One of our students Miss Janet Evong, was bereaved of her father. The students, Union Government agreed that all the students in the school should attend that and witness the burial rites. For this reason, all the students were asked to pay ten thousand naira each to facilitate them to pay for the transport fare from Oshodi, Lagos to Maitama in Abuja.
Every student was to assemble at Oshodi central motor park the following day, being Saturday, 18th September 2021, for onward movement to Maitama, Abuja. The D-day came about fiity-seven students were ready for the onward movement from Oshodi central motor park to Maitama Abuja. It was a day of mourning for some of the students and a day of excitement for some other students, as they had never travelled long distances in their lives before now.
The bus was a long luxurious bus that had the capacity of carrying sixty passengers at a time.All the fifty-seven students boarded the bus. The students union president, Mr. Francis Ayum, prayed to God for the safe journey of the students from Oshodi to Maitama.
The driver started the engine, and the journey commences. The first impression of misgiving that the students had about the competence of the driver was when he made an attempt to round a bend. His right tyre served to the wrong side of the untared road. There would have been a fatal accident, but it was averted as the students shouted at the driver.
Again, when they got to cross-roads, the traffic light shone red, the driver managed to stop. the green light did not show when the driver moved his car. The driver was reckless, not observing the road signs or traffic regulations. The students at this time developed greater fear in their minds about the proficiency of the driver. They complained and started scolding the driver over his reckless driving.
The last straw that broke the camel's back was when he wrongly overtook another car, not judging the distance between his bus and another incoming picnic. It was by divine intervention, the two cars would have collided. At this juncture, the students could not bear it any longer as Joy Okafor, one of the female students shouted that she was not ready to die prematurely. Other students joined her, they started to cry aloud against the driver's reckless driving.
The driver, in his reaction, told the students that, he wants to reach Abuja before the burial ceremonies begin. lIt was there and then that the students came to the realization of what prompted the driver to be impatient, careless and reckless in his driving. The students union president, Mr Francis Ayum cautioned the driver that it is good for them to arrive safely and that it is better late than never.