Eighteen people narrowly survived on Sunday when a commercial vehicle transporting All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters rammed into a crowd in Ringim Local Government Area, Jigawa State.
The incident occurred in Yakasawa village, about 2km from Ringim town, where residents had gathered along the roadside to welcome Governor Umar Namadi for the 15th edition of the state’s Citizens and Government Engagement Programme, designed to foster closer ties between government and citizens.
According to eyewitnesses, a Golf Volkswagen with registration number FKJ 102 JB veered off the road and crashed into the crowd after the driver lost control. One witness, speaking anonymously, said the driver appeared unable to control the vehicle as it approached the large gathering. Victims were quickly evacuated and taken to Ringim General Hospital by residents and personnel from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC).
Another eyewitness, Saminu Shehu, confirmed the injured were transported in an FRSC vehicle for urgent medical care.
The Public Relations Officer of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Jigawa, ASC Badruddeen Tijjani, said preliminary findings indicated the speeding driver attempted to avoid a pothole before losing control. No fatalities were recorded, though all 18 victims sustained varying injuries.
Tijjani assured that the NSCDC would thoroughly investigate the crash and urged motorists to drive carefully, especially on pothole-ridden roads. He commended the swift response of both NSCDC and FRSC officials, which ensured prompt medical attention for the injured.
This accident occurred less than four months after a similar incident in Birniwa LGA claimed the life of a former councillor during the fourth edition of the same programme.
Efforts to reach the state Commissioner for Information, Sagir Musa, were unsuccessful.
