Witness narrates how Ex-HoS, allies diverted public funds to private companies in court
Black Wednesday in Kogi as tanker explosion kills 23 persons
By Emmanuel Awosika
No fewer than 23 people have died in an accident involving multiple vehicles around the Felele-Nataco area of the Abuja-Lokoja highway in Kogi.
This was confirmed by the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kogi State Command, on Wednesday.
According to the Kogi State Commander of the FRSC, Mr. Idris Ali, the ugly incident occured in the wee hours of Wednesday and involved a petrol-laden tanker, tricycles, and motorcycles.
He gave the death toll as 23 persons; ten men, six women, three girls and four children, whose charred remains made identification impossible.
He also gave the breakdown of vehicles caught up in the incident as; one tanker, two motorcycles, and five cars.
The commander said about 11 of the corpses haf been claimed while the remaining were the morgue of the Kogi State Teaching Hospital.
Eyewitnesses indicate the accident had happened when the petrol tanker experienced brake failure, causing to plow into the vehicles before it.
Equally, reports suggest that no firefighting service had responded, leaving onlookers to watch helplessly as the inferno consumed the vehicles.
Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State has condoled with the family of those who died in the crash.
Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Onogwu Muhammed, the Governor expressed disbelief at the accident, calling it ” the greatest tragedies the state has witnessed in recent times.”
He sent his condolences to everyone related to the victims.
His words: “The unfortunate accident is a sad development. I share the feeling of those who lost their loved ones in this incident.”
