The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Crash

  • 12 passengers burnt to death in Ibadan road crash

    Eleven passengers and the driver of a commercial bus were burnt to death yesterday in an accident in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The accident occurred at about 4pm at Academy area of the city, when the 18-seater commercial summersaulted.

    It was learnt that the bus was being pursued by a task force of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) for picking passengers by the roadside, instead of taking his turn at the approved motor park.

    The driver was said to have lost control due to the pressure mounted on him by the task force members.

    Two female passengers managed to escape by forcing their way through the back windscreen before the vehicle caught fire.

    An online medium quoted one of the survivors, who identified herself as Kemi as explaining that the driver of the bus was on his way to Lagos when the accident occurred.

    “We boarded the bus at Oremeji/Agugu. After boarding, we discovered that he was being pursued by the task force of the NURTW. The task force members, we were told, were not happy with him for contravening the laws of the union.

    “He was not supposed to be picking passengers by the roadside. He was supposed to register at any of the designated garages and parks.

    “So, after picking us, they started to pursue him. We begged him to stop, but he refused since we were about 14, including the driver in the vehicle,” Kemi said.

    The bus and the occupants burnt as sympathisers watched helplessly.

  • Six killed, 12 injured in Kogi crash

    Six persons died and 12 others injured in an accident on the Anyigba-Ajaokuta road at Ojuwo-Olijo in Ofu Local Government Area of Kogi State last Saturday.

    The accident involved a Toyota bomber bus (MKD 841 XA) and Golf (LKJ 335 CV).

    Assistant Corps Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mrs. Amobi Modupe Stanley, who confirmed the accident, said it occurred at 1.15pm.

    She said her men got to the scene at about 1.59pm; six of the passengers died on the spot while 12 others sustained injuries.

    The injured are receiving treatment at Rima hospital and the bodies have also been deposited there.

    She identified dangerous overtaking as the cause of the accident and advised drivers to be patient on the highway, especially during festive periods.

  • 19 die in Lagos-Ibadan expressway crash

    19 die in Lagos-Ibadan expressway crash

    Fifteen people yesterday died in a multiple auto  accidents on Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    It involved a truck, a fuel tanker and a commercial bus.

    The accident, which occurred  at the Fidiwo-Ajebo, Ogun State stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, left 19 passengers and driver of the commercial bus dead on the spot.

    The truck was marked AJG 40 XA and fuel tanker has a registration number RAN 571 XA. The passenger bus was marked (LAGOS) AGL 373 XR.

    It was learnt that the accident occurred, when the driver of the fuel-laden truck moving in the direction of Ibadan, Oyo State, attempted to overtake another truck at a road diversion point.

    But the driver lost control of the truck and veered off, crashing into the commercial bus, which was coming in the opposite direction.

    As at 2:30pm, operatives of Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), the police and the Federal Road Safety Corp (FRSC) were seen trying to pull victims out of the mangled passengers’ bus.

    The Sector Commander, Ogun State Command of the FRSC, Adetunji Adegoke, in a text message to The Nation, stated that 15 persons  – six females and nine males – died in the accident. One person sustained injuries.

    Adegoke, who blamed the cause of the accident on “wrongful overtaking”, added that the injured was taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Sagamu.

    He said the dead were taken to FOS Mortuary, Ipara, near Sagamu.

    The FRSC Sector Commander advised “drivers to obey road traffic rules and regulations, avoid wrong overtaking, observe speed limit as well as shun the use of expired/tokunbo tyres to avoid accidents on the roads”.

     

  • Two injured in multiple crash

    Two injured in multiple crash

    •Motorist blames LASTMA official, policeman for accident

    Two persons were injured in a multiple accident at the Independence Tunnel in Maryland, Lagos, over the weekend.

    One of the injured, Mr Kazeem Mustapha, who was in his Suzuki Sport Utility Vehicle (SUV), blamed a policeman and a Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official for the accident.

    A petrol tanker, a Ford bus and the SUV were involved in the accident.

    According to Mustapha, “A LASTMA official and a police officer jumped into the road, trying to stop a Danfo bus. Immediately, the vehicles behind the bus jammed their brakes. The driver of the fully loaded tanker behind our Suzuki slammed his brake and eventually rammed into us, while our own car bashed the vehicle in front of us (the white Ford bus) which also hit the one in front of it. Immediately the LASTMA and the police officer saw this, they took to their heels and ran into a Redeemed Church close by.”

