No fewer than nine candidates going to sit
for the Joint Admissions and Matriculation
Board (JAMB) examinations today were
feared dead in an auto crash on the Aba-
Port Harcourt Expressway.

The Public Relations Officer of the Abia State
Police Command, Mr Geoffrey Ogbonna, said
seven persons, including the driver died instantly
while two others died later in hospital. The police
did not identify the victims.
The police image maker said that the candidates
were travelling on a Hiace bus with registration
number Rivers XY 249 from Port Harcourt to Aba.

Ogbonna said that the driver of the bus rammed
into a truck with with registration number Lagos
XC 109 SLK, parked off the road.
He said that the accident occurred at Obeaku-
Ihie in the Ugwunagbor Local Government Area
of Abia at about 10.40 a.m.
Ogbonna said that the dead had been deposited
at the mortuary while six survivors of the
accident were in critical condition and receiving
medical attention in a hospital Aba.

He said that the 15 seater-bus, was conveying
mainly people, going to sit for the JAMB
examination, slated for 27 April.
According to him, the clue comes from the items
recovered at the scene of the accident.
A witness, Mr Peter Okolo, attributed the
accident to over-speeding and recklessness on
the part of the driver.
He said that the driver lost control of the vehicle
when he wanted to overtake a vehicle in front of
him.
“When he saw an upcoming vehicle while he was
over-taking the car in front of him, he veered off
the road and then rammed into the truck parked
off the road,” Okolo said.