crash in Edo which claimed four lives happened at Agbede, Etsako West Local Government Area when three articulated trucks rammed into some persons while eight others sustained injuries and were hospitalised.

In Ogun State, at least, four persons reportedly died while two others were injured in a ghastly auto crash which occurred on the Kara Bridge, a few meters  to Lagos State boundary, along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday. The accident involved a Sino truck laden with container and a Faragon commercial bus. 

Eyewitnesses in the Niger State crash said three of the deceased were burnt beyond recognition while the remains of the other victims were deposited at the Suleija General Hospital mortuary.

It could not be confirmed how the accident occurred but it was learnt that due to the poor state of the road, the utility vehicle carrying containers with combustible items overturned on the car and consequently burst into flames.

Villagers and workers of a construction company close to the point of the incident were said to have struggled to no avail to save the lives of the victims, they were however able to put off the inferno after about one hour.

When contacted  the Director General, Niger State Emergency Management Agency, Malam Ahmed Ibrahim Inga confirmed the story on Friday adding that five bodies were deposited at the Suleija General Hospital Mortuary.

 

The cause of the accident in Edo State  was said to be brake failure which made the truck to lose control and rammed into roadside traders. An angry mob of youths from the area allegedly set the truck ablaze as well as stopped security and Road Safety agencies from rescue operations

However, Edo State Sector Commander, FRSC, Samuel Odukoya while confirming the incident, said only person died.

The truck involved in the Ogun crash was marked KMC 47 ZB, was heading towards Lagos and was said to have hit the commercial bus from behind which forced it off the road before it landed close to the river under Kara Bridge, in Ife Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Four of the six passengers were said to have died instantly due to the impact of the accident.

The Public Relations Officer, Ogun Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, who confirmed the incident, said the bus fell off the bridge due to the impact of the push from the truck.

He said the driver of the truck was on high speed, the cause of which led him losing control of the vehicle which subsequently made it to hit the bus.

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