Tragedy struck in the university community of Felele, Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, on Wednesday, as a heavy-duty truck crushed a lecturer in the Department of Theatre Arts, Federal University, Lokoja.
The Kogi State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Mr Tenimu Etuku, confirmed the death of the lecturer, Mrs Kemi Emmanuel, on Thursday in a telephone conversation with our correspondent in Lokoja, describing the incident as “very sad and unfortunate.”
Etuku said the accident occurred around 3:30 pm on Wednesday when the lecturer fell off a commercial motorcycle, popularly known as an okada, after being hit by a speeding truck along the highway at Crusher, in the Lokoja metropolis.
“When the accident happened, our rescue team responded promptly and quickly rushed the victim to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital, where she was confirmed dead.
“The corpse of the deceased has been deposited at the hospital’s mortuary,” he said.
The FRSC commander expressed shock over the conduct of the okada rider involved in the incident.
This heartrending occurrence has once again highlighted growing concerns over the increasing frequency of accidents involving heavy-duty trucks along the busy Felele axis.
PUNCH Online reports that in May 2025, 19 people, including five children, lost their lives in a tragic accident along the Obajana–Lokoja road, prompting the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, to call for stricter enforcement of road traffic laws on federal highways.
Similarly, in April, six persons died in a road crash involving a passenger bus along the Lokoja–Abuja road, while on October 12, ten persons were killed in another accident along the same Obajana–Lokoja route.
Residents and students have since voiced their concerns, urging the Kogi State Government to take immediate and strategic actions to prevent further tragic loss of lives in similar incidents.
It has been strongly suggested that regulations be introduced to restrict trailers from passing through the city during the day, allowing their movement only after 9:00 pm.
