More than 20 passengers were burnt beyond recognition in a road crash that occurred on Sunday in Bauchi-Nasarawa road.
A prince from Taraba State, Nuhu Hamman Gabdo, his wife, Hadiza Nguroje and her sister, Zainab, as well as his four children, Ummi, Ayman, Firdaus and Abdullah, were among the 17 people burnt to death Saturday night along Akwanga road in Nasarawa State.
Report reaching say that they were returning to Abuja in a Sienna bus after a visit to Gashaka in Mambilla Plateau, Sardauna Local Government Area of Taraba State.
The late Hamman Gabdo was a staff of the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) in Abuja and held the traditional title of Ubandoma of Gashaka Chiefdom, Daily Trust learnt.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Sunday confirmed the accident.
The FRSC Unit Commander in Akwanga, Assistant Corps Commander Ebere Onyegbaduo, said the accident involved a commercial VW Sharon bus and a private Toyota Sienna bus.
Onyegbaduo said a preliminary investigation showed that the accident occurred when the Sharon bus, coming from Abuja, rammed into the Sienna while attempting to overtake on a hilly bend at Agwada town.
He said the two vehicles went up in flames, with the occupants trapped inside, adding that all the 17 people were burnt beyond recognition.
He said the occupants of the Sharon bus were taken to the Akwanga General Hospital; while those of the Sienna had been taken to the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital (DASH), in Lafia.
He said, “We received a distress call of a ghastly accident by 7 pm around Agwada town, between Akwanga and Gudi towns.
“We rushed to the scene and found a commercial VW Sharon bus and a private Toyota Sienna bus engulfed in flames with the occupants inside the burning vehicles.
“We called the fire brigade and the fire was contained by 11 pm and we completed the rescue by 2 am,” he said.
