19th September, 2012
Abiodun Onafuye/ Abeokuta
Over 30 people were confirmed dead Tuesday in a ghastly accident which involved a truck carrying fertilizer and a bus conveying passengers on the Sagamu-Benin expressway.
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Victims crushed included some commercial motorcycle riders (okada riders) and traders.
P.M.NEWS gathered that the accident which occurred at the Mobalufon junction along the expressway caused a gridlock on the road, with motorists plying one way.
It was gathered that the blue truck with registration number RRU 33 XA was being chased by the police and as the driver drove against the traffic to evade arrest, the truck crashed into the White Hummer bus with registration number, KPP 11 XA which was coming from the eastern part of Nigeria.
The bus was dropping off passengers at the Ijebu-Ode junction when the truck crashed into it, killing all the passengers inside the bus along with some motorcycle riders who had rushed to pick passengers dropping off the bus.
Our correspondent gathered that the lorry hit more than two buses with over four motorcycles, two of them with plate numbers QP 283
KSF, QS424 AKJ while the remaining two were totally mangled.
Rescue teams from the police, men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,NSCDC, TRACE and the Ogun State Accident Team were
seen carrying the corpses to the mortuary while the only survivor, a middle aged man was in coma and has been rushed to the General Hospital, Ijebu Ode.
Speaking with our correspondent, a TRACE officer who pleaded anonymity said: “the accident is pathetic. I have never witnessed such ugly incident before in my life. As at now, we have taken over 10 bodies to the mortuary, while the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC has taken over 7 bodies. The Ambulance bus of the
Ogun State Accident team has also taken many corpses and more are still lying down there.
“The only survivor was a middle age man who may not survive the accident. But God is a miracle God, He can do wonders in the man’s life.”
Residents of Ijebu Ode, Egbe, Atiba, Moraika and other neighbouring communities are at the scene gnashing teeth over the ghastly incident which many attributed to the recklessness of the trailer driver and blamed the police team that tried to arrest him for the offence.
The trailer which was loaded with fertilizers was almost set ablaze by a mob if not for the quick intervention of some policemen who were on the highway directing the traffic.
The tragic accident has provoked several reactions.
The Ijebu zonal commander of TRACE, Commander Hamzat Tommy urged the Federal Government to build a flyover at the junction.
“The Federal Government should as a matter of urgency go back to the original plan of the express road,it would see that,it was clearly stated that a fly
over should be constructed at the Ijebu Ode junction.Unless that is done,we will continue to be losing innocent lives on that road. The
fly-over is highly needed there so that all vehicles coming from the Eastern part of the country will pass through the fly over while those
coming from Ikorodu or Sagamu and are heading towards Ijebu Ode willpass underneath.
“You need to see how innocent Nigerians were killed last night,my boys worked till very late in the night,infact our tyre burst.Only God saved my people too.I want the government and those concerned to do something to this area to avoid reoccurence”,Hamzat pleaded.
He affirmed that the number of the deceased was over thirty,saying,”the number is thirty something. A pregnant woman was involved, you need to see how the foetus rushed out,its pathetic and gory, young boys and girls were also involved,even the okada riders who we always advised not to be staying on the expressway,see
how some of them lost their lives because of what they want to eat”.
Narrating how the accident happened to PM News, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, commander Ayobami Omiyale said,”I
was told that the trailer lost control due to over speeding as it was gathered that police are on his trail for driving against the
traffic,in the process to escape,ran into the waiting buses and crushed the occupants to death.You can across to our zonal commander in Lagos for further information.I want to use this opportunity to advise motorists to always put their vehicles in good condition before taking them to the road”.