Residents of Jigawa State have called on the government to reinstate the transport policy introduced during the administration of former Governor Sule Lamido, following a series of road traffic accidents that have claimed at least 38 lives in four days.
The calls came after three separate accidents in Ringim and Dutse Local Government Areas, which left dozens dead, several others injured, and properties worth millions of naira destroyed.
On Friday, no fewer than 11 persons reportedly died, while 12 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a crash along the Ringim–Sankara–Beguwa Road. The accident involved a Volkswagen Golf carrying about 23 passengers. Preliminary investigations by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) attributed the crash to overloading and excessive speeding, which caused a tyre burst and loss of control.
Barely two days earlier, another fatal accident in Dutse LGA claimed 22 lives when a trailer conveying sand collided with two Gulf vehicles transporting passengers to a wedding along the Kwanar Huguna–Dutse Municipal Road, the police confirmed. Several others were also injured.
In a separate incident, five members of the same family were killed in Bandawa village, Ringim LGA, when a vehicle veered off the road while trying to avoid a goat and crashed into a tree. Two other occupants survived with injuries and are receiving medical attention.
Reacting to the accidents, residents described the frequency of crashes as alarming and unacceptable, attributing them to reckless driving, speeding, and overloading rather than poor road conditions.
Malam Muntari, a resident of Dutse, said, “The problem is not the roads; it is the drivers. Some load vehicles beyond limit and still drive at high speed.”
Other residents condemned the practice of conveying passengers alongside heavy goods, calling it dangerous and irresponsible.
“It is quite unfortunate that the boot of a car meant for goods has become a permanent seat for four passengers in Jigawa State, while goods are loaded on top,” one resident said.
“A single commercial vehicle now carries eleven or twelve fully grown passengers—three in the front, four at the back, and another four in the boot. If they have children, they are also squeezed in.”
The residents urged the FRSC, the police, and other relevant agencies to intensify enforcement of traffic laws and punish violators to serve as a deterrent.
They also called on the state government to revive the stricter transport policies of former Governor Sule Lamido, which they said helped reduce road casualties.
“During Sule Lamido’s administration, commercial vehicles were restricted to four passengers—one in the front seat and three at the back,” a resident recalled. “That policy saved many lives. If it is brought back and properly enforced, drivers will think twice before overloading.”
The residents further appealed to passengers to support efforts against overloading and overspeeding by refusing to board overloaded vehicles, stressing that collective responsibility is key to curbing the rising tide of road accidents in the state.
