Former Nigerian international footballer Ogenyi Onazi has called on the Federal Government of Nigeria and the Federal Road Safety Corps to intervene following a tragic accident that claimed the life of his sister-in-law and left his brother severely injured.
A post by Onazi on Friday via his Instagram noted that the incident occurred on Tuesday at approximately 4 PM when Onazi’s elder brother, was driving with his wife to visit an acquaintance.
Their journey was cut short when a truck loaded with fertilizer careened out of control, crashing into more than 10 vehicles.
“On the traffic then came this truck loaded with fertilizer without control to crash more than 10 cars killed my brothers wife instantly and my brother managed to survival with several dislocated joint arranged for surgery, with other people dead,” Onazi wrote.
He added that there were other fatalities in the accident as well.
The midfielder, who currently plays for Italian Serie D club Avezzano, expressed his frustration with the circumstances surrounding the crash. “After interrogation, I got to know that the driver does not have a proper driving license and he was handed this kind of truck to destroy lives,” he revealed.
Onazi used this personal tragedy to highlight the situation plaguing the Nigerian roads.
“Driving in Nigeria, you will know that a lot of people driving on the road don’t have proper driving knowledge,” he observed.
The footballer further emphasised the danger posed by truck and tanker drivers, stating, “Lately, trucks and tank drivers have been killing a lot of people because of reckless driving.”
The 31-year-old, who was part of Nigeria’s Africa Cup of Nations-winning squad in 2013, called for stricter enforcement of driving regulations and better training for commercial vehicle operators.