11 Killed, 23 Injured in Kogi Road Mishap

Yekini Jimoh in Lokoja
No fewer than 11 people have been killed and over 23 injured in a road accident on the Auchi-Okene road in Okene Local Government Area of Kogi State.

 The accident which occurred last Monday night, involved two vehicles, a trailer fully loaded with cows coming from the North to the eastern part of the country and a Toyota Corolla car, at a sharp corner at a check point in Okene.

The trailer marked XE 914 KTN, was said to have hit the Corolla with registration number BWR 756 BJ from the back.
The trailer was said to have fallen in the process following which the people on top of the coach housing the cows fell with the cows and died.

 Six persons were said to have died on the spot, while the remaining five died either on the way to the hospital or in the hospitals.
It was gathered that the accident must have been as a result of overspeeding by the trailer driver, who was also accused of dozing off while driving.

The sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Oluwasegun Martins, who confirmed the accident, said 11 people died while 23 were injured.

According to him, those wounded were taken to God’s Mercy Hospital, Okene, while those with critical situation were taken to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Lokoja.

Meanwhile, the administrator of Okehi Local Government Area, AbdulRaheem Ohiare, who was at the scene of the accident, lamented the loss of lives on the highway.

 The visibly sad council boss said the level of accident along the road was high and worrisome, urging the federal government to urgently do something about the sharp bend.

He noted that both sides of the road are not good, and need urgent repairs to prevent further loss of lives and property.

Ohiare however urged motorists to observe all road safety regulations and make sure that they correct all faults on their vehicles before plying the road.