Tragedy struck along the Abuja-Lokoja highway on Wednesday after a fatal road accident claimed the lives of the Speaker of the Gwagwalada Area Council legislative arm, Mohammed Ibrahim Ibwa, and his aide, Ibrahim Ibwa.
The accident occurred at Sheda village around 3:10 p.m. and involved a Mercedes-Benz vehicle conveying the Speaker and a Sino truck heading in the opposite direction.
Sources familiar with the incident said the victims were returning to Gwagwalada from Kwali, where they had attended a political meeting, when the crash happened.
According to eyewitness accounts, the collision was head-on and severe, leaving the vehicle badly damaged.
Ibrahim Ibwa, an aide to the Speaker, reportedly died instantly at the scene of the accident, while the Speaker and another occupant of the vehicle sustained critical injuries and were rushed to Legend Hospital in Gwagwalada for emergency treatment.
The Speaker was later referred to the Abuja Teaching Hospital due to the severity of his injuries but was confirmed dead in the early hours of Thursday.
A source disclosed that three persons were travelling in the Mercedes-Benz at the time of the accident, adding that the third victim is currently receiving medical treatment.
An official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, who participated in the rescue operation, confirmed the incident.
The official, who spoke anonymously, said one victim died on the spot while two others were evacuated to the hospital by rescue personnel.
“The crash involved a Mercedes-Benz and a trailer around Sheda village. One person died instantly while two others were taken to the hospital with serious injuries,” the FRSC official said.
The remains of the deceased aide were deposited at the mortuary of Legend Hospital in Gwagwalada.
News of the deaths has thrown the Gwagwalada Area Council into mourning, with political associates, residents and community members expressing shock over the tragic development.
The late Mohammed Ibrahim Ibwa was described by associates as a grassroots politician and influential figure within the council’s legislative arm.
Family members and sympathisers gathered in his hometown, Ibwa community in Gwagwalada Area Council, where he was buried in accordance with Islamic rites on Thursday.
The accident has again raised concerns over the growing number of fatal crashes recorded along the busy Abuja-Lokoja highway, a major route linking the Federal Capital Territory with several states across the country.
