By Stephen Adeleye
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), in Kogi has indicated that eight school children were rescued unhurt after an 40-feet articulated container fell on two vehicles on Thursday in Lokoja.
Mr Samuel Oyedeji, the FRSC Sector Commander in the state disclosed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday.
Oyedeji said that the incident happened at Lokongoma market in the Lokoja metropolis around 3.30 p.m.
The two smashed vehicles were: Toyota Corolla car with registration number Kogi LMA 190 AA with no occupant, and a Nissan car with registration number Abuja RSH – 241FH with eight school children.
He said that the accident occured when the fully loaded container, which was not properly latched on the trailer, fell off and landed on the two parked cars along the road.
“The truck lost brake when it couldn’t climb the Lokongoma small hill began to roll backward.
“As it rolled back, it hit one of the parked cars, making the container which wasn’t properly latched fall on the two vehicles which trapped the eight children inside one of the vehicles.
“Thank God, we were able to mobilise rescue team with the help of the people, who rescued the eight children; four males and four females.
“We have rushed the eight children to Kogi State Specialist Hospital, Lokoja for proper medical check-up. .
He said that their parents had gone to buy something for them in a shop, when the incident happened.
“We have been campaigning that a container must be properly latched on your trailer at any point in time yet the truck drivers don’t comply.
“We are going to prosecute the driver of this trailer to serve as a deterrent to other drivers.
“Though the driver of this trailer ran away, we go after him and get him arrested and prosecuted,” Oyedeji said.
The sector commander stressed the need to relocate the market and others away from the road to avoid casualties.
An eyewitness, who owned one of the smashed vehicles, Mr John Adama, told NAN that it was a miracle that the trapped eight children were all rescued alive.
“I am the owner of the Toyota Corolla car, which was one of the two vehicles that were smashed by the container.
“The whole thing happened in my presence at about 3:30pm.
“I parked the car in front of my shop with nobody inside the car, but all of a sudden, I heard a big sound.
“The trailer had a failed break, and started coming backward, then dragged my car and the other car along, before its container now fell on the two cars.
“There were eight school children inside the other car, but thank God they were all rescued alive.
“It was my own car that held the container from compressing the children in the other car; it was indeed a great miracle.
“I thank God for using my car to save the lives of the children.
“I am appealing to the Government to come to my aid by replacing the car for me because I don’t have any other means of survival,” Adama said.
The Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dr Folashade Ayoade, while speaking at the scene, expressed her gratitude to God for miraculously saving the lives of all the eight children unhurt.
Ayoade commended the people who helped to rescue the children, assuring that the errant driver of the truck would be prosecuted for violating the law.
“I want to thank God most sincerely for sparing the lives of the children.
“These are children coming from their graduation ceremony and looking forward to starting their long holiday.
“I also want to on behalf of the State Government to thank everyone who were involved in the rescue operation.
“It shows that Kogi residents are kind people,and the state government really appreciate every one for this,” she said.
Other government officials at the scene included: Information Commissioner, Kingsley Fanwo; State Security Adviser, Cdr. Jerry Omadara rtd; Executive Secretary of the State Emergency Management Agency, Atimah Muktar.
Also present at the scene was the Special Adviser to the Governor on Emergency Management, Ahmed Shuaibu, among others.
NAN reports that the FRSC with other rescue team of SEMA had been able to move the trailer away, while the container was still resting on the two cars, causing gridlock as at the time of filing this report.