At least seven people lost their lives and five others were injured in a horrific accident involving a truck trailer at Madalla junction, Suleja, Niger State.
The crash occurred on Friday morning around 11:30 am.
Eyewitnesses told Daily Trust that the truck, coming from the Zuba area of Abuja, collided with about four vehicles before coming to a stop at the junction.
The driver then steered the vehicle toward a roadside barrier.
Saleh Haruna, a local resident, said the incident was preceded by a dispute between the drivers of a commercial bus and a golf car.
The bus driver initially offered to pay ₦200,000 to the golf car owner to replace a damaged windshield, but the golf car driver insisted on ₦400,000 compensation.
Haruna explained, “After the argument, the trailer ran over the commercial bus and partially hit the golf car before catching fire, engulfing the bus.”
Rescue teams recovered the bodies of four passengers who were burnt beyond recognition inside the bus.
Seven survivors, including the trailer driver, were rushed to Lukas Hospital in Madalla.
At the hospital on Saturday, Chief Medical Director Dr. Ugwoegbu Valentine confirmed that three of the injured have since died, while one remains in critical condition.
The truck driver, identified as Sulaiman Rabiu, was later taken into custody at the Madalla Police Division.
Rabiu told reporters that he left Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday carrying bags of livestock feed bound for Kano State.
“I arrived safely in Zuba just after 11 am on Friday, but as I was descending towards Madalla, my brakes failed, causing the accident,” he said.
Police later took Rabiu back to the hospital for treatment. The Divisional Police Officer was unavailable for comment, but a senior officer confirmed the incident and casualty figures.
DAILY GAZETTE notes that the Madalla and Zuba areas have witnessed multiple accidents since road construction began on the Abuja-Kaduna highway earlier this year.
The new construction company that replaced Julius Berger has been criticized for poor road safety measures, including inadequate caution signs and lack of proper road shoulders for vehicles to park safely.
