Tragedy in Bayelsa: 20 die in road accident

By The Rainbow

About 20 students of the Niger Delta University (NDU), in Wilberforce Island,  Bayelsa State, were reported  killed in an accident along the Tombia highway, the only road leading to the university.

THE RAINBOW leant that the victims of the accident were mostly part-time students of the state-owned Niger Delta University, Amassoma who were returning from lectures in a 13-seater bus that collided with another that was returning to Amassoma from Yenagoa.

The accident, it was  gathered, happened when two buses coming from opposite directions had a head on collision on Tuesday evening. Coincidentally, both buses belonged to the state-transport company.

A report quoted an eyewitness, Mr Inaikozia Fumgbe who is a 100-level Sociology student of NDU and whose vehicle was behind the bus, as saying  said the 13-seater bus with registration number RIVERS KNM 1415A clashed with another thirteen seater bus with registration number RIVERS SP 269 KPR from Yenagoa. It was without its headlight and was on high speed.

He said the accident occurred at about 8 pm on Tuesday night on the Amossoma-Ekpetiama road. He added that one pregnant woman was crushed while others with serious injuries and those that died on the spot were taken to nearby clinics and hospitals in Yenagoa.

He attributed the cause of the accident to over-speeding, When our correspondent visited the scene of the accident the mangled buses which belong to the Bayelsa State Transport Company were littered with blood stains and handouts of students and foodstuffs.

The bodies of the victims were  deposited at the NDU Teaching Hospital at Okolobiri, while the injured victims were receiving treatment at various hospitals in Yenagoa.

However, when contacted, the Public Relations Officer of Niger Delta University, Mr Joe Alagoa, who confirmed the accident, said nobody died in the mishap.But the students of the university insisted several students died.