Six Killed, Several Injured in Benue Highway Collision

At least six people have been confirmed dead following a head-on collision along the Makurdi–Gboko Highway in Tarka Local Government Area of Benue State.

The crash, which occurred on Monday near the Tugh-Tugh Sharp Bend shortly after the Agudo axis, involved a Toyota bus and a Sharon bus, according to local authorities.

Bem Agbuku, Security Secretary of Tarka LGA, said emergency responders acted swiftly after the incident. He commended officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and the Chairman of Tarka LGA, Hon. Raphael Yenge, for coordinating immediate rescue efforts.

The injured victims were taken to St. Christopher Clinic in Wannune for treatment, while the deceased were moved to a mortuary.

Benue State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kehinde Dahunsi, confirmed the fatalities on Tuesday. He disclosed that the six victims comprised three adult males, two adult females, and one male child. About 23 other passengers were rescued and are currently receiving treatment.

Dahunsi attributed the crash to excessive speeding.

“The accident actually happened yesterday Monday. From available information from my unit commander, about six people died… and about twenty-three people were rescued unhurt. They are responding to treatment in the hospital now. The major cause of the road traffic crash is over-speeding.

“The driver was over-speeding and he lost control, thereby running to the opposite, which led to a head-on collision with the coming vehicle.

“And our advice to all these drivers is to stop excessive speeding… They should try to adhere to speed limit,” he said.

Highways like Makurdi–Gboko can look deceptively calm. Long stretches. Open road. It is easy for a driver to push a little harder on the accelerator, thinking nothing will happen. Until something does.