By Samuel Oyadongha, George Onah & Austin Ogwuda
PORT HARCOURT—NO fewer than 18 people were killed on-the-spot, yesterday, morning when their bus had a head-on collision with another vehicle at  Okogbe towards Mbiama, on the East-West Road in Rivers State.

Vanguard gathered that the dead were mostly market women who might have travelled from Ahoada axis to Mbiama Market. Their bus reportedly ran into an oncoming bus from the Yenagoa-end of Bayelsa State.

Eye-witnesses said they suspected “over-speeding on the part of both drivers who might have lost control,” noting that this might have been the reason for the massive impact and subsequent death of the passengers.

It was also learnt that “there was large flow of blood pouring from the passenger-bus as soon as the accident happened”  as of slippers, wrappers, bags and baskets stained with blood, littered the spot.

Vanguard noted that there was a traffic gridlock, with no space to maneouvre because of the swamps “with more than 100 trucks, lorries, buses and cars” extending to both sides of the road on the ever busy East-West Road.”

The DPO at Ahoada Police Division could not be reached as he was said to have gone on a special assignment and no police officer was willing to comment on the accident.

Accident causes fear in Bayelsa

Uneasy calm, however, descended on Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital when news of the fatal road accident filtered into town. Some Bayelsans who went to the motor parks in the early hours of the day to board vehicles to Port Harcourt had to abort their trips.

The heartbreaking accident turned out to be subject of discussion in most parts of the capital city.

A lawyer travelling to Yenagoa from Port Harcourt, who was caught up in the gridlock on the East-West highway, had to notify the judge of the court where he was to appear for his client through his mobile phone about the sad development.

Also, a commercial vehicle operator on the route, fondly called Baba Akin, blamed the spate of accidents on the road on its deplorable state saying if some of the accidents would have been avoided if it was a dual carriage way.

At press time the identity of the victims could not be ascertained and it could not be confirmed if the vehicle was Yenagoa bound or actually conveying  traders to the Mbiama market was being speculated in some quarters thereby causing panic among residents whose relations  constantly ply the route.

Assassins kill DPO in Asaba

Meantime, a female Divisional Police Officer, DPO, has been murdered in cold blood in Asaba. She was killed by unknown gunmen, Monday night, at the Ogbeogonogo market.

The murdered senior police officer identified as Mercy Dagogo James, a Chief Superintendent of Police, CSP, was the DPO in charge of Ibusa Police station but recently transferred to Imo State. She was said to be preparing to hand over before she was gunned down.

Vanguard gathered that the DPO was in company of her orderly and a maid when she met her death.

Eye witnesses said that the woman had asked the maid and orderly to buy an undisclosed item and immediately the orderly and maid left the car, the suspected assassins believed to be trailing her pumped bullets into her. She died instantly.

State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr. Charles Muka, in confirming the story said: “The unfortunate incident is true. CSP Mercy Dagogo James was murdered by yet to be identified assassins near Ogbeogonogo market last night at about 9.30pm.”