Five persons were reported to have died after a car they were travelling in veered off the road and plunged into Omi river in Yagba West Local Government of Kogi State.
An eyewitness said the incident happened around 12pm on Saturday between Omi and Ejiba town.
The locals said after frantic efforts, five lifeless bodies of the victims were picked from the canal, stressing that efforts were being intensified to pull out the car from the water.
The victims were said to have attended a burial ceremony in the area from Abuja, but met their ultimately death on their way back to their destination.
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The Chairman of Yagba West Local Government, Hon. Pius Kolawole, who visited the scene of the incident “blamed the accident on over speeding and drunk driving”, saying “five people lost their lives in the process.”
The state sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Stephen Dawlung, confirmed the incident, but said he was expecting a detailed report.
“Our operatives are not directly on the ground at the area in question. But those in nearby Yagba East local government has confirmed the incident to us. We are expecting full details of the report from them shortly. But for poor network system in the area, it’s delaying,” he said.