…As Imo police command commits to strict enforcement of third party vehicle insurance
Victor Duruamaku Owerri
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) says 15 people have died in multiple motor accidents along Olooru/Oko-olowo Road in Ilorin, Kwara, on Wednesday.
Mr Muftau Irekeola, Kwara Sector Commander, FRSC, confirmed this to the News Ageny of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Ilorin.
Irekeola said that two commercial vehicles were involved in the accident which claimed 15 lives, while three people were uninjured.
“On January 22, at about 16:15 hours, we got a call that there was an accident along Olooru/Oko-olowo Road around 16:00 hours and immediately went to the scene.
“We got there at 16:25 hours and discovered that it was a multiple crash that involved two commercial vehicles; a J7 and Toyota, with registration numbers AYE218XC and TTN556XA respectively.
“A total number of 18 people were involved in the auto crash, in which 15 died on the spot and three others were uninjured,” Irekeola explained.
The sector commander said that investigations revealed that the accident was as a result of speeding and wrongful overtaking, which made the drivers hit an obstruction on the road.
He, however, said that the bodies recovered from the scene had been released to the families, while efforts are still ongoing to clear the obstruction.
.As Police command warns on strict enforcement of Third -Party Vehicle Insurance
Meanwhile, Imo state police command is now set to strictly enforce third party vehicle insurance in the state
According to the state commissioner of police Aboki Danjuma, ” this is a bid to ensure the effective enforcement of the third-party vehicle insurance in Imo State”
The Command’s spokes man, DSP, Henry Okoye in an official statement issued in Owerri, said that the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma recently held a crucial meeting with key stakeholders , at the Command’s headquarters in Owerri to this effect
He explained that the meeting centered on sensitizing stakeholders and raising public awareness about the importance of securing vehicle insurance, as mandated by Section 68 of the Insurance Act and Section 312 of the 1945 Motor Vehicle (Third-Party Insurance) Act.
The official statement revealed that the enforcement initiative is set to take effect on 1st February 2025.
It also said that representatives from the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Imo State Transport Corporation, Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and the Imo State Internal Revenue Service (IRS) were present at the meeting during which the Commissioner of Police inaugurated an enforcement team, led by CSP Isa Kolo, to ensure compliance across the state.
The statement said that the Commissioner of Police, Aboki Danjuma emphasized that vehicles without valid third-party insurance will be impounded until compliance is ensured.
In his reaction the statement said, Hon Samuel Udeh, Chairman of the NURTW, pledged the Union’s cooperation, assuring that its members would update their insurance documents promptly while Mr. Collins Osuji, representing the NUJ Chairman, also assured journalists’ support in creating public awareness about the initiative.
The Imo State Police Command calls on all motorists to comply with the third-party insurance requirement and support efforts to improve safety on the roads.