AT least 25 people died and about 53 others sustained injuries in a road crash that occurred in Kano State on Monday, July 1.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in the state confirmed the incident on Monday, saying it occurred around the Dangwaro International Market in the early hours of the day.
Speaking on the incident, FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi, said some of the casualties were loaded in a trailer which was also conveying cows from Maiduguri in Borno State to the southern part of Nigeria.
He noted that the accident was a result of excessive speed, overloading and dangerous driving.
“We received a call at about 03:15 am on July 1, 2024. On receiving the information, we quickly dispatched our personnel and vehicle to the scene of the incident to rescue the victims at 03:30 am,” Ibrahim said.
The commander also said items were recovered from the accident scene, including six motorcycles, goats and rams, phones and N400,000.
“All the victims were immediately conveyed to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital Kano for urgent medical attention. The doctors on duty confirmed 25 dead out of the victims,” he said.
Nigeria is one of the countries with the highest rate of fatalities from road traffic crashes (RTCs) globally.
While Africa is infamous for having the world’s highest road accident death rates. Nigeria tops the list of countries with the most fatalities from traffic crashes, according to a 2014 report by the Global Road Safety Facility (GRSF).
Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO) of the FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, confirmed to The ICIR in a report that overspeeding and violation of traffic rules are significant causes of accidents.
Sign light violations, dangerous driving, route violations, and wrongful overtaking are also some other major leading causes of road traffic crashes in the country.
Ijeoma Opara is a journalist with The ICIR. Reach her via [email protected] or @ije_le on Twitter.