11 die, 16 injured in Kano road crash

Senator mourns victims, urges completion of Kano- Maiduguri road

NO fewer than 11 persons are feared dead and 16 others injured, while one person was rescued unscathed in an auto crash at Gaya junction along the Kano/ Maiduguri road, Kano State.

This was as Senator Sulaiman Sumaila ( Kano South) sympathised with the families of the 11, who lost their lives in the auto.

Federal Road Safety Commission ( FRSC) Commander in the state, Ibrahim Sallau- Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Abdullahi Labaran, to journalists, at the weekend in Kano.

He said the accident involved two vehicles, a Toyota Hummerbus and a mini pick- up. “We received a call about 3.45 p. m. on April 19, 2024, and quickly dispatched our personnel and vehicle, about 3.55 p. m. to the scene of the incident to rescue the victims,” Labaran said.

The accident, he noted, occurred as a result of speeding and loss of control, which led to a head- on collision as two vehicles burst into flames immediately.

He added: “The accident involved 28 passengers in the two vehicles, out of which 11 lost their lives, 16 others sustained serious injuries and one was rescued unhurt.

“The injured were taken to Gaya General Hospital for urgent medical treatment, while the corpses were re - spectfully laid to rest in a mass burial ceremony,” Abdullahi said.

IN a statement he personally signed, Sumaila regretted that the

Kano- Maiduguri road re - mained a death trap to many road users for some time now.

According to him, the over 550- kilometre dualisation project awarded by the Federal Government in 2017, has yet to be completed 17 years after. He explained that the importance of the road to the Nigerian economy could not be over- emphasised, as it serves as an international link between Nigeria and Chad, Cameroon, Niger and Central Africa, which is supposed to serve as a boost for businesses among the affected countries.