Bayelsa State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, has expressed deep sadness over the twin accidents that claimed the lives of at least 10 Ijaw indigenes on Sunday.
In one of the crashes along the Kogi-Abuja road, six band members of a popular Ijaw musician, Barrister Smooth, died while the other accident along the Kwale-Asaba highway in Delta State claimed four supporters of the Bayelsa Queens Football Club.
Governor Diri in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Daniel Alabrah, on Monday, described it as a Black Sunday for Bayelsa and the Ijaw nation.
He said the state was thrown into mourning as news of the sad incidents filtered in.
The Bayelsa governor said their death was painful as these youths were active and impacting lives through their musical talent as well as following their passion to support the state’s darling female football team.
The Network reported that Smooth, whose musical band is admired across the Ijaw nation was traveling from Warri to Abuja for a show when the vehicle carrying seven of the band members got involved in an accident.
The Network gathered that the popular band was engaged by a state government to play at the swearing-in reception for National Assembly members in Abuja on Tuesday.
According to an eye witness account, the band members boarded a train from Warri to Kogi and were on their way to Abuja when the Toyota Siena car in which they were traveling had a collision with a tanker belonging to the NNPC.
It was learnt that three of the victims died in the spot while three others died in the hospital. The driver was also said to have died instantly.
A post on one of the major Ijaw community platforms stated that those feared dead include Chief Joseph Ekeremieye, Ikesima Brown, Ebis Awiki, Tuku, Sololo and others.
Since the news of the unfortunate accident was released, the Ijaw nation
has been thrown into mourning.
Ikesima Brown is very popular and known as the Queen of Highlife in the Niger Delta.
Diri said, “On behalf of the government and people of Bayelsa State, I extend our deepest sympathies to the families of the deceased.
“I also commiserate with the leader of the band, Barrister Smooth.
“These are very unfortunate and sad incidents that claimed the lives of our active youths.
“It is a great loss to our state and the Ijaw nation as young talents and bread winners following their passion had suddenly departed.
“I pray that the Lord consoles the families for the painful loss that they have suffered.
“I also pray for quick healing and recovery for those that were injured.”
