4 NYSC members, 42 others die in Enugu, Ibadan auto crashes

ENUGU— TRAGEDY struck in Enugu and Oyo states yesterday as 46 persons died in separate auto accidents. The accident in Enugu which occurred at Egede village on Ninth Mile-Nsukka Highway were a commuter bus belonging to Peace Mass Transit with number plate BENUE - XB 504 TKP and another bus owned by Enugu State Transport Company, ENTRACO, with number plate ENUGU – XL 812 UWN each conveying 15 passengers. The accident claimed 28 passengers and the drivers. Among the deceased were four discharged members of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, who were returning to their homes after the national service. Two persons who were seriously injured and went into coma were rescued by officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, who rushed them to a hospital at Ninth Mile. The Peace Mass Transit bus marked 2258 was conveying passengers from Enugu to Nsukka and was said to be overtaking another vehicle when he collided with oncoming ENTRACO bus. Several travelling bags belonging to the passengers littered the road as the FRSC rescue team and sympathizers discovered four NYSC discharge certificates in the luggage. The FRSC Sector Commander in Delta State, Commander Lukas Ikpi who got to the scene of the accident while travelling on the road said he immediately alerted his men at the Enugu Sector Command who rushed to the scene for rescue operation. Senator Ayogu Eze, representing Enugu North Senatorial District, who was returning to Enugu with some journalists after a function at Igboetiti local government area met the FRSC officials removing the mangled corpses trapped in the smashed vehicles. Deputy Governor of Enugu State, Mr Sunday Onyebuchi and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Water Resources, Dr Godknows Igali, the State Chairman of PDP, Engr. Vita Abba, who also attended the flag off of the N2.57 billion Adada River Dam at Igboetiti council also witnessed the accident and expressed shock at the number of casualties.