Tragedy struck on Saturday morning as no fewer than three persons lost their lives in a ghastly motor accident at Onyeama Hills axis of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway.
The fatal crash, which involved multiple vehicles, including a black Toyota Sienna bus conveying journalists on an official assignment to Igbo-Etiti Local Government, Enugu State.
Many occupants of the bus, including media professionals from the African Independent Television (AIT) and the Nigerian Television Authority (NTA), sustained varying degrees of injuries in the incident.
Among those injured are: NTA Reporter and Chairman of the NTA Chapel, Chimaroke Ugwu, alongside his cameraman, Jerry. Also affected are: AIT reporter and Secretary of the Private Broadcast Chapel, Kelechi Ehirim, and his cameraman, Ifeanyi Ogbodo.
As of the time of filing this report, the identities of the deceased has not been officially confirmed.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Police were promptly deployed to the scene, where they carried out rescue operations and worked to restore traffic flow along the busy highway.
The Onyeama Hills stretch of the expressway has long been considered a death trap due to its steep terrain, sharp bends, and recurring accidents, raising fresh concerns over road safety in the area.
Reacting to the development, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu state Council, Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, expressed deep sympathy to the injured journalists and thanked God for sparing their lives.
Ogbuka, however, lamented the persistent loss of lives along the Ugwu Onyeama axis and called on relevant authorities to expedite the ongoing reconstruction of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway to prevent further tragedies.
