8 Madonna University Students Traveling For Election Die In Accident

About 8 students of Madonna University, Okija, Rivers State, have reportedly died in a bus accident while on their way to Taraba State.

The students were said to be traveling home from school, having been asked to leave school on account of the upcoming general elections.

According to an eye-witness report, the tragic incident reportedly happened on Saturday, 18th February at TTC/ Special Science School junction, Abakaliki, Ebonyi State.

Also, 7 students were said to have survived the incident with varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to the Alex Ekwueme Teaching Hospital Hospital in Ebonyi State.

The eye-witness, Matthew Mbam, took to his Facebook page to narrate the incident saying, “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.

“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 Sienna car.”

The father of one of the late students, Ezra M Usman, expressed sorrow in a Facebook post, attaching a picture of his daughter.

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