At least 30 people were killed in a fatal road accident that occurred on Sunday, 15 February 2026, in the Gezawa Local Government Area of Kano State, further drawing attention to Nigeria’s persistent road safety crisis.
The crash happened at about 8:45 a.m. along the busy Kano–Hadejia highway near Gadar Yankifi village in Gezawa. According to eyewitness accounts, a commercial Toyota Hiace bus traveling from Hadejia in Jigawa State toward Kano metropolis collided head-on with a DAF trailer conveying goods in the opposite direction. The force of the collision caused both vehicles to overturn, and the passenger bus reportedly caught fire moments after impact.
Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps confirmed that at least 30 passengers were burnt beyond recognition at the scene, while 12 others sustained varying degrees of injuries. The injured victims were evacuated to Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital in Kano for urgent medical attention.
The Kano State Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Zubairu Mato, who visited the crash site, attributed the accident to excessive speed and wrongful overtaking. He stated that preliminary investigations indicated that the bus driver attempted a dangerous overtaking maneuver before colliding with the oncoming trailer. Mato also noted that the impact was intensified by overloading and possible brake failure.
The spokesperson of the Kano State Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna Kiyawa, confirmed that police officers were deployed immediately after receiving distress calls from residents. He said officers worked alongside FRSC personnel, local vigilantes, and community members to rescue survivors and secure the accident scene.
Eyewitnesses, including a trader identified as Musa Abdullahi, described the incident as “horrific and heartbreaking,” saying that screams filled the air as villagers rushed to help. Some residents attempted to put out the flames using sand and water before emergency responders arrived.
Gezawa, a major transit corridor connecting Kano to parts of Jigawa and Yobe states, has recorded several serious road crashes in recent years due to heavy traffic volume, deteriorating road surfaces, and frequent violations of traffic regulations. Road safety experts have repeatedly warned that excessive