By: Zagazola Makama
A dark cloud enveloped the Lambata-Lapai Highway on Friday following a gruesome road crash that claimed the lives of six individuals in a devastating collision between a fuel-laden tanker and a private sedan.
Eyewitnesses told Zagazola Makama that the tragic incident occurred along the notorious Kitikpa Old Gawu Road—an accident-prone stretch of the Lambata-Lapai Highway—when a DAF tanker truck with registration number DKA 30X, en route from Lagos to Kaduna, veered recklessly into the path of an oncoming vehicle.
The tanker, driven by Ibrahim Umar, a native of Kaduna State, reportedly lost control at a bend while attempting to overtake another vehicle at high speed. In a blink, the massive truck rammed into a sedan bearing plate number LFA 724 XA, driven by Sule Abdullahi, a resident of Bwari Area Council in the Federal Capital Territory.
The brutal impact crushed the smaller car, leaving no chance of survival for its six occupants. First responders and horrified bystanders rushed the victims to the Federal Medical Centre in Lambata. However, hopes were dashed as medical personnel confirmed all six victims dead on arrival.
Their remains have since been deposited in the hospital’s mortuary pending formal identification by grieving relatives.
Authorities swiftly mobilized to the scene. The wrecked vehicles were towed to the nearest police division for investigation, while officers from the Vehicle Inspection Office (VIO) have launched an in-depth assessment into the mechanical and safety conditions of the involved vehicles.
The tragic incident has reignited public concern over the unchecked recklessness of some tanker drivers and the growing dangers of Nigeria’s highways, especially during high-traffic periods.
Local residents and commuters have called on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other traffic enforcement agencies to intensify patrols and implement stricter speed regulations along the Lambata-Lapai axis to avert further bloodshed.
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