The Controller General of the Federal Fire Service, Jaji Abdulganiyu, has called for stricter enforcement of restrictions on articulated vehicle movement at unapproved hours following the tragic truck explosion at Karu Bridge along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway.
Speaking during a Friday visit to victims receiving treatment, Jaji expressed deep sadness over the incident, which claimed 10 lives and left many others injured.
The explosion occurred on Wednesday when a truck lost control and crashed into vehicles caught in traffic, igniting a massive fire that destroyed several cars beyond recognition.
Jaji, accompanied by his management team, emphasized the need for security agencies, including the Federal Road Safety Corps, Police, and Fire Service, to collaborate in enforcing traffic regulations to prevent similar disasters.
“There should be a ban on the movement of articulated vehicles at some hours, particularly during the early hours of the morning when workers are resuming work and early evenings at the peak of retiring from work to their home.
“If truck drivers have been mandated not to move at a particular period, security agencies that are concerned must be there to make sure that they don’t move. Otherwise, this kind of calamity will continue to happen,” he said.
Jaji further revealed that while assessing the accident scene, “his team prevented another potential disaster at the same location.”
A consultant anaesthetist at Cedacrest Hospital, Dr Kate Edionhon, confirmed that “two of the patients under their care were stable, while one remained in critical condition.”
Meanwhile, Adedoye Temitope, a sister to Inspector Chukwuemeka, expressed gratitude to the hospital for admitting her sibling after “several failed attempts at other facilities.”
Jaji reassured all that the “Federal Fire Service remains committed to responding swiftly to emergencies,” stressing that “fire prevention is far more cost-effective than disaster mitigation.”
