Eight UNIJOS students, driver killed as trailer crashes into bus

A devastating road accident in the early hours of Thursday, December 11, 2025, claimed the lives of at least eight students of the University of Jos (UNIJOS) and their bus driver, after a trailer reportedly lost control and crashed into their vehicle along Zaria Road in the Jos metropolis, Plateau State.

The tragedy occurred around 2 a.m. as the students were returning from a night outing in two hired buses.

According to eyewitness accounts, the incident happened near the Zaria Road Stadium area when a speeding trailer, suspected to have suffered brake failure, veered off course and violently rammed into one of the buses.

The collision, described as severe, caused the driver of the impacted bus to lose control, sending the vehicle careening into an electric pole just before the Farin Gada bridge.

The force of the impact tore the bus apart, resulting in the instantaneous death of eight students and the driver.

Two survivors were rescued and immediately taken to a nearby hospital for urgent medical attention.

One of the survivors recounted the terrifying moments leading to the crash, explaining that those seated at the rear of the bus were less affected by the initial impact.

“Immediately the trailer struck us, the bus started shaking. Before anyone could react, we hit the electric pole and the whole bus broke apart. Everyone was shouting… it was so sudden.”

Emergency responders later arrived at the scene to evacuate the bodies and transport the injured.

Efforts to obtain an official confirmation from the Plateau State Police Command were unsuccessful, as spokesman DSP Alabo Alfred was not immediately available.

However, a senior police officer disclosed that a manhunt has been launched for the trailer driver, who fled the scene shortly after the accident.

Authorities say investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the crash and ensure the arrest and prosecution of the fleeing driver.