Bad roads blamed for deadly traffic accidents

Calm had largely returned to a town outside the Nigerian capital Abuja on Wednesday after a demonstration over poor road conditions turned bloody when police attempted to remove the bodies of two people killed in a multiple accident. Vehicles were damaged and 10 people arrested during Tuesday’s demonstration. The protest followed a pile-up involving seven vehicles that claimed at least 26 lives on Monday, according to police spokesman Matthew Obiuwevbi. Some news reports have put the death toll at 70. Residents also claimed that police fired at the demonstrators. Obiuwevbi said security forces fired tear gas after protesters attacked the police. The demonstrators were demanding improvements to the road that passes through their town - Nyanya. It is narrow, has no lane demarcations and is extremely busy. Obiuwevbi told IRIN that the police have no authority to improve the roads. “That is not the business of the police,” he said. “That is the business of the government.” During 15 years of corrupt military rule, Nigeria’s infrastructure crumbled. Road repair received little attention and potholes, narrow lanes and lack of demarcation make driving dangerous. Traffic accidents are common.