By Muyideen Aliyu
No fewer than fifteen persons, all males, lost their lives in an auto crash near the Muslim cemetery along the Oko Olowo route on the Ilorin-Jebba expressway in Kwara State.
Reports gathered from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) indicate that the fatal crash, which occurred at about 2:32 am on Monday, was a lone accident involving a DAF XF trailer with registration number GWL274XC.
The Kwara State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Kabiru Babatunde Kazeem, said that a total of 48 people, all males, were involved in the lone accident.
He noted that 17 people sustained varying degrees of injury while 16 persons were reported unhurt.
Kazeem added that the cause of the auto accident was fatigue on the part of the driver, pointing out that the victims sustained injuries including fractures, dislocations, and bruises.
The commander identified the driver as Nasiru Muhammed, who was highly fatigued, leading to the accident.
He added that the injured victims had been taken to Arewa Medical Centre and Baki Hospital for medical attention, while the corpses had been handed over to representatives of the families and the Sarkin Hausawa of Oko Olowo in the Moro Local Government Area for Muslim burial.
He said that the search for more victims who might be buried under the cargo was ongoing, and the rescue operations were jointly carried out by personnel of the Oloru and Oko Olowo outposts.
The sector commander said that the command intends to intensify public enlightenment through town hall meetings with relevant stakeholders, while he advised motorists to avoid mixed loading and night travelling.
Kazeem enjoined drivers embarking on night journeys to always leave their destinations early to avoid hazardous situations, stressing that these kinds of accidents are entirely avoidable if drivers start their journeys earlier in the day.