Road Mishap Kills 30 In Benue

At least 30 persons have been reportedly killed in auto accidents across Benue state in the last three weeks, with over 100 persons injured.

Disclosing this yesterday, at the inauguration of the north
central zone chapter of the Federal Roads Committee on
Surveillance and Action Against Road Abuses,
FERCSARA, in Makurdi, Zonal Commander of the Federal
Road Safety Corps in charge of Zone 4, Assistant Corps
Marshall Yakubu Attah attributed most of the mishaps that
claimed innocent lives of motorists and commuters to "the
abuse of roads in the state through illegal construction of
speed bumps, cutting of major roads and making of bonfire
and erection of illegal checkpoints on the roads."

Speaking earlier, while inaugurating the committee, a
member of the Board of the Federal Roads Maintenance
Agency, FERMA, representing the north central zone, Hon.

Samuel Gwomna disclosed that the federal government
would soon set up mobile courts to try the culprits of road
abuses across the country.

According to Gwomna, "when established, the courts
would go a long way in checking activities that lead to
unwarranted road mishaps and loss of innocent lives across
the country.

While urging road users to strictly abide by the rules
governing the use of roads in the country, Gwomna said,
"those behind the erection of speed bumps, cutting of our
roads and the erection of illegal check points on roads
across the country should also desist or be prepared to face
the wrath of the law."

Also speaking, the north central zone chairman of
FERCSARA and zonal coordinator of FERMA, Mr.
Robinson Ibe said the inauguration of the committee was
timely stressing that it would help the government check
the abuses and deaths recorded on major highways in the
country.

"This committee will henceforth regularly traverse all
federal roads in the zone to ensure that our roads are no
longer abused in any form and by so doing check the
increasing road mishaps in the country," he said.