Five people, including four students of the Federal University of Technology (FUT), Minna, have died in a road crash involving a vehicle in the convoy of Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago.
The accident occurred on Monday along the Minna–Bida Road, around Gidan Mangoro, when a Toyota Hilux carrying the Director-General of the Government House, Dauda Chikuba, collided head-on with a private vehicle carrying the students.
According to reports by Nigerian media outlets, four of the students and the driver of the government vehicle died in the crash.
Chikuba sustained injuries and was taken to hospital for treatment.
The governor’s convoy was reportedly returning to Minna after a condolence visit to the Etsu Nupe and chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Yahaya Abubakar, following the death of Sagi Nupe, Aisha.
The vehicle carrying the students was travelling towards Bida when the collision occurred.
An eyewitness quoted in media reports described the incident as a head-on collision and alleged that the government vehicle was travelling at high speed. However, the cause of the crash has not been independently established.
The Niger State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Aishat Sa’adu, confirmed the accident but did not immediately provide further details.
The police spokesperson in the state, Wasiu Abiodun, also confirmed the incident, saying an investigation was under way.
He did not disclose the identities of the deceased.
The tragedy has raised concerns about road safety and the dangers associated with high-speed travel, although investigators are yet to establish the circumstances that led to the collision.
