The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Kano Sector Command, has confirmed the death of 25 travellers following an auto crash on the Kano-Kaduna highway.
The accident, which took place early Monday morning near Dangwaro International Market in Kano’s metropolitan area, also left 53 injured.
According to the FRSC Sector Commander in the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi, the incident involved a trailer (IVECO) with the number plate XA 311 ZB, which was transporting both passengers and cows from Maiduguri to the southern part of Nigeria, when the trailer collided with another vehicle, causing it to somersault.
“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,” Abdullahi stated.
He attributed the cause of the accident to excessive speed, dangerous driving, and overloading, which led to the driver losing control of the vehicle.
Explaining further, Abdullahi noted that during the rescue operation, FRSC personnel recovered six motorcycles, 10 mobile phones, several animals including goats and rams, bags of maize, and a sum of N400,000.
He stated that all the victims were rushed to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital Kano for urgent medical treatment, where doctors confirmed the deaths of 25 individuals.
“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,” Abdullahi said.
The commander advised motorists against the unsafe practice of transporting animals and goods alongside humans.