By RismadarVoice Reporters
January 3, 2026
Tragedy struck in the early hours of New Year’s Day in Rivers State as a man, his daughter and another occupant lost their lives in a fatal road accident at the Obiri-Kwerre flyover in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area.
The accident occurred when a saloon car conveying the victims rammed into a stationary waste collection truck, parked along the flyover.
The deceased were identified simply as Ahmed, Aziz and Sheilla, while other occupants of the vehicle sustained serious injuries, are currently receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.
It was learnt that the victims were returning from a crossover service when the crash occurred, allegedly due to the absence of warning or caution signs indicating that the waste truck was parked on the road.
A brother of one of the deceased, who identified himself as Ajiboye Amaho, blamed the tragedy on what he described as the indiscriminate parking of heavy-duty vehicles without safety signs.
“It is so unfortunate that a waste collector truck stationed on the Obiri-Kwerre flyover caused this accident. The truck was parked without any caution sign, and my brother, Ahmed, rammed into it while returning from a crossover service,” Amaho said.
He added that while Ahmed later died in the hospital on Thursday evening, the other two victims died on the spot.
According to him, the survivors include Ahmed’s son and sister, who sustained injuries.
Amaho called on the Rivers State Government and waste management agencies to investigate the incident, strengthen monitoring of contractors to prevent further loss of lives, noting that similar negligence had claimed many lives in the state.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Rivers State Police Command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the police had commenced investigations to determine the exact circumstances surrounding the crash.
“Yes, I can confirm the incident. The vehicle rammed into a stationary truck. Our hearts go out to the victims, and investigation is ongoing to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the accident,” she said.
