18 Dead, 2 Survive as Families Lose Loved Ones in Midnight Crash
- 18 passengers have died while two others survived after a midnight crash involving a bus and trailer.
- Families have mourned Sokoto residents returning from Lagos after the fatal road collision in Kebbi
- Witnesses revealed heartbreaking details as communities identify victims of the deadly accident
A road journey home ended in tragedy after 18 residents of Sokoto State died in a crash along the Sokoto–Yauri road in Kebbi State.
The victims were returning from Lagos, where they had travelled in search of work and better opportunities, when the commercial bus they were travelling in collided with a trailer around 11 pm on Monday, June 29.
Daily Trust reported that the bus was carrying 20 passengers in an 18-seater vehicle. While 18 people died at the scene, two others survived with injuries, including the bus conductor
Source: Getty Images
Eyewitness recounts scene of crash
Bello Muhammad, a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and a close friend of the late driver, said he joined other residents to help move the victims after news of the accident reached them.
He said they arrived at the scene around 4 am on Tuesday, June 30 and found the bus badly damaged after the collision.
“We were informed that our colleague had been involved in a road accident shortly after Yauri town. By the time we arrived, 18 people had already died, and the vehicle was completely wrecked,” Muhammad said.
The victims were taken to the General Hospital in Yauri, where their relatives came to identify them before they were released.
Muhammad said he transported the bodies of victims from Kajiji Ward back to their communities for burial.
Victims came from different communities in Sokoto
The crash affected families from several parts of Sokoto state.
Muhammad identified some of the victims from Kajiji Ward as the driver, Manniru Sabo, Basiru Shehu from Kajiji village, and another person from a community within the ward.
He said seven victims came from Bingaje and Gudirriga villages in Yabo Local Government Area, while two others were from Gada Local Government Area.
The remaining victims were from other communities across Sokoto.
Muhammad explained that passengers travelling from Lagos to Sokoto are often picked up from different locations, which is why people from several areas were involved in the crash.
Source: Original
Some victims buried in Yauri due to condition of bodies
Some of the victims were buried in Yauri because their bodies were badly damaged in the accident.
Those whose remains were taken to Kajiji had already been buried according to Islamic traditions.
Muhammad confirmed that the two survivors suffered minor injuries, including the bus conductor.
Community members mourn crash victims
Shehu Jabo, a close associate of the bus owner, said he helped transport the bodies to Kajiji and attended funeral prayers for some of the victims from Shagari Local Government Area.
He said the condition of the bodies made the tragedy even harder for families and community members.
“We were overwhelmed with grief because many of the bodies were badly mangled. It was difficult to recognise some of them,” Jabo said.
Jabo claimed that the trailer moved into the path of the commercial bus, leading to the collision.
He said only one of the passengers was from Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi, while the others were from Sokoto State. He also confirmed that one of the survivors was the bus conductor.
He recalled speaking with the late driver shortly before he left for Lagos.
Council chairman confirms accident
The Chairman of Shagari Local Government Area, Barrister Maidawa Kajiji, confirmed the incident and expressed condolences to the families of those who died.
He prayed for Allah to forgive the deceased, grant them Aljannatul Firdaus, and give their families the strength to endure the loss.
5 young footballers die in Kebbi road crash
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that five young footballers died in a road accident while travelling to a friendly match in Kebbi state.
The victims were travelling from Ambursa when their vehicle lost control and somersaulted along Airport Road in Birnin Kebbi.
The Kebbi government visited affected families and provided N20 million in support for the deceased players, injured victims, and other passengers.
Source: Legit.ng
