No fewer than 23 people have lost their lives in two separate road accidents in Kebbi State, leaving families and communities across Kebbi and Sokoto states in deep mourning.
The tragic incidents, which occurred days apart, involved a group of young footballers and passengers returning from Lagos, both ending in devastating loss of lives.
In the first incident, five youths from Ambursa in Birnin Kebbi died when a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveying 18 passengers lost control and somersaulted along Airport Road.
The victims were reportedly on their way to participate in a friendly football match when the accident occurred. Several others sustained varying degrees of injuries.
The accident threw the Ambursa community into grief, with residents describing the deceased as vibrant and promising young men whose lives were cut short.
The Kebbi State Government responded swiftly, sending a delegation led by the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Alhaji Abubakar Umar Dutsinmari, to commiserate with the bereaved families on behalf of Governor Nasir Idris.
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Reports indicate that the governor personally witnessed the incident and immediately directed emergency efforts to assist the injured.
In a separate incident along the Sokoto–Yauri Road, an 18-seater commercial bus carrying passengers from Lagos to Sokoto collided head-on with a trailer, resulting in the deaths of 18 out of the 20 occupants.
Two passengers survived with injuries.
Sources revealed that many of the victims had travelled to Lagos in search of better economic opportunities and were returning home when the fatal crash occurred.
A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Bello Muhammad, disclosed that rescue teams arrived early at the scene, only to find the bus completely destroyed by the impact. Witnesses described the crash as horrific, with bodies severely mangled.
The victims were said to be from various communities in Sokoto State, including Shagari, Yabo, and Gada Local Government Areas.
Road safety experts have continued to emphasize the need for stricter enforcement of traffic laws, regular vehicle maintenance, and improved road infrastructure to curb the rising number of fatal accidents across the country.
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