Family of Five Perish in Ghastly Auto Crash

Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam

By George Okoh

It was a very black day for the Nongu family from Vandiekya Local Government Area in Benue State follow an auto crash that claimed the lives of five members of the family who were returning to Abinsi town at the early hours of Saturday after paying a visit to an in-law in Makurdi.

According to an eyewitness, Mr. Jame Ortese, the accident occurred at 2pm around Mue, 20kilometre distance from Makurdi when the car occupied by the five persons had a punctured tyre and somersaulted several times killing all the occupants on board.

The accident claimed the lives of  Joseph Nongu (father); his wife, Mary and three-year-old daughter, Mimidoo.

Others were Joseph”s cousin, Terkende Kaa and Benjamin Terver.

The accident was attributed to the bad portion of the federal road that is just across the river Mue bridge, a few kilometres after the Nigerian Air Force base in Makurdi.

Narrating her ordeal, Mama Nongu, the elderly surviving mother of the victims lamented the accident, saying her son Nongu was the bread winner of the house while weeping.

Meanwhile Benue State Governor Gabriel Suswam who was notified about the tragedy has written off the expenses for the burial of the victims. The governor through his special assistant, Mr. Dickson Targir, sympathised with the family even as he provided relief to the Mama Nongu. The accident victims have all been buried.