20 passengers crushed to death during robbery in SW Nigeria

LAGOS, Aug. 2 (Xinhua) -- 20 passengers traveling on the Sagamu-Ore-Benin Expressway in Ogun State in southwest Nigeria on Saturday lost their lives when a truck crushed them to death in a robbery operation, local media reported on Sunday.

The luxury bus, which was on a night journey to the eastern part of the country, unfortunately ran into a gang of armed robbers operating on the expressway.

The robbers were reported to have blocked the highway with a huge log of wood and ordered the passengers to disembark from the bus.

The innocent passengers were ordered to lie down on the highway before a trailer, which was said to be on top speed, ran over the robbery victims and killed all of them.

Confirming the incident, Olu-Mike Olagunju, the sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission in Ogun State, said 13 men and seven women lost their lives immediately while two men were reported to have been seriously injured.

He said, "This incident is unfortunate. What we observed is that there was no dent on the luxury bus, which indicated that the vehicles did not run to each other. The most likely cause of the accident could be because of the activities of armed robbers."

"We have said it over and over again that people should avoid night journeys," he said.

Meanwhile, 16 people were also crushed to death at Ikotun Lagos by a trailer, which was descending a slope near Synagogue church on Saturday evening, and victims were mainly roadside trailers, the Tribune reported on Sunday.

The tragedy was caused by brake failure and many were trapped.