A tragic road accident on Monday, February 19, 2025, claimed the lives of six students of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) and their shuttle bus driver after a brake failure caused a truck to crash into their vehicle.
How the Tragedy Unfolded
The fatal accident occurred around 2:30 p.m. near the university’s permanent site in Felele, Lokoja, when a truck transporting wood and kegs of palm oil lost control and rammed into a fully loaded university shuttle bus.
According to eyewitness accounts, the impact was devastating, leaving multiple casualties at the scene.
FRSC Confirms Casualties and Ongoing Investigations
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) responded swiftly, rescuing survivors and recovering the bodies of the deceased from the wreckage.
The Kogi State Sector Commandant of the FRSC, Mr. Samuel Oyedeji, confirmed that injured victims were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital Lokoja and Kogi State Specialist Hospital for urgent medical treatment, while the deceased were deposited in the mortuary for identification.
Though he could not immediately verify the exact number of casualties, Oyedeji assured that investigations into the cause of the accident are ongoing.
Call for Road Safety Awareness
In response to the tragedy, Oyedeji urged drivers to regularly maintain their vehicles and exercise caution on the roads, emphasizing that brake failure and reckless driving continue to be leading causes of fatal crashes.
As families and students mourn the loss of their loved ones, the university community and road safety authorities are expected to intensify efforts to prevent such devastating incidents in the future.