13 students perish in crash

Twelve young men, mostly family members, died in a ghastly motor accident that occurred in Gyadi-Gyadi quarters, along Zaria road, in Kano metropolis on Saturday night. At least nine of them were the sons of a former Kano State Commissioner of Rural and Community Development, Alhaji Mahmud Baffa Yola.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the deceased met their death while returning home from a wedding party of their relation, Abdullahi Yahuza, which took place at Ni'ima Guest Palace in the city. The two cars in which they were travelling collided with a pedestrian bridge in an attempt to avoid hitting a trailer, a few metres to their residence.

Two members of the bereaved family, Abdurra'uf Mahmud, a son of the former commissioner, and Yahuza, the bridegroom from whose party the young men were returning, told our correspondent that the deceased were between the ages of 15 to 20 years; they were driving in two cars while returning home from the party around 11 pm.

The first car hit the side of the overhead bridge in an attempt to avoid running into the trailer ahead, while the second car rammed into the first on top speed.

"All seven people who were in the car in the front died instantly due to the serious burns they sustained," Yahuza said.

Five of the occupants of the car behind died while three others sustained various burns and were rushed to the Malam Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital nearby.

The deceased were buried at the Tarauni cemetery yesterday (pictured above) after prayers at the Zubair Bin Auwam Mosque.

May their souls rest in peace...amen.

Source: Leadership Newspaper