Four killed, soldiers wounded in Ondo, Calabar road accidents

Four persons on Saturday lost their lives while 13 others sustained injuries in a road accident that occurred along Ikaramu-Akunu Akoko Road in the Akoko North-West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

It was gathered that the crash involved an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus, with registration number MBA 752 XA, which conveyed some passengers.The victims were said to be heading for the northern part of the country.

A source in the area said the accident happened when one of the tyres of the bus burst and caused the vehicle to summersault. “The bus had one of its tyres burst on top speed and the driver lost control, causing the vehicle to summersault,” the source added.

The Unit Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Ikare Akoko, Mr Oluropo Alabi, said the rescue team of the command rushed to the scene of the accident and moved the victims to the hospital. Alabi also said the remains of the deceased were deposited at the morgue of Ikare Akoko Specialists Hospital while the injured were receiving treatment in the same hospital.

The Divisional Police Officer in charge of Oke Agbe Akoko, Paullinus Unnah, also confirmed the incident, adding that the vehicle involved in the accident was in the custody of the police in Ikaram Akoko.

Meanwhile, a yet-to-be-identified number of soldiers from the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Calabar, sustained injuries when a truck conveying them to the Brigadier Ally Army Cantonment in Ogoja, Cross River State, crashed into a stationary Toyota Sienna parked at a car stand.

The incident occurred at the Beebobsco bus stop along the Murtala Mohammed Highway in Calabar. Sources said four of the soldiers were said to be in critical condition while 21 others sustained injuries.

The Public Relations Officer of the 13 Brigade of the Nigerian Army, Calabar, Captain Dorcas Aluko, confirmed the incident to our correspondent but declined to specify the number of soldiers involved.“They are in the hospital. They are okay.

None of them is in critical condition,” Aluko said.The truck was said to have departed with the soldiers from the 13 Brigade en route to the Brigadier Ally Army Cantonment in Ogoja for a major operation when the incident happened following a rainfall.

Sources said the driver of the military truck saw cars at a speed breaker and as he suddenly applied the brakes, the truck swerved and crashed into the Toyota Sienna vehicle.It was learnt that some of the wounded soldiers were taken to the Nigerian Navy Reference Hospital for treatment while others were later taken to the University of Calabar Teaching Hospital.