LOKOJA, Nigeria — Two people were killed and 19 others injured Tuesday in a road crash along the Lokoja–Okene highway, authorities said.
Kogi State Federal Road Safety Corps Sector Commander Tenimu Etuku said the crash involved a commercial bus traveling from Kano to Auchi/Benin. He said the accident occurred around 9:40 a.m. and was caused by excessive speeding.
Etuku said four of the survivors suffered serious injuries, including fractures and deep bruises, and were taken to a nearby hospital. The remaining passengers sustained minor injuries.
According to the FRSC, the bus left Kano late Monday and was nearing the end of its long‑distance trip when the driver lost control and veered off the road. Rescue workers recovered two bodies and took them to the Kogi Specialist Hospital morgue in Lokoja.
Family members and fellow travelers who arrived at the hospital described the victims as “hard‑working Nigerians” who were returning home ahead of the holidays. One relative said the passengers “left with hope and never made it back.”
Survivors also paid tribute, saying the journey had been filled with normal conversations before the crash. “We were all strangers, but moments like this show how fragile life is,” one passenger said.
Transport unions in Kogi and Kano states expressed condolences and urged stronger enforcement of speed limits and vehicle checks, especially during the festive season.
Etuku warned motorists to drive carefully as holiday travel increases nationwide. He said speeding, fatigue and poor vehicle maintenance remain major causes of crashes during the Yuletide.
Earlier Tuesday, several passengers were killed in a separate crash along the Isara‑Remo section of the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway, according to the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency. TRACE officials said two passengers in a Suzuki bus were found dead around 7 a.m.
