A father in Kano, Suleiman Yunusa, has narrated how a sand-laden truck crushed two of his sons to death while they were returning home from school.
The children, 10-year-old Ahmad Suleiman and six-year-old Mohammed Suleiman, were killed when the truck ran over the motorcycle conveying them along the Rimin Auzinawa-Yan Rake road in Ungogo Local Government Area of Kano State on Wednesday, reports Daily Trust.
The motorcycle rider, identified as Ado Manya, also died in the accident, while Yunusa’s five-year-old son, Yunusa Suleiman, survived with fractures and other injuries.
The children were returning from Modern International School, Rijiyar Zaki, where they had gone for their lessons.
Following the incident, an angry mob reportedly set the truck ablaze, while the driver fled the scene.
Speaking to our correspondent yesterday, Yunusa said the death of two of his children at the same time had left him devastated.
“Honestly, I am devastated and shocked by the death of two of my children, including Baba, the motorcycle rider who usually picks them up from school.
“The three of them died instantly, while the third one, who sustained fractures, is currently undergoing surgery at the National Orthopaedic Hospital Dala, Kano.
“I have left everything to Allah, but imagine losing two sons at the same time. It is very sad,” he said.
Yunusa, who is a father of four, said he had accepted the incident as a test from God, stressing that there was little he could do other than submit to what God had ordained.
He, however, said the circumstances surrounding the accident were particularly painful because the children were returning home from school.
According to him, the condition of the Rimin Auzinawa-Yan Rake road had contributed to frequent accidents in the area.
He said residents had continued to express concern over the narrowness of the road, particularly with the increasing movement of sand trucks and rapid expansion of communities along the route.
Yunusa also expressed disappointment that the truck driver and representatives of the truck operators did not immediately visit the family to condole with them.
“Despite this, the driver ran away, and none of the truck drivers or their chairman came to condole with us here,” he said.
He said members of his wife’s family had indicated that they would pursue the matter, but that he personally would leave it in the hands of Allah and the relevant authorities.
“The matter is with the police. If they decide to prosecute them, I will not say no, but I will not do so on my own,” he said.
He said the five-year-old survivor sustained fractures and other injuries and was receiving treatment.
Yunusa added that he also has a two-year-old daughter who has not yet been enrolled in school.
He said the death of his two sons had created a painful void in the family.
How the accident occurred
The accident occurred at about 7:05pm on Wednesday at Mangwaro Uku area of Rimin Auzinawa.
Residents said the motorcycle carrying the three children and the rider came into contact with a commercial tricycle while attempting to overtake it.
The motorcycle reportedly fell onto the road with its occupants, after which a sand-laden truck travelling from Rimin Auzinawa towards Yan Rake ran over them.
Ado Manya, Ahmad and Mohammed reportedly died at the scene.
The five-year-old Yunusa sustained fractures and other injuries and was rushed to Murtala Muhammad Specialist Hospital for medical attention.
The incident immediately attracted a large crowd, with residents reportedly setting the truck ablaze.
The truck driver, identified as Usman Haruna of Bachirawa, was also attacked by the mob before security personnel rescued him.
The commercial tricycle rider reportedly fled the scene with his tricycle.
Firefighters were subsequently mobilised to put out the fire, while security personnel dispersed the crowd and restored order.
Residents raise safety concerns
The incident has renewed concerns among residents of Rimin Auzinawa and surrounding communities over the safety of the road, particularly the movement of sand-carrying trucks.
A resident of the area, Bilal Freedom, said he was shocked when he saw the bodies of the victims at the scene.
He said the death of the schoolchildren was particularly painful and described the incident as another reminder of the dangers posed by heavy trucks on the route.
“I was devastated when I saw the dead bodies of the victims, including school pupils. It was tragic and horrible. I was very sad to see how those lives were lost,” he said.
Bilal said the incident was not the first fatal accident involving sand-carrying trucks in the area.
He recalled that a couple travelling on a motorcycle was hit by a truck last year, resulting in the death of the woman.
According to him, sand trucks transporting materials from the Watari area frequently pass through Mangwaro Uku on their way to Yan Rake.
“Because the road is bad and it is the only access to the site at Watari, most of the drivers lack the patience to carefully pass through and therefore everyone is trying to find his way.
“In the process, they either hit a moving vehicle or passers-by,” he said.
Bilal appealed to the Kano State Government to provide an alternative route for trucks travelling to the Watari area.
Driver not reckless – NARTO
The chairman of the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Yar Rake branch, Murtala Dahiru, said the truck was taken to the Motor Traffic Division (MTD) in Kano after it was burnt, while the driver remained in police custody.
Dahiru said representatives of the union, including the truck owner, were mobilising to visit the families of the victims and condole with them.
He said the union could not immediately visit the families because of the tension that followed the accident.
According to him, the aggressive reaction of residents, who burnt the truck, made it difficult for the union’s representatives to approach the affected families immediately.
The NARTO chairman also called for government intervention to address the tension that often arises between residents and truck operators whenever accidents occur.
He said the union regularly cautioned its drivers against reckless driving.
However, he disputed the allegation that the truck driver was reckless in the latest incident, saying the commercial tricycle rider caused the accident.
He also appealed to the Kano State Government to expand the road, saying its narrowness had become a source of concern for residents of the area, which has experienced rapid population growth.
FRSC blames recklessness
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) spokesman in Kano, Abdullahi Labaran, said the accident was caused by the recklessness of a commercial tricycle driver while attempting to make a U-turn on the road.
Labaran also expressed concern over what he described as the increasing recklessness of commercial tricycle riders in Kano.
He said such riders had become a public nuisance on the roads, adding that the command was concerned about the increasing number of accidents involving tricycles.
According to him, another accident involving a commercial tricycle was reported along Hadejia Road on the same day.
He said the development had prompted the command to intensify plans for a sensitisation campaign for commercial tricycle riders across the state.
Police spokesman, CSP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed that investigation into the incident was ongoing.
The spokesman of the Kano State Fire Service, Saminu Abdullahi, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.
