Truck escaping from Police kills more than 20 people in Adamawa

More than 20 persons were on Tuesday reportedly crushed to death after a trailer loaded with farm produce overran several tricycles, popularly known as ‘Keke Napep’, at Vunokilang Bridge (Hayin Gada) in Yola, Adamawa State.
Residents said the accident was caused by policemen, who were pursuing the truck driver for refusing to give them money.
A Vunokilang resident, Malam Umar Shehu, who also sent pictures of the accident to reporters, said he participated in the evacuation of corpses to the specialist hospital in Yola.
According to him, the explanation given by the police was that they were chasing the truck driver for carrying goods suspected to be foreign rice – a situation which led to the unfortunate incident that saw the death of many.
“But, there was no foreign rice in the truck, it was just farm produce. The driver said they were chasing him for refusing to give them money at a checkpoint mounted by the police,” Umar said.
Another resident, Fidelis Jockthan, said he counted several tricycles that were destroyed by the trailer.
He confirmed that there was serious gridlocked on the Yola Bridge such that there was no entry into or out of Yola from the Benue Bridge towards the Modibbo Adama University of Technology.