No fewer than seven persons died in an accident involving two vehicles in Ekiti State on Wednesday evening.
Sources said the accident involved an 18-passenger bus and a Toyota car, which had a head-on collision along Iluomoba – Aisegba highway, leading to the death of the casualties.
A source said that one of the vehicles, in an attempt to maneuver a pothole, lost control and collided with the oncoming vehicle traveling towards Ado Ekiti.
The Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps in Ekiti State, Mr Olusola Joseph, who confirmed the accident, said, “The number of passengers in the two vehicles was 17. Seven passengers lost their lives and the victims had been deposited in the morgue”.
The FRSC boss, who said that other passengers who sustained varying degrees of injuries were at present being treated at a tertiary hospital in the state capital, warned motorists against over-speeding, which he described as the reason for unwarranted road accident by strictly observing traffic safety rules and regulation.
This was as the police in the state said that it would embark on tougher measures to check reckless driving which they said was responsible the high road accident rate in the state and the attendant loss of lives and permanent disability.
The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, Moronkeji Adesina, who said the police would continue to prioritise safety of lives and properties, advised residents “to be acquainted with the traffic rules and strictly abide by them to avoid any untoward incident”.
Adesina, in a statement by the Police Public Relations Officer, Sunday Abutu, in Ado Ekiti titled, “Traffic accident alert”, said, “The Command has observed that road accidents have become a normal and recurring incident in the state. In fact, hardly a day goes by without the report of a road traffic crash resulting to loss of lives/or permanent disability.
“An analysis of this data shows that the main causes of these road accidents are speed violation, wrongful overtaking, light/sign violation, dangerous driving, tyres bursting, bad vehicle/motor maintenance culture, lack of proper driving education, driving under influence, overloading and fatigue.
“In view of this, the Command shall emplace tougher control measures to check improper and reckless driving. Members of the public, especially motorists/motorcycle riders are, therefore, enjoined to avoid reckless driving, over speeding, driving against traffic lights/signs, one-way driving, driving under the influence of alcohol/drugs and other traffic offences to avoid arrest and prosecution,” the statement read.