A DEVASTATING road accident at Madalla junction in Suleja, Niger State, has left at least seven people dead and five others critically injured after a truck trailer rammed into multiple vehicles and burst into flames on Friday morning.
The incident, which occurred around 11:30 am, sparked chaos in the busy town and has once again highlighted the dangers along the Abuja–Kaduna highway corridor, particularly around Madalla and Zuba, where road construction is ongoing.
Eyewitnesses told this newspaper that the accident began when the driver of a commercial bus collided with a golf car. The two drivers reportedly stopped to argue over compensation, with the bus driver offering ₦200,000 to replace a damaged windscreen while the golf driver insisted on ₦400,000.
In the midst of the altercation, a truck trailer descending from Zuba lost its brakes and rammed into the vehicles. The trailer crushed the bus and partially hit the golf car before catching fire. The inferno quickly engulfed the hummer bus, trapping passengers inside.
A resident, Saleh Haruna, said: “About four passengers were burnt beyond recognition before rescuers could pull their bodies out of the bus. Some survivors were rushed to Lukas Hospital in Madalla, including the trailer driver.”
When reporters visited Lukas Hospital on Saturday, the Chief Medical Director, Dr. Ugwoegbu Valentine, confirmed that three of the injured had later died, bringing the death toll to at least seven, while one victim remains in critical condition.
The driver of the ill-fated trailer, identified as Sulaiman Rabiu, was seen in police custody at the Madalla Division. He revealed that he had left Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday with a consignment of livestock feed bound for Kano.
“I arrived Zuba town safely after 11 am, but as I was descending toward Madalla, my brakes failed, which caused the accident,” Rabiu said. Police later escorted him back to the hospital for treatment.
Residents and motorists have expressed anger over the frequency of accidents in the area, blaming the construction company handling the Abuja–Kaduna highway project for failing to provide adequate safety signs, traffic control, and road shoulders for parking.
Locals say accidents have spiked since Julius Berger handed over the project to a new contractor earlier this year.
Although the Divisional Police Officer of Madalla was unavailable for comment, a senior officer at the station confirmed the casualty figures and said investigations were ongoing.
