Nine people have died and two others sustained injuries in a fatal truck accident at Piri village along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
The accident occurred at about 5:37 a.m. on Tuesday when a Howo truck loaded with ceramic tiles reportedly lost control and plunged into a ditch.
According to a witness, Samson Yakubu, the truck was travelling from Ajaokuta, Kogi State, to Kano when the driver allegedly lost control due to fatigue.
The 11 victims were reportedly sitting on top of the loaded tiles when the crash occurred. Nine male passengers were trapped and died, while the remaining two were rescued by Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) officials and taken to the General Hospital, Kwali, for treatment.
Villagers reportedly assisted the rescue team in removing the ceramic tiles to enable the recovery of the trapped bodies. The deceased were subsequently deposited at the hospital mortuary.
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The FCT Sector Commander of the FRSC, Tijjani Iliyasu, confirmed the incident and expressed concern over the dangerous practice of passengers travelling on top of goods loaded onto trucks and trailers.
He warned that the practice exposes passengers to serious risks and reiterated that the corps had been sensitising drivers against carrying passengers on top of goods during long-distance journeys.
The FRSC official also attributed the crash to fatigue and alleged speeding, urging motorists to observe speed limits and avoid driving when tired.
Meanwhile, the sector commander disclosed that the construction firm handling the dualisation of a section of the Abuja-Lokoja highway had been booked for allegedly failing to provide adequate warning signs along the construction corridor.
The incident has once again highlighted the dangers of unsafe passenger transportation and the need for strict compliance with road safety regulations.
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