Three persons have been killed and scores of others were injured following a road crash that occurred at Kutigi town in Lavun Local Government Area of Niger State.
According to eyewitnesses, the accident involving a van loaded with passengers occurred at about 5:00 am on Saturday, after the driver of the van allegedly lost control and somersaulted three times.
The passengers were said to have been on their way from Idan village to attend an Islamic programme in Kutigi when the incident occurred.
Although the Unit Corps Commander in the area, Mohammed Alhassan declined to grant an interview with Channels Television, the state Commissioner for local government and chieftaincy affairs, Abdulmalik Sarkindaji, who led officials from the state government led by the commissioner of local government and chieftaincy affairs to the area, said findings from the Federal Road Safety Corps revealed that the accident occurred due to overloading and over speeding.
The Medical Doctor at the Kutigi General Hospital in Lavun local government, Dr Oyewo Abdulrazak, however, confirmed the number of casualties.
According to him, 81 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
Director-General of the State Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Inga, said the state government will cater for the medical bills of the victims.
