Survivor in Kogi road crash recounts God’s mercies

The road crash that claimed almost 25 lives in Lokoja, Kogi Stats, last Friday, had a survivor in the person of Abdullahi Ibrahim, who travelled with the Delta line bus with registration number, AS 885, from Asaba.

Recounting his miraculous escape to The Guardian in Lokoja, he said he had wanted to observe Jumat prayer at 4 SEASON Restaurant on the highway before the incident.The visibly shaken Ibrahim said if he had not stopped to pray, he would have been a dead man.

He thanked the Lord for sparing his life.Vehicles coming into the city from Okene axis usually stop over at Felele, just before Nataco for passengers to refresh. For Ibrahim, however, Lokoja was his destination. So, after alighting for prayer, he felt no need to join the bus again.

The accident, which happened few minutes after taking off from the restaurant, happened when the bus driver wanted to overtake a fuel tanker that was attempting to dodge a pothole. The tanker lost balance and fell over the bus and there was a deafening explosion.

Ibrahim said it happen almost 100 metres away from the restaurant. He explained that two tricycle riders, popularly called Keke Napep, were equally burnt in the accident.
No fewer than 25 people lost their lives in the accident.

Both vehicles were burnt to ashes with the occupants, except the tanker driver, who escaped by the whiskers, the 18 passengers in the Delta Line bus, excluding Ibrahim, three persons in the tricycle and two cars were burnt beyond recognition.