By IBIRONKE ARIYO

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed that 10 persons died while 11 others were injured in a crash that occurred on the Obajana–Lokoja route in Kogi on Friday night.

The Corps Marshal of FRSC, Malam Shehu Mohammed, disclosed this in a statement on Saturday in Abuja.

The statement was issued by the Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Mr Olusegun Ogungbemide.

Mohammed said that the crash, which occurred at about 11:30 p.m. at Apamaru, involved a white Toyota Hiace commercial bus with registration number KTG 100YL.

He said the vehicle was conveying 21 male passengers.

According to him, preliminary investigations by the FRSC revealed that the accident was due to speed violation and wrongful overtaking by the driver.

The driver, he said, lost control of the vehicle.

He said the injured victims were evacuated to Fisayo Hospital, Obajana, while the remains of the deceased were handed over to their families.

Expressing grief over the tragic loss of lives, Mohammed cautioned against night travels, excessive speeding and wrongful overtaking.

He said these factors remained leading causes of fatal crashes in Nigeria.

Mohammed urged passengers to be vigilant and proactive in cautioning or reporting reckless drivers on the road.

He stressed that “silence in the face of recklessness is complicity in tragedy.”

Mohammed reminded all road users that road safety remained a shared responsibility.

He urged road users to report reckless drivers by dialing the FRSC toll-free number 122.

Mohammed said road users could also alert the nearest FRSC patrol team or any security agency on the route.

He reiterated the corps’ commitment to intensifying enforcement against overloading.

Mohammed further said the corps would strengthen advocacy campaigns discouraging night journeys, especially on critical transport corridors. (NAN)