Sixteen people lost their lives in a horrific road accident on the Lokoja-Okene highway in Kogi State on Friday morning, with six others critically injured.
The tragic incident occurred at Aku village near Osara around 9:20 am, according to the Kogi State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Lawal Fagge.
The crash involved a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BUU 17 ZD, travelling from Jos, Plateau State, to Lagos with 22 passengers — 21 males and one female. The vehicle was said to have been speeding when the driver, overwhelmed by fatigue, lost control, veered off the road and plunged under a bridge.
Fifteen male passengers and the only female occupant died on the spot. FRSC personnel who responded swiftly to a distress call rescued the six survivors, who sustained various degrees of injuries. They were immediately rushed to health centres in Osara and the Specialist Hospital in Lokoja for treatment. The deceased bodies have been deposited at the Ankuri mortuary in Lokoja.
The FRSC urged all road users to remain safety conscious, avoid fatigue by taking adequate rest, and strictly obey traffic rules and regulations while on transit.
