Bullion van kills 2, injures UTME candidates

A bullion van belonging to a commercial bank has killed two persons and injured three prospective Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination candidates waiting for their PIN number at a Skye Bank branch in Lafia.

An eyewitness said the incident occurred at about 3pm on Tuesday when the driver of the van said to be on top speed lost control of the Toyota Hilux pick-up van and rammed into a commercial motorcycle rider conveying a candidate.

The witness, who would not give his name, alleged that the van driver was eating when the accident occurred.

He said, “The vehicle crushed the okada rider, his passenger and then knocked down three other persons standing along the road. The okada rider died on the spot while the JAMB candidate later died the same day at about 6pm at the Dalhatu Araf Specialist Hospital where she was rushed to for treatment.”

One of the victims, who spoke to Northern City News on his sickbed, Mr. James Chima, said he was rescued from under the van after it knocked him down.

“I was standing by the roadside beside the Skye Bank premises when suddenly a police van rammed into me and I found myself under the vehicle,” he narrated.

Another eyewitness, whose sister was hit by the van, said he narrowly escaped being hit by the vehicle which he said was on a high speed.

“I was with my sister, Aisha Ikpanago, who had just completed her JAMB registration process in Skye Bank and we were discussing when suddenly the police vehicle knocked her down and hit other prospective JAMB candidates,” he said.

Ikpanago could not speak when our correspondent visited her in the hospital as she was in pain.

The police spokesman in the state, DSP Idrisu Kennedy, confirmed the incident, but noted that the vehicle involved in the accident belonged to a bank and not the police.

He said, “The driver is an employee of the bank and most of the bullion vans are properties of the banks.”

Kennedy said investigation had commenced into the accident.