Kano Athlete Attributes Crash To Faulty Brakes
Kano State athlete, Dorathy Okwuzuluike, who is one of the survivors of the ill-fated crash that killed 22 athletes, and officials of the state while returning from the National Sports Festival on Saturday has spoken of the accident.
Recall 21 members of the team that participated at the Ogun 2024 died instantly before another survivor gave up the ghost in the hospital on Sunday to take the number of casualties to 22.
The accident occurred at approximately 12:30 p.m. on Saturday near Gadar Yankifi along the Kaduna-Kano expressway, involving a Kano State Government coaster bus with registration number KN 041 A17.
One of the survivors, Dorathy Okwuzuluike, has suspected brake failure as the reason for the accident.
She said: “I think the bus had a failed brake or something. The only thing I could do was to hold the chair very well. That was the last thing I remember. I only woke up in the hospital.”
She also confirmed that the bus broke down several times on their way back to Kano while spending two days on the road.
Okwuzuluike said: “We spent two days on the road while we were going and that was the same situation on our way back. Our vehicle usually had faults and it would be repaired.”
However, the Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Fagge revealed that the cause of the accident is yet to be ascertained.
He said: “The bus contained 31 people and those who survived were in the last two seats. From those last two seats to the driver, all of them didn’t survive. Nobody could tell how it happened. We in our thinking, just accept it as fate.”
The families of the deceased have started making arrangements for their burial according to the acting director of the Kano State Sports Commission, Ibrahim Umar.
He said: “The families decided that they want to carry their dead bodies and go to the various communities and do the burial. “The government gave each of the families 1m naira and gave them foodstuffs.”
Meanwhile, the chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission, Shehu Dikko has vowed to improve safety protocols for sporting events.
He said: “This incident underscores the pressing need for a unified national policy on travel and welfare.
“Moving forward, it is now mandatory for all state contingents to have comprehensive insurance cover, and for all vehicles used for official purposes to be mechanically certified and fully insured.
“These guidelines have been reiterated to all participating states and will be strictly enforced.”
Kano State finished 13th at the National Sports Festival with six gold, 13 silver, and 10 bronze for a total of 29 medals.
Kano Athlete Attributes Crash To Faulty Brakes is first published on The Whistler Newspaper
