Posted by From VAL OKARA, Owerri and OLUSEYE OJO, Ibadan on
No fewer than 20 persons had their lives cut short abruptly on Sunday evening, while 15 others were critically injured in an auto crash involving two commercial bus on the busy Owerri-Port Harcourt Expressway.
No fewer than 20 persons had their lives cut short abruptly on Sunday evening, while 15 others were critically injured in an auto crash involving two commercial bus on the busy Owerri-Port Harcourt Expressway.
The accident which occurred at about 7.00 p.m after Avu junction involved an ITC 14-seater Mitsubishi bus with the registration number XE 196 AWK and a blue Mitsubishi bus L300, marked AJ 364 SPR.
An eyewitness told Daily Sun that, while the ITC bus was headed for Port Harcourt, Rivers State, the other bus was coming from the opposite direction when the two had a head-on collision.
Corpses of the 20 dead had been deposited at the mortuary of the Federal Medical Centre, Owerri, where the injured are also receiving treatment.
It was gathered that men of the Federal Road Safety commission (FRSC), the Red Cross and Police had a herculean task in controlling traffic on the road following the accident.
Confirming the mishap to Daily Sun, the FRSC sector commander, Mr Angus Ibezim attributed it to over-speeding, reckless and dangerous driving by the drivers of the ill-fated vehicles.
In another development, two women have found themselves in police net after three persons who drank local gin popularly called Ogogoro from their drink parlour gave up the ghost few minutes after the rendezvous.
The victims, Wasiu Ganiyu, Isa Tirimiya and Lawrence Oku, residents of Aba-Idi village in the Moniya area of Ibadan city were said to have bought the local gin from Josephine Friday and Fatimo Olaleye and died moments after consuming the liquor. According to a neighbour of one of the deceased men, Mr Jacob Oyewo, they had complained of body pains after the drink session and gave up the ghost before any intervention could be made.
Immediately after the ugly incident, shock and agony pervaded the whole community. The death also attracted a large crowd who besieged the village to have first hand information.
Police detectives from Moniya Police Station, who later stormed the village were said to be confounded, seeing the corpses of the three men. The remains of the deceased were later deposited at the mortuary of the State General Hospital, Yemetu.
When contacted, spokesperson for Oyo State police command, Miss Olabisi Okuwobi, confirmed the incident, saying the state police boss had ordered full investigations into the mysterious death.
Okuwobi explained that the command had already arrested two persons in connection with the incident, while two jerry cans of the local gin had also been seized from the drink parlour of the two women, who served the gin to the deceased men.