Three people have been confirmed dead, while about 40 others were injured after a canter truck crashed into pedestrians along the Gombe–Potiskum Road in Yobe State.
The accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. on Wednesday near Badejo town in Potiskum Local Government Area, a section of the highway known for heavy activity, especially on market days.
Eyewitnesses said the truck was travelling at high speed before the driver lost control and rammed into people sitting by the roadside.
Confirming the incident, the Yobe State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Paul Andrew, said the crash involved a canter vehicle that veered off the road and caused multiple casualties.
According to him, preliminary investigations indicated that overloading and excessive speed were responsible for the accident. He explained that the driver lost control while navigating the busy stretch of the road, leading to the fatalities and injuries.
Andrew added that the vehicle was heading towards the Potiskum cattle market on a market day, when there was a high volume of human and vehicular traffic.
Emergency responders, including FRSC operatives, promptly rescued the injured and took them to nearby hospitals for treatment, while the bodies of the deceased were evacuated. The road was also cleared to restore traffic flow.
The FRSC commander urged motorists to avoid overloading and speeding, particularly during market days, warning that such violations continue to result in preventable loss of lives.