14 Wedding guests perish in Abia road crash

A pall of gloom enveloped Umuahia at the weekend as no fewer than 14 guests returning from a traditional marriage and wedding ceremony lost their lives in a horrific road accident along the Enugu–Port Harcourt Expressway near the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital, Ozalla.

The victims were travelling back from a ceremony in Enugu on Saturday evening when the coaster bus conveying them collided head-on with an articulated vehicle a few metres from the popular 4-Corner Junction. Eyewitnesses said the crash occurred around 6:00 p.m., with 14 passengers reportedly dying instantly, while others later succumbed to injuries in hospital. Several survivors are still battling for their lives in medical facilities in Umuahia.

Most of the deceased were traders dealing in foodstuffs at Bonny Street by Owerri Road near Isi Gate, Umuahia. The groom, Mr. MacDonald Okechukwu, an indigene of Orlu in Imo State, was said to be among traders in the area. His wife hails from Amagunze in Nkanu, Enugu State, where both the traditional marriage and wedding ceremony were held shortly before the tragedy.

When reporters visited Bonny Street on Monday, the usually bustling commercial hub wore a sombre look as shops remained shut and sympathisers thronged the area to console grieving families. Miss Glory Chiamaka Orji, 27, who lost her father, Mr. Sunday Nkemakolam from Isuochi in Umunneochi Local Government Area of Abia State, said the family was still struggling to come to terms with the loss, noting that he was hale and hearty before embarking on the journey.

Another trader described the groom as friendly and sociable, explaining that he personally invited many colleagues, which accounted for the large turnout. She said at least eight traders from Bonny Street died in the crash, while one survivor remains in a coma after losing her mother and her sister’s husband, who married barely two years ago. A popular master of ceremonies in Umuahia known as MC Counsellor, who anchored the wedding, was also among the victims.

Chairman of the Bonny Street Traders Association, Mr. James Edeh, confirmed the incident and described it as horrific. He said preliminary accounts from the trailer driver suggested the bus was allegedly driving against traffic while the trailer attempted to overtake a tricycle, resulting in the fatal head-on collision. He added that 12 bodies, including eight traders, two kinsmen of the groom and two other guests, were evacuated, while two bodies were left in Enugu for easier identification. Injured victims are receiving treatment in private hospitals across Umuahia, with some admitted at the Federal Orthopaedic Hospital, Enugu.

The Abia State Government has expressed sadness over the tragedy. The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the Governor, Ferdinand Ekeoma, said the governor directed the Commissioner for Social Protection and Poverty Alleviation to identify the victims and their families to enable government support for treatment of the injured and assistance to the bereaved.

The tragedy has plunged the trading community and affected families into deep mourning, once again highlighting the dangers on Nigeria’s highways.