Eight students of the University of Jos lost their lives in a road crash early Thursday morning, Dec. 11, 2025, after a trailer collided with a bus carrying students along Zaria Road in Jos, Plateau State, Nigeria. The incident occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. opposite Unity Bank in the Jos North Local Government Area, leaving others injured and hospitalized.
Peter Longsan, public education officer for the Federal Road Safety Corps, confirmed the details of the crash in a statement released Thursday. He explained that the bus was transporting 11 male students when the collision occurred. Seven students were pronounced dead at the scene by medical personnel, while an eighth victim, the driver of the bus, succumbed to injuries after being rushed to a hospital. An injured student later died, bringing the total number of fatalities to nine, including eight students. The remaining injured students are currently receiving medical treatment.
“Today, 11th December, 2025, the FRSC, Plateau State Sector Command, received a distress call at about 0230 hours, reporting a road traffic crash that occurred opposite Unity Bank, Zaria Road, Jos,” Longsan stated. “The crash involved two vehicles, a trailer and a bus. Eleven people were on board the bus, and were said to be students of the University of Jos.”
Eyewitness accounts and official reports indicate that the bus driver was traveling at high speed and attempting a wrongful overtaking maneuver when he lost control of the vehicle. The trailer struck the bus from behind during this dangerous maneuver, causing the bus to veer off course and crash into an electric pole near the scene. All victims of the crash were male students.
A survivor of the crash, Dominic Dantala, provided a detailed account of the moments leading up to the collision. He explained that the students were returning from a welcome-back party in two hired buses when the accident occurred. The buses were traveling together on Zaria Road, with one carrying female students in front and the other transporting male students behind it.
“While on our way, our driver wanted to overtake the bus in front of us, but he couldn’t, so he fell back to his lane,” Dantala recounted. “While trying to return to his lane, a trailer coming from behind hit our bus. That was how the accident happened.”
Among the deceased were several student union leaders from the University of Jos, including Comrade Miapkop Magnus, president of the National Association of Plateau State Students chapter at the university, and Angelo Gyang Gokyo, SOSSA president. Reports indicate that most of the victims were final-year students, adding to the profound loss felt by the university community.
Prof. Tanko Ishaya, vice chancellor of the University of Jos, addressed the tragedy during a press briefing on Thursday. He expressed deep sadness over the incident and extended sympathies to the families of the deceased. The vice chancellor described the loss as unfortunate and called on the university community to pray for the souls of the departed students.
Governor Caleb Manasseh Mutfwang of Plateau State expressed profound shock at the news of the students’ deaths. The governor described the loss as colossal to the families, the university, the wider student community, and the nation. He directed that the injured students receive prompt and comprehensive medical attention.
Olajide Mogaji, FRSC sector commander for Plateau State, used the incident to urge motorists to exercise greater caution on the roads. He specifically warned drivers against night trips, excessive speed, dangerous driving, driving under the influence of substances, and driving while fatigued or unwell. These factors, he noted, are major contributors to fatal road crashes, particularly during festive periods.
“The government needs you alive and wants you to enjoy life to the fullest this festive season and beyond,” Mogaji emphasized. He encouraged members of the public to report crashes or other road emergencies by calling the FRSC toll-free emergency number, 122.
According to police sources, the trailer driver fled the scene immediately after the collision. Law enforcement authorities have launched a manhunt for the driver, who remains at large. The investigation into the crash continues as authorities work to piece together the full circumstances surrounding the incident.