No fewer than 27 persons were killed in separate crashes that occurred in Kano and Ogun states on Monday while several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.

PUNCH Metro gathered that 25 persons lost their lives in the Kano crash while two people died in the Ogun crash.

Confirming the Kano accident, the Federal Road Safety Corps Sector Commander in the state, Ibrahim Abdullahi, noted that the accident occurred at the Dangwaro International Market on the outskirts of Kano City.

The passengers, who were said to be travelling from Maiduguri to the southern part of the country, were reportedly loaded in a trailer alongside cows when the incident happened.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the trailer collided with another vehicle and somersaulted several times.

Abdullahi said the accident involved an IVECO trailer with registration number XA 311 ZB.

“We received a call at about 03:15 am on July 1, 2024. On receiving the information, we quickly dispatched our personnel and a vehicle to the scene of the incident to rescue the victims at 03:30 am,” Ibrahim said.

The Sector Commander said the accident occurred due to excessive speed, dangerous driving, and overloading, which led to a loss of control.

He explained that during the rescue operation, items recovered included six motorcycles, 10 mobile phones, animals (goats and rams), maize, and N400,000 cash.

Abdullahi disclosed that all the recovered items had been handed over to the police.

“All the victims were immediately conveyed to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital Kano for urgent medical attention. The doctors on duty confirmed 25 of the victims dead,” he said.

He warned motorists against the unsafe practice of transporting animals and goods alongside human beings.

Meanwhile, in Ogun State, two passengers reportedly lost their lives in the early hours of Monday when a passenger bus rammed into a truck along the Sagamu-Benin Expressway.

This is just as four other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries while 14 escaped unhurt.

PUNCH Metro gathered from the spokesperson for the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, Babatunde Akinbiyi, that the vehicles involved were an unregistered Howo truck and a Toyota Hiace Bus with registration number BEN 823 ZW.

Akinbiyi disclosed further that the accident occurred due to speeding on the part of the bus driver, which led to loss of control and eventual collision with the truck.

He added that 20 persons were involved in the accident comprising 15 males and five females.

“There is a road traffic accident at the Area Command hill, Inbound Ijebu Ode, on the Sagamu-Benin Expressway at about 0630hrs on June 1, 2024. Two vehicles were involved including a Howo truck with no registration number and a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BEN 823 ZW.

“According to eyewitnesses, the accident was caused by excessive speed on the part of the bus driver leading to loss of control thereby crashing into the truck. The victims are 15 males and five females with four injured and two dead.”

The TRACE spokesperson disclosed that the remains of the dead victims were deposited at the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital morgue while the injured were taken to the same hospital for treatment.

“Accident victims have been rescued to OOUTH while the bodies of the two dead victims were deposited at the OOUTH morgue,” Akinbiyi concluded.