19 Die In 2 Niger Road Crashes

It was a black Christmas in Niger State as 19 lives were lost in two separate auto crashes along Mokwa-Makera and Minna-Gwada roads of the state.

On Monday, a head-on collision between an articulated vehicle (trailer) and a bus from Lagos at Makera in Mashegu local government area of the state claimed 11 lives.

An eyewitness account said the accident involved a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number FST 325 YE which was Kaduna-bound from Lagos and a Volvo truck conveying cows with registration number EKY 869 XE going to Jebba axis.

Similarly, the crash on Minna-Gwada Road occurred in Gunu area of the state, killing eight persons including three policemen, barely 24 hours after the road mishap that claimed 11 lives along Mokwa Makera Road in Mashegu local government area of the state.

An eyewitness said the crash occurred on Tuesday night on Minna-Gwada Road, involving two cars – a Toyota Camry and a Volkswagen Wagon.

The account also revealed that 12 people were involved in the accident with eight of the victims confirmed dead while four others sustained various degrees of injuries and were rushed to the General Hospital in Minna, the state capital.

Confirming the accidents to LEADERSHIP, the Niger State Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) sector commander, Mr Kumar Tsukwam, said that the cause of the crashes were over speeding and fatigue.