Monday, June 2, 2025 has been declared as a day of in Nigeria’s Kano State where 22 people have died in a road accident.
The 22 persons who died in the accident were returning a sports festival in the south-west of Nigeria. Among the dead were coaches, officials, athletes, medical staff and a journalist.
The fatalities occurred when a state bus transporting the team veered off the road and overturned near Dakatsalle, a town approximately 40km from Kano.
The accident occurred on Saturday, May 31, 2025. At least nine people were also injured and one person who was on the bus did not sustain an injury.
The team was traveling on a journey of more than 1,000km back from the National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State. The festival had ended on Friday.
Shehu Dikko, the Chairman of the Nigeria Sports Commission (NSC), says in a statement that the accident marked “a very sad day for Nigerian sports.”
According to him, “We are heartbroken by this tragedy.
He says “These were promising athletes and dedicated officials who had just served their state and country with pride. Their loss is immeasurable.”
Persons injured in the accident are receiving treatment at the Kura General Hospital south of Kano.
