Tragedy struck in the early hours of Sunday as a bus conveying the Nigeria Immigration Service’s band officers was involved in a ghastly motor accident leading to the death of some of the officers.
The Federal Road Safety Commission confirmed that two persons died on the spot while seven injured persons were rushed to the hospital.
It was gathered that the officers were on their way back to Abuja from Kano State after a passing-out parade at the Immigration Training School in Kano when the crash occurred.
A viral video obtained by one of our correspondents showed the bodies of the affected immigration officers on the road while sympathisers were seen trying to resuscitate some of them.
Details of the accident were sketchy as of the time of filing the report and the cause of the accident could not be ascertained either.
But the FRSC Public Relations Officer, Kano Sector Command, Labaran Abdullahi confirmed that two officers died on the spot while seven others have been taken to hospital for medical attention.
According to him, nine officers were in the vehicle when the accident happened.
But our correspondent in Abuja gathered that three officers died when their Nissan 18-seater bus with the number plate ‘Immigration HQ, 1001S’ conveying members of the service’s musical band from Kano to Abuja lost control after suffering a tyre burst.
The accident which happened along the Kano-Zaria Expressway on Sunday morning left three dead after fatal head injuries and two in a comma even as an undetermined number sustained other injuries.
A source at the service’s headquarters said, “It’s true. We lost three officers and two are in coma.
“They were moving in a convoy from Kano to Abuja when it happened.
“Those who survived are in the hospital receiving treatment. It came as a shock to all of us. The CGI is aware already.”
The crew had accompanied the acting Comptroller-General of Immigration, Mrs Caroline Adepoju, to Kano State for the Presidential Commissioning and Passing Out Parade of the 48th Superintendent Basic Course 2023 at the Immigration Training School in Kano, on Saturday.
The PUNCH also gathered that family members of officers known to have travelled with the acting CGI thronged the NIS headquarters in Sauka, Abuja, wailing uncontrollably upon receiving news of the incident.
The Public Relations Officer, Dr Dotun Aridegbe, could not be reached on a voice call as of the time of filing this report.
However, he had declared in a text message that the service “in a pensive mode” following the tragedy.
Meanwhile, addressing the graduates in Kano on Saturday, the Immigration Chief had urged them to remain professional and shun corruption in the discharge of their duties.
“While at the field, I urge you to shun all forms of misdemeanour and corruption.
The service has zero tolerance for any sharp practices that will undermine the effort of the service reforms on operational effectiveness and efficiency,” she remarked.
Highlighting the crucial role of what she called “Citizenship integrity”, she urged officers to “strike a balance between ethics and professionalism in the use of the power of the state” at their disposal when dealing with citizens, vulnerable and non-vulnerable migrants.
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