A devastating road accident along the Kaduna-Zaria expressway has plunged a family into mourning after a speeding vehicle ploughed into a group of pedestrians, killing eight members of the same household and leaving two others critically injured.
An eyewitness, who requested anonymity, told The Guild that the victims—primarily women and children, had been standing by the roadside waiting for transportation when a grey Mercedes GLK SUV veered off the highway and struck them.
The eyewitness further disclosed that the vehicle was driven by a young boy from the Rigachikun area, reportedly the son of a well-known political figure in the community.
The witness also indicated that the driver fled the scene immediately after the incident.
“We lost eight family members in a single evening,” recounted Jamilu Usman, a grieving father and husband from Sabon Gari, Tudun Wada.
“My wife, Khadija Umar, my two sons—Sadiq, 16, and Muhammad, 9, her elder and younger sisters, and their aunt were all victims. Ten of them were hit, eight died, and two remain in critical condition.”
According to Usman, the group had been innocently waiting by the roadside when the SUV suddenly lost control and rammed into them.
“That car was moving far too fast. My wife’s leg was shattered. Sadiq’s remains were only recovered later and brought home by the Road Safety officials,” he said.
The Guild also gathered that one of the deceased, Zainab Muhammad, was eight months pregnant with twins. Her husband, Sulaiman Abdulkadir, a cleric from Hayin Rigasa, gave a heart-wrenching account of the tragedy.
“She was almost due. We had already prepared everything—names, clothes, even the nursery. We were going to call them Hassan and Hussaini,” he told journalists.
“Our six-year-old son, Khalid, was also hit. His bones were crushed. We had to collect what was left of their bodies with planks for burial. This is a nightmare no family should endure.”
Amid their grief, many family members expressed anger over what they described as a lack of accountability and compassion from both the driver’s family and government officials.
“No one has come to even say sorry—not from the boy’s family, not from the Kaduna State Government,” said Mai Shinkafa, another relative.
“Not a single word of condolence. The driver’s father, who holds political influence here, hasn’t shown his face. It’s as though our lives hold no value.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed the tragic incident, attributing the crash to excessive speed and poor road conditions worsened by heavy rainfall.
FRSC Sector Commander in Kaduna, Tijjani Iliyasu, explained that the SUV lost control on the slippery road and rammed into the group of pedestrians.
“It was raining at the time, and the road was slick. The driver clearly lost control. Six people died instantly, and two more later succumbed to their injuries. We rescued the remaining victims and rushed them to the hospital,” Iliyasu stated.
“By the time we arrived, the driver and the vehicle’s other occupants had already fled, taking advantage of the darkness. We couldn’t confirm who exactly was behind the wheel.”
He added that the vehicle involved in the accident has been handed over to the Nigerian Police Force for further investigation.
“We’ve transferred the case to the police. They will trace the car’s ownership. Our focus was on saving lives, and we acted swiftly,” he said.
However, efforts to get an official update from the Kaduna State Police Command have been unsuccessful.
Repeated calls to the Police Public Relations Officer, Mansir Hassan, went unanswered, and no official statement had been issued at the time of filing this report.
Similarly, the Kaduna State Government has yet to comment publicly on the tragedy, leaving bereaved families and the wider community feeling abandoned in the wake of an unimaginable loss.
