Eight People Die On Okene-Lokoja Road

Eight persons, including a child, died instantly in an accident which occurred on  the Okene-Lokoja highway on Thursday.

News Agency of Nigeria reports that the victims were among some 22 passengers travelling in two commercial vehicles from opposite lanes of the road.

The accident happened at about 2.55pm at a spot in Zariagi Village, near Lokoja.

The accident involved a Toyota Hiace passenger bus with number plate Abia  XB 111 KWU and a Mercedez bus marked Lagos  XR 106 EKY.

Some villagers, who witnessed the accident said the two vehicles were on high speed had a head-on collision.

Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission in Kogi, Mr Garba Mohammed, who confirmed the accident blamed it on wrong overtaking by one of the vehicles.

He said four male adults and three female adults were among those killed.

Mohammed said  the corpses of the victims had been deposited at the morgue of the Federal Medical Centre in Lokoja.

According to him, five other people who sustained serious injuries in the accident, are being treated in the hospital.

He said the accident led to a temporary disruption of movement of vehicles on the road, noting, however, that FRSC officials had since cleared the obstacles and re-opened the road to traffic.