One of the survivors of the tragic road crash that claimed the lives of 22 athletes and officials from Kano State has suggested that brake failure may have caused the accident.
Dorathy Okwuzuluike, who was among those returning from the 2024 National Sports Festival held in Abeokuta, recounted the incident, which occurred on Saturday around 12:30 p.m. near Gadar Yankifi along the Kaduna-Kano expressway.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed that the accident involved a Kano State Government coaster bus with registration number KN 041 A17.
Initially, 21 people were reported dead, but the toll rose to 22 on Sunday.
Okwuzuluike, speaking from her hospital bed, said: “I think the bus had a failed brake or something. The only thing I could do was to hold the chair very well. That was the last thing I remember. I only woke up in the hospital.” She also mentioned that their vehicle had experienced repeated mechanical issues throughout the journey. “We spent two days on the road while going, and it was the same on the way back. The vehicle usually had faults and would be repaired,” she added.
The FRSC has announced plans to launch an investigation to determine the exact cause of the crash.
Meanwhile, Umar Fagge, Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, said the exact cause remains unknown. “The bus had 31 people on board, and those who survived were seated in the last two rows. From those rows to the front, everyone else perished. Nobody knows how it happened. We, in our thinking, have accepted it as fate,” he said.
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In response to the tragedy, the Kano State Government declared Monday a public holiday to mourn the deceased athletes and officials.
