On the evening of October 24, 2024, a joyful journey to reunite previous mates from Command Secondary Faculty Abakaliki (CSSA) for his or her fortieth anniversary became a macabre nightmare when a chartered bus from PKO Transport and Logistics, Yaba, carrying 15 alumni from the Lagos chapter, collided with rock particles and caught fireplace simply eight minutes earlier than arriving at their resort in Ebonyi State.
The tragic accident, which occurred close to the G-hostel junction on the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway, claimed the lives of seven passengers, 5 of whom had been burnt past recognition. A number of others suffered extreme accidents that can have long-term penalties and trauma.
Mr. Chuks, the bus driver, reportedly deserted his 15 passengers trapped contained in the bus however later returned to avoid wasting his telephone as the fireplace continued to engulf the car.
The IncidentOne of the injured survivors, Deborah Chinyere, advised The Guardian that the occasion was “ugly.” She recounted that the driving force was unfamiliar with the route, so she and a fellow passenger, Victory Onah, used Google Maps to assist with instructions, however sadly, a flip was missed.
“Victory bought distracted and forgot to inform the driving force to take a left flip that will have led us straight to the resort, the place the occasion was holding,” Chinyere stated.
When the missed flip was communicated to the driving force, Chinyere claimed that the driving force “flared up and have become indignant, and he was not concentrating, asking why we had not advised him in time.” Regardless of makes an attempt to reassure the driving force that they had been nonetheless on observe and to not panic, Chinyere claimed that the driving force was “nonetheless indignant” and started “driving recklessly.”
“In order that was the place the entire thing began. Due to his anger, he couldn’t drive rigorously. He began driving so, you realize, recklessly,” she said.
“He was simply so pissed; I knew this as a result of I used to be sitting instantly at his again, so I may learn his countenance.”
Because the scenario worsened, Chinyere famous that the driving force reportedly accelerated the velocity to round 120 to 130 kilometres, which led to the bus colliding with highway building particles stuffed with rocks on the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway—an space that reportedly lacked acceptable warning indicators about highway situations.
In line with Chinyere, the impression ruptured the gas tank, inflicting the bus to catch fireplace virtually instantly. “It began with the smoke, after which inside some seconds, fireplace got here out from completely different angles, from the again, from the entrance, all over the place,” she stated.
The fireplace claimed the lives of 5 passengers who had been burnt past recognition on the scene, whereas two others later succumbed to their accidents on the Alex Ekwueme Federal Instructing Hospital in Abakaliki. The tragedy has left a number of survivors with extreme burns, fractures, and emotional scars that can final for years.
Different survivors, who spoke solely to The Guardian, recounted traumatic moments of concern, confusion, and disbelief, describing how the bus driver, Mr. Chuks, deserted them because the car caught fireplace however later returned solely to retrieve his telephone, leaving many trapped inside.
Combat for SurvivalOne of the survivors, Mercy Egbele, described the panic and wrestle to flee as the fireplace unfold rapidly via the bus. “I keep in mind the 2 males sitting beside me desperately attempting to open the door,” she advised The Guardian. “However the door wouldn’t open. The one different manner out was the driving force’s seat, but it surely was already blocked by folks attempting to flee.”
Egbele, who had been seated close to the center of the bus, was one of many few to make it out alive. “I used to be the one one who managed to squeeze via the window behind the driving force, due to my small body,” she defined.
However the escape got here at a value—Mercy sustained severe accidents, together with burns to her proper arm, fractures to her left wrist and joints, and extra burns on her brow and again.
For Janet Adebayo, the expertise was a blur of terror. “It was solely eight minutes to our resort when the bus hit a giant ditch. We bounced a number of instances; earlier than lets say Jesus is Lord, we noticed fireplace by our window aspect, and I couldn’t see something after that,” Adebayo stated.
Adebayo, who struggled to recall the small print of her escape, attributed her survival to divine intervention. “It was solely God, as a result of until now I don’t understand how I escaped. I simply noticed myself on the bottom,” she stated.
She added that the driving force made no try to assist the passengers. “It was somebody from the entrance of the bus who managed to open the driving force’s door. That’s how I bought out.”
Adebayo, who suffered burns to her left hand, ears, nostril, and brow, additionally famous a sudden rise in her blood stress following the incident. “I’m nonetheless in shock, however I’m grateful to be alive,” she stated.
