64 killed in Kogi, Edo auto crashes


Written by Johnson Babajide and Uchechukwu Olisah (Nigerian Tribune,
10-03-2010)

FORTY-EIGHT hours after about 500 persons were killed in Plateau State, 64
persons lost their lives in two road accidents in Kogi and Edo states. In
the Kogi accident, an articulated vehicle crushed about 60 people at
Felele, a suburb of Lokoja, the state capital.

While at Uselu market on the Ugbowo-Lagos road, in Benin City, four persons
were killed, when another articulated vehicle ran into them, crushing them
in the process.

Security agents gave conflicting figures on the Kogi accident, as police
authorities said that no fewer than 60 people were killed in the accident,
the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state said about 26 died.

The state sector commander of the FRSC, Mr Yomi Asaniyan, told the Nigerian
Tribune that there was the likelihood that the casualities might be more
than that, stating that many families had come to the scene of the accident
to remove their relations’ corpses, adding that many people were seriously
injured.

Kogi State Police Command spokesman, Mr Abubakar Mohammed, who spoke to the
Nigerian Tribune on phone, said that no fewer than 60 people were killed in
the accident.

The Nigerian Tribune, which visited the spot around 1.00 p.m., an hour
after the accident occurred, learnt that it was caused by an articulated
vehicle, belonging to Dangote Cement Company, fully loaded with bags of
cement. The vehicle was said to have lost control after a brake failure and
rammed into many vehicles.

About 20 vehicles were crushed by the articulated vehicle, among them were
five buses, 12 cars and five motorcycles. The affected buses were coming
from Abuja but were caught due to a traffic jam caused by the market.

The heavy casualties may have been due to transactions going on at the
market since it fell on a market day, while the affected cars were parked
along the highway, many intra-city vehicles were picking passengers and
others alighting from the vehicles.

An eyewitness, who spoke to the Nigerian Tribune, said that many lives were
lost, particularly, traders’ and passengers’ whose vehicles were caught in
the accident, disclosing that he alone carried 16 dead bodies to the state
general hospital on the plea of the road safety men.

Meanwhile, Kogi State deputy governor, Chief Philip Salawu, narrowly
escaped being lynched by angry youths who were protesting against the
accident.

The deputy governor had visited the scene of the accident for an
on-the-spot assessment when the angry youth booed him and were moving
towards him before his security aides promptly spirited him into his
vehicle and sped off but not without the youth throwing missiles at his
convoy.

The deputy chairman of the Lokoja Local Government, Mr Lawrence Ikuboroje,
who spoke to newsmen, called for the completion of the dualised road, which
he said would reduce the constant accidents being recorded in the area,
adding that many lives and vehicles were lost in the accidents.

FRSC sector commander, Mr Asaniyan, who said that corpses of the victims
and the injured were taken to the state general hospital, condemned the
activities of the traders, stating that the traders, in many cases, had
abandoned their stalls inside the market to come to the road to display
their wares which he said were constituting serious traffic jam on the
highway.

He called on the state government to close down the market until the
traders complied with the regulation of moving back to their stalls,
stressing that accidents occur at the spot on a daily basis.

Asaniyan also called on the management of Dangote Group of Companies to
always train their drivers on traffic rules and regulations, explaining
that the drivers had, on several occasions, caused untold hardship to road
users.

Meanwhile, Kogi State governor, Alhaji Ibrahim Idris, has expressed shock
over the accident.

According to a statement issued by a Special Adviser to the governor, Mr
Zakari Adamu, the governor lamented the accident and prayed to God to give
the families of the deceased the fortitude to bear the loss.

The governor also said that his heart was with the families of the dead and
to those who were injured in the accident and prayed to God to heal them.

In Benin City, Nigerian Tribune gathered that the trailer, a Mack, with
registration number XG 633 BEN, had brake failure and was trying to avert
running into the market when it swerved to the opposite direction, crushing
four people.

The victims, according to eyewitnesses, were a middle-aged woman whose
husband and children were waiting on the other side of the road, two
commercial motorcycle riders and a young man.

The dead woman, who was identified as Mrs. Rita Oshawo, was said to be a
nurse.

The trailer driver reportedly tried to avoid a group of street traders, who
had engaged the state task force team in a heated argument on the road,
when he suddenly lost control.

The driver of the trailer was also said to have sustained serious injuries.

The Edo State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Henry Olatunji, warned
traders against street trading which, he said, was illegal and could
endanger their lives and the lives of other road users.

He said that two persons died in the accident and that their bodies had
been deposited in a mortuary in Benin City while the injured were taken to
the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).

Brothers and sister we really need to pray, too many life are being cut short. Too many dreams being destroyed, now its not the time for us to start blaming the ineptitude of goverment but lets just take out a few minutes of our very busy time to pray for not just ourselves and family, But also that friend,neighbour and even that faceless individual on the street.
God bless us all.

WE ARE PRAYING ALREADY; IT WOULD HAVE BE MASSACRE.

WHAT CAUSED THE CRASH AND WHAT CAN BE DONE TO PREVENT ANOTHER, YES WE ARE PRAYING; HOWEVER THE RIGHT STEPS MUST BE TAKEN TO PREVENT SUCH AGAIN.

GOOD ROADS, ROAD MARKINGS, SPEED RISTRICTIONS E.T.C.

When people are using cars without safety, and the roads are bad and people are selling on the roads and all that nonsense.
What a mess

em, . . . . . . . . .words fail me

This is what happens when Government main aim is defectum the Nigeria people.
An Act like this is as a result of the jugis of Government to Address the malus peior pessimus nature of our Roads and the insouciant attitude of Government and road maintenance agencies towards finding an holistic approach to all the Problems and pons asinorum associated with Bad roads and road accidents.

I must say that is utter abracadabra, I rest my case.

my misericordia and condolence to the families who lost their loved ones, 

Wow, Nigeria is really falling apart.

This is horrible. Jos Crisis, Niger Delta Crisis, Kidnapping in Igboland, Infrastructure is crumbling.

Is there no hope for Naija?

Fhemmmy:

When people are using cars without safety, and the roads are bad and people are selling on the roads and all that nonsense.
What a mess

you couldn't have said it better than this, may the soul of departed rest in peace

~Bluetooth:

you couldn't have said it better than this, may the soul of departed rest in peace

Amen oh

kosovo:

This is what happens when Government main aim is defectum the Nigeria people.
An Act like this is as a result of the jugis of Government to Address the malus peior pessimus nature of our Roads and the insouciant attitude of Government and road maintenance agencies towards finding an holistic approach to all the Problems and pons asinorum associated with Bad roads and road accidents.

I must say that is utter abracadabra, I rest my case.

my misericordia and condolence to the families who lost their loved ones, 

This is what happens when Government main aim is defectum the Nigeria people.
An Act like this is as a result of the jugis of Government to Address the malus peior pessimus nature of our Roads and the insouciant attitude of Government and road maintenance agencies towards finding an holistic approach to all the Problems and pons asinorum associated with Bad roads and road accidents.

I must say that is utter abracadabra, I rest my case.

my misericordia and condolence to the families who lost their loved ones,

kosovo , why dont you save yourself all the gibberish. non sense and alacrity.
i bet you dont talk like this to your kinsmen, or do you?

^^^ Na fight?