Tragic auto crash kills 13 in Yobe, Sokoto

A fatal auto crash along the Damaturu-Maiduguri Road in Yobe State has claimed the lives of 10 people, with three others sustaining injuries.  

According to eyewitnesses, the accident occurred when a truck loaded with cement and carrying 13 passengers lost control and somersaulted into a ditch.

The truck reportedly experienced brake failure and collided with a Sharon car at a checkpoint before veering off the road.

The Yobe State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the incident, stating that preliminary investigations indicate brake failure as the likely cause. The injured victims were rushed to the hospital for urgent medical attention.

Abdulkarim stated, “The truck, carrying cement and passengers, lost control and crashed. Out of the 13 passengers onboard, 10 died instantly, while the remaining three were rushed to the Specialists Hospital in Damaturu for treatment.”

According to him, the driver of the Sharon car, who was alone at the time, survived unhurt, although the vehicle sustained significant damage.

In Sokoto, a separate accident at Tashan Illela, a mini garage on the outskirts of Sokoto metropolis, resulted in the loss of three lives.

A source described the incident as chaotic scene, saying that a truck navigating the Tashan Illela roundabout lost control, crushing several people and injuring many others.

Hassan Maikano, the Sokoto State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), confirmed the incident, saying that the Mitsubishi Canter truck’s driver had been arrested by the police.

According to him, investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the accident and the total number of those affected.