Nigeria: 22 People, Mostly Athletes, Die in a Bus Crash
Damaged bus involved in the accident. Photo: X
June 1, 2025 Hour: 10:35 am
At least 22 people, mostly athletes, died in a bus accident after the driver apparently lost control of the vehicle on a bridge in northern Nigeria, authorities reported.
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The tragedy occurred this Saturday on a highway near the Gadar Yankifi area, in the northern state of Kano, where the victims were from. They were returning from an athletics championship held this week in Ogun State (southwest).
“It is with deep sadness that I received the tragic news of the unfortunate incident that claimed the lives of 22 innocent citizens and left several others injured,” said the Governor of Kano, Abba Yusuf, in a statement reported by local media this Sunday.
“On behalf of the government and the good people of Kano State, I convey our deepest condolences to the families of the deceased,” Yusuf added in the official note.
The victims were part of the official Kano delegation sent to the National Sports Festival of Ogu, which included athletes, coaches, and state officials.
Nigerian Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) stated that there were 32 people (31 men and one woman) on the bus and that the accident “may have occurred as a result of fatigue and speeding after a long night journey.”
For his part, the President of Nigeria, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, indicated that the tragedy represents “a devastating blow to the nation.”
The accident “overshadows the National Sports Festival,” which has long served as “a platform for discovering and supporting athletes who make Nigeria proud both nationally and internationally,” Tinubu noted in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga.
The National Sports Festival is an important multi-sport event in Nigeria that attracts athletes from different states of the country with the aim of fostering unity, athletic development, and excellence.
Source: EFE
