26 Dead, Army Check Point Causes Road Accident
Not less than 26 persons have been said to die at Ugwu Onyeama in Enugu State along the Enugu-Onitsha federal highway.
The avoidable accident was caused by military roadblock. The accident involved multiple cars that were rammed together by a heavy duty truck that could not hold its brake.
There are too many injured people and are being taken to different hospitals. There is no government ambulance at sight at the time of filing this report.
According to multiple reports, soldiers were intentionally delaying vehicles, which caused a significant traffic. And a trailer that was coming to join the traffic lost air and could not compress.
The trailer was plying the newly constructed lane, on seeing the traffic, it tried to apply brake but failed and smashed more than 12 cars. The cars smashed had people inside and they couldn’t escape.
The trialer driver was shouting when the brake failed but it was too late for the victims.
It’s estimated that more than 26people died instantly, while others with various degrees of injuries are being rushed to hospital.
Some soldiers immediately left the checkpoint after the accident due to people began to blame them for the accident.
This is not the first time illegal checkpoint has caused death of Nigerians.
A video of the incident circulating show bodies of victims scattered on the road. Some vehicles including a petrol tanker truck was seen plunged into a nearby ditch. Some cars were seen smashed beyond recognition
The area has not been condoned off by emergency services. Citizens are trying to extract human beings from crashed vehicles.
The miracle recorded was that a petrol tanker on the traffic did not blow, as it was carrying inflammable product, according to eye witnesses.
The fight to reduce illegal checkpoints in the Eastern part of Nigeria continues to raise dust.
Nigerian police has defended the checkpoints and said that it helps to reduce crime. While most checkpoints only focus on extortion.
The Nigerian Army is not left behind. Recently, a high ranked army officer caught soldiers that mounted a roadblock extorting citizens.
Extortion has become a normal life for Nigerian Army and Police. They see being posted to South as a means to enrich themselves through checkpoint extortion.
The military leadership has promised to deal with soldiers collecting bribes to pass motorists, but the effort has yielded nothing.
Furthermore, after this kind of accident caused by the illegal roadblock, the government fail to compensate victims of this illegality.
“You see these soldiers, they are wicked, they don’t protect us, they have never caught a thief, they have never done anything, only collecting bribe and punishing us”
“They stop your car once they see you making call and seize the phone. Sometimes, they force you to bail yourself. Sometimes they punish you for answering call”
“They don’t care to know whom you are calling, if there is emergency or your call would save a life. This is not good, we are in a country and not bush”
These soldiers should leave us alone and face what they were recruited to do”
Eye witness narrated.
