Kano: Uproar over deadly teens’ crash – FRSC blames parents – Two million Nigerians drive unlicensed
The crash occurred when two speeding cars in which they were travelling in high speed collided and rammed into a pedestrian bridge at Gyadi-Gyadi on Zaria Road in Kano metropolis. The students, seven in each car, were returning from the wedding party of one of their relations, Abdullahi Yahuza, at the Ni’ima Guest Palace when […]
The crash occurred when two speeding cars in which they were travelling in high speed collided and rammed into a pedestrian bridge at Gyadi-Gyadi on Zaria Road in Kano metropolis. The students, seven in each car, were returning from the wedding party of one of their relations, Abdullahi Yahuza, at the Ni’ima Guest Palace when one of their vehicles hit a pedestrian who was trying to cross the road.
The vehicles, which burst into flame immediately after the collision, were said to have also bumped into a petrol sale point at the foot of the pedestrian bridge before they crashed into the bridge. The roaring effect of the fire drew the attention of motorists plying the road and those living around the area. “May this fire not involve human beings,” loudly prayed a woman who was driving home in a Honda Concerto. But unknown to her, her three sons and six other close relations were burning in the flames.
“I never knew that my sons and my car were the ones burning,” Hajiya Hadiza Baffa Yola said. It was gathered that she left the car with one of her sons Khalifa after the dinner party and was driving home in another car. Weekly Trust gathered that the two cars belonged to her husband and a former commissioner in the state, Alhaji Mahmoud Baffa Yola.
An eyewitness, Danladi Sule, said when one of the cars, a Toyota Carina, swerved and slowed down in order to dodge the pedestrian, the other car, a Honda Civic, collided into it and caused an instant explosion. The pedestrian, Muhammadu Rabiu sustained serious injuries and died in the early hours of Sunday in the hospital. Another source however said one of the cars skidded off the road and hit the pedestrian when it was trying to overtake a trailer.
But suddenly after the crash, the two cars went up in flames.
Eyewitness accounts revealed that the occupants of the two vehicles were screaming and crying out for help. It was gathered that even after the fire was brought under control after blazing for about 20 minutes, the wreckage of the vehicles had to be ripped open to remove the lads’ charred bodies. “We had to rip open the roof of the vehicles in order to remove their bodies and rescue those we found alive,” said a firefighter.
A relation of two of the deceased who pleaded anonymity, said two of the boys, Auwalu Idris and 19-year-old Aminu Mohammed had just sat for their Senior Secondary School Certificate Examinations (SSCE), while the remaining others were in secondary school, remedial studies or their early undergraduate years. It was also established that others like Mansur Gwadabe Aliyu were studying at the School of Management Studies, Kano. Late Gwadabe, who lived in Daurawa Quarters, lost his father a few years ago.
The family of Alhaji Yola, was celebrating the marriage of one of its members, Abdullahi Yahuza, a protocol officer at the Kano Government House. The wedding fatiha would have been extended but for the insistence of Alhaji Yola, who said the wedding should take place the following morning. And so it held.
The officer in charge of operations in the state Fire Service, Kassim Musa said they were alerted at 11:53 pm on Saturday night and they arrived at the scene of the accident around 11:56. He said seven people were already dead on the spot, while eight others were rescued and taken to the hospital, where they died.
But much earlier before the incident, the residents of Court Road had to erect temporary ramps to hamper the pace of over-speeding motorcade of the teenagers, who had a party in the afternoon at Social Welfare Hall. While calling on government to relocate the party hall, a resident of the area, Salisu Magaji Gombe, said the presence of the party hall in their neighborhood posed a threat to their lives as merry-makers drive recklessly.
The Kano Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ahmad Hassan said the two overloaded vehicles were over-speeding. He also said all the occupants were teenagers who, according to him, were over-speeding. “Both the drivers and the passengers are young boys. And you know people of that age group are thrilled by over-speeding,” he said. While condoling with the families of the deceased, the corps commander cautioned parents to desist from allowing their underage children from driving.
Deputy Commissioner of Police Tanko Lawan said the boys were stopped by the police close to the accident scene but they zoomed-off in high speed. “I was at the scene of the accident immediately after the crash. The police stopped them but they ignored them,” explained DCP Tanko.
Weekly Trust gathered that the problem of under-age driving, particularly children of wealthy parents in the city of Kano has been a problem. Another factor that seems to be aiding this problem is the inability of the traffic regulatory agencies to arrest the situation. Weekly Trust gathered that most of these boys drive without driving licenses or permits but the authorities, particularly the Road Safety and Vehicle Inspector Officers, have not been able to control the menace.
Amidst the growing concern of Nigerians on the rate of accidents in the country, Weekly Trust sort to find out the statistics of Nigerians carrying driving licence.
As at Thursday, October 22nd, statistics made available to our correspondent by the Public Education Department of Federal Roads Safety Corps (FRSC), shows that over 2 million Nigerians drive illegally. The statistics say those with fresh license are 1,567,143.Those with renewed ones are 1,839,690.The total sum of which is 3,406,833. Further findings show that the number of vehicle plate numbers available at the same date stands at 5,408,639. By implication 2, 00,806 vehicles have no license.