Kano Governor, Abdullahi Umar Ganduje, Saturday visited families of the 16 persons who died in an accident along the Kaduna-Abuja Expressway.
The dead, all males, hailed from Dambatta of the Dambatta Local Government Area of Kano State.
It was gathered the mishap occurred when a tyre of the Hummer Bus conveying them punctured and made the driver to lose control.
“The bus somersaulted many times before plunging into a ditch,” an eyewitness said.
Three persons, however, survived the accident, in which 19 passengers were on board the bus, including the driver.
Police Force Spokesman, DCP Frank Mba, in a statement, said: “The unfortunate death of the 16 travelers and injuries of three others were due to a fatal vehicular accident.”
“The sad event occurred on December 8, 2020, at about 0120hrs, when the driver of an 18-seater Hummer Bus, Registration Number FGE 553 ZS, belonging to Yasalam Transport, lost control and summersaulted many times around the ALCON Filling Station, Rigachukun, Igabi Local Government Area in Kaduna State.”
Mba said nine passengers died on the spot, while ten others, who sustained various degrees of injury, were rushed to St. Gerald’s Hospital, Kakuri. However, seven of the injured subsequently died, bringing the total of the dead to 16.
Families of the dead gathered in Dambatta upon hearing that the governor was paying visit to condole with them.
A statement by Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Abba Anwar, said the governor gave N1.6 million to the bereaved.
“Families of the deceased persons got N100,000 each,” the statement said.
“When we got the sad news of the accident involving 16 people from the Dambatta Local Government Area and another one from the Kura Local Government Area, we were shocked by the tragedy.
“But I wish to remind all of you that the tragedy was from the Almighty Allah. What is left for us all to do is to continue praying for them,” the governor said.
Sulaiman Muhammad, who spoke on behalf of the bereaved families, commended the governor for his kind gesture and concern for what happened.
“We are heartbroken over the tragedy; we are however happy that the governor is here with his cabinet members and party leaders and elders to mourn with us,” Muhammad said.