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…slams transport company
The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has mourned five students from Gombe State who lost their lives in a recent road accident allegedly involving a GUO Logistics truck and a bus along the Ijebu-Epe Road.
In a Saturday statement signed by its President, Babatunde Akinteye, NANS said the students were travelling from Gombe to Lagos in search of Industrial Training (IT) placements when the accident occurred.
Akinteye said the incident occurred on Wednesday, October 28, when the bus conveying the students collided with the truck, which had allegedly left its lane in the opposite direction, killing five persons while several others sustained injuries.
In a separate statement, Director-General, Citizens for Good Governance, Rule of Law and Anti-Corruption Initiative, Comrade Danesi Momoh Prince, said the Toyota Hiace bus was conveying 23 passengers from Gombe to Lagos at the time of the incident.
Akinteye identified the deceased students as Isiyaku Sa’idu, Maigana Mohammed, also known as Abbati, Anas Abubakar, who was the driver, Zaiyanu Bajoga, and Abubakar Ibrahim.
The association described the deceased as shining stars building careers for themselves whose dreams were cut short in the course of seeking practical training.
“These students were shining stars building careers for themselves. It is so unfortunate that their dreams were cut short while travelling from Gombe to Lagos in search of Industrial Training (IT) placements. It is devastating to see their journey end in such a tragic manner,” the statement reads in part.
NANS extended condolences to the bereaved families, friends and the Nigerian student community, praying for fortitude to bear the loss.
However, the association expressed displeasure over what it described as the failure of the transport company involved to take responsibility for the incident.
“The most disheartening part of this tragedy is that, up till this moment, GUO Logistics has failed to take responsibility for the ugly incident that took the lives of our students,” NANS said.
Consequently, the association demanded that the company engage the bereaved families and ensure adequate medical care for injured victims.
NANS said, “We hereby give GUO Logistics 72 hours to take full responsibility, particularly by reaching out to all the bereaved families, providing the necessary support to them, and ensuring that the injured victims receive adequate medical attention.”
NANS also called for a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the accident to establish the facts and ensure anyone found culpable is held accountable.
“Our departed students deserve justice. Their families deserve compassion and support, while the injured deserve proper medical care. Of course, we cannot bring these students back to life, but we can get justice for them,” it added.
The association said it shares in the pain of the families, describing the deceased students as colleagues and future leaders whose loss is a collective one.
