A series of weekend road accidents across three Nigerian states have resulted in the deaths of at least fifteen people, with multiple others injured.
In Plateau State, five people died early Sunday morning when an overloaded and speeding trailer transporting rice and passengers overturned near the Zangzat Roundabout in Langtang North LGA. Approximately 13 individuals sustained injuries in the crash.
In Bayelsa State, a pregnant woman and two other passengers were killed on Saturday evening when a tricycle collided with a trailer on the Swali Bridge in Yenagoa.
Witnesses reported that the tricycle was attempting to beat a city-wide movement curfew, while the trailer allegedly suffered brake failure. The police have launched an investigation.
Separately, in Jigawa State, seven people lost their lives and 14 were injured in a collision between a Golf 3 wagon and a Toyota Sienna bus on the Dutse-Ringim-Taura Road.
Police suspect speeding and dangerous overtaking were factors.
This incident marks the third fatal crash on that corridor within a week, bringing the local death toll from recent accidents to at least 22.
Authorities in all three states have expressed condolences to the victims’ families and reiterated urgent calls for road safety.
Motorists have been urged to observe speed limits, avoid overloading, and ensure vehicle roadworthiness to prevent further tragedies.
Dele Fashomi, seasoned journalist and communication teacher, is a holder of Master of Arts degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan in 1992/93.
Earlier, he had bagged a Bachelor degree from the same university in 1984, after which he proceeded to the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Lagos, in 1990, for a postgraduate diploma in Journalism.
He had done many courses in communication, including the EU-BBC Editing Course in 2002.
Mr. Fashomi combines effectively the practice, research and teaching of communication. And to date, he has published two academic works in communication: Issues in Communication Technology and Policy (2010) and Economic and Social Issues in Advertising and PR (2013).
He had his first break in the Nigerian media in Concord Newspapers in 1990 and today, he has over two and half decades experience earned in several newspapers.
He has been part of many start-ups, such as The Republic (1987), The Comet (1999), The Anchor 2001 – 2002; Sun Newspapers (2003); Westerner newsmagazine (2005 – 2010) as Editor; National Life (2011) as Sunday Editor, and Newswatch Newspapers (2012- 2016) as Daily Editor.
Dele Fashomi is now the Publisher/Editor-in-Chief of Newstide247.com newspaper online, which he started in July 2015. He is also into biography writing, with many books in his trail, some of which he wrote alone and one he co- authored with his mentor, Mr Dare Babarinsa, entitled: Olabiyi Durojaiye – DARE TO BE DiFFERENT. He also guided and collaborated with Pa Olatunji Odusanya in writing his autobiography – AGAINST ALL ODDS. There are many other books in the works under his pen.
