A Nigerian father has told the BBC about his grief after his three little daughters were killed by a car that crashed into them on Saturday.

The girls - aged 10, eight and six - were in high spirits when they left home as they were enjoying the Eid festive season, Abu Uwais said.

"They wore the new clothes and shoes I bought them and they were so happy to go out," he added.

The driver has been arrested and is due to appear in court, police said.

He will be charged with reckless driving following the fatal accident in the small town of Toto in central Nasrawa state, police added.

The vehicle he was driving was burnt by an angry crowd that had gathered at the scene of the accident.

Mr Uwais told the BBC that he and his wife, Fatima, had lost their only children.

Muslims in Nigeria celebrated Eid last Wednesday, but festivities continued into the weekend for many families - including the Uwais', until they were hit by the tragedy.

The girls had just visited their uncle's home and were standing outside "when this driver on high speed knocked them down after hitting two electric poles", Mr Uwais told the BBC.

He was at home when he got a call telling him to rush to the hospital.

"I was just told to come to the hospital it was on arrival that I saw what happened and was devastated," Mr Uwais said.

Nusaiba, 10, died in hospital, while Rumasa'u, eight, and Nana Maryam, six, died on-the-spot.

Nusaiba was one of the smartest in her class, while her younger sisters were also doing well in school, Mr Uwais said.

"She [Nusaiba] was always either first or second best and she had also memorised a good part of the Holy Quran."

"Their school sent a delegation to our house to console us over what has happened," Mr Uwais said.

Road safety is a major concern in Nigeria. More than 1,300 people died in road accidents in the last quarter of 2023, official statistics show.

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by Mansur Abubakar

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