A tragic head-on collision on the Lokoja-Obajana Road in Kogi State on Sunday claimed 19 lives, including five children, and injured eight others, the FRSC confirmed, attributing the crash to speeding and wrongful overtaking
A devastating auto crash that occurred on Sunday along the Lokoja-Obajana Road in Kogi State has claimed the lives of no fewer than 19 persons, with eight others sustaining injuries.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the incident on Monday.
Mr. Kumar Tsukwam, the state Sector Commander of the FRSC, provided details to newsmen in Lokoja, the state capital.
He stated that the fatal accident took place at the Gadabiu community, within the Lokoja Local Government Area, around 4:00 PM on Sunday.
According to Tsukwam, the collision involved an articulated vehicle (truck) and a Toyota Hummer bus that was en route to Abuja from the southern part of the country.
He described it as a head-on collision, explaining that the bus, traveling at high speed, attempted to overtake another articulated vehicle but instead swerved into the path of an oncoming truck, leaving no room for avoidance.
It was very unfortunate, because it was caused by speeding and wrongful overtaking and involved 27 persons with only eight survivors.
“It was very unfortunate, because it was caused by speeding and wrongful overtaking and involved 27 persons with only eight survivors,” Tsukwam lamented.
He further revealed the grim detail that among the 19 fatalities, five were children who were burnt to death.
The survivors sustained various injuries, including bruises, cuts, dislocations, fractures, and fire burns.
FRSC rescue teams, working alongside the police, swiftly transported the eight injured individuals to Fisayo Hospital, Obajana, for immediate medical attention.
The Sector Commander used the opportunity to reiterate the corps’ appeal to motorists to adhere strictly to traffic rules and regulations.
“Our highways are not race roads,” he cautioned, urging drivers to avoid excessive speeding and wrongful overtaking to help reduce road traffic crashes and the resulting carnage across the country.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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