The Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) has confirmed the death of 17 travellers in Akwanga Local Government Area of Nasarawa State on Saturday night.
Among the dead were a staff of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Nuhu Hammangabdo, his wife Hadiza S.M. Nguroje and their four children.
The FRSC Unit Commander in Akwanga, Assistant Corps Commander Ebere Onyegbaduo said “We received a distress call of a ghastly accident by 7pm around between Akwanga and Gudi towns.
“We rushed to the scene and found a Commercial VW Sharon Bus and a Private Toyota Sienna Bus engulfed in flames with the occupants inside the burning vehicles.
“We called for fire brigade, the fire was contained by 11pm and we completed the rescue by 2am,” he said.
ACC Ebere said “preliminary investigation showed that the driver of the Sharon bus, coming from Abuja, was overtaking on a hill and at a bend; he ran into the Sienna and the vehicles went up in flames and led to the death of 17 people beyond recognition.”
Dateline Nigeria learnt that eight people were in the Sienna vehicle, while nine were in the Sharon bus.
The FRSC official added that the occupants of the Sharon bus have been deposited at the Akwanga General Hospital while those of the Sienna have been taken to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH) in Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital.
Dateline Nigeria learnt that the remains of Hammangabdo and his family members have since been buried in accordance with Islamic rites.
