Seven injured as Bullion Van crashes on Abuja Expressway

At least seven persons, including a police escort, were injured on Wednesday following a road accident involving a bullion van and a Toyota Camry near the Julius Berger roundabout along the Nnamdi Azikiwe Expressway, Abuja.

The accident, which occurred at about 2:45 pm, reportedly involved a rear-end collision that left both vehicles badly damaged and triggered a prolonged traffic gridlock on the busy expressway.

An eyewitness, Hassan Umar, said the bullion van rammed into the Camry from behind, forcing the smaller vehicle off balance.

According to him, the impact caused the bullion van to somersault several times before eventually landing inside a drainage by the roadside.

“The crash immediately brought traffic to a standstill because the bullion van overturned and blocked part of the road,” Umar said.

He added that three occupants of the bullion van were rescued shortly after the incident, while security operatives swiftly transferred the cash being conveyed in the van into a backup escort vehicle, which left the scene minutes later.

Umar, who said he was familiar with the occupants of the Toyota Camry, identified the injured victims as Ibrahim Isaac (31), the driver; Muhammad Obago (32); Sanni Uzanga (30); and Kabiru Usman (25).

The victims reportedly sustained varying degrees of injuries and were taken to the National Hospital, Abuja, for medical attention.

Police officers who arrived at the scene confirmed that they acted on a distress call received from the control room.

One of the officers, who spoke anonymously, disclosed that investigations had commenced to establish the exact cause of the accident.

Residents and motorists expressed concern over the recurring accidents along the corridor, noting that a similar crash occurred near the same location last month, also leaving several people injured.

The incident has once again raised questions about road safety and traffic management along one of Abuja’s busiest highways.