    Mustapha said he and other victims paid some thugs to secure the premises and ensure the law enforcement officers remained in the church until the police from Anthony Police Station arrived.

    “We paid N5000 for the area boys around to secure that area to keep them there, while policemen arrived at the scene so that they would not escape. When the policemen from Anthony Police Station saw the accident and were informed about the happening, they went to the church to see the two officers.

    “On getting there, when the police approached the police officer, he cocked his gun and threatened to shoot. It took about 10 to 15 minutes of persuasion from the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) for him to remove the magazine of his gun. He was so adamant. They led him out of the church to the accident scene. Meanwhile, immediately the LASTMA officer saw the policemen, he escaped on a bike,” he told The Nation.

    Mustapha said his driver sustained injuries from hitting his chest on the steering, while he also injured his neck injury.

    He accused law enforcement officers of overstepping their boundaries, saying: “Several events lead to an accident. It is wrong for the LASTMA guys to jump into an expressway trying to arrest somebody. The LASTMA guys are not sent to stop vehicles on the highway. It is a federal road, they do not have jurisdiction over the highway, so they should not be there in the first instance. It should be Federal Road Safety Corps’ problem. But the trailer guy also had a fault because his brakes did not hold. All trailers ought to be properly checked and they should be trained to keep a safe braking distance. Lagos State Government should call the LASTMA guys to order.”

  • Eight pupils die in crash near Ibadan

    Eight pupils die in crash near Ibadan

    SiX secondary school pupils and two others from Kano State have died in an accident on Iroko Road via Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The accident was said to have occurred on Tuesday as 16 pupils and their teachers were returning to Kano after representing the state in a quiz competition in Lagos.

    Seven of them were said to have died on the spot; one of the nine rescued and died few hours after arriving at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan.

    Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi has condoled with his Kano State counterpart, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje.

    He described the incident, which also reportedly claimed the life of the driver, as depressing.

    The governor visited the eight survivors at UCH’s Accident and Emergency ward, where he offered to pick their bills.

    Ajimobi was received by the Chief Medical Director, Prof. Temitope Alonge and Kano State Commissioner for Health Kabir Ibrahim, who was said to have arrived in Oyo State with an aircraft to take the bodies to Kano.

    Ajimobi, who was in a sombre mood, comforted the victims, wishing them speedy recovery.

    The governor said: “This is most unfortunate and depressing to me and the people.

    “My heartfelt sympathy goes to Governor Ganduje, parents, the families and other victims. May their gentle souls rest in peace.

    “They are children and we all have children. So, we have to empathise with them. I want to use this opportunity to announce that we will settle the bills and take adequate care of the survivors.

    “I have spoken with the Kano State governor. He is a friend and a brother because we are all Nigerians. I have assured him that the survivors will get the best medical attention here at the UCH.”

    Ajimobi said he was confident that the UCH management will do everything possible to ensure that the survivors were back on their feet as soon as possible.

    The CMD said six of the pupils and a teacher would require further examination and surgeries.

    He added that two others were in critical condition and would be subjected to round-the-clock observation.

    Kano State Deputy Governor Prof. Hafix Abubakar yesterday condoled with the families of six pupils of Karaye Unity School, Kano and Kano Kapital, who died in the accident.

    A statement by the deputy governor, who is also the Commissioner for Education, said: “Governor Ganduje and the state Executive Council condole with the families.

    “Three pupils of Unity School, Karaye and three from Kano Kapital School,  as well as a driver and coordinator of the competition died in the accident.

    “”May Allah grant the souls of the deceased Jannatul Firdausi and those injured speedy recovery.”

    The Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) said the accident was caused by speed violation.

    FRSC head, media and strategy Bisi Kazeem said the accident occurred at about 25.5kilometres from Ojoo.

    “An accident was reported at 10:50am at Ibadan-Oyo route, Motunde 25.5km from Ojoo.

    “It was a lone accident involving a white Toyota Hummer bus with registration number KN76-A13.

    “18 persons were involved, including four male adults, one adult female and 13 children.

    “The accident was caused by burst tyre and speed violation. Nine people were injured– four adult males, four male children and the adult female.

    “Eight children and the driver died. The injured were taken to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, and the bodies handed over to the police, who took them to the General Hospital, Oyo.”

  • Nursing mother, four others die in road crash

    •Seven injured

    Five persons, including a nursing mother, were yesterday killed when a commercial bus collided with a truck in Abule Osun on the Badagry Expressway in Lagos.

