ABUJA, July 13 (Xinhua) -- Eight people were killed and four others injured in a lone car accident in Nigeria's northern state of Yobe, said a senior official on Wednesday.
In a statement, Mai Mala Buni, the governor of Yobe, said the car suddenly somersaulted while in motion on Tuesday along the Buni Gari-Bara Road in the Buni Yadi local government area of the state.
The car's driver and seven passengers died instantly following the crash while the four injured victims were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment, Buni said, describing the incident as "unfortunate and avoidable".
The governor cautioned motorists against flouting road traffic rules, saying the increase in road accidents in the state must be checked to save lives.
"Some of these accidents are avoidable if traffic laws are observed and vehicles plying the roads are adequately maintained to be road worthy. Motorists must always take precautionary measures and pay attention to road signs to ensure free flow of traffic without obstructing other road users," Buni said.
He also directed the state's road traffic management agency to ensure adequate enforcement of traffic laws on all roads across the state, adding this measure will "curb the spate of accidents, and save lives wasted on the roads."
In a separate statement, Dungus Abdulkarim, the spokesman for the police in Yobe, who noted the vehicle was overloaded, said an investigation has been launched into the lone car accident. ■