Fifteen persons lost their lives on Tuesday, while 38 others were injured when a mini-truck plunged into the Omi River on the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Expressway in Ogun State.
The white mini-truck with number plate XE 331 MKA, was overloaded with 58 passengers, was travelling from Sokoto to Ijebu-Ode when it plunged into the river around 5.40 a.m.
The Ogun State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Clement Oladele, who confirmed the incident said the suspected cause of the accident was fatigue on the part of the driver, who veered off the road.
Oladele stated that the remains of the deceased had been evacuated to Sabo, while the injured were taken to the State Hospital in Ijebu-Ode.
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The PUNCH quoted Oladele as saying: “A fatal crash involving a white Mitsubishi Canter mini-truck with number plate XE 331 MKA, which was overloaded with passengers and travelling from Sokoto, occurred at the Omi River, Ajegunle Bridge, along the Ibadan-Ijebu-Ode Road in the early hours of this morning (Tuesday).
“However, 15 corpses, all male adults, out of the passengers crammed into the mini-truck have been recovered from under the bridge from the dried Omi river, and so far, 38 passengers in the mini-truck sustained varying degrees of injury and have been rescued to the State Hospital, Ijebu-Ode, for medical attention.
“The corpses of the deceased victims have been evacuated to Sabo in Ijebu-Ode, with the Sarki Hausawa making arrangements with the police for their mass burial.”
Oladele, while commiserating with the families of the victims, urged Nigerians to desist from boarding vehicles meant for goods only, noting that such vehicles were not fit for conveying passengers.
“Passengers need to desist from boarding goods only vehicles, which by their configuration, are not designed for conveying passengers but only goods and such trucks’ open compartment nature is without comfortable seats, but mere wooden seats, which are not suitable for passengers’ safety,” he added.
