Ten people lost their lives, while six others sustained injuries of varying degrees in an accident involving a commercial bus on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, yesterday.
The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Oyo State, Joshua Adekanye, who made the disclosure to journalists, yesterday, in Ibadan, said no fewer than 20 people have, so far, been killed in road traffic crashes along Ibadan-Lagos route and Mokwa town in Niger.
Adekanye said the lone accident that happened around 6.30am, yesterday, around the Guru Mahajji area, involved a commercial bus with registration number TRK 135 ZY and a hit-and-run truck carrying a container.
He said the commercial bus, which was travelling overnight from Malumfashi, Katsina State, suddenly came across the truck carrying a container that was driving against traffic. Adekanye said the bus, in order to avoid the truck, hit the container and fell into a ditch resulting in the death of 10 people and injured six others while the truck ran away. He said the total number of people involved in the accident were 18, which comprises 17 male adults and a male child.
“People killed in the accident are 10 male adults. People injured are six, including five male adults and one male child, while two adult males were unhurt,” he said.
The sector commander said the injured people had been taken to Ibadan Central Hospital for medical attention, while the dead bodies were taken to Adeoyo Hospital morgue. He said the police division at the tollgate area of Ibadan had taken charge of the crashed vehicle.
The sector commander called on motorists to always shun night travels and driving against traffic, saying the accident might not have happened if the bus was not traveling overnight from Katsina State.
Meanwhile, FRSC Acting Corps Marshal, Mr Dauda Biu, in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal, Mr Bisi Kazeem, yesterday, in Abuja, decried the incessant violation of legal speed limits and noticeable traces of dangerous driving behaviours exhibited by drivers during the Christmas celebration.
He warned perpetrators of such bad road use culture to desist, henceforth, as the agency would not spare them when apprehended. The corps marshal attributed the crash that occurred at 06:30hrs, along Ibadan-Lagos route, a few minutes before the Guru Maharaji area, Oyo State, to wanton violation of speed limit and indulgence in dangerous driving. He said the Mokwa fatal crash occurred at 3.30am, while a lone crash also occurred in Otukpo, at about 11.35am yesterday.
”According to preliminary investigation conducted into the fatal crashes, the Ibadan avoidable accident is a lone crash that involves a Toyota bus bearing the following registration details TRK 135 ZY.
“While the Mokwa crash involved a trailer transiting from Lagos, which had a head on collision with a bus and the Otukpo lone crash involving a bus registered as NAK 77 XA, occurred as a result of a fallen tree that blocked the highway. Eighteen people, all male adults, are involved in the Ibadan crash, out of which 10 were killed, six injured and the rest rescued without injuries,” he said.
Biu added that 10 victims were killed in the Mokwa crash, nine of which were confirmed dead on the spot and the remaining one died in the hospital. He, however, said zero fatality was recorded in the Otukpo lone crash; but the injured victims have been taken to St. Daniels Hospital Otukpo for urgent treatment.
He said six victims with degrees of injuries during the rescue operations of the Ibadan crash were given adequate first aid by the corps’ medical rescue team before moving them to Ibadan Central Hospital for proper medical attention. The acting corps marshall added that the remains of the dead victims had been deposited in Adeoyo General Hospital Morgue in Ibadan.
He noted that the main cause of the crash, according to the report, were dangerous driving, road obstruction and excessive speed which led to loss of control. He assured the motoring public, particularly law abiding ones, that the corps had already enhanced its visibility and intensified patrol operations to guarantee sanity on highways.
The FRSC boss directed the immediate deployment of a special squad to the affected part of the Otukpo-Makurdi highway, to ensure speedy removal of the fallen tree and a traffic control team to ensure free flow of traffic.
“The deployed squad has already commenced the cutting of the tree for immediate evacuation. The motoring public is admonished to exercise patience, maintain the lowest possible speed while plying the route, “he said.
Biu further advised motorists to allow the spirit of love that came with the season to reflect in the manner they drive. The acting corps marshal reiterated his position of subjecting those who took advantage of the festive season to indulge in dangerous driving behaviours to the long arm of the law. He urged the public to always patronise the FRSC toll free line 122 and the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, available for all road users to report emergencies at any given time.