Tension in Yobe as Youths Protest After Trailer Crushes One, Injures Six
- One person was confirmed dead, and six others were injured after a trailer collided with a passenger vehicle in Damagum, Yobe state
- The accident triggered protests by angry youths who accused authorities of failing to curb recurring road crashes in the area
- However, the Police dispersed the protesters and confirmed that the victims were taken to hospitals for treatment
Legit.ng's Muslim Muhammad Yusuf is a 2025 Wole Soyinka Award-winning journalist with over 8 years of experience in investigative reporting, human rights, politics, governance and accountability in Nigeria.
Damagum, Yobe State - A fatal road crash in Damagum, Fune Local Government Area of Yobe state, has triggered tension after residents staged a protest over what they described as recurring, avoidable accidents on the busy Damaturu–Potiskum highway.
The incident, which happened late Wednesday night, claimed the life of one man and left six others hospitalised.
Source: Original
According to residents, the latest crash renewed long-standing fears about the safety of the road, especially around Damagum, where heavy human and market activities on Sundays and Wednesdays often force pedestrians to cross close to the highway.
A witness told Daily Trust that the accident involved a trailer heading from Damaturu to Lagos. The vehicle reportedly lost control before ramming into a Mitsubishi Canter transporting passengers.
“The trailer, with registration number MUS 791XH, violently slammed into the smaller vehicle carrying eighteen occupants, leaving the scene in chaos,” the witness said.
Another resident said the community was tired of counting deaths on the Potiskum–Maiduguri corridor.
“The frequency of these heartbreaking incidents in Damagum is causing sorrow and anger. We are losing people almost daily. Authorities must install speed limits and enforce checks on overloaded trailers,” he said.
Protest breaks out
As reported by Daily Trust, moments after the crash, angry youths took to the streets, demanding urgent intervention from the government and security agencies.
They lamented what they described as years of negligence, claiming that repeated calls for speed control measures had been ignored.
Source: Twitter
Police operatives, however, intervened and dispersed the crowd to prevent hoodlums from taking advantage of the demonstration.
Police confirm death, injuries
The Public Relations Officer of the Yobe state Police Command, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed the casualty figures.
“As a result, several passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries, while one Dahiru Maikudi, 40, of Yaskawel, was medically examined and certified dead at the General Hospital, Damagum. Six victims were later referred to the Teaching Hospital for further medical attention,” he said.
Residents are now calling for the immediate installation of speed-calming measures, stricter enforcement of road safety rules, and routine checks on heavy-duty vehicles to prevent further tragedies.
Accident on Damaturu–Kano highway claims 7 lives
Legit.ng earlier reported that seven people, including two children, lost their lives in a tragic motor accident on the Damaturu–Kano highway in Yobe State.
The collision between a Sienna bus and a Toyota car at Warsalla village left more than a dozen others injured, with overspeeding cited as the cause.
Emergency responders swiftly evacuated victims to the Yobe State Teaching Hospital for treatment and deposition
Source: Legit.ng
