The Enugu State Ministry of Transport has denied reports of a road crash resulting in an inferno that allegedly claimed over 50 lives at the Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, describing such reports as totally false and misleading.
 
In a statement issued by its spokesperson, Odumegwu Chinwendu, yesterday, the ministry also maintained that images being passed off as Ugwu Onyeama do not depict any part of that axis by any stretch of the imagination.
 
“Our attention has been drawn to false and misleading reports currently circulating on some online platforms alleging that a fatal inferno occurred at the Ugwu Onyeama axis of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway, claiming over 50 lives.
 
“We wish to categorically state that this report is entirely incorrect and does not reflect the current reality on the Ugwu Onyeama corridor. Traffic is flowing freely on both sides of the expressway, with normal vehicular movement observed along the axis.”
 
“It is important to note that the image circulating alongside the false report does not depict the Ugwu Onyeama section of the Enugu–Onitsha Expressway. The image shows silhouettes and clusters of residential buildings along the roadway, a feature that does not exist on the actual Ugwu Onyeama axis, where there are no such residential structures directly adjoining the corridor,” the spokesperson stated.
 
The statement added that while the Ugwu Onyeama area was notorious for road accidents that had unfortunately claimed many lives, the infrastructural intervention of the President Bola Tinubu administration has considerably improved road safety and vehicular movement in the area.
 
The ministry, therefore, appealed to the public and road users to “disregard the false reports currently in circulation and to continue to cooperate with traffic and safety authorities by adhering to speed regulations and using the designated lanes responsibly.”