Trailer loaded with cows kills three, injures 24 in Kebbi

Three persons at the weekend lost their lives while 24 others were hospitalised in an accident involving a trailer loaded with cows along Kalgo-Jega road in Kebbi State.

The loaded trailer was heading to Lagos from Birnin Kebbi when the accident occurred on Saturday evening.

An eyewitness, Malam Saidu Ibrahim, told newsmen that the accident was as a result of tyre burst. He said the trailer, which was also loaded with other goods and passengers somersaulted when one of the tyres burst.

“The driver suddenly lost control of the trailer. The driver cabin got separated from the main body and rammed to the ground,” he explained.

The Public Relations Officer of the Federal Roads Safety Corps in the state, Abdullahi Muhammad, confirmed the accident, saying the injured were rushed to the Medical Centre, Kalgo.

“Three persons died on the spot while 24 others were rushed to the hospital; we have also recorded the death of seven cows. The accident happened at about 3:00p.m. when the trailer lost control and entered the bush. Some passengers on top of the truck sustained injuries and are receiving medical attention,” he said.

Also, the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abubakar Dakingar said the governor was aware of the incident and he has visited the scene and seen the victims. “He expressed sympathies to the families of the victims and donated some money to them,” he added.

Meanwhile, four persons have been critically injured in a ghastly motor accident involving a tanker laden with petrol and two commercial tricycles known as ‘Keke NAPEP.’

The incident occurred yesterday morning along Akenpai, a suburb of Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The accident, according to a resident who witnessed it, occurred at about 10:40a.m. when the tanker laden with premium motor spirit, lost control and hit the tricycles.

The witness, who only identified herself as Ann, explained that it took the intervention of people to get some heavy-duty equipment to pull out the persons who were trapped between the tricycles and the fuel tanker.

According to Ann, at the time of the incident, some of the victims, numbering four were seen gasping for breathe and were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa. She added that men of the fire service were presently on ground putting measures in place to prevent a possible fire outbreak.

When contacted on telephone, Bayelsa Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps said he was on his way from a trip to Abuja and pledged to update on the incident as soon as he got back.

Reacting, the spokesman of the police command in Bayelsa, DSP Asinim Butswat, said he was aware of the incident but that he had not been informed of any loss of lives.


Butswat also said that the Fire Service personnel had been notified of the accident and that policemen had been drafted to cordon off the area to forestall possible fire explosion following the spillage from the tanker.