Taraba CAN Chairman Dies In Auto Crash

…18 escape death as cows stray into highway in Ondo

 
Rev. Ben Ubeh, the chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) in Taraba State, died yesterday in an auto crash on the Zing-Yola Road. The Vice Chairman of CAN in the state, John Aina, confirmed the incident in Jalingo to newsmen.

Ubeh, who died in the early hours of Sunday, was on his way to Yola for an official engagement. Rev. Peter Gambo, who was travelling with the late chairman, told newsmen that the incident happened when they parked to buy some drugs in Zing town on their way to Yola.

Gambo, who is the state chairman of the NLC, explained that the deceased stepped out of the vehicle at Zing.

“We parked to buy drugs, the CAN chairman too came out and stood at the back of our Toyota Hilux van when suddenly a truck came from behind and crushed him. I am still in shock over the incident, but I have come to terms with the fact that God knows best,” he said.

Gambo said Gov. Darius Ishaku immediately sent a delegation to Zing, which helped to evacuate the body to Jalingo. The body had since been deposited in the morgue of the State Specialist Hospital, Jalingo.

Ubeh, who was elected CAN chairman in Taraba in 2016, is also the General Overseer of Army of God Glorious Ministries. Gambo added that burial arrangements would be announced later.

Meanwhile, an 18-seater bus narrowly escaped a fatal accident, which would have recorded massive deaths as Fulani herdsmen and their cattle unwarily ran across the Owo-Benin highway in Ondo State.

The accident involved the cattle and a white Toyota Hiace bus with plate number KPA 77LG coming from Lagos State to Owo, Ondo State, killing a cow on the spot and damaging the vehicle, which left some passengers injured.

Eyewitnesses, who sympathised with the victims at the scene on the outskirts of Uso town, lamented that it was a narrow escape as the herd, over 200 cows, suddenly ran across the oncoming vehicle.

An eyewitness narrated that the bus had gotten close to the herdsmen and the cattle when two of the cattle ran across the road and hit it, after several maneuvering to dodge them. “Immediately the accident happened, the herdsmen spoke a distinct language to the cows and they started to escape into the bush.”

Our correspondent, who was at the scene, met the dead cow lying by the roadside and the fatally wounded cattle as it managed to wobble after the herd, while the passengers were nursing their bruises.

A police contingent, Safer Highways, which was stationed along the route, arrived the scene to protect the passengers, while others pursued after the herdsmen and their cows, which were still seen from a far distance.

A victim, Mrs. Grace Ajayi, who had a fracture due to the impact of the accident, added that: “We were saved by God’s grace from the hands of these wicked herdsmen. It all happened with a lightening speed, we just heard gbam. It was God who took control of the situation and saved our lives from a fatal accident that would have claimed many lives.”

The driver, who was visibly dumbfounded and in shock, started counting his losses, as he was moving aimlessly around, shouting that he was just a stone-throw to his destination in Owo before the tragedy occurred.

Several attempts to reach the state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Mr Femi Joseph, were to no avail. He did not reply the text message also sent to him to confirm if there was any arrest.