No fewer than 16 persons have been confirmed dead while six others sustained injuries in a fatal road accident along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred on Friday morning near Aku village around the Osara axis of the busy highway when a commercial bus conveying passengers from Jos, Plateau State, to Lagos veered off the road and plunged beneath a bridge.
Security sources said the vehicle, a Toyota Hiace bus carrying 22 passengers, lost control at high speed before crashing, leaving many occupants trapped.
Preliminary investigations indicated that driver fatigue may have contributed to the accident.
Emergency responders and security personnel were said to have rushed to the scene after receiving distress calls, rescuing surviving victims and transporting them to medical facilities in Osara and Lokoja for treatment.
Authorities confirmed that 15 male passengers and one female lost their lives in the crash, while the injured victims are currently receiving medical attention.
The remains of the deceased were deposited at the Ankuri Mortuary in Lokoja.
The accident has again raised concerns over reckless driving, fatigue and poor adherence to safety measures on the Lokoja–Okene highway, a major transport corridor linking northern and southern Nigeria.
Officials urged motorists to avoid speeding, ensure adequate rest during long-distance trips and comply strictly with traffic regulations to reduce the rising number of fatal crashes on Nigerian roads.
Driver fatigue suspected as 16 die in Kogi highway crash
