Wole Balogun, Ado Ekiti
Nine people died in an early morning road crash in Awo community, in Irepodun/Ifelodun Council of Ekiti State.
Sources in the community said an 18-seater Toyota hiace bus, with registration number EKY 978 XJ, travelling from Lagos to Abuja, collided with a trailer attached to a DAF truck, with registration number XB 404 FKA.
While people in the community said they believed that the bus was heading to Abuja, the destination of the truck was not immediately known.
Public Education Officer of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr. Mohammed Olowo, said the possible cause of the accident was “over-speeding and loss of control.”
The FRSC said the accident had occurred at about 6:15am and nine had died.
Eye witnesses said bodies of the passengers were squeezed in the crushed bus, with witnesses also claiming that there were no survivors.
The accident had occurred in front of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at Igede-Awo Road.
Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Badagry-Seme Command, has warned motorists plying the Lagos-Badagry Expressway against speeding because the road is in a deplorable condition.
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FRSC Unit Commander, Mr Fatai Bakare, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Badagry, yesterday.
He said: “We must be sincere with ourselves; the road is in a deplorable state.”
Bakare added that the Commission had written to the concerned ministry and agencies of government, about the deplorable state of the road and assured that the Federal Government would ensure the road is motorable.
“It is part of our duty to do a monthly audit of all roads in Badagry, up to Seme border, and all other federal roads that are under our control.
“We have audited the Lagos-Seme Expressway this month and submitted our reports to our headquarters, for onward submission to the affected ministry and agencies of government.
“To be candid, the federal government is not folding its arms in ensuring that the road is motorable.
“Recently, the Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Raji Fashola, said the road has been awarded for construction.”
The commander also quoted the minister as saying that the ministry has resolved the problems hindering continuous construction of the road.
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He also said that he is hopeful that the contractor handling the project would soon return to site.
Motorists, passengers and road transport union along that axis have expressed dissatisfaction over the deplorable state of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway; describing it as a death trap.
Vice Chairman, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Oloyede Edun, said many lives have been lost to accidents in the past; because of the bad road.