No fewer than 18 travellers from Sokoto State have lost their lives in a tragic 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 victims were among 20 passengers travelling in an 18-seater commercial bus when it reportedly collided head-on with a trailer at about 11 p.m. on Monday. Eighteen passengers died at the scene, while two others sustained injuries and survived.
Reports indicate that the passengers were heading back to Sokoto after spending time in Lagos seeking employment and improved means of livelihood.
A member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Bello Muhammad, said he joined other rescue workers to evacuate the victims after receiving information about the crash.
He explained that by the time they arrived at the accident scene shortly after Yauri town, the bus had been completely destroyed and 18 occupants had already lost their lives.
The bodies were taken to the General Hospital in Yauri, where relatives identified them before they were released for burial.
Muhammad disclosed that some of the deceased were from Kajiji Ward, while others came from Bingaje and Gudirriga villages in Yabo Local Government Area, Gada Local Government Area, and several other communities across Sokoto State.
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He noted that passengers travelling from Lagos are usually picked up from different locations based on their hometowns, which accounted for the victims coming from various parts of the state.
He added that some of the victims were buried in Yauri because the condition of their bodies made transportation difficult, while others were returned to their communities for burial according to Islamic rites. One of the two survivors was identified as the bus conductor.
Another resident, Alhaji Shehu Jabo, described the tragedy as heartbreaking, saying many of the bodies were severely damaged, making identification difficult. He alleged that the trailer veered into the lane of the commercial bus, leading to the fatal collision.
The Chairman of Shagari Local Government Area, Barrister Maidawa Kajiji, confirmed the incident and expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their loved ones, praying for strength to bear the loss.
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