O.M.G!! Over 20 Students Of University Of Nigeria, Nsukka Died In Car Accident While Traveling
TWENTY students of the University of Nigeria, Nsukka,
Enugu State, were feared dead in a multiple road accident late
on Tuesday, eyewitnesses said on Wednesday.
Our correspondent learnt that the victims met their deaths on
the Nsukka-9th Mile Expressway while travelling to their
homes in a commercial mass transit bus after the UNN
authorities had directed the students to embark on a
compulsory two-week break.
A statement by the university’s Chief Public Relations
Officer, Okwun Omeaku, had directed the students to vacate
the school with immediate effect.
Although the UNN management had described the closure as
a “mid-semester break”, students told our correspondent that
the school was shut to avert an action said to have been
planned by the students to protest the lack of electricity and
water in their hostels.
The students had been directed to vacate their hostels before
6:00 pm on Tuesday.
Though the Enugu State Police Command said only three
undergraduates died in the accident, eyewitnesses said no
fewer than 20 students of the UNN perished in the accident.
Police Public Relations Officer, Enugu State Police
Command, Ebere Amaraizu, in a statement made available to
journalists, said apart from the three who lost their lives, five
other students sustained injuries in the accident.
Amaraizu said, “Three persons have been confirmed dead
while five others sustained various degrees of injuries. The
injured are being attended to at Our Saviour Hospital, 9th
Mile Corner, Ngwo, while the dead bodies are also deposited
at the same hospital mortuary.
“The auto crash involved a diesel truck with registration
number AWK 311 XB, which is believed to have lost control
as a result of suspected brake failure and hit two buses with
registration numbers UWN 406 XA and UWN 57 XA and also
a motorcycle.”
Before the closure of their school on Tuesday, our
correspondent learnt that the students had planned to embark
on a demonstration over the lack of electricity and water in
their hostels.
It was learnt that the planned demonstration was to take place
within the week.
A student, who pleaded anonymity, had told our
correspondent that there had been acute water scarcity and
zero power supply in their hostels for a very long time.
