On Thursday and Friday, 18 individuals lost their lives in road accidents at Gaya Junction in Kano State and Tashar Yari in Kaduna State, marking a tragic toll on communities.
Expressing his dismay over the incidents, Dauda Biu, the Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps, strongly criticized the reckless behavior of some drivers, such as using substandard tires and driving at excessive speeds, which contributed to the fatal crashes.
A statement released by the corps spokesperson, Jonas Agwu, on Friday emphasized the importance of safety and adherence to traffic regulations for all motorists.
The crash at Gaya Junction involved two vehicles, a Toyota Hiace bus and a Hijet bus with the number plates KTG 190 XB and KTG 501YG, respectively, as per the investigation reports submitted to the Corps Marshal.
Speed limit violations and tire bursts were identified as the primary causes of the Gaya Junction crash, resulting in injuries to 16 individuals and the tragic loss of 12 lives, including the driver.
The incident at Tashan Yari on Thursday involved a total of 57 individuals, with 30 sustaining injuries and six fatalities, due to speed limit violations and the use of worn-out tires, where a trailer lost control.
Detailing the demographics of the victims, the statement revealed that the Gaya crash had 28 people involved, including 17 male adults, five female adults, two male children, and four female children. From this group, 16 victims sustained injuries, while 12 tragically lost their lives, including the driver.
On the other hand, the Tashan Yari crash had 57 individuals, comprising 30 male adults, 22 female adults, and 5 female children. Among them, 30 were injured and six lost their lives due to the accident caused by speed limit violations and worn-out tires leading to loss of control.
The injured were swiftly taken to Gaya General Hospital and General Hospital Makarfi for medical treatment, while the deceased were respectfully transported to the hospital morgues.
In response to the tragedies, the Corps Marshal has directed Commanding Officers to enhance their efforts in ensuring strict compliance with road traffic regulations to prevent similar incidents in the future.