By SCM Staff Writer I Wednesday, Nov. 19.25
ONDO, Nigeria – A BUS full of bright-eyed university graduates heading to their national youth service camp was turned into a scene of unspeakable carnage today, as nearly everyone on board was instantly claimed by a horror road crash.
Sixteen young Nigerians, full of hopes and dreams for their country, were tragically killed in the devastating accident, which involved an 18-seater bus travelling from Ondo to Gombe.
Only two passengers miraculously survived the smash, and are now fighting for their lives, barely clinging on after the wreck that reduced the vehicle to twisted metal and silence.
The victims were all Prospective Corps Members from Adeyemi Federal University of Education (AFUED), Ondo, who were on their way to the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp.
The incident has been immediately dubbed a “BLACK WEDNESDAY” by heartbroken commentators reeling from the sheer scale of the loss.
One distraught source, commenting on the tragedy, described his heart as “heavy” and spoke of an “indescribable loss for their families, their institution, and our nation.”
The source added: “An 18-seater bus, full of bright young Nigerians with hopes and dreams, was reduced to silence in a moment—as nearly everyone on board succumbed instantly to the cold hands of death.”
The shocking incident has reignited fury over the relentless loss of life on Nigeria’s notoriously dangerous roads.
Calls are now mounting for an immediate and decisive intervention from the government to halt the “unbearable” wave of road tragedies.
”This wave of needless tragedy is becoming unbearable,” the source stressed. “It is high time the Federal Government intervened decisively to stem the relentless loss of innocent lives on our roads.”
The families of the young graduates are now mourning a future stolen in an instant, as the nation waits desperately for news on the two critical survivors.
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is a compulsory, year-long service program for Nigerian university and polytechnic graduates. It is designed to promote national unity and integration. Graduates must report to a camp, often far from their home states, to begin the service.
Nigeria faces a severe road safety crisis, with crashes often caused by poorly maintained vehicles, high speeds, lack of regulatory enforcement, and poorly maintained road
infrastructure.
Long-distance inter-state travel by bus is common but highly hazardous. Accidents involving students or large groups often lead to national outrage and calls for reform.
