Bayelsa State was thrown into mourning after a devastating accident along the Tombia–Ammassoma highway claimed the lives of two suspected university students and left several passengers critically injured.
The collision involved a tipper truck and a commercial tricycle, commonly referred to as an “okada,” in a part of the state already notorious for dangerous road conditions.
The accident occurred near a sharp bend on the highway, an area marked by poor road signage, limited visibility, and a history of speeding-related incidents.
Eyewitnesses reported that the tipper truck lost control while descending the slope at high speed, colliding violently with the tricycle and leaving it mangled beyond recognition. The force of the crash reportedly threw passengers from the tricycle, causing severe injuries to multiple individuals.
Speaking on the incident, Godspower Okolo, a trader in the vicinity, described the horror at the scene. “The tricycle had no chance of avoiding the tipper. The impact was so strong that the vehicle was completely destroyed. It was a scene of utter chaos,” he recounted.
Okolo further noted that local residents and Good Samaritans quickly came to the aid of the injured, transporting them to the Federal Medical Centre in Yenagoa for emergency treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were taken to a nearby morgue for proper identification and postmortem procedures.
The tragedy has reignited calls for stricter traffic enforcement and better road safety measures along the Tombia–Ammassoma route.
Okolo urged authorities, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the Bayelsa State Police Command, to increase patrols, conduct regular safety inspections on heavy-duty vehicles, and install speed-reducing measures such as speed breakers at hazardous points. Mrs. Ebike Ekain, another local resident, cautioned that without immediate intervention, more lives would continue to be lost on the perilous road.
This is not the first incident of its kind in the area. Reports indicate that approximately 15 accidents have occurred on the Tombia–Ammassoma road over the past 18 months, many involving tipper trucks and commercial tricycles. The recurrent pattern of accidents highlights long-standing issues of road safety neglect, vehicle overloading, and reckless driving.
Bayelsa Police spokesman, DSP Musa Muhammad, confirmed the collision and said that investigations have commenced to determine the precise cause of the crash. Authorities have appealed to motorists to exercise caution, especially around sharp bends, and to adhere strictly to traffic regulations to prevent further tragedies.
The Bayelsa community is now calling for urgent interventions, including improved road infrastructure, better street lighting, clearer road markings, and enforcement of speed limits, in a bid to reduce the alarming rate of traffic accidents in the state.
