One Killed, 10 Hospitalised In Another Accident On Kogi Highway Where Seven Federal University Lokoja Students Died
Eyewitnesses who spoke to SaharaReporters confirmed that three university students were among those injured in the latest accident.
Another fatal road accident has occurred in the Felele area of Lokoja, Kogi State, claiming the life of one person and leaving at least 10 others hospitalised.
The incident happened on Tuesday, just a day after students of the Federal University Lokoja (FUL) resumed academic activities following the tragic deaths of seven of their colleagues in a similar crash last month.
Eyewitnesses who spoke to SaharaReporters confirmed that three university students were among those injured in the latest accident.
“Another accident for Felele just this week that school resumed. One person died. We have more than 10 serious injuries sustained. Three students were involved,” a witness told SaharaReporters.
“They have been taken to the specialist hospital,” he added.
This latest tragedy has reignited concerns over the growing number of accidents on the Lokoja highway, a notorious black spot that has claimed several lives in recent months.
Last week, SaharaReporters reported that the Federal University Lokoja had reopened after being shut down indefinitely in February due to the deadly accident that claimed the lives of seven students and a bus driver.
The accident, which occurred near the university’s permanent site, involved an articulated truck carrying wood and jerrycans of palm oil. The truck reportedly lost control and crashed into a shuttle bus transporting students.
Eyewitnesses recounted how the bus was preparing to leave for the university when the truck rammed into it at high speed, crushing the vehicle and killing its occupants instantly.
The incident sparked massive protests, with students blocking major roads and demanding urgent government intervention to prevent further loss of lives on the highway.
In response, the university management, in consultation with security agencies and the Kogi State Government, ordered an immediate closure of the institution to prevent further escalation of protests.
Students were directed to vacate campus immediately as tensions ran high.
Following weeks of negotiations and promises by the authorities to improve road safety measures, the university’s Senate approved the reopening of the institution on March 10, 2025. A statement issued by the university’s management stated that lectures would commence on March 17, 2025.
However, barely 48 hours after students resumed, another accident occurred in the same Felele area, further highlighting the dangers of the Lokoja highway.
Students and residents of the area have expressed frustration over the repeated road tragedies, blaming poor road conditions, reckless driving by truck drivers, and lack of adequate traffic control measures.
“The government has done nothing to stop these accidents. How many more people must die before something is done?” a student lamented.
Another resident, who identified himself as Musa, told SaharaReporters, “We have been crying about this issue for a long time, but the authorities don’t care. Every time an accident happens, they make empty promises, and then nothing changes. Now another person has died.”
With the latest accident adding to the growing death toll, students and concerned residents are once again calling on the government to take immediate action to prevent further tragedies.
They demand strict speed limits for heavy-duty trucks be enforced, improved road signage be installed, and pedestrian bridges be constructed in accident-prone areas.
Despite repeated tragedies on this highway, authorities have yet to take meaningful action to address the dangers posed to students and other road users.
