50 crushed to death as bus runs over robbery victims
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- Category: Travel & Transport
- Published on Wednesday, 03 August 2011 05:05
- Written by Admin
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About fifty (50) people, including children were crushed to death on the Lokoja-Abuja highway yesterday. The dead were occupants of a luxury bus travelling to Abuja from “either Lagos or Ibadan”.
As they were being searched by the armed robbers, a truck and another luxury bus, which was also heading for Abuja, ran over and killed them. There were only two survivors of the incident – the driver and a soldier.
Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Kogi State Sunday Maku, confirmed that only 14 bodies have been removed. Six bodies were deposited at the Lokoja Specialist Hospital. Eight were taken to the Federal Medical Centre, also in the Kogi State capital.
Police spokesman Ajayi Okesanmi said the hoodlums, who caused the accident, would be apprehended.
Speaking on behalf of the State Police Commissioner, Mr Amana Abakanga, Okesanmi said policemen were combing the suspects’ “hideouts”.
Okesanmi confirmed that the driver of the bus that ran over the people was in custody.
Hospital officials declined to speak to our reporter when he visited the Federal Medical Centre at about 5.30p.m yesterday, claiming they were not authorised to speak.
A similar incident occurred precisely two years ago when a trailer lorry crushed 40 armed robbery victims along Sagamu/Benin highway.
The incident, which occurred along Odogbolu-Ijebu axis of the Benin Expressway also left several other passengers severely injured.
In Lagos, five persons died yesterday in an early morning multiple accident at Shogunle.
It was gathered that about 20 occupants of two commercial buses involved in the accident were seriously injured.
According to eyewitnesses, an interstate bus coming from Oshodi collided with a commercial bus as it (the interstate bus) was trying to link the Agege Motor Road.
The commercial bus was on top speed, could not to stop. They collided.The interstate bus tumbled, resulting in the killing of the five people. Other passengers were injured.
Additional information from te The Nation
