At least seven persons have died in a road accident involving a tanker laden and a mini-commercial bus in Owerri, Imo State capital on Friday evening.
Eyewitnesses said the commercial bus was heading to Douglas Road when it was rammed into by the tanker at the edge of the Otamiri River at about 6 pm.
According to eyewitnesses, the sirene blared by vehicles belonging to Nigerian Correctional Center in Owerri overwhelmed the tanker driver, forcing him to veer off the road before the truck rammed into the mini-bus.
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According to the National Emergency Management Agency, four passengers and the driver died on the spot while two other passengers died at the Federal Medical Center, Owerri.
Evans Ugoh, the Abia and Imo States commander of NEMA blamed men of the Nigerian Correctional Center for the accident.
He said their reckless driving and manoeuvring might have scared the driver and forced him to lose control before ramming into the mini-bus.
Ugoh who visited the scene to access the damage said the Correctional Center’s driver conveying inmates back to prison was driving recklessly, including the guns trotting by the prison police officer escorting the van.
