30th November, 2011
A 50-year-old driver, Yahaya Ibrahim, of Rimi Local Government of Katsina State, on Tuesday appeared before an FCT Upper Area Court in Gwagwalada, for allegedly causing the death of 18 passengers.
The Police prosecutor, Mr. Sunday Okedi, told the court that the accused person on November 26, drove dangerously, causing the death of the passengers, while six others were injured.
Okedi said that the accident happened near the NNPC depot at Awawa Village in Kwali Area Council of the FCT.
The prosecutor had earlier applied for an interpreter, to interprete the charges in the First Information Report from English to Hausa for the understanding of the accused.
He said that the accused drove a DAF Truck with Registration Number XG 812 DKT and collided with a Toyota Hiace bus with Registration Number XA 141 ABS.
He also said that the six persons, who sustained injuries were admitted at the Abuja General Hospital for treatment.
The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.
The counsel to the accused, Mr. Migbole Samuel, urged the court to grant his client bail, to enable him treat himself for the injuries he also sustained in the accident.
Samuel said that the truck involved in the accident was still with the police, and promised that his client would not jump bail or tamper with police investigation.
He said that he would provide the Vice Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Abuja chapter, Mr. Abdullahi Omoru as his surety for the bail. The prosecutor did not object to the application made by the counsel.
The Judge, Babaginda Hassan, therefore, granted the accused bail in the sum of N200,000 and one surety in like sum and adjourned the case to January 9.