Six students of Kashim Ibrahim University (KIU), Maiduguri, were seriously injured in a motor accident on Friday night following the institution?s Social Week closing ceremony, in what eyewitnesses described as a case of reckless and negligent driving.

The accident, which occurred near Gambari Village along the Maiduguri?Konduga road, involved a Hilux van conveying students and a heavily loaded truck. The impact left six students with varying degrees of injuries ? three with leg fractures and three others with hand fractures.

The Hilux driver, who was said to be overspeeding and making dangerous turns while celebrating after the event, lost control and rammed into the oncoming truck.

?The students were returning from the Social Week event, cheering and playing music loudly. The driver was driving too fast despite warnings from the passengers. Suddenly, he swerved to avoid a pothole and collided with a truck carrying cement,? said a witness, who identified himself as Musa Ibrahim.

Emergency responders and passers-by immediately rushed to the scene to rescue the victims, who were later taken to Umaru Shehu Ultra-Modern Hospital for first aid.

Medical officials at the hospital confirmed that three of the students, who sustained critical fractures, were later transferred to the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH) for advanced medical care.

A senior university official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, described the incident as ?a sad but preventable tragedy.? He blamed the accident on recklessness and disregard for traffic regulations.

?It is regrettable that such youthful excitement turned into a tragedy. We always advise students to avoid careless celebrations and reckless driving, but some of them ignore safety warnings,? he said. (Zagazola)

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