The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) said that no fewer than 20 people were killed in road traffic crashes along Ibadan-Lagos route and Mokwa town in Niger State.
The FRSC Acting Corps Marshal, Mr Dauda Biu, confirmed this in a statement by the Corps Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal, Mr Bisi Kazeem, on Tuesday in Abuja.
Biu decried the incessant violation of legal speed limits and noticeable traces of dangerous driving behaviours exhibited by drivers during the Christmas celebration.
He warned perpetrators of such bad road use culture to desist henceforth as the agency would not spare them when apprehended.
The corps marshal attributed the crash that occurred at 06:30hrs along Ibadan-Lagos route, few minutes before Guru Maharaji area, Oyo State, to wanton violation of speed limit and indulgence in dangerous driving.
He said that the Mokwa fatal crash occurred at 3.30 a.m while a lone crash also occurred in Otukpo about 11.35 a.m on Tuesday.
”According to preliminary investigation conducted into the fatal crashes, the Ibadan avoidable accident is a lone crash that involves a Toyota bus bearing the following registration details TRK 135 ZY.
“While the Mokwa crash involved a trailer transiting from Lagos which had a head on collision with a bus and the Otukpo lone crash involving a bus registered as NAK 77 XA, occurred as a result of a fallen tree that blocked the highway.
“18 people, all male adults are involved in the Ibadan crash, out of which 10 were killed, six injured and the rest rescued without injuries,” he said.
Biu added that 10 victims were killed in the Mokwa crash, nine of which were confirmed dead on the spot and the remaining one died in the hospital.
He, however, said that zero fatality was recorded in the Otukpo lone crash; but the injured victims have been taken to St. Daniels Hospital Otukpo for urgent treatment.
According to him, six victims with degrees of injuries during the rescue operations of the Ibadan crash were given adequate first aid by the corps’ medical rescue team before moving them to Ibadan Central Hospital for proper medical attention.
The acting corps marshall added that the remains of the dead victims had been deposited in Adeoyo General Hospital Morgue in Ibadan.
He noted that the main cause of the crash according to the report were dangerous driving, road obstruction and excessive speed which led to loss of control.
He assured the motoring public, particularly law abiding ones, that the corps had already enhanced its visibility and intensified patrol operations to gurantee sanity on highways.
The FRSC boss directed the immediate deployment of a special squad to the affected part of the Otukpo-Makurdi highway to ensure speedy removal of the fallen tree and a traffic control team to ensure free flow of traffic.
“The deployed squad has already commenced the cutting of the tree for immediate evacuation.
“The motoring public is admonished to exercise patience, maintain the lowest possible speed while plying the route, “he said.
Biu further advised motorists to allow the spirit of love that came with the season reflect in the manner they drove.
The acting corps marshal reiterated his position of subjecting those who took advantage of the festive season to indulge in dangerous driving behaviours to the long arm of the law.
He urged the public to always patronise the FRSC toll free line 122 and the National Traffic Radio 107.1 FM, available for all road users to report emergencies at any given time.
