Tragedy Strikes: JAMB Candidates Killed in Oyo-Ogbomoso Road Crash

In a heartbreaking incident, several candidates preparing for the 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) lost their lives in a fatal crash along the Oyo-Ogbomoso highway. The tragic event occurred on Friday, April 25, 2025, casting a dark shadow over families, schools, and the Nigerian education community.

About the Incident:

Eyewitnesses and officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) confirmed that the accident involved a commercial passenger bus and a heavy-duty truck. The vehicles collided head-on near Ile-Abu village, just a few kilometers from Ogbomoso.

Five young individuals - three males and two females - died instantly, while three others suffered critical injuries and were rushed to the Ladoke Akintola University Teaching Hospital (LAUTECH) in Ogbomoso.

Victims Were On Their Way to Write JAMB

Items recovered at the crash site, including school bags, textbooks, smartphones, and JAMB registration slips, revealed that the victims were students traveling to write their UTME exams scheduled for the weekend.

For many of them, this journey was meant to be the beginning of a brighter future - a step toward university education. Instead, it ended in tragedy.

Cause of the Crash

According to the FRSC, the crash was caused by excessive speeding and reckless overtaking by one of the drivers. The old Oyo-Ogbomoso road, notorious for its narrow lanes and potholes, has long been a death trap for travelers.

Despite several promises by the government to rehabilitate the road, it remains in terrible condition, contributing to frequent accidents.

Reactions

Families of the victims have been left devastated.

"This is a loss beyond words," said a grieving parent, barely able to speak. "They left home full of hope... and now, they are gone."

Student groups, local activists, and concerned Nigerians have renewed calls for urgent government intervention. In recent months, protests had been staged by youth organizations demanding the completion of the dualization project of the Oyo-Ogbomoso road — a project that has been painfully slow.

A National Tragedy

The deaths of these young Nigerians are a bitter reminder of how dangerous road travel can be, and how urgent action is needed to protect the nation's future — its youth.

Beyond mourning, this moment demands accountability. Until authorities fix these death-trap highways and enforce stricter traffic regulations, more promising lives will continue to be lost unnecessarily.