Two lecturers, family members perish in road accident

Two lecturers from the Mass Communication department of the University of Mkar in Benue state, Joshua Leva and Moses Tarnongo have been confirmed killed in a motor accident on Saturday at a village near Gbatse in Ushongo Local Government Area of the state.

The institution’s Registrar, Rev. Emmanuel Astor, who confirmed the deaths on Sunday in Makurdi, said one of the lecturers, Tarnongo, also lost his wife and three children during the incident.

The registrar said the victims were on transit to Adikpo, Kwande Local Government Area to see a friend when the incident occurred.

“Yes. They were involved in an accident on their way to see one cleric in Adikpo. One staff member, who also drove, was with a friend from Tor Donga village. The other staff was with his wife and three kids.

“All seven people are dead, and lying at Oostra Gum Hospital, Ushongo, Benue State,” he said

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) had earlier confirmed the death of seven passengers involved in a road accident at Gbatse Village in Ushongo Local Government Area of the state.

FRSC Public Enlightenment Officer in the state, DRC Joyce Akura, in Makurdi said that the incident occurred along Ugbema-Adikpo road late Saturday.

Akura said that the accident involved two vehicles – a truck with registration number WKR 496 XA and a Toyota car with registration number MKD 300 NH.

She said that 12 passengers were involved in the crash.

She explained that seven passengers were confirmed dead, one was injured and was receiving treatment, while the remaining four escaped unhurt.

The FRSC official said the cause of the accident had yet to be ascertained, adding that the corps would conduct a “crash investigation’’ to determine the cause of the crash.

“The accident was between two vehicles, a Man-diesel truck with registration number WKR 496 XA and a Toyota car with registration number MKD 300 NH,’’ she said.

She said the dead bodies had already been deposited at a morgue in Ushongo.