Tragedy as 18 Sokoto Travellers Returning From Lagos Die in Horrific Kebbi Road Crash

At least 18 people from Sokoto State have lost their lives in a devastating road accident along the Sokoto–Yauri highway in Kebbi State while returning home from Lagos, where they had travelled in search of better economic opportunities.

The fatal crash occurred at about 11 p.m. on Monday when an 18-seater commercial bus carrying 20 passengers reportedly collided head-on with a trailer. The violent impact claimed the lives of 18 occupants instantly, while two others survived with injuries.

According to eyewitness accounts, the passengers were on their way back to Sokoto after spending time in Lagos pursuing employment and other means of livelihood before the tragic journey was cut short.

A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Bello Muhammad, who was also a close associate of the deceased driver, said he joined other residents to assist in rescue and recovery efforts after receiving news of the accident.

Muhammad explained that they arrived at the crash scene around 4 a.m. on Tuesday and were confronted with a heartbreaking sight.

According to him, the commercial bus had been completely crushed by the impact of the collision, leaving little hope for those on board.

“We were informed that our colleague had been involved in a fatal accident shortly after Yauri town. When we got there, 18 people had already died, and the vehicle was completely destroyed,” he recalled.

The victims’ remains were subsequently evacuated to the General Hospital in Yauri, where grieving relatives gathered to identify their loved ones before the bodies were released for burial.

Muhammad disclosed that he personally assisted in transporting the remains of victims from Kajiji Ward back to their communities for Islamic burial rites.

He identified some of those who died as the driver, Manniru Sabo, Basiru Shehu both from Kajiji village and another passenger from a neighbouring community within Kajiji Ward.

He further revealed that seven of the deceased hailed from Bingaje and Gudirriga villages in Yabo Local Government Area, while two others were natives of Gada Local Government Area. The remaining victims, he said, came from various communities across Sokoto State.

Muhammad explained that commercial buses travelling between Lagos and Sokoto often pick up passengers from different communities across the state, which accounted for the diverse origins of those who lost their lives in the crash.

He also noted that the severity of the impact left several bodies badly disfigured, making identification extremely difficult.

Because of the condition of some of the victims, a number of them were buried in Yauri, while those whose remains were taken back to Kajiji had already been laid to rest in accordance with Islamic traditions.

Despite the scale of the tragedy, two passengers survived the crash with what were described as minor injuries. One of the survivors was identified as the bus conductor.

Another resident and close associate of the bus owner, Alhaji Shehu Jabo, confirmed that he participated in transporting some of the victims’ bodies to Kajiji and attended funeral prayers for those from Shagari Local Government Area.

Jabo described the aftermath of the accident as one of the most heartbreaking experiences he had witnessed, saying many of the victims’ bodies were so badly mangled that relatives struggled to identify them.

“We were overwhelmed with grief because many of the bodies were severely crushed. Some were almost impossible to recognise,” he lamented.

He alleged that the trailer involved in the crash crossed into the lane of the commercial bus, leading to the deadly head-on collision.

According to him, 19 of the 20 passengers on board were indigenes of Sokoto State, while only one passenger was from Gwandu Local Government Area of Kebbi State.

Jabo also confirmed that the bus conductor was among the survivors and recalled speaking with the late driver shortly before he departed for Lagos, unaware that it would be their final conversation.

Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Shagari Local Government Area, Barrister Maidawa Kajiji, expressed profound sadness over the loss of lives.

He extended his condolences to the bereaved families and prayed for Almighty Allah to forgive the shortcomings of the deceased, admit them into Aljannatul Firdaus and grant their families the strength to bear the painful loss.

The latest tragedy has once again renewed concerns over the rising number of fatal road accidents on Nigerian highways, with stakeholders continuing to call for stricter enforcement of traffic regulations, improved road infrastructure and greater caution among motorists to reduce the frequency of such devastating crashes.