Six commuters travelling on the Abakaliki – Enugu highway have been confirmed dead, and 14 others sustaining varying degrees of injuries in a fatal motor accident that occurred over the weekend.
The tragic accident is reported to have occurred near the Nkalagu overhead bridge on the Nkalagu axis of the ever busy expressway, when a tipper truck and a commercial bus loaded with passengers had a head on collision.
The Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ebonyi State, Anthony Ogbodo, who confirmed the incident told AIT on telephone that 22 people were involved in the crash, adding that only 2 persons escaped unhurt.
He attributed the cause of the accident to dangerous overtaking on the busy route.
Ogbodo disclosed that the survivor victims were immediately evacuated from the accident scene to nearby hospitals for medical attention.
“Some of the injured victims were taken to Annunciation and Orthopaedic Hospitals in Enugu by our officers and the Red Cross, while others were taken to the General Hospital, Ezzamgbo, in Ebonyi State.”
A resident of Nkalagu described the Enugu-Nkalagu Expressway as dangerous road to ply, blaming its design and poor construction for recurring accidents on the highway.
“The road is very dangerous because of its one-way nature and the hard concrete central demarcation, which doesn’t allow vehicles to manoeuvre or dodge reckless drivers.
“Since 2019 when former Governor David Umahi began the dualisation of the Enugu-Abakaliki Expressway with a flyover at Nkalagu junction, the 1km stretch from the Enugu-Nkalagu boundary to the junction has remained uncompleted and blocked.
“The central demarcation worsens the situation, leaving vehicles with no option during emergencies. Hardly a month passes without an accident on this road,” the local lamented.
Motorists and residents are calling on the federal and state governments to expedite action on the completion of the project to prevent further tragedies on the Abakaliki – Enugu dual carriageway.
Editor: Ebuwa Omo-Osagie
