Over 35 Muslims traveling to Samunaka in Kaduna State for a Maulud celebration tragically lost their lives in a fatal accident when the J5 bus they were in collided head-on with an articulated vehicle near Saminaka in Lere Local Government Area, Kaduna State.
Although official responses were yet to be made, one of the event organizers, Malam Abdullahi, shared the impact of the accident on their plans. “It has disorganized our Maulud celebration,” he told journalists. He added that 35 other victims were moved to a medical facility in nearby Plateau State for treatment.
He further explained that another vehicle in their convoy was involved in a separate incident, crashing into a motorbike, leading to additional casualties. “I did the headcount; there were about 70 people, including women and children. It’s a sad development. We’ve taken the injured to JUTH in Jos for medical attention,” Abdullahi said.
In a separate incident, the Zamfara State Government confirmed the deaths of 40 people following a boat accident in the Gummi Local Government Area. The boat, carrying 40 passengers, capsized on Sunday in the Bakin Kasuwa River, Uban Dawaki community.
Sulaiman Idris, the Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Media and Publicity, confirmed the tragedy, noting the governor’s sorrow over the event. “We received the tragic report of a boat accident in Bakin Kasuwa River, Uban Dawaki ward, resulting in the loss of over 40 lives. The governor described this as a monumental disaster,” Idris said.
The governor has instructed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately begin rescue efforts and recover the bodies. Additionally, the Commissioner for Humanitarian and Relief Matters was directed to provide relief materials to the victims and their families.
“Governor Lawal prays for the souls of the departed, shares in the grief of their families, and assures that the state government will work to prevent future occurrences,” Idris concluded.
This incident follows a recent flood in the same area, which destroyed over 2,000 homes and farmlands, resulting in significant losses worth millions of naira.
