The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that at least 32 people died and several others injured in multiple road crashes which occurred between Sunday and Monday in Kwara, Kogi and Ogun states.
This is as Corps blamed the unfortunate crashes on traffic violations, including speeding, dangerous driving, driver fatigue, poor tyre maintenance and the illegal practice of conveying passengers alongside goods.
According to the FRSC Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, these latest incidents add to growing concerns over recurring fatal crashes on Nigerian roads, describing the crashes as “heartbreaking and entirely preventable”.
In a statement on Monday, Shehu said the recurring violations of established traffic regulations continue to undermine national efforts to improve road safety, urging motorists, transport companies and commercial vehicle operators to prioritise safety by ensuring only roadworthy vehicles ply the highways.
The Corps Marshal, who reaffirmed the FRSC’s commitment to public safety, said the Corps will intensified a rigorous, zero-tolerance enforcement campaign and roadside operations specifically targeting high-risk traffic violations that jeopardize motorists and endanger lives on the nation’s roads.
Kwara Accident Claims 15 Lives
Official reports confirmed that 15 people lost their lives while 17 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in the early hours of Monday after a trailer conveying dozens of passengers crashed along the Ogbomoso–Oloru road in Kwara State.
The fatal lone crash, which occurred at about 2:32 am near the Muslim Cemetery in Oko-Olowo, involved a DAF XF trailer with registration number GWL 274 XC, driven by Nasiru Muhammed.
The reports indicated that a total of 48 male occupants were involved in the crash with 15 confirmed dead at the scene, while 17 others sustained injuries of varying severity, including fractures, dislocations and bruises.
It was also confirmed that the injured victims, including 16 occupants, who escaped unhurt, were evacuated to Arewa Medical Centre and Baki Hospital for treatment, just as some residents told reporters that the bodies of those who died were released to their families through the Sarkin Hausawa of Oko-Olowo after necessary procedures.
Confirming the incident on Monday, the Kwara Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kabiru Babatunde Kazeem, who was at the scene coordinating rescue and recovery operations, said preliminary findings by the FRSC attributed the crash to driver’s fatigue.
10 Dead In Ogun Crash
There is also confirmation that 10 passengers lost their lives and six others sustained injuries in a road accident along the Lagos – Ibadan expressway in Ogun State on Sunday night.
The accident occurred at the Sapaade bridge at about 8:05pm, involving a white Sinotruk and a white Toyota Hiace bus marked EKY 290 YM and according to the FRSC spokesperson in Ogun State, Afolabi Odunsi, 18 passengers were involved in the accident, and 10 died, 6 sustained injuries, while two others escaped unhurt.
Odunsi said preliminary investigation revealed that the crash was caused by speed violation, wrongful overtaking and dangerous driving, disclosing that FRSC rescue operatives arrived promptly at the scene and evacuated the injured victims to Victory Hospital, Ogere, for medical treatment, while the deceased were deposited at FOS Mortuary, Ipara.
Seven Die In Blazing Kogi Road Carnage
In Kogi State, seven people died on the Okene-Lokoja road accident at Osara settlement in Adavi Local Government Area when the bus, with registration number Edo: SGD 517 XL, was involved in a deadly collision on Sunday afternoon.
It was reliably gathered that the accident occurred when the speeding vehicle, on its way to Abuja from Auchi, suffered a sudden tyre burst, with the driver suddenly losing control, and ramming into a parked truck.
According to eyewitnesses, the driver and a motor mate who were fixing a punctured tyre on the trailer were killed in the process.
FRSC sector commander in Kogi State, Lawal Fagge, said the incident occurred at about 12:30 pm on Sunday near Osara settlement, confirming that the driver of the vehicle was driving at high speed when he experienced a tyre burst, causing him to lose control of the vehicle, which resulted in the fatal accident.
Fagge further said: “Seven persons, including the motor mate of the truck driver, died on the spot, while three persons survived the carnage. The injured were taken to a hospital at Okene for treatment, while the dead were deposited at another hospital at Okene for autopsy.” – With Daily Trust report
