No fewer than 16 passengers have lost their lives in a fatal road accident along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State.
The tragic incident reportedly occurred around 9:20am on Friday near Aku village along the Osara axis of the busy expressway.
According to security sources, the crash involved a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BUU 17 ZD conveying 22 passengers from Jos, Plateau State, to Lagos.
Security analyst Zagazola Makama disclosed in a post on X that the vehicle was carrying 21 male passengers and one female at the time of the accident.
Sources said the bus reportedly lost control while travelling at high speed before veering off the road and plunging beneath a bridge.
Preliminary investigations attributed the crash to driver fatigue.
It was gathered that 16 occupants of the vehicle, including 15 men and one woman, died on the spot, while six others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Emergency responders were said to have arrived shortly after receiving a distress call and evacuated the injured victims to medical facilities in Osara and the Specialist Hospital in Lokoja for treatment.
The remains of the deceased passengers were deposited at the Ankuri Mortuary in Lokoja.
Authorities have since advised motorists to avoid excessive speeding, ensure adequate rest during long-distance journeys and comply strictly with traffic regulations to prevent avoidable road accidents.
