20 athletes die in road accident while returning from National Sports Festival

No fewer than 20 athletes from the Kano State contingent, who had just participated in the 22nd National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State, have tragically lost their lives in a fatal road accident.

According to eyewitness accounts, the crash occurred in Kura Local Government Area, approximately 30 minutes from the city center.

While 20 fatalities have been confirmed so far, several other members of the contingent sustained injuries and were immediately taken to Kura General Hospital for treatment.

Although the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has yet to issue an official statement, the Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Bala Fagge, has confirmed the incident.

He stated that the bus, which was transporting 30 athletes, plunged into a bridge.

“As I am talking to you now, we have counted 19 dead bodies,” he told the media from the accident scene.

Ado Salisu, a former Vice President of the Sports Writers Association of Nigeria (SWAN), also confirmed that the injured victims were taken to Kura General Hospital.

The tragic accident has cast a dark cloud of grief and mourning over the entire Kano metropolis.