Two road accidents in Niger and Lagos states on Monday killed nine persons and wounded several others.
In the Niger State accident, five passengers were killed, while 20 others were wounded in the crash along the Lapai–Agaie road.
The accident occurred in the early hours of Monday at Nami village in Agaie Local Government Area involving a trailer conveying about 600 bags of soybeans and 27 passengers. The vehicle was said to be travelling from Kano to Lagos.
Eyewitnesses said the driver lost control due to the deplorable condition of the road, veered off the highway and crashed.
The injured victims were evacuated to the General Hospital in Lapai for treatment.
The Niger State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Aishat Sa’ad, confirmed the incident, stating that it occurred at about 7:20 a.m. and involved a DAF trailer carrying 27 male passengers.
Five of the passengers died, while 20 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. She also confirmed that the vehicle was en route from Kano to Lagos.
The Lagos accident claimed four persons, including a personnel of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), were killed in the fatal accident in the Badagry area.
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who disclosed this on Tuesday, said the truck also hit a pedestrian at the Badagry roundabout and hit another individual, before stopping at approximately 200 meters from the initial point of impact.
He said the driver who fled the accident scene was later apprehended by other LASTMA personnel who handed him over to the Police, adding that the accident happened on Monday, Feb. 23, at the Badagry Roundabout inward Seme.
The driver reportedly blared his horn and signalled other road users to keep away in an attempt to avoid a collision. He then rammed into the roundabout’s fence to slow the vehicle, but the truck rammed into the motorcycle and struck the traffic officer.
