Eight farmers have died in a tragic road accident on the Batati/Lanle Road in Niger State.
The fatal head-on collision occurred at around 8 pm on Monday, involving a Toyota Corolla and a tanker trailer. Reports indicate that the Toyota Corolla, which was speeding, attempted to overtake another vehicle but collided with an oncoming tanker heading to Lagos to load fuel.
The victims, identified as farmers who had migrated from Niger Zone B to Dasu village in Lavun Local Government Area due to insecurity, were crushed beyond recognition in the crash.
An eyewitness, who spoke to Punch anonymously, described the scene as horrifying: “It was a terrible sight. All the victims were men of different age groups, and their bodies were crushed beyond recognition. Road Safety needs to caution drivers about overspeeding and overtaking recklessly.”
Mohammed Sanusi, the Assistant Commander of the Road Transport Employers’ Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Kutigi, confirmed the incident and expressed deep sorrow: “I was shocked by what I saw. The bodies were in a terrible state. Tears ran uncontrollably down my face. May God Almighty forgive their shortcomings.”
He also commended the efforts of Federal Road Safety Corps personnel, the Red Cross, and RTEAN in evacuating the bodies from the scene.
The victims were buried in Dasu village on Tuesday.
