One of the survivors of the deadly road accident that claimed the lives of 22 athletes and officials from Kano State has said she suspects the bus had a brake failure.
The tragic incident happened around 12:30 p.m. on Saturday near Gadar Yankifi along the Kaduna-Kano Expressway. The victims were returning from the 2024 National Sports Festival held in Abeokuta.
The vehicle involved was a Kano State Government Coaster bus with registration number KN 041 A17.
Initially, 21 people were confirmed dead, but the toll rose to 22 on Sunday.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has launched an investigation to find out the exact cause of the crash.
Speaking with BBC Pidgin, Dorathy Okwuzuluike, one of the few survivors, said, “I think the bus had a brake problem. The only thing I could do was hold on to the seat tightly. That’s the last thing I remember before I woke up in the hospital.”
She also said the team spent two days on the road during their journey to Abeokuta and faced similar delays on the return trip. According to her, the bus had recurring mechanical issues throughout.
Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge, said the real cause of the crash remains unclear.
“There were 31 people in the bus. The survivors were seated at the back. Everyone from the back to the front died. We honestly don’t know what happened. We’ve just accepted it as fate,” he said.
In honour of the victims, the Kano State Government declared Monday a public holiday.
