Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has confirmed the death of four passengers, including a child, following a lone accident along the Cham–Numan Road in Balanga Local Government Area of Gombe State.
FRSC Sector Commander in Gombe, Samson Kaura, who disclosed this on Sunday, said 14 other children sustained various degrees of injuries, while 20 others escaped unhurt in the crash involving a Toyota Hummer bus.
According to Kaura, the accident occurred around 2 a.m. on Sunday when the vehicle, traveling from Toro in Bauchi State to Adamawa State, lost control due to excessive speed.
> “The crash happened around 2 a.m. when a Toyota Hummer bus from Toro to Adamawa, carrying mostly children, lost control along Cham–Numan Road, resulting in the crash,” Kaura said.
He explained that speeding and overloading were major factors that contributed to the accident.
> “The vehicle was moving above the recommended speed, which led to loss of control and the eventual crash.
This is unfortunate because the bus was overloaded; the children were lapping one another, far beyond the vehicle’s capacity,” he stated.
Kaura said the Toyota Hummer, designed to carry 18 passengers, was instead conveying 41 persons, mostly children. He added that the remains of the deceased had been deposited at the Primary Health Care Centre in Cham.
The commander cautioned motorists against night journeys, describing them as particularly dangerous.
> “Though it is their constitutional right to travel at any time, they must know that it is riskier to travel at night than during the day,” he warned.
“Those who try to evade road enforcement officers by traveling at night must desist from such acts and prioritize their safety and that of their passengers.”
Kaura further urged drivers to always obey traffic regulations, emphasizing that human life is far more valuable than any economic gain from reckless driving.
