At least eight students of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) lost their lives in the early hours of Thursday after a trailer reportedly lost control and rammed into a bus conveying them home from a night outing along Zaria Road, Jos.
The collision, which occurred around 2am near the Zaria Road Stadium, also claimed the life of the bus driver. Two other students who survived were immediately taken to a nearby hospital for emergency treatment.
It was gathered that the students were travelling in two hired buses when a fast-moving trailer, believed to have suffered a brake failure, veered off course and crashed into one of the vehicles.
The force of the impact sent the bus spinning out of control before it slammed into an electric pole close to the Farin Gada bridge.
One of the survivors, still visibly shaken, described the chaotic moment the vehicle was struck.
He said: “The collision tore the bus apart. Eight people died instantly before emergency responders arrived.
“We were sitting at the back, so the force didn’t hit us as badly. As soon as the trailer hit us, the bus started shaking. Before anyone could react, we were already crashing into the pole.”
He added that the outing had been uneventful until the tragic crash happened “suddenly and without warning”.
Police authorities have yet to issue an official statement. However, a senior officer confirmed that a manhunt has begun for the trailer driver, who fled the scene immediately after the accident.
The tragedy has thrown the UNIJOS community into mourning, coming amid several recent incidents involving students travelling at night.
