At least five people lost their lives, and several others sustained injuries in a fatal road accident on Monday near the Ebonyi State University (EBSU) permanent site at Ezzamgbo, Ohaukwu Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

The accident involved a commercial bus loaded with passengers travelling from Benue to Onitsha and a 911 truck transporting bags of sachet water from Enugu to Abakaliki.

An eyewitness, Goddy Ogba, said that the accident was due to brake failure of the truck laden with bags of water, leading to the loss of many lives.

He attributes the accident to the police checkpoint and blockage of the road and calls for the dismantling of the checkpoint for the safety of the road users.

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"The collision, which claimed several lives and left many others injured, has once again highlighted the dangers associated with the Ishieke Police checkpoint.

"Policemen manning the checkpoint at the scene blocked the road in the night, which created hazardous conditions that contributed to the tragic incident.

"This unfortunate event adds to the growing number of accidents reported around the Ishieke axis, where similar practices by checkpoint officers have repeatedly endangered road users.

"Families are mourning, and survivors are battling for their lives, all of which could have been avoided with better traffic management and enforcement practices," he said.

The State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu, said only two people died in the accident.

He explained that those who were injured were taken to hospital for medical attention.