14 wedding guests die in auto crash in Abia

— Survivor in coma loses mother, brother-in-law; traders seek government intervention

By Steve Oko

A pall of gloom enveloped Umuahia at the weekend as no fewer than 14 guests returning from a traditional marriage and wedding ceremony lost their lives in a horrific road accident.

The victims were travelling back from a ceremony in Enugu on Saturday night when the coaster bus conveying them collided head-on with an articulated vehicle along the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway near the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ozalla.

Eyewitnesses said the incident occurred around 6:00 p.m., a few metres from the popular 4-Corner Junction. Fourteen passengers reportedly died instantly, while others later succumbed to injuries in hospital. Several survivors are still battling for their lives in medical facilities in Umuahia.

Most of the deceased were traders dealing in foodstuffs at Bonny Street, by Owerri Road near Isi Gate, Umuahia. The groom, Mr. MacDonald Okechukwu, an indigene of Orlu in Imo State, was said to be among the traders in the area. His wife hails from Amagunze in Nkanu, Enugu State, where both the traditional marriage and wedding ceremony were held shortly before the tragedy.

When Vanguard visited Bonny Street on Monday, the usually bustling business hub wore a sombre look. Shops were shut as sympathisers thronged the area to console grieving families.

Miss Glory Chiamaka Orji, 27, who lost her father in the crash, said the family was still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy. Her late father, Mr. Sunday Nkemakolam, hailed from Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State.

“He was hale and hearty before embarking on the journey,” she said, adding that the groom was formerly their co-tenant at No. 8 Bonny Street before relocating about a year ago.

Another trader, who preferred anonymity, described the groom as friendly and sociable, noting that he personally invited many traders, which accounted for the large turnout.

“At least eight traders from Bonny Street died,” she said tearfully. “There is still someone in a coma. She lost her mother and her sister’s husband, who married barely two years ago.”

A popular master of ceremonies in Umuahia known as MC Counsellor, who anchored the wedding, was also among the victims.

Confirming the incident, Chairman of Bonny Street Traders Association, Mr. James Edeh, described the crash as horrific. He said preliminary accounts from the trailer driver suggested the bus was allegedly driving against traffic while the trailer attempted to overtake a tricycle, leading to the fatal head-on collision.

“We evacuated 12 bodies, including eight traders, two kinsmen of the groom and two other guests,” Edeh said, adding that two bodies were left in Enugu for easier identification by their families.

He disclosed that several injured persons are receiving treatment in private hospitals across Umuahia, while some victims with fractures are admitted at the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu. He appealed to the Abia State Government to urgently intervene to ensure adequate medical care for survivors.

Reacting, the Commissioner for Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs. Ngozi Blessing Felix, said she could not comment at the time. However, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the governor had directed that victims be identified for assistance.

“The Governor expressed sadness over the incident and directed the Commissioner for Poverty Alleviation and Social Protection to identify the victims and their families to enable government provide support for treatment of the injured and assistance to bereaved families,” he said.

The tragedy has plunged the trading community and families of the victims into deep mourning, once again highlighting the dangers on Nigeria’s highways.

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