A fatal collision between a trailer and a vehicle loaded with sachet water on Monday evening has left several motorists feared dead along the notoriously dangerous Nyanya-Mararaba Road near Karu Bridge in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The gruesome crash—described by witnesses as catastrophic—comes less than 24 hours after another devastating accident occurred at the same location on Sunday, involving at least seven vehicles and leaving multiple casualties in its wake.
According to eyewitnesses, the impact of Monday’s collision was violent, with screams of bystanders piercing the evening air as emergency responders scrambled to pull victims from the wreckage. The accident triggered a massive traffic snarl, paralyzing movement on the vital corridor that connects Abuja to Nasarawa State.
Though the exact number of fatalities remains unconfirmed, several victims are feared to have lost their lives on the spot. Photos and videos circulated online show mangled vehicles and the lifeless bodies of some of the victims covered in blood.
The Sunday incident, no less tragic, was equally harrowing. Former Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Emmanuel Ogbeche, who witnessed the crash, took to Facebook to describe the terrifying moment.
“Often than not, we underestimate our going out and coming in,” Ogbeche wrote. “Just about an hour ago, some people met their end in-bound Karu Site. A terrible accident involving about seven cars, some beyond repair, in a crash with a low-bed or caterpillar.”
These two successive accidents add to a growing list of fatal crashes on the Nyanya-Mararaba Road, a route long regarded by commuters as a death trap due to its combination of heavy traffic, reckless driving, poor enforcement of traffic laws, and dilapidated infrastructure.
Reports indicate that at least two other fatal crashes were recorded near the Karu Bridge just last month. Many residents say they now live in fear each time they use the highway.
“This road is cursed,” a frustrated commuter lamented. “Every week, we see blood, twisted metal, and broken lives. When will the government wake up?”
Despite the frequency and severity of the incidents, relevant authorities have yet to release any official statements regarding either of the two latest accidents. However, pressure is mounting on the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), FCT authorities, and the Ministry of Works to take immediate action.
Citizens and advocacy groups are calling for:
Deployment of more traffic personnel during peak hours,
Installation of speed breakers and warning signs,
Mandatory safety checks for heavy-duty and commercial vehicles, and
Urgent repairs on hazardous stretches of the highway.
As emergency services continue to clear the wreckage and tend to the injured, commuters are strongly advised to avoid the Nyanya-Mararaba corridor where possible and exercise extreme caution while driving.
Until then, the highway remains a deadly ribbon of asphalt—claiming lives in a vicious cycle of tragedy that shows no sign of slowing.
PIONEER NEWS 