The Anambra State Police Command has reacted to the fatal accident which occurred at the Ihiala axis of the Onitsha-Owerri Road, Ihiala local government area of the state, on Friday, 18th February, 2022.
Two lives were lost while 9 other persons sustained various degrees of injury in the road crash which happened when an unidentified driver of an orange Mercedes 911 truck rammed into a filling station.
According to the report, the truck with number plate UWZ556XA, rammed into six other vehicles at Ken Maduako’s oil and gas filling station along the Ihialla-Onitsha road area of the state.
The Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, in a statement, attributed the fatal crash to over-speeding and brake failure by a container-bearing trailer whose driver is one of the two persons that died in the unfortunate accident.
The statement which was signed by DSP Tochukwu Ikenga, PPRO Anambra State Police Command, while commiserating with the families of the victims, condemned the action of the trailer drivers; blocking the highways in protest.
The statement reads:
“The Commissioner of Police, Anambra State Command, CP Echeng Echeng wishes to commiserate with families of the two persons who died and nine others who were injured in a fatal accident which occurred yesterday 18th February, 2022 at Ihiala on Onitsha-Owerri Expressway. The Federal Road Safety Commission attributed the fatal crash to over-speeding and brake failure by a container-bearing trailer whose driver is one of the two persons that died in the unfortunate accident.”
“While the Police indeed have a Stop and Search Point close to the scene of the accident, it is wrong to blame the Police for the unfortunate incident. The fact that only six vehicles were on queue on a dual carriage way as busy as that Expressway is evidence that the Police has been responsible and sensitive to the plight of the motoring public, ensuring minimal delay as it conduct stop and search operations aimed at protecting not only Police facilities in the area from insurgents’ attacks but also the general public who are mostly at the receiving end of escapades by criminal elements.
“The Police Command also commend the officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission for promptly rising to the occasion and partnering with the Police in getting the injured to the hospital and clearing the wreckage from the road to allow for free flow of traffic.
“It is unfortunate that drivers4 of container bearing trailers, under the umbrella of their union, who were mis-informed about the cause of the accident mobilised heavy trucks to the scene at about 1630 hours on the day of the accident and blocked the ever busy highway on both sides. All entreaties made to them to consider the plight of the motoring public have fell on deaf ears. Innocent motorists are at the receiving end of this ill-advised blockade.
“The Nigeria Police wishes to appeal to the unionists to have a rethink in the interest of their fellow citizens and consider the plight of stranded travellers to remove the blockade from the highway. The Police will continue to explore peaceful means of resolving the imbroglio to prevent further loss of precious human lives.
“The CP while thanking the good people of Anambra State for the robust support to the Command continue, assures that the Police will continue to raise the bar of service delivery in the interest and safety of law abiding public ‘
