***usual culprit – break failure
By Friday Idachaba, Lokoja g
For the umpteenth time, an articulated vehicle on the ever busy Lokoja-Abuja highway has claimed the lives of six students of Federal University, Lokoja and a driver in an auto crash.
The students and driver lost their lives on Monday afternoon as the articulated vehicle rammed into the school shuttle mini-bus conveying them to to the Felele permanent site of the University in Lokoja.
According to an eyewitness account, the accident occurred at about 2.30 pm on Monday.with the articulated vehicle, carrying wood and hundreds of kegs of palm oil, heading towards Abuja.
The Source further said that the driver unfortunately lost control as a result of brake failure and rammed into the FUL shuttle miji-bus which was filled with students on their way to school.
“The university shuttle bus was crushed with the students and driver by the articulated vehicle”, the source revealed.
However, officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) were on hand to rescue some victims who were trapped under the articulated vehicle.
The FRSC Kogi State Sector Commander, Mr Samuel Oyedeji, who led his team to the scene of the accident told newsmen that he couldn’t confirm the actual numbers of persons who lost their lives in the unfortunate accident.
The Commander however, confirmed that the injured were immediately rushed to Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja and Kogi State Specialist Hospital, for further treatment.
Meanwhile, bodies of those who died on the spot have been deposited in the mortuaries of both hospitals for identification.
It would be recalled that the Kogi Command of FRSC on Tuesday January 14, confirmed death of six persons, 60 injured as an Enugu-bound articulated vehicle lost control and rammed into other vehicles at Zone-8 Roundabout in Lokoja.
On Friday, December 13, 2024, a heavily loaded articulated vehicle from Okene axis heading towards Abuja had a break failure, lost control and ran over a tricycle (Keke NAPEP) crushing two female students of the Federal University, Lokoja and Kogi State Polytechnic.
Oyedeji has always cautioned motorists against speeding and poor maintenance of their vehicles, adhere to safety regulations and check their vehicles to ensure everything is in order before embarking on a journey. (Ends)