Grief engulfed Kogi State on Friday following a fatal road accident along the Lokoja–Okene Highway that claimed the lives of 16 passengers and left six others injured.
The tragic incident occurred around 9:20 a.m. near Aku village in the Osara axis of the busy federal highway when an 18-seater Toyota Hiace commercial bus travelling from Jos, Plateau State, to Lagos reportedly lost control, veered off the road, and plunged beneath a bridge.
Eyewitnesses described a horrifying scene as the vehicle was badly mangled on impact, trapping several passengers inside the wreckage.
Operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kogi State Command, responded swiftly to distress calls and mobilised rescue teams to the scene. Emergency responders battled to rescue trapped victims while also working to ease traffic congestion along the highway.
Authorities confirmed that 16 passengers 15 men and one woman died in the crash, while six others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The injured victims were rushed to the Specialist Hospital in Lokoja for urgent medical attention, as sympathisers and relatives gathered in grief at the scene.
Bodies of the deceased were later deposited at a mortuary in Lokoja pending identification and burial arrangements.
Although investigations are ongoing, preliminary findings by emergency officials attributed the accident to excessive speeding and possible driver fatigue.
Sources disclosed that the driver may have lost control while navigating a dangerous section of the highway, turning what was meant to be a routine journey into a devastating tragedy.
The Lokoja–Okene Highway has long been regarded as one of Nigeria’s most accident-prone roads, with frequent crashes linked to speeding, reckless driving, poor road conditions, and fatigue among long-distance drivers.
Friday’s incident has once again raised concerns over road safety on the route, as many Nigerians lamented the recurring loss of lives on the highway.
Road safety authorities have renewed calls on motorists, especially commercial drivers, to obey speed limits, avoid reckless driving, and take adequate rest during long-distance trips to reduce avoidable accidents.
As families mourn the victims, the tragedy serves as another painful reminder of the urgent need for stricter road safety measures across Nigeria’s highways.
