A trailer carrying goats, motorcycles and about 100 passengers from the northern part of the country, collided with a parked bus along Lagos-Ibadan Expressway (immediately after Ibadan) resulting in the death of about 30 people.
Somehow, and quite mysteriously, not one goat, out of the herd being ferried down South, died.
However, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) for Oyo State, Mr. Adekunle Ajisebutu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), who confirmed the accident, said only 12 persons died, while at least 20 persons sustained varying degrees of injury.
He said, the injured were taken to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan and Ibadan Central Hospital for treatment. The remains of those who died, he said, were deposited at the morgue of Adeoyo State Hospital, Ibadan.
Regardless, Head of UCH Public Relations Unit, Mr. Deji Bobade, told Daily Sun that 35 critically injured persons were rushed to the hospital yesterday. Bobade said he could not confirm how many were still alive as at 8:15p.m on Sunday, adding that UCH does not accept dead bodies. While some passengers died on the spot, many others sustained different degrees of injury. The trailer was said to be moving at a very high speed on the newly-constructed part of the road, lost control and collided with the white bus which broke down on the side of the road earlier that day.
The helpless victims were left unattended, as many vehicles passed by without stopping while the few sympathisers who stopped cried and expressed sympathy for the dead before continuing on their journey.
Few minutes later, at about 9:15am, the Federal Road Safety Corps arrived with a vehicle that could only convey three victims at once out of many who were crying for help in deep agony.
When Daily Sun visited the scene, there were 30 casualties. Many left with different injuries. One of the survivors who is simply known as Musa exclaimed: “Allah! Why, why, why did you allow your children to die like this?” At the other extreme end, another victim who was identified as Abubakar Yaro, held his fractured leg on the ground and cried for help and medical attention. Unfortunately, none was available at the scene. (Daily Sun)