Agnes Dada advised The Guardian that she was excited to see her mates and fellow commandos (a time period used to seek advice from graduates from the college).
Dada recalled that the incident was “horrifying past phrases” the second the fireplace began, because the bus swerved and crashed into the particles. “The driving force bumped into rocks, and we heard a loud noise. Then, the particular person behind me shouted, ‘Hearth!’ I used to be terrified,” Dada recalled. “I attempted to open the door from my seat, but it surely wouldn’t budge. That’s once I began calling on the title of Jesus.”
Dada, who was seated behind the driving force, stated her intuition, which she attributed to God, advised her to seek out her manner out via the driving force’s aspect of the bus.
She stated, “I moved in direction of the driving force’s aspect of the bus as a result of I observed there gave the impression to be a manner out from there. Whether or not I jumped out or flew, I don’t know. I simply landed on the highway by the burning bus, and my intuition once more (which I nonetheless say it’s the voice of God) advised me to depart the ground or else I’d get burnt by the fireplace or the bus exploding. I stood up in ache, not figuring out I had already been burnt on my face and proper fingers. I moved away to the opposite aspect and noticed vividly the extent of the fireplace, hoping all was protected however, sadly, not.”
Agnes sustained burns to her proper ear, face, and fingers however was grateful to be alive. “It’s all by God’s grace. I don’t understand how I made it out.”
For the Onyema twins, certainly one of them, Onyema Religion Chizara, advised The Guardian that the emotional toll of the tragedy has been overwhelming. “I’m nonetheless bodily, mentally, and emotionally unstable because the accident occurred. I consider the accident daily that passes by. I’ve completely misplaced deal with something and haven’t been in a position to go about with my day-to-day actions.”
Religion, who was seated close to the entrance of the bus, was reluctant to recall the incident. “I don’t like to recollect these moments of the accident as a result of it’s an unsightly second and so terrifying.”
Her twin sister, Deborah Chinyere Onyema, who suffered a extreme burn on her waist, stated she retains interested by “how the driving force didn’t even open the exits for everybody to flee,” including that his careless angle value lives, and the federal government’s failure to place up warning indicators added to the tragedy.
She recounted that through the accident, she felt “helpless, unhappy, and scared,” and afterwards, “my anxiousness turned insufferable.”
Together with her extreme burn, Deborah, like others, is struggling emotionally. “For the reason that accident, I’ve been emotionally and mentally unstable, and I’ve misplaced my productiveness. I had duties I deliberate to renew instantly after the event, however the psychological stress from the incident has stored me on pause.”
Deborah defined how she and different survivors escaped. “My twin sister managed to flee rapidly as a result of she was seated within the entrance, simply left of the driving force. After getting out, she bent her seat and opened the driving force’s door, which is the place I and most survivors escaped from,” she stated.
Mrs Chioma Iguodala, one other survivor, shared that the crash has left her combating extreme emotional and psychological misery. “I’ve been having loads of temper swings, and typically I cry, and typically I discover it troublesome to cry,” she stated. “It has affected me so much.”
Mrs Iguodala recalled the moments main as much as the crash, which she described as “utter chaos.” “When the driving force elevated his velocity and bumped into an deserted dangerous cease on the highway with huge stones (no warning indicators left by the contractor), the bus jumped and landed, and the driving force shouted fireplace and stopped the car. He got here out of the bus and ran away, got here again, took his telephone, and closed the door. He didn’t open the door for all of the passengers to come back down,” she recounted.
“The trauma I skilled was severe. I couldn’t speak, communicate or acknowledge anyone for 4 hours after the bus explosion once I was rescued by mates.”
Chioma additionally revealed that the accident has disrupted her every day life. “I can’t sleep at evening. The sound of loud noises makes me leap, and my blood stress is excessive. I’m on medicine for it, however I don’t know once I’ll really feel regular once more,” she stated. “It’s like I’m in a continuing state of shock. I’ve been managing, however daily is a wrestle.”
Buddies Misplaced ForeverThe tragedy claimed the lives of 5 mates on the scene who had been burnt past recognition, whereas two others handed away later within the hospital, bringing the full dying toll to seven.
