On Monday, a speeding vehicle plowed into a checkpoint in Plateau State, killing 19 people.

The incident occurred on Monday night at the Hawan Kibo hamlet in the state’s Riyom Local Government Area.

According to reports, the truck was on its way to Abuja from Adamawa State when it crashed.

Christopher Maju, a resident of the village who observed the disaster, told our correspondent what happened.

He said. “It was in the night. Several vehicles were already at the checkpoint in Hawan Kibo community after they were stopped by soldiers who usually checked every vehicle before allowing them to pass. Suddenly, we saw a bus speeding to the checkpoint and the occupants were shouting, ‘No brake, no brake!’

“Maybe in an attempt to dodge crashing on the long queue of vehicles at the checkpoint, the driver of the ill-fated bus swerved off the road. But it eventually crashed on a stationary articulated vehicle killing 18 people on the spot. But one injured person who was still breathing at the scene died while he was being taken to the hospital.”

Peter Yakubu, the spokesman for the Federal Roads Safety Corps Plateau State Command, verified the victims’ deaths.

According to him, their corpses had been removed to the hospital morgue.

Yakubu, who blamed the accident on brake failure, stated: ‘‘No one survived the accident. The sole person taken to the hospital later succumbed. Eighteen died at the scene, while one died at the hospital. The whole thing was caused by brake failure. It is rather unfortunate.”

According to our correspondent, Hawan Kibo has had a number of motor accidents due to poor road conditions, forcing residents to express their dissatisfaction with the situation.

Some sympathizers who spoke with our correspondent urged the government to intervene and fix the Jos-Abuja Highway to avert further loss of human life.