15 dead, 58 injured in Niger, Kaduna road crashes

Fifteen persons died on Wednesday while 58 others sustained various degrees of injuries in fatal road crashes in Niger and Kaduna states.

In Niger State, Daily Trust gathered that three persons lost their lives while 33 others were injured in a lone accident that occurred at Gwachipe Bridge in Lambatta area of Niger State.

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It was learnt that the accident happened at about noon when a commercial trailer with no registration number on high speed lost control on the bridge and crashed.

Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officers attached to the Suleja-Lambata outpost rushed to the scene to evacuate the victims to the hospital.

Confirming the accident, FRSC Sector Commander in Niger, Joel Dagwa, said 36 people, including 25 male adults, seven female adults, two male children and two female children were involved in the accident.

He added that three males died in the crash, while 30 people were seriously injured.

Dagwa said the victims were taken to the Federal Medical Center in Gawu Babangida while the corpses of the deceased were taken to Sabon Wuse Mortuary.

Similarly, twelve persons yesterday died in a fatal road crash, which occurred at kilometer 26 along the Kaduna-Abuja highway.

Daily Trust gathered that 25 others suffered various degrees of injuries and are now receiving treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

It was further gathered that many livestock also perished in the accident.

Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, confirmed the incident in a statement yesterday.

He explained that the accident, which involved a trailer, was caused by a combination of over-speeding, road defects, driving against the direction of traffic, and loss of control.

“This caused the trailer to veer off the pavement and overturn. 12 persons were killed in the crash, 25 injured,” he said.

Aruwan quoted Governor Nasir El-Rufai as advising citizens plying the highway to desist from dangerous and potentially disastrous practices like speeding, overloading, reckless driving and driving against the flow of traffic.