Jigawa State was rocked by tragedy on Tuesday as a fatal motor accident claimed the lives of 14 passengers and left four others injured near Kanya Market.
The accident occurred when a Toyota Hiace bus, overloaded and speeding, attempted to bypass an immigration checkpoint by veering into the opposite lane, colliding head-on with a DAF truck. The Jigawa State Police Command confirmed the incident through its spokesperson, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam.
“Today, Tuesday, 16th of July 2024, at about 1120hrs, information at the Command’s disposal revealed that there was a fatal motor vehicle accident involving a DAF truck with reg. no. GMB 242 KD, coming from Kanya market,” said Adam.
He continued, “On reaching an Immigration checking point, another vehicle, a Toyota Hiace with reg. no. XA 381 GAS, was also coming from the Kano to Kanya market with overloading and at a high speed. When the immigration officers stopped it, the driver refused to stop and attempted to get around the checkpoint by veering into the other lane. As a result, he collided head-on with the aforementioned DAF truck.”
The impact of the collision was devastating, with 14 passengers losing their lives instantly and four others sustaining severe injuries.
Upon receiving the report, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Kanya Division and his patrol team rushed to the scene. “On their arrival, corpses and injured were evacuated and rushed to Kanya Babba Hospital. Corpses were certified dead by a doctor on duty, while the injured are receiving medical attention,” added DSP Adam.