Among the many victims had been Victoria Adolphus, Favour Orji (each from the Class of 2012), Chiagozie Okafor, Akachukwu Omenaku (each from the Class of 2000), Ntomchukwu Izunobi (Class of 1997), Bonaventure Usani, and Patricia Atuaonkh (each from the Class of 1992).
Most of the deceased had been mother and father, together with single moms and dads, forsaking youngsters now with out their care. The Guardian reached out to the households of the deceased to listen to concerning the impression of the tragedy. Nonetheless, a number of the households declined to touch upon the incident. Initially, a brother of one of many deceased had agreed to share his expertise however later withdrew, citing the immense trauma attributable to the loss.
However a number of the survivors who had been near the deceased shared recollections, describing a few of them as pillars of the CSSA Lagos Chapter, individuals who had touched their lives in immeasurable methods.“It has not been simple; I see their faces daily; I knew all of them,” stated Mrs. Iguodala, a detailed buddy of a number of of the victims. “I keep in mind Chiagozie shopping for me lunch at Ore and telling me that he was going to deal with me since my husband couldn’t comply with us on the bus. I additionally knew Sister Patricia, who was my husband’s college mom.”
Two of the victims, Favour Orji and Amarachi Adolphus, had been notably near Religion, whom she described as loving and cheerful, as they’d been housemates at CSSA.
“Could their mild souls relaxation in good peace,” Religion shared. “Amarachi Adolphus was my housemate and in addition my neighbouring roommate within the dormitory,” and Favour Orji was additionally my housemate. They had been very loving, cheerful folks; I want their lives didn’t finish the way in which it did.”
Deborah shared, “The loss is immense; lots of the victims had been single mother and father, widows, and fathers. There’s nobody left to take care of a few of their youngsters… One was our treasurer, one other a comic who made us snigger at conferences. They had been all jolly good fellows. Our final reminiscence collectively was sharing breakfast, lunch, and dinner on the bus earlier than the accident. I miss them deeply. Could their souls relaxation in peace.”
A name for justice “To my best shock, no data in any way. This goes to point out the shortage of concern for lives,” Agnes Dada stated. “There’s a saying and perception that nobody will get justice in Nigeria and that the federal government (all these in energy) solely cares about themselves. I hope this modifications on this case.”
The CSSA’s Lagos state commandant normal , Theodore Chukwu, disclosed that the bus driver ran to Nnewi earlier than making his solution to Lagos however later resurfaced with the final supervisor of PKO Logistics and Transport, the corporate that operated the bus.
Nonetheless mourning the lack of their mates, the alumni group is demanding accountability from each the Ebonyi State authorities and the transport firm. Chukwu and different members of the alumni group are looking for compensation for the households of the deceased, in addition to the survivors who’re nonetheless combating bodily and psychological trauma.
Chukwu famous, “The alumni need compensation for the households of the useless commandos from the state authorities for not deploying the best security measures round building websites and in addition the transport firm. The compensation also needs to cowl the survivors who’re at present present process psychological remedy.”
Chukwu added that the transport firm had met with a number of the alumni on Thursday, November 7, 2024, to debate the matter additional. Nonetheless, the Ebonyi State authorities has but to have interaction with the group.
“We learnt that the bus ran over particles left by the development firm. The alumni are but to get an viewers with the state authorities,” Chukwu stated.
When The Guardian contacted Esiagu Marcel Eze, Common Supervisor, PKO Logistics and Transport, he confirmed that the driving force had been arrested and that the case was being dealt with by the state site visitors workplace in Abakaliki.
However Eze was reluctant to supply additional particulars, saying “the driving force is with the police; truly,
I’m not comfortable that this incident occurred. No sane particular person can be comfortable about it however I wouldn’t wish to say something now till the police have carried out their investigation.”
He additionally stated the transport firm was engaged on compensating the households of the deceased. “We’re working critically in direction of compensating the deceased as a result of when the incident occurred, folks started to name my telephone to threaten however now we have not found the precise particular person to fulfill for any type of settlement.”
In the meantime, state police spokesperson, ASP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed to The Guardian that the driving force had been arrested and an investigation is ongoing.
“We’re doing what is predicted of us and as soon as the investigation is concluded, the driving force will probably be charged to courtroom.” Ukandu stated.
