Kano Athletes' Death: “They Made Their Last Calls," Shehu Sani Speaks on Video of Accident Scene

• Shehu Sani, a former senator from Kaduna, has commented on the tragic road accident involving the Kano state contingent at the recently-concluded National Sports Festival
• The unfortunate incident occurred in Kano, claiming the lives of over 20 promising Nigerian athletes, officials, and support personnel who were returning from representing their state
• Sani, in an emotional post, the Abba Yusuf-led administration in Kano as well as the federal government "must do better to support their families and immortalise" the deceased sportspersons

Kano, Kano state - Shehu Sani, a lawmaker who previously represented Kaduna Central in the senate, on Sunday, June 1, expressed deep sorrow over the deaths of over 20 Kano state athletes in a road accident in the Garun Malam local government area (LGA) of Kano.

Legit.ng had reported that the athletes were returning from the National Sports Festival held in Ogun state when the accident occurred at Gadar Yankifi on Saturday, May 31.

According to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kano, 22 members of the state contingent died, while 11 others sustained injuries of varying severity.

The team had reportedly been on the road since Thursday night, May 29, immediately after the conclusion of the National Sports Festival.

One of the survivors, Ado Salisu, confirmed to newsmen that the accident happened just hours before they were expected to arrive in Kano state.

The incident, which occurred around 12:30 in the afternoon of Saturday, May 31, involved a Toyota Coaster Bus with registration number KN041 A17.

Eyewitnesses at the scene described a chaotic aftermath, with passersby and first responders rushing to assist before emergency services arrived.

In a post made on his verified X (formerly Twitter) handle, Sani urged the Bola Tinubu government to immortalise the deceased. The ex-lawmaker stated that the late athletes "made their last calls and last messages before their exit to eternity." He said he watched the video of the scene of the fatal crash.

He wrote:

“I watched the video of the Scene of the Bus accident that claimed the lives of the Kano’s 21 Athletes. It’s a tragedy for Nigeria. They travelled hundreds of kilometers only to perish at a distance of “Mun kusa shigowa”. They made their last calls and last messages before their exit to eternity. They died in active service for their state and country. We lost a vibrant generation who represented us and determined to make us proud. Kano state and the federal government must do better to support their families and immortalise them. Streets should be named after them. The scene of the accident must have a memorial in their honour. The future generation should know about them and their sacrifices. We cannot bring them back to life, but we can make their service and sacrifice immortal.

“With tears in my eyes, I say to the spirits of the deceased, thank you for your service to humanity. We appreciate your lives and the sacrifice you made.

“May Allah forgive their shortcomings and grant them Aljanna firdausi.”

Kano govt declares Monday public holiday

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Kano state governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, declared Monday, June 2, as a public holiday.

The governor picked the date to honour the families of the victims who lost their relatives in the fatal road accident in Kano.

While Governor Yusuf is away in Saudi Arabia for Hajj 2025, he directed that Monday, June 2, 2025, be declared a public holiday for Kano residents to pray and sympathise with the families of the victims.

Source: Legit.ng