No fewer than 11 people have reportedly died in an accident that occurred in the early hours of Tuesday on Jebba/Ilorin Express road.
Seven other passengers were also seriously injured in the fatal accident which involved two vehicles: a DAF Truck and an 18-passenger Toyota Hiace bus.
The accident, according to the information provided by the Federal Road Safety Corps, occurred at Aiyere village along the Bode-Saadu-Ilorin route at about 4.50 am.
FRSC said that the crash occurred as a result of wrongful overtaking and speed violation by one of the vehicles.
A statement by the FRSC Public Relations Officer, Kwara Sector Command, Basambo Olayinka, said that the command received the report of the accident in the early morning of Tuesday.
“On receipt of the report of the crash, our operatives at the Help and Rescue Camp (which was established at Bode Saadu to fortify rescue operations during the ongoing end-of-year special patrol operations) were immediately mobilised to the crash scene for the rescue operation, which was carried out in conjunction with men of the Nigerian Police Force, Divisional Headquarter, Bode Saadu.
“Preliminary investigations revealed that the Toyota Hiace bus coming from Gombe en route to Lagos wrongfully overtook another vehicle resulting in a head-on collision with an oncoming DAF Truck.
“A total of 18 people (male adults) were involved, 11 of them sadly lost their lives while Seven others were rescued with varying degrees of injury and have been taken to Ifeoluwa Hospital, Bode Saadu, where they are currently receiving treatment.”
The statement said that the sector commander, Stephen Dawulung, has directed a full investigation into the crash which has already commenced.
“The corps and Kwara State Command deeply sympathize with families of the dead and wish the injured quick recovery.”
Dawulung admonished drivers “to drive within the stipulated speed limits, avoid night journeys, and long hours of driving without adequate rest, which can result in fatigue, lack of alertness, poor visibility and poor judgment, as these constitute high-risk factors that result in crashes with high fatality.”