On their trip to Taraba State, eight Madonna University students from Okija in Anambra state are said to have died in a terrible accident.
While the students apparently returned home for the upcoming general elections, the accident happened on Saturday night.
The terrible occurrence, according to Facebook user Matthew Mbam, took place at the TTC/Special Science School crossroads along the Trans-Saharan Road in Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.
According to Mbam, who described the incident as horrible, the bus carrying the pupils caught fire and was burned beyond repair.
After the accident, eight occupants of the crashed bus were reported dead while 10 students reportedly survived and were taken to Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital in Ebonyi State.
He wrote, “WHAT A HORRIFIC SCENE!!! While returning from Nwezenyi, Igbeagu, Izzi, Ebonyi State, Nigeria this Sunday evening where I went to pick up some people, I met this horrific scene at exactly TTC/Special Science School junction along the trans-Saharan road.
“Actually, I also passed in the morning when I went to drop the people whom I went to pick this evening, but I didn’t observe the scene as there was no gathering of people there as the place was somehow deserted.
“Seeing the crowd of persons with some army officers around the burnt vehicle, I decided to park my car by the roadside and came out to find out what really happened. I was told that the accident occurred yesterday at twilight Saturday, 18th February 2023.
“After asking some persons there who all declined to tell me what really happened, I met the soldiers who accompanied the relatives from Taraba State, directly to ask them what happened with the burnt vehicle.
“They briefed me that the bus was coming from Port-Harcourt, conveying some students from Madonna University with some of the parents who are returning to Taraba State for a break due to upcoming elections.
“The story further has it that 8 students/a parent are the chelated bodies/ashes that were burnt beyond recognition. And about 7 persons in bad condition who are currently at Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, escaped from the bus when it caught fire after having a head-on collision with a Siena car.
“Nawa o! It was such a horrific scene I’ve never seen before now since I was born up to date!
“Yes, among the major causes of this kind of accident is over-speeding and distractions mainly due to intermittent sleep while driving.
“May drivers- whether private or commercial, take this to heart. May people also restrict traveling especially these days, to avert some of these “unexpected events” which the Bible says ‘overtake all.’”
One of the parents of the deceased took to his page to express pain over the loss of his daughter.
“Grace Usman Ezra, I never knew sending you to Madonna university will lead to your untimely death. 18 of you left Madonna for Jalingo yesterday only to hear the news that your bus had an accident and caught fire, 8 out of 18 came out from the bus.
It is well with 10 of you and the rest that is alive, I pray for your speedy recovery and my God comfort us all that lost our children.”
