Ahmed Ododo, the governor of Kogi State, has expressed sympathy to the relatives of those killed in the Obajana accident.
Thirteen bus passengers lost their lives in the Sunday night accident, while two others were injured.
According to the Federal Road Safety Corps, it was stated that 21 persons were injured and 13 people died in separate car incidents in the States of Kogi and Benue on Monday.
In the state capital of Lokoja, journalists were notified by Samuel Oyedeji, the Kogi FRSC Sector Commander, about the accident that happened in Kogi on Sunday at approximately 7:30 p.m.
The collision, which included an articulated cement truck and a commercial Sharon bus, happened close to Obajana Market on the Obajana-Lokoja Road in the state’s Lokoja Local Government Area, according to Oyedeji.
Upon his return to Lokoja on Monday, Ododo received a news of the disaster. He expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and pledged that the state government would support them at this difficult time.
In a statement provided to newsmen in Lokoja on Tuesday by his Special Adviser on Media, Ismaila Isah, Ododo expressed his disquiet over the incident that transpired late Sunday night at the Obajana market. The accident involved an articulated truck colliding with a passenger bus, resulting in a fiery explosion.
With condolences for the deceased’ families, Ododo remarked, “I find it disturbing that this tragedy caused fatalities as well as property damage in the vicinity.
“I pledge that we won’t abandon the families of the surviving and the families of those who lost their lives in their time of grief.”
He praised the state’s emergency management agencies for stepping up to the plate and handling the aftermath of the accident.
The governor urged everyone to stay away from night travel at all costs.
“I want to thank the Federal Road Safety Commission and other agencies for their prompt action. However, I would like to remind Nigerians not to travel at night and for transporters in the state to keep passenger manifests at bus terminals so that they can be easily identified in cases like this,” the governor stated.
