SEVEN passengers reportedly lost their lives while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries in an accident that occurred in the early hours of today along the Sagamu-Benin-Ore Road.
The Christmas Day tragic incident, according to eye witnesses, involved a Mercedes Benz MarcoPolo Luxury Bus travelling to the eastern part of the country at about 12:30am when the driver lost control and crashed on the Ososa bridge in the Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The vehicle had reportedly taken off the previous night from the popular Ojuelegba motor park in Lagos, and was headed towards the east before it crashed in the lone accident.
Confirming the incident, the Public Education Officer of the Ogun State Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Florence Okpe, said “63 people, which comprised 40 male adults, 15 female adults, five male children and three female children,” were in the vehicle according to its manifest.
Okpe said seven deaths were recorded while seven others sustained injuries.
She identified wrongful overtaking and loss of control as suspected causes of the accident.
“The injured victims were rendered first aid treatment while the deceased bodies were deposited at the state’s hospital mortuary at Ijebu Ode.
“Nigeria Police Force MTD from Odogbolu were contacted and the crashed vehicle was handed over to the police and obstruction cleared off the road,” Okpe said in a statement.
“The Ogun State Sector Commander of FRSC, Ahmed Umar, has cautioned motorists on dangerous driving especially this period of high vehicular movement and night travel when visibility is poor.
“He has also advised motorists to drive defensively, maintain a safe speed, avoid night travels and obey traffic rules and regulations,” she added.