    It was learnt that seven persons were injured in the crash allegedly caused by the driver of the Volkswagen bus marked FST652XF.

    The Nation gathered that the bus was driving against traffic when he rammed into an oncoming truck with registration number AA188SR.

    Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Hyginus Omejo said 11 men and two women were involved in the accident.

    He said: “Five persons died on the spot while seven others sustained severe injuries. Both injured and deceased were rushed to the hospital.”

    Omeje attributed the cause of the accident to the bus driver’s recklessness.

    The driver, who was moving against traffic, he said, wrongly overtook another vehicle on the expressway before crashing into the moving truck.

    Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent (SP), said investigation was ongoing.

  • 10 injured in multiple crash

    10 injured in multiple crash

    TEN persons were injured yesterday in an accident involving a container-laden trailer and four vehicles.

    A Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) official told The Nation that the trailer which was descending Gbagada Bridge towards car wash had brake failure before hitting the four vehicles, including two Mazda commercial buses.

    Others are a Toyota Matrix and Honda Pilot.

    The trailer and one of the buses nearly fell off the bridge.

    An eyewitness said Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) officials attended to some of the injured; others were rushed to a nearby hospital.

    The accident led to traffic gridlock, stretching from the scene to Anthony bus stop.

  • Singer Terry-G in road crash

    Singer Terry-G in road crash

    Nigerian singer Terry G was yesterday involved in an accident in Lekki.

    The accident happened around 6am when he was returning from a night club between the 1st and 2nd roundabout in Lekki.

    His Range Rover Sport veered off the road and landed in a gutter along with a commercial bus.

    The car was damaged.

    A source said Terry G and others in the vehicle were unhurt, but the driver was injured.

    Terry G’s manager, Laulau, confirmed the incident, saying the musician is unhurt.

    “He is fine; he is in Lagos,” he said.

    In 2010, Terry G survived an accident when his Toyota Camry ran into a road demarcation around Chemiron, close to Sunday Market, in Ogba, Lagos.

  • ‘Local oil firms worst hit by price crash’

    The global oil price crash affected Nigerian independent oil companies most, the Managing Director of Seplat Petroleum Development Company Plc, Mr. Austin Avuru has said.

    Avuru spoke yesterday at the 13th Aret Adams Annual Lecture Series held in Lagos. Speaking on this year’s lecture themed: ‘Low Oil Prices: Challenges and Opportunities,’ he said  independent oil companies in the country were heavily impacted as they all borrowed to fund acquisitions and capital expenditure (capex) growth.

    He said many independents are now cash negative and yet need more investments for production increase in order to survive, adding that the average price of $60 per barrel was required for most companies to survive this year.

    “We need to embrace effective domestic utilisation of fossil fuels to survive, and because Nigeria is heavily dependent on oil to balance the economy, the drop in oil price was a huge blow to the country’s revenue,” Avuru said.

    The Managing Director, Chevron Nigeria Limited, Mr. Clay Neff said Nigeria had the opportunity to improve its competitive position in the global oil and gas industry.

    He noted that in this current situation, the country should restore investors confidence by providing competition in the oil market, adding that the security of lives and properties, and control stability and speedy approval processes should also be institutionalised.

    The Chevron chief said the country should address its Joint Venture (JV) funding challenges and pay the arrears, adding that Nigeria had an attractive resource base.

  • Seven injured in UNIZIK crash

    Seven injured in UNIZIK crash

    Seven students of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK) in Awka, the Anambra State capital, were injured in a road crash last Monday.

    The crash involved a Toyota Camry car with number-plate MUS 955 DUA and two commercial buses conveying students to school.

    An eyewitness said the accident occurred at 10am when the driver of the Toyota Camry tried to overtake a bus. “He did not know another bus was on high speed from the opposite direction. The Toyota car had a head-on collision with the opposing vehicle and hit the bus on its lane,” he said.

    The passengers were all rushed to the school’s medical centre, where they are receiving treatment.

    The Vice-Chancellor (VC), Prof Joseph Ahaneku, visited the recuperating victims at the Health Centre, expressing his disappointment on vehicle over-speeding within the campus. He warned motorists to always obey speed limit of 40 km/hour set by the university on its road. He directed that new bumps be raised on the road with immediate effect. This, he said, is a measure to curtail over-speeding.

    The VC hailed doctors at the Health Centre for responding quickly to the emergency. He promised the victims that the university would pay their medical bills.