The Nation Newspaper

Tag: trailer

  • Trailer falls in Oshodi

    Trailer falls in Oshodi

    A container-laden trailer fell early yesterday at Oshodi-Isale in Lagos partially blocking the Apapa expressway.

    The driver and two others were said to have jumped out of the vehicle which fell around 4a.m.

    The accident was said to have been caused by a bad portion of the road.

    According to the driver’s escort, who gave his name as Anthony, “We were coming from Apapa wharf heading to Sango-Ota. When we got to this junction, I learnt they had just removed one truck from this same spot. It wasn’t up to 20 minutes we got here, the same thing happened to us. All these are happening due to the poor state of the road, because, we had our flashlights on. We saw the pothole we tried to find the best possible way to avoid it, yet we were trapped. The front tyre went off; the second tyre was inside the pothole and the container fell.  It is really bad; we can’t move freely. We face different problems on the road. Look at me, I am hooked up here, I am supposed to go to some places with my family this morning (yesterday), but I can’t now until this (the trailer) leaves here. It is just sad because they know this road is bad but, nobody wants to do anything about it. I don’t know if they derive joy in seeing trucks fall, causing people to lose lots of money before it is repaired.”

    A trader, Chukwudi Ason, said he had been using the same route for over two years, adding that the road has always been bad.

    He said: “I would appreciate if the government can repair this particular spot because others might not be as lucky as they were. The third person on the trailer was behind the trailer when it fell. If it had landed on someone, it would have been worse. I presume repairing that spot should take only few hours, then why should it be on hold for so long. It is not fair. If it happened in the afternoon, I know it would have been disastrous because of the Yuletide season.”

    The motor boy, who didn’t give his name, said he was behind the trailer before the container fell.

    He said: “As I wanted to come down from the trailer to sight the condition of the road, the driver rained curses on me and asked me not to come down so I stayed back. It was God that saved me; it was indeed a narrow escape. When the trailer fell, I jumped with force because the container would have pinned my head to the ground. I was still thanking God for saving my life when the thugs around dealt with me mercilessly.”

    Also, another accident involving a tanker and a Toyota car occurred at Apapa Wharf Road yesterday.

  • Trailer crushes man, wife, son in Anambra

    Trailer crushes man, wife, son in Anambra

    It was yet another sad day in Anambra State on Sunday, when a trailer killed a man, wife and the son.
    The deceased six –month old baby boy, four –year old brother and seven-year old sister however survived.
    The incident which occurred between 12 noon and 1pm at Esther Obiakor junction in Agu Awka along the Onitsha-Enugu expressway attracted many sympathizers.
    People were seen wailing, lamenting and cursing the trailer driver for being the cause of the accident.
    The driver, according to an eye witness, ran away immediately the incident occurred. The accident involved a trailer with registration number LSR 897XQ, while the number plate of the ash –coloured Toyota Camry car was not seen.
    An eye witness who spoke with the Nation identified as Chijiuoke, said the people were flagging down the lorry when he was speeding, but he refused to slow down.
    He said that the Camry vehicle was heading towards Enugu direction and trying to cross the other way at the junction when the trailer lost control and fell on the car.
    The owner of the Camry car, Mr. Okechukwu Odinigwe, who died on the spot along side the wife and the eldest son, hails from Urunnebo village in Enugwu Ukwu, Njikoka Local Government Area of the State.
    The three surviving children, two boys and a girl, were rushed to Regina Caeli Hospital in Awka for treatment by men of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC.
    When the Nation visited the hospital on Sunday, the survivors were seen at the intensive care unit, while the doctors were still battling to save their lives.
    Also at the scene of the incident, some policemen and FRSC men were seen going through some of the documents in the vehicles.
    When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Uche Eze confirmed the incident and another one that happened at Okpu River in Okija in Ihilala Logal Government Area where a driver of L 300 bus lost his life.
    He said investigations were still ongoing by the command in other to unravel the cause of the accidents and identities of the victims.
    The state governor, Chief Willie Obiano has condoled the family of the victims of the ghastly motor accident.
    Saddened by the development, Obiano has undertaken to pay all medical bills to be incurred by the surviving trio, who were receiving treatment at the Regina Caeli Hospital in Awka.
    Expressing his condolence for the lives lost, Obiano assured Ndi Anambra that he would ensure safety of lives and regulated movement of heavy duty vehicle within the state

  • Trailer crushes motorcyclist to death in Ibadan

    A commercial motorcycle rider was  crushed to death by a trailer at Iwo Road Roundabout in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital yesterday, a day to his child’s christening.

    An eyewitness said the motorcyclist, whose name was simply given as Kehinde, was pushed by a taxi driver , who was being pursued by Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIOs) into the path of the in-coming trailer.

    He said: “The motorcyclist was on the right side of the road close to the  bridge and had nothing to do with the VIOs. But there was a taxi being pursued by the VIOs, on the second lane (middle lane).

    “In an attempt to dodge the inspection team, the taxi bashed the motorcyclist. The female passenger successfully jumped off the bike with minor injuries. The trailer crushed the motorcyclist.

    “The trailer driver was unaware of the accident, so he just continued his journey.”

    The source said the VIOs sped off immediately after the accident, instead of pursuing the trailer.

    Another witness, however, alleged that the VIOs were pursuing the motorcyclist and in the process he was pushed in the path of the on-coming trailer.

    After the accident, his colleagues stormed the Ikolaba VIO office but were denied entry by the police. Some of them were arrested.

    It was gathered that his wife fainted when the news of his death got to her.

    Kehinde’s remains have been deposited at the Adeoyo State Hospital morgue at Yemetu, Ibadan.

  • Customs seizes trailer laden with monkey meat

    Customs seizes trailer laden with monkey meat

    The Nigeria Custom Service (NCS) has impounded a trailer load of smoked meat suspected to be monkey meat.

    It was being imported into the country through the Jibia border in Katsina State.

    Monkey is suspected to be one of the major sources of the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD), which has killed five Nigerians and scores in some other West African countries.

    The trailer was seized by the Federal Operation Unit “Zone B”, led by Assistant Comptroller Gambo Azare.

    It was learnt that the meat was destroyed under the supervision of the Comptroller, Federal Operation, Zone B, A. T. S. Maina and Katsina State Deputy Governor, represented by the health commissioner.

    Maina said Ebola is a pandemic which requires intensive surveillance at the nation’s borders to curtail, especially foreigners from countries with high EVD prevalence.

    The controller said the NCS would increase its surveillance at the borders to safeguard the health of Nigerians.

    He urged residents of border communities to assist the NCS with information to track down people who might disobey the law.

    Azare told reporters at the site where the seized meat was destroyed that the driver of the trailer conveying the meat ran away.

    The controller said the trailer ran into the ditch when its driver attempted to abandon the vehicle.

    He also said officials of the National Agency for Food Administration and Control (NAFDAC) advised that the seized meat should be destroyed within 24 hours.

  • Photo: Fallen trailer in Lagos

    Photo: Fallen trailer in Lagos

    A fallen trailer at Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja bus stop, Ikeja, Lagos on Sudnay
    A fallen trailer at Oba Akran Avenue, Ikeja bus stop, Ikeja, Lagos on Sudnay

  • FERMA set to build trailer parks on Lagos-Ibadan Road

    The Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) has concluded plans to build trailer parks in Ogere on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    FERMA Chairman Olajide Adeniji spoke yesterday on “Financing Road Rehabilitation in Nigeria” at the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria (FRCN) during the Guest of the Month program.

    Adeniji said tankers parked on the highway have caused a lot of havoc on the road and the agency was determined to curb them.

    He said the trailer parks would be completed before the end of next year and truck drivers would be charged some fee for the parks’ maintenance.

    Adeniji said the agency would revamp Nigerian roads in the next eight years with the support of the newly introduced Public Private Participatory Road Maintenance Program.

    He said: “The agency has decided to start conceding roads to contractors for a certain period of years, during which they will be held responsible for any damage or problems on such roads.”

    Adeniji said the Federal Government has spent over N1.05 trillion on roads from 1976 to 2012.

    He said: “Nigeria needs an estimated N320 billion to effectively maintain the 194,200km national road network annually. 34 per cent of this sum would be required for federal roads, 16 per cent for state roads and 50 per cent for local government roads.”

  • Police ‘arrest’ two trailers, occupants in Onitsha

    Two trailers loaded with human beings were yesterday intercepted in Onitsha, Anambra State, by the police.

    They were impounded at Upper Iweka.

    Police Area Commander, Onitsha, Mr. Benjamin Wordu debunked speculations that the occupants of the trailers were Boko-Haram members.

    He said: “There are so many speculations going on now, but my men have started investigating the matter. We are suspecting that they are destitute. We suspect they were brought into the state ahead of the Christmas celebration, but there is no cause for alarm. We are on top of the situation.”

    Speaking with reporters yesterday in Awka, the state capital, Governor Peter Obi thanked the public for notifying him when the trailers stopped at Upper Iweka.

    Obi urged the people to remain alert at all times and report suspicious movements to the authorities.

    He said the trailers and their occupants would remain in the custody of security agents until their identities and destination are uncovered.

    The governor reiterated his determination to improve security in the state.