8 Students Of Madonna University Die In Auto Crash On Their Way Home For Saturday's Election

In what will come across as a really tragic development, as many as eight students of Madonna University, Okija in Anambra state, have died.

The students reportedly died in a fatal accident while on their way to Taraba State.

SaharaReporters learnt the accident occurred on Saturday night as the students were reportedly going home for the forthcoming general elections.

A Facebook user, Matthew Mbam who broke the news of the unfortunate incident on his page said it happened at TTC/Special Science school junction along the Trans-Saharan Road, Abakaliki, Ebonyi state.

Describing the accident as horrific, Mbam said the bus conveying the students caught fire and got burnt beyond recognition.

After the accident, eight occupants of the crashed bus were reported dead while 10 students reportedly survived and were taken to Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital in Ebonyi State.

He wrote, "WHAT A HORRIFIC SCENE!!! While returning from Nwezenyi, Igbeagu, Izzi, Ebonyi State, Nigeria this Sunday evening where I went to pick some people, I met this horrific scene at exactly TTC/Special Science School junction along the trans-Saharan road.

"Actually, I also passed in the morning when I went to drop the people whom I went to pick this evening, but I didn't observe the scene as there was no gathering of people there as the place was somehow deserted.

"Seeing the crowd of persons with some army officers around the burnt vehicle, I decided to park my car by the roadside and came out to find out what really happened. I was told that the accident occurred yesterday twilight being Saturday, 18th February, 2023.

"After asking some persons there who all declined telling me what really happened, I met the soldiers who accompanied the relatives from Taraba State, directly to ask them what happened with the burnt vehicle.

"They briefed me that the bus was coming from Port-Harcourt, conveying some students from Madonna University with some of the parents who are returning to Taraba State for a break due to upcoming elections.

"The story further has it that 8 students/a parent are the chelated bodies/ashes that were burnt beyond recognition. And about 7 persons in bad conditions who are currently at Federal Teaching Hospital, Abakaliki, escaped from the bus when it caught fire after having head-on collision with a Siena car.

"Nawa o! It was such a horrific scene I've never seen before now since I was born up to date!

"Yes, among the major causes of this kind of accident is over-speeding and distractions mainly due to intermittent sleep while driving.

"May drivers- whether private or commercial, take this to heart. May people also restrict travellings especially these days, to avert some of these "unexpected events" which the Bible says ‘overtake all.’”

One of the parents of the deceased took to his page to express pain over the loss of his daughter.

“Grace Usman Ezra, I never knew sending you to Madonna university will lead to your untimely dead. 18 of you left Madonna to Jalingo yesterday only to hear the news that your bus had an accident and caught fire, 8 out of 18 came out from the bus. It is well with 10 of you and the rest that are alive, I pray for your speedy recovery and my God comfort us all that lost our children.”