At least six people, including four National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members travelling in a commercial Hummer bus and one Nigerian Army officer, were burnt alive in a horrific road crash on the Yola–Song highway in Adamawa State on Wednesday.
The victims were trapped in a raging inferno after a military gun-truck conveying soldiers reportedly collided head-on with the commercial Hummer bus, travelling from Kano to Mubi, near Barikin-Sajo, along a dangerous bend on the highway.
Eyewitnesses said the military truck was allegedly attempting to overtake another vehicle at high speed when it veered into the path of the oncoming bus.
The violent impact sparked a massive fire that engulfed the commercial bus within moments, leaving several occupants with no chance of escape.
Eyewitnesses claimed that 10 people were killed in the attack, while authorities put the death toll at six.
According to witnesses, the five occupants of the Hummer bus were burnt beyond recognition at the scene, while three soldiers, including the driver of the military truck, were also consumed by the flames.
Two other victims reportedly died from injuries sustained in the collision, bringing the death toll to 10.
“A military truck while overtaking at the bend just before Barikin-Sajo rammed into a Hummer bus coming from the opposite direction, possibly heading to Mubi,” an eyewitness said.
“The two vehicles collided at a critical point on the bend and immediately the bus went up in flames. It was too gory to even take photographs.”
Another witness said both vehicles appeared to be travelling at high speed before the crash, suggesting that excessive speeding may have contributed to the tragedy.
However, official sources put the death toll at six.
Speaking on the incident, the spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Abdulrahman Tukur said “emergency responders and security personnel later arrived at the scene to evacuate the victims and clear the burnt wreckage from the highway.”
Also confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the police, SP Suleiman Nguro said, four NYSC members, one soldier and one other passenger were confirmed dead.
“Tragically, all five passengers aboard the Hummer bus were burnt to death after the vehicle caught fire following the collision. Preliminary identification reveals that four of the deceased were serving members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) posted to Adamawa State.
“The Command also confirms that one military person attached to the military vehicle lost his life as a result of the crash,” Nguroje said.
The tragedy is the latest in a string of deadly road accidents across Nigeria, where speeding, dangerous overtaking and poor adherence to traffic regulations continue to claim lives.
Road safety experts have consistently identified overtaking on bends and blind spots as one of the leading causes of fatal head-on collisions on Nigerian highways.
Despite repeated warnings and enforcement campaigns by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), accidents involving commercial vehicles, heavy-duty trucks and security convoys remain frequent.
Wednesday’s crash on the Yola–Song Road once again underscores the deadly consequences of reckless driving and excessive speed on Nigerian roads.
Credit: Sahara Reporters
