JUST IN: Five corps members, soldier die in Adamawa military vehicle, commercial bus collision

Crime Diary, Obituaries

YOLA, Nigeria (NPA) — Tragedy struck in Adamawa State on Tuesday as six people, including four National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members and a military officer, lost their lives in a devastating road crash involving a military gun truck and a commercial bus.

The fatal accident occurred at about 1:50 p.m. along the Narehi axis of the Girei–Song road in Adamawa State.

According to the Adamawa State Police Command, the military vehicle was travelling from Gombi towards Yola when it collided head-on with a commercial Hummer bus conveying five passengers from Yola to Mubi.

In a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Yahaya Nguroje, preliminary investigations indicate that the impact of the collision caused the commercial bus to overturn and burst into flames.

“All five passengers aboard the Hummer bus were trapped in the vehicle and burnt to death after it caught fire following the collision,” the statement said.

The police said preliminary identification revealed that four of the victims were serving members of the National Youth Service Corps posted to Adamawa State.

Two of the deceased were identified as Suleuman Juliet and Usman Shuaibu, both indigenes of Kaduna State, while efforts are ongoing to identify the remaining victims.

The command also confirmed that a military personnel attached to the gun truck died as a result of injuries sustained in the crash.

Police operatives, working alongside other emergency responders, swiftly arrived at the scene and evacuated the bodies to a hospital.

Authorities said efforts were underway to identify the remaining victims and contact their families.

Reacting to the tragedy, the Commissioner of Police in Adamawa State, CP Kabir Umar Hassan, extended his condolences to the bereaved families, the Nigerian Armed Forces, the National Youth Service Corps and all those affected by the incident.

He sympathised with the families of the deceased and prayed for the repose of their souls.

The police said investigations into the circumstances surrounding the crash were ongoing and assured the public that further updates would be provided as more information becomes available.

The incident adds to growing concerns over road safety on Nigeria’s highways, where fatal crashes continue to claim lives despite repeated calls for stricter traffic enforcement and improved road infrastructure.