Fifteen people have been confirmed dead following a motor accident that occurred on the Abuja-Kaduna highway.
The Kaduna State Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, who disclosed this to Channels Television on Sunday, said that the accident occurred around the Greenfield University portion of the Abuja-Kaduna highway in Chikun Local Government Area.
He said that the accident was caused by vehicles driving in the opposite direction to the oncoming traffic.
According to the Commissioner, the crash involved a trailer conveying grains and motorcycles to Abuja and was caused by a combination of speeding and driving against the direction of traffic, adding that it caused the trailer to veer off the pavement and tip over on its side.
Aruwan noted that seven persons died in the crash while five were injured, and were receiving treatment in the hospital.
The commissioner lamented that several other fatal accidents have occurred recently along the route, noting that they were all caused by drivers switching lanes to drive against the normal flow of traffic, usually leading to head-on collisions with oncoming vehicles.
Meanwhile, Governor Nasir El-Rufai has expressed dismay over the incident, and commiserated with the families of the deceased, while wishing the injured quick recovery.
The governor also asked drivers not to switch to another lane to drive against the flow of traffic, adding that the risks involved are too great.