ABIA STATE, Nigeria – A devastating accident occurred on Sunday near the Umuika Junction along the Enugu-Aba-Port Harcourt expressway, claiming the lives of all passengers aboard an Abia Line Network Sienna vehicle, including two infants.
The driver of the vehicle miraculously survived the crash.
The incident took place around 12:45 PM as the Sienna, traveling from Abakaliki in Ebonyi State to Aba in Abia State, veered off the road after the driver reportedly fell asleep at the wheel.
According to eyewitnesses, the vehicle was moving at high speed when it lost control, collided with a truck, and crashed into the bush.
The impact was fatal for all passengers and their babies, leaving the driver as the sole survivor.
Efforts to obtain an official statement from the transport company were unsuccessful, as Mrs. Onyemachi Nwaogwugwu, the General Manager, was unavailable for comment.
The Abia Police Command and the state Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) have confirmed the incident. Speaking to the press, ASP Maureen Chinaka, the Police Public Relations Officer for the Abia State Police Command, stated that the accident scene had been visited and that investigations were ongoing. “The accident scene has been visited and investigation is ongoing,” Chinaka said.
Similarly, the Sector Commander of the FRSC Abia State Command, Mr. Joseph Ezeoma, confirmed the tragic incident in a press statement issued by the PRO of the Abia State Sector Command, C. M. Enyioko.
The statement noted the involvement of the Federal Road Safety Corps in the ongoing investigation to determine the exact circumstances that led to the fatal accident.
As investigations continue, the tragedy serves as a grim reminder of the dangers of high-speed driving and driver fatigue, particularly on Nigeria’s busy highways.
The incident has also raised concerns about the need for stricter enforcement of road safety regulations to prevent such occurrences in the future.
