Five people, including four students of the Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUT Minna), died on Monday, October 26, 2026, in a head-on collision involving a vehicle in the convoy of Niger State Governor Mohammed Umaru Bago and a car conveying the students.
The accident occurred around Gidan Mangoro, near Gidan Kwanu, along the Minna–Bida route. It involved a Toyota Hilux carrying Dauda Chikuba, Director-General of the Niger State Government House, and another vehicle transporting five university students.
Four of the students and the driver of the government vehicle died at the scene. Chikuba sustained injuries and was reportedly rushed to a hospital for medical treatment.
Two of the deceased students were identified as Nafisat Abubakar Aguye and Ibrahim Ado Bayero, both reportedly postgraduate students of FUT Minna. The names of the other deceased students had not been officially disclosed.
Circumstances Surrounding the Crash
The collision occurred as the governor’s entourage was returning to Minna after a condolence visit to the Etsu Nupe and Chairman of the Niger State Council of Traditional Rulers, Alhaji Yahaya Abubakar, in Bida.
Governor Bago and his team had visited the traditional ruler to commiserate with him over the death of Sagi Nupe, Hajia Aisha.
The vehicle carrying the students was reportedly travelling towards Bida when it collided with the Toyota Hilux heading in the opposite direction.
An eyewitness quoted by PUNCH alleged that the governor’s convoy was travelling at high speed when the crash occurred. However, the allegation has not been independently verified, and the precise circumstances that led to the collision remain subject to investigation.
Police and FRSC Respond
The spokesperson for the Niger State Police Command, Superintendent of Police Wasiu Abiodun, confirmed the accident and said an investigation had commenced.
“The accident occurred this morning, and we are investigating it,” Abiodun was quoted as saying.
The police spokesperson did not disclose the identities of the deceased or provide further details about the investigation.
The Niger State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Aishat Sa’adu, also reportedly confirmed the incident but did not provide additional details.
Reports indicated that the remains of the deceased were evacuated from the scene, although the destination was not disclosed. The condition of the injured government official and the circumstances surrounding the survival of the fifth student were not fully established in the initial accounts.
The identities of all the victims, the precise cause of the crash and the findings of the ongoing investigation had yet to be publicly confirmed.
The fatal collision has raised renewed concerns about road safety and the need for caution among motorists, particularly on busy intercity routes such as the Minna–Bida road.
Authorities are expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the accident as investigations continue.