Two persons were reportedly killed and 10 injured when a police patrol vehicle chased a tipper which rammed into eight tricycles.
The horrific accident occurred on Jimeta bridge linking the Modibbo Adama University of Technology (MAUTECH), Yola, Adamawa state on Tuesday.
Sslisu Ibrahim, a student of MAUTECH and a passenger of one of the tricycles, narrated how he escaped unhurt.
“We suddenly saw a truck coming with speed and a police van was pursuing it. All of us in our Keke Napep jumped out and fled, the driver lost control and the truck hit other Keke Napeps, crushing people before our eyes,” Ibrahim said.
Another eyewitness, Wilfred Fulma, said, “The accident was caused by policemen pursuing the truck driver for refusing to give them money.”
Umar Shehu, also at the scene of the accident said, “The police were chasing the truck because they suspected it to be carrying foreign rice.
“The driver told us they were chasing him for refusing to give them money at a checkpoint the police mounted.”
But the police in a statement made available to SaharaReporters, police said, “One Abubakar Ahmed, a rider of tricycle, with registration number Jad 051VV, had an accident as a result of tyre burst (blowout) on Jimeta bridge.
“When policemen from Central Motor Traffic Division visited the scene to render first-aid services and to clear obstruction, hoodlums attacked them by stoning and damaging the police patrol vehicle.
“There and then, a tipper with registration number KTG 12 XA, driven by one Musa Mohammed, lost break and hit eight tricycles.”
When contacted the sector commander of the Federal Road Safety, Husseini Mohammed, said the corps was investigating the accident.
