Nigeria bus runs over robbery victims Published duration 3 August 2011

image copyright bbc

At least 13 bus passengers in Nigeria, forced by robbers to lie on a road, died when another bus ran over them, police say.

The luxury bus was heading from the central city of Lokoja to the capital, Abuja, when robbers stopped it.

"As the passengers were ordered to lie face down, [another] bus ran over them at top speed," police spokesman Yemi Ajayi told the AFP news agency.

He said 13 people were killed and many others wounded.

The Nigerian Tribune newspaper reported that a bus and lorry drove over the victims.

The thieves had been searching the passengers for money and other valuables when the tragedy happened early on Tuesday morning, it said.

Road safety officer Sunday Maku said the bodies were "mangled" and difficult to identify, the newspaper reported.

Nigeria has one of the highest crime rates in Africa and bus robberies are common on its roads, correspondents say.