Damagum, Yobe State – April 8, 2025

A tragic accident unfolded Sunday evening in Damagum, Yobe State, as an 18-seater Toyota Hiace bus with registration number KTG 283 XA lost control and ploughed into a crowded marketplace, killing five pedestrians — including a pregnant woman — and injuring 19 others.

Confirming the incident to Channels Television on Tuesday, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Yobe State, Livinus Yilzoom, said the victims were pedestrians who had just closed from the market and were waiting by the roadside when the crash occurred.

“Note that five persons who died were not occupants of the vehicle, rather, they were pedestrians who were by the roadside waiting to cross,” Yilzoom stated. “The driver, in trying to avoid the pedestrians, ran into them and lost control due to the speed he was travelling. So far, 19 persons were injured and five killed.”

Emergency response teams from the FRSC Unit Command in Dogon Kuka were immediately deployed to the scene. The victims were promptly evacuated to Damagum General Hospital, where the injured are receiving medical care.

Preliminary investigations have identified excessive speeding and loss of control as the primary causes of the accident.

The tragedy has reignited concerns over the positioning of markets close to highways, a recurring issue across many communities in the region. Eyewitnesses and local residents lamented the growing risks associated with market days, citing the increasing presence of roadside traders and heavy foot traffic in areas with high vehicular movement.

This incident adds to a worrying trend of fatal crashes in Nigeria attributed to speeding, reckless driving, and inadequate enforcement of road safety regulations.

Authorities have called for urgent measures to prevent future tragedies, including stricter enforcement of speed limits and better planning around market locations.