At least seven people lost their lives, with five others injured, after a truck trailer collided with multiple vehicles at the Madalla junction in Suleja, Niger State on Friday morning.
The mishap occurred around 11:30 a.m. when the trailer, reportedly descending toward Madalla from the Zuba area of Abuja, lost its brakes. The truck struck about four different vehicles before coming to a halt near a road barrier, where the driver then directed it off the main roadway.
According to an eyewitness the accident followed an earlier confrontation between two drivers, a commercial bus operator and a golf car driver, who disagreed over compensation for a prior minor collision. The bus driver initially offered two million naira for damages; however, the golf car owner demanded four million naira, escalating tensions.
In the ensuing confusion, the trailer ran over the bus and partly hit the golf car before bursting into flames – Saleh Haruna (A local resident)
Emergency responders found four passengers of the bus grievously burnt beyond recognition.
The injured, including the trailer’s driver, were rushed to Lukas Hospital in Madalla. Chief Medical Director Dr. Ugwoegbu Valentine confirmed the deaths of three more patients later, with another still in critical condition.
The trailer driver, who identified himself as Sulaiman Rabiu, stated that he began his journey from Warri, Delta State, on Tuesday, transporting bags of livestock feed to Kano. He arrived at Zuba safely but lost control due to brake failure near Madalla, causing the tragic crash.
Since roadworks began early this year on the Abuja-Kaduna highway stretch near Madalla and Zuba, locals have reported several accidents. The newly contracted construction firm taking over from Julius Berger has been criticized for poor safety measures, including inadequate signage, lack of traffic controls, and missing road shoulders to help vehicles park safely.
While the Divisional Police Officer was unavailable for comment, a senior official confirmed the incident and casualty figures.
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