Six persons have lost their lives, while 14 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a fatal crash along the Abakaliki–Enugu Expressway in Ebonyi State.
The accident, which occurred near the Nkalagu overhead bridge in Ishielu Local Government Area, involved a tipper truck and a commercial bus loaded with passengers.
Confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ebonyi State, Mr. Anthony Ogbodo, said 22 people were involved in the crash, with two escaping unhurt.
He attributed the cause of the accident to dangerous overtaking along the busy route.
Ogbodo said the victims were immediately evacuated to nearby hospitals for medical attention.
“Some of the injured victims were taken to Annunciation and Orthopaedic hospitals in Enugu by our officers and the Red Cross, while others were taken to the General Hospital, Ezzamgbo, in Ebonyi State,” he said.
A resident of Nkalagu, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the Enugu–Nkalagu section of the expressway as one of the most dangerous routes in the area, blaming its design and poor construction for frequent crashes.
“The road is very risky because of its one-way nature and the hard concrete central demarcation, which prevents vehicles from manoeuvring or avoiding reckless drivers,” the resident said.
He recalled that since 2019, when former Governor David Umahi began the dualization of the Enugu–Abakaliki Expressway with a flyover at the Nkalagu junction, a one-kilometer stretch from the Enugu–Nkalagu boundary to the junction has remained incomplete and blocked.
“The central demarcation worsens the situation, leaving vehicles with no escape route during emergencies. Hardly a month passes without an accident on this road,” he added.
The resident appealed to both the federal and state governments to expedite work on the project to prevent further loss of lives, noting that residents along the route struggle to access their homes due to the blockade.
