Jigawa tragic bus accident claims three lives, many injured

A devastating bus accident involving a trailer has claimed three lives and injured many others in Jigawa State.

Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Jigawa State Command, DSP Lawan Shi’isu Adam said the tragic accident occurred, Tuesday evening at about 6:30 pm, along the old Gwaram road.

According to Shiisu Adam, the incident happened when “A J5 bus, driven by Wada Shuaibu, was travelling from Sara market to Laya village with 17 passengers on board, upon reaching Kwanar Mangwarori, the bus collided with an empty Dangote trailer.”

He narrated further that “the trailer which was registered as BNK 447 XA, was driven by one Musbahu Yakubu, aged 30 years who fled the scene immediately after the accident is from Buruku village, Chikun LGA of Kaduna State.”

The PPRO stressed that the collision left all the 17 passengers in the J5 vehicle injured with varying degrees of severity, adding that, Police promptly responded to the scene and rushed the victims to the Gwaram Cottage Hospital.

DSP Adam also explained that “tragically, three passengers succumbed to their injuries while receiving medical attention and were instantly discharged from the hospital

“The deceased were identified as Idris Nuhu, 30; Khadija Kabiru, 6; and Shamsuddeen Ibrahim, 29; all from Laya village,” he confirmed.

Also, the spokesperson revealed that the victims were certified dead by a medical doctor and released to their family members for burial.

“Five passengers received treatment and were discharged, while the remaining nine were admitted for further medical care.

“An investigation into the accident has been launched, with efforts underway to locate and apprehend the fleeing trailer driver,” DSP Adam added.

The cop urged motorists to exercise caution and adhere to traffic regulations so as to prevent such tragic incidents in the future.

However, eyewitnesses to Arewa PUNCH that the accident was caused by reckless driving and excessive speed. “I saw the vehicle swerving uncontrollably before it crashed into the trailer,” said Mallam Abba, a local resident who witnessed the accident.

Another eyewitness, Dada Nabawa Fatima, said that although the driver was on speed when the incident happened, it should be noted that the roads in that area are in terribly bad shapes.

“So, I want to call on the government to fix our roads and ensure that drivers adhere to traffic laws.”

Mr. Nabawa also stressed the importance of driver education and training, saying that “Many drivers lack the basic knowledge of road safety and defensive driving techniques.”

Our correspondent visited the office of the Federal Road Safety Corps but efforts to get the commandant to speak were unsuccessful as at the time of filing the report.

Arewa PUNCH recalls that only in October, last month, a similar incident occurred when a truck carrying petrol, traveling from Kano to Nguru in Yobe State, exploded in Majia, located in the Taura Local Government Area, Jigawa State.

The explosion resulted in the devastating loss of over 182 lives with several  injuries.

Also, on November 11, another car accident claimed 10 lives and injured many at Yanfari village, the same Taura Local Government Area of Jigawa State.