The Corps Marshall of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Boboye Oyeyemi, has warned commuters to be more cautious of the vehicles they travel with this yuletide season to avoid increased road accidents.
Attributing the recent road accidents in the country to over-speeding by the drivers, Oyeyemi noted that these accidents are the challenges experienced in the season of festivities.
Oyeyemi noted that having studied the recent accidents, recalcitrant drivers remove the barriers and blocks on the roads which are placed by the safety corps to mitigate accidents and control their speed limits.
“This is what we have been experiencing, the stubbornness of the drivers. There was an accident that happened at Okene in Kogi, that happened at night and that is why we encourage people not to travel by night”, said the FRSC boss.
Oyeyemi noted that fatigue experienced by drivers is a major cause of accidents and that stress in one’s body system is a challenge that they have raised severally and warned drivers against.
While responding to the cause of recent road accidents spike across the nation, Oyeyemi said another reason is the increase in vehicular density in this yuletide season.
He also attributed the issues of undisciplined drivers and security challenges as part of the reasons for the increased road accidents in the festive season.
Road crash claims over 30 lives in Kwara, Kogi and Kaduna states
Some sad events have been recorded in Kwara, Kogi and Kaduna states leading to the death of no fewer than 30 people.
In Kogi, two luxury buses both conveying a total of 55 passengers to different destinations claimed 15 lives after a collision.
The state commissioner of police, Mr. Ede Ayuba, who attributed the accident to wrongful overtaking and sleeping while driving said road mishaps could have been avoided if motorists adhered to road regulation and maintained the stipulated speed limit while driving.
Also, at least 12 persons have been killed and 25 others injured after a vehicle accident took place at the Kaduna-Abuja highway.
Eyewitness report say the crash which involved a trailer was caused by a culmination of speeding, road defects, driving against the direction of traffic and loss of control.
The Kaduna state commissioner for internal security and home affairs, Sam Haruwan, who visited the scene said the trailer veered off the road pavements and overturned due to speeding.
The commissioner also noted that several livestock perished in the process of the accident.
Similarly, in Kwara state, 6 persons also died following an accident with a petrol tanker explosion losing control in Jebba town of Morro local government area of the state.
The explosion which left the entire 33,00 litres of tanker burnt also destroyed 30 buildings and 43 shops left in ruins.
Reports say that the town where the explosion occurred has been known for recurring tanker explosions and accidents.
Commenting on the unfortunate event, the executive secretary of the State’s Emergency Agency, Motunrayo Adana, explained how the agency is coming to terms with the tragedy.
“We are here based on the directive of the state governor and once we are done with our arrangement, we will get back to him and what ever aid we have for those affected, we will surely reach out to them”, Adana said.
In the meantime, the Federal Road Safety Corps has issued a February 2021 deadline for installation of safety valves in petrol tankers as part of efforts to curb recurring explosions across the country.
FRSC Corp Marshall, Mr. Boboye Oyeyemi is insisting that personnel will be deployed to various tank farms to ensure the directive.
