Students of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL), Kogi State, have taken to the streets in a massive protest following the tragic death of seven students and a bus driver in a ghastly road accident involving a truck and a school shuttle bus.
The protest, which began on Tuesday and continued into Wednesday morning, saw students demanding immediate government action to prevent further tragedies on the roads around the university.
The fatal accident occurred around 2:30 PM on Monday, February 18, when an articulated truck carrying wood and jerrycans of palm oil lost control and crashed into a school shuttle bus filled with students.
Eyewitnesses described the scene as devastating, stating that the shuttle bus was preparing to transport students when the speeding truck rammed into it, crushing it completely. Seven students died on the spot, alongside the bus driver.
“The driver of the truck lost control and rammed into the school shuttle bus, which was already filled with students and set to leave. The impact was devastating,” a student told SaharaReporters.
In response to the tragedy, enraged students mobilized and blocked roads leading to the university, calling for the restriction of heavy-duty trucks from operating during the daytime.
The protesters gathered at the university gate, demanding urgent government intervention to improve road safety in the area.
Emergency responders, including officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), were deployed to the scene to rescue trapped victims.
Kogi State FRSC Sector Commander, Samuel Oyedeji, confirmed that while the exact number of casualties was still being determined, several bodies had been taken to the morgue, while the injured were rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital, Lokoja, and the Kogi State Specialist Hospital for treatment.
The ongoing student protest has intensified calls for stricter traffic regulations to prevent further loss of lives.
A student protester said, “On Tuesday, we gathered at the school gate, demanding lasting measures to avert the recurrence of accidents on this road. The Kogi State Deputy Governor visited the university entrance today to sympathize with the aggrieved students and the university community.”
“The students are still out this morning (Wednesday), continuing the protest,” the student added.