A Kaduna-based veteran Journalist, Mr Dominic Ozoh and three other persons on Tuesday evening died in a fatal motor accident on Kaduna-Zaria expressway.
Dominic Uzuh was a former Secretary of the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Kaduna State Council.
The Zaria Unit Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abubakar Murabus-Tata, said they received a distress call that an accident happened.
His words: “At about 12:30p.m. today, we received a distress call that an accident happened on Kaduna-Zaria expressway precisely at Dumbin Rauga, about six kilometers away from Zaria.
“It involved two vehicles, a long DAF truck and a Toyota Hiace commercial Bus with registration numbers FKY 321 YF and XB 632 NSR respectively.
“The accident was as a result of dogging potholes by the truck thereby jammed the bus and subsequently bursted in flames which led to the death of four people, three males and a female.”
He said 12 people were involved in the accident, ten persons were inside the bus while two in the truck (truck driver and his boy), adding that nothing happen to the truck driver and his boy.
Murabus-Tata said of the 10 people inside the bus six were responding to treatment at the Ahmadu Bello University Teaching Hospital (ABUTH), Shika where the corpses were also deposited.
“Two of the victims were burnt to ashes and two others died while on the way to the hospital. Actually when we reached the scene of accident the vehicles were still on flames.
“We had no option than to seek the services of the fire service who immediately responded and aided to quench the fire. One person inside the bus was not identified because he burnt beyond recognition and nobody knows where he is coming from.
“In view of that we reported the case to the Chairman, Zaria Local Government who authorised us to go and bury him and the man has been buried according to Islamic rights,” he said.
The Unit Commander attributed the accident to overspending and appealed to motorists to be cautious while on wheels and always respect traffic rules and regulations to arrive their respective destination safely.
On involvement of a veteran journalists in the accident, Murabus-Tata said he had no idea about it but their main duty in the event of an accident was to rush the survivors to hospital .
“Actually I don’t know, you know when an accident happen our own is to rush them to hospital and those who died if their relations are around with the collaboration of the police we release the corpse to them.”
However, daughter to the veteran journalist, Miss Dame Dominic, confirmed that her father died in the accident, saying that she was still in ABUTH Shika waiting for her uncle to come for the corpse.
According to her the deceased left behind four children including 3 female and a male.
Meanwhile, sympathisers, friends have continued to throng to NUJ House located at Muhammed Buhari way to sympathise with members.
The Kaduna NUJ Chairman, Alhaji Yusuf, described the sudden death of Mr. Domic as painful and vacuum that cannot be filled.
He prayed God to forgive his sins even as he wish his soul to rest in perfect peace.
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