Twenty-two persons have been killed and several others injured in four separate accidents which occurred in Bauchi, Imo and Oyo states, respectively.
While 11 persons died and 16 others were injured in two separate auto crashes in Bauchi State, two drunk drivers rammed into residents and killed six people in Imo State and five in Oyo State.
It was gathered that in one of the accidents along Bauchi-Maiduguri Expressway, seven persons lost their lives while 14 others were severely injured.
Bauchi State sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Yusuf Abdullahi while confirming the accident said, “a fatal motor accident that occurred on Saturday, eve of the new year 2023, claimed 7 lives while 14 others were variously injured.”
He said two vehicles, a VW Sharoon model mini bus with the registration number DRZ 47 YZ and a Fiat model Pick-up van used for commercial purposes were involved in the accident at about 1Km away from Badaromo Village along the Bauchi-Maiduguri Expressway.
The sector commander said the accident occurred as a result of speed limit violation and use of worn-out tyres.
Abdullahi said, “The road traffic crash involved 21 persons comprising 18 Male Adults and 3 Female Adults out of which 7 people comprising 6 male adults and 1 female adult were killed on the spot while 14 people comprising of 12 Male Adults and 2 Female Adults were variously injured.”
He said FRSC operatives took the injured victims to the ATBUTH, Bauchi for medical attention while the dead were taken for confirmation and deposited at the morgue.
Similarly, four persons lost their lives in another accident involving two motorcycles at a junction along Kurum-Bogoro junction in Bogoro local government area of Bauchi State.
An eyewitness said that the two motorcyclists who were coming from opposite directions had a head-on collision at the junction leading to the death of four persons while two travellers sustained varying degrees of injuries.
LEADERSHIP learnt that before the crash, one of the motorcycles operated without headlights making it difficult for the other rider from the opposite direction to be aware thereby leading to the crash.
A family member of the victims, Daniel Haruna, who confirmed the crash narrated how his son perished in the accident saying, “yes, my son was killed in the unfortunate accident.”
“He and his friend left home yesterday evening to go to a nearby village called Kurum, but, a few minutes later, I received a phone call that they were involved in an accident.
“I went to the hospital and saw his lifeless body. As I am talking to you, we are planning for their burials. The dead people are four in number while those injured are currently receiving treatment at the general hospital, Bogoro.”
The caretaker committee chairman, Bogoro local government area, Markus Bitrus Lusa, while reacting to the incident, described it as very unfortunate calling on road users to be cautious especially in the festive season.
Lusa also cautioned motorists and other road users to drive with care during the night ensuring that they had the lights of their vehicles and motorcycles on at night.
while praying for the repose of their souls, the Chairman condoled with the immediate families of the deceased.
In Imo State a drunk driver crashed into some commuters and killed six of them.
An eyewitness said six persons died while others were rushed to various hospitals for medical attention.
The unfortunate incident which occurred between Amafor and Obosima communities in the Ohaji/ Egbema local government area of the state put the communities in palpable tension.
Dominic Okpor, a relation to one of the victims, Mrs Chidiadi Ogu, told our correspondent that the driver hit his cousin while she was riding on a motorcycle.
He stressed that her cousin was rushed to a hospital in the area where she was rejected and referred to Federal Medical Centre-Owerri where she died.
“I lost my little cousin in the unfortunate development. My cousin sister was riding on a motorcycle and the reckless driver hit her. She was rushed to a local hospital in the area but they referred us to FMC Owerri, where she died,” he said.
He said that the driver had been arrested and detained at Ohaji divisional police headquarters.He said, “The reckless driver believed to be drunk has been arrested. He is detained at Ohaji divisional police headquarters. As we speak, six persons have been confirmed dead and others hospitalised.”
Another community source alleged that the suspect might had intentionally killed his victims.
He said, “We suspect foul play. How could somebody be knocking people down from Amafor down to Obosima and ran into people in the market. We suspect foul play. I hope this incident will be properly investigated.”
Also, five people were killed on New Year Day when a man drove his car into a group of friends at a party, knocking down over 10 of them in Oyo State.
It was gathered that due to the tragic incident, Akinmorin community in Afijio local government area of Oyo State was thrown into a state of confusion and mourning on New Year Day.
It was gathered that five people were killed while four others were in critical conditions.
According to an eyewitness, the victims were among the people holding a New Year open party at Baba Ode area of the community when the motorist drove to the area at top speed.
He was said to be a friend to many of them as he visited the place often to recreate.
It was learnt that some of the partying friends, who were shocked at his speed, confronted him for driving at such speed, knowing full well that it was night and that residents were returning from church and mosques after the crossover service.
The confrontation was said to have degenerated into an argument which infuriated the young man said to be drunk.
“After the intervention of some elders around, the young man reluctantly entered his car. Still angry at the confrontation, he vowed to spill blood. Then he started the car and zoomed into the dancing friends, knocking down over 10 people,” the eyewitness said.
Three of his friends who were in the car at the time of the incident were said to have been arrested while his own whereabouts are unknown.
Oyo State Police Command spokesperson, Adewale Osifeso, a Superintendent of Police who confirmed the incident, said investigation has commenced into the matter, adding that updates would be provided accordingly.
