A truck belonging to the Dangote Group has crashed into a house in Zaria, Kaduna State, killing three children and injured their parents while they were sleeping.

A witness told City & Crime that the incident occurred around 3am at No 162, Anguwar Juma, Zaria City.

He explained that, “The truck driver lost control and rammed into the house of one Mallam Abdu Zailani on Monday morning while they were all asleep.

“The accident killed three children and injured their father and mother, who are now hospitalised.”

The source gave the names of the deceased children as Hadiza Haruna (14), Usman Haruna (nine) and Saliha Haruna, and their injured mother as Rauhanatu Yusuf.

Sister of the injured man, Fatima Abdulkadir, narrated that, “The incident occurred when we were all sleeping and suddenly heard a loud noise. We rushed to see what was happening and discovered that a truck had smashed into the room of my brother.

“We shouted for help and later three children were recovered dead and my brother and his wife and another small boy were rescued alive. We rushed them to the hospital.”

Our correspondent gathered that the driver of the truck, Mallam Abdullahi, was not aware that his 20-year-old conductor picked the truck’s key and drove it with his friends when the accident happened.

Confirming the incident, the DPO of Zaria City, Kasim Abdul, who was at the scene of the incident, said they recovered three corpses and rushed two injured to the hospital. He also confirmed the arrest of the truck driver, saying, “The driver has since been arrested and is now in our custody for interrogation.”

A senior council member of the Zazzau Emirate, the Sarkin Fadan Zazzau, Alhaji Abas Ahmed Fatika, who is a neighbour to the victims, pledged to ensure that the culprit was brought to book. (Daily Trust)

Update news