The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kogi State Sector Command has confirmed 19 persons, including five children, died and eight others injured in fatal auto crash on Sunday on Lokoja-Obajana road.
According to the State Sector Commander of FRSC, Mr Kumar Tsukwam, the accident involved an articulated vehicle and an 18-seater Toyota Hummer Bus heading to Abuja from the Southern part of the had a head-on collision when the Hummer Bus, on high speed, tried to overtake an articulated vehicle only to face another oncoming articulated vehicle from the opposite direction, leaving no room for escape.
“It was very unfortunate, because it was caused by speeding and wrongful overtaking and involved 27 persons with only eight survivors.
“Our rescue operation team and the Police were able to rescue the eight survivors and rushed them to Fisayo Hospital, Obajana, for immediate medical attention”, he said.
Meanwhile, Governor Usman Ododo of Kogi State described the accident as a heartbreaking loss not only to the victims’ families but to the entire state, saying the scale of the tragedy defies expression.
His words, according to a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Ismaila Isah: “Losing 19 lives, including innocent children, in a single incident is a tragedy for which words cannot fully express our grief. Our hearts are heavy.
“Every life matters, and no journey is worth the risk of over speeding.”
He praised the swift response of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Nigeria Police, who arrived promptly at the scene to rescue eight survivors, who had varying degrees of injury.
He condoled the bereaved families, Governor Ododo and directed the Kogi State Ministry of Information and Communications to work with the FRSC to intensify public enlightenment campaigns on road safety across the state.
“This tragedy is a stark reminder of the urgent need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws and public education on the dangers of reckless driving,” he said.
He called for enhanced coordination among emergency response agencies to ensure faster and more efficient interventions in future emergencies.
FRSC chief, Tsukwam, said the tragic accident occurred at Gadabiu community on the Lokoja-Obajana road, Lokoja Local Government Area of the state at about 4.00 p.m. on Sunday.
The commander warned that the highways were not race roads as he appealed to motorists to avoid speed and wrongful overtaking.
He also tasked motorists to always keep to traffic rules and regulations to help the Corps and the Federal Government in reducing road traffic crashes and carnage on roads across the country.
