Four Pupils Killed As Truck Rams Into Commuters In Kogi

Four Pupils Killed as Truck Rams into Commuters in Kogi

At least four schoolchildren lost their lives and several others were injured in a tragic accident in Egbolo, Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi State, when a truck carrying building materials lost control and rammed into commuters.

The incident occurred on the morning of Monday, December 1, 2025, around 8:00–8:30 a.m. Eyewitnesses reported that the pupils were on their way from Egbolo to Ofuloko, a neighboring community where they attended school, since Egbolo itself lacks a functioning primary school. In a cruel twist of fate, the truck, which was ferrying building materials, also carried some of the children to drop them off at Ofuloko Primary School. It lost control and plunged into a river or veered off the road, depending on varying accounts, crushing the pupils and leaving many others with injuries of different severity.

Residents rushed to the scene, pulling children from under the wreckage amid cries of distress. The injured were quickly taken to nearby hospitals, while officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other emergency responders coordinated rescue efforts and attempted to ease traffic congestion caused by the crash.

The tragedy sparked outrage in the community. Grieving parents and youth leaders openly blamed government neglect for the deaths, pointing out that Egbolo has no functional school despite its population. This forces children to trek long distances or rely on unsafe transport to attend classes in neighboring villages.

 A youth leader, Usman Idrisu, described the day as a “black Monday” for Egbolo, lamenting that the absence of basic educational infrastructure had indirectly contributed to the accident.

In the aftermath, residents blocked the road in protest, demanding urgent government intervention. They called for the establishment of a school within Egbolo to prevent further tragedies and highlighted the need for stricter road safety measures to protect vulnerable commuters, especially children.

This incident underscores the intersection of poor infrastructure, unsafe transportation, and systemic neglect. The deaths of the four pupils are not only a devastating loss for their families but also a stark reminder of the risks faced by children in rural communities who must travel long distances to access education. It raises pressing questions about road safety enforcement, community development, and the responsibility of authorities to provide safe learning environments.

The Egbolo accident is part of a troubling pattern of road crashes in Nigeria, where overloaded or poorly maintained trucks frequently cause fatalities.

For Egbolo, however, the pain is compounded by the knowledge that the tragedy might have been avoided if the community had a functioning school.