By Ezekiel Jimoh
A large number of students and management of Federal University Lokoja (FUL), converged on Adankolo Cemetery in the state capital to attend the funeral of one students that died in an autocrash along Felele highway.
The FUL community was recently thrown into mourning after a trailer accident claimed the lives of six students of the school.
The heavy-duty vehicle – carrying palm oil and firewood heading to Abuja, rammed into a shuttle taking FUL students to school at Felele, Lokoja.
One of the student simply identified as Lola was buried at the Adankolo Cemetery amid tears. Among those that attended the prayer were top management of the university, officials of Students Union Government as well as sympathisers.
The Christian funeral rites for the Egbe born student was conducted at the grave side around 4pm before the deceased was finally lowered into the grave.
It was gathered that the late Lola was in high spirit and was spotted taking photographs with her colleagues before boarding the shuttle. The last set of pictures she posted on one of the social media platforms with the message ‘Monday’ is currently trending.
Tragedy struck when six students of the Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State and a driver lost their lives as articulated vehicle rammed into a FUL shuttle bus conveying them from school at Felele, Lokoja which is notorious for terrible accidents
A witnes account said the accident occured at about 2.30 pm, adding that six students including the driver of the FUL shuttle bus lost their lives during the accident.
According to the source, the articulated vehicle was carrying woods and hundreds of Jerry cans of palm oil heading to Abuja axis when it lost control due to break failure and rammed into the FUL shuttle bus already filled up with students and who were on their way to school.
Meanwhile, students of the institution have called for stricter measures to curb the rising cases of road crashes that have claimed the lives of FUL students in recent times.
Reacting at the scene of the current incident, Comrade Idowu Favour, a student Transport Tax Force official with the Union Government SUG , called on government to halt trucks from plying Lokoja roads during the day time.
He further urged government to find a permanent solution to the carnages in Lokoja that have claimed lives of students of FUL including creating an alternative route for the trailers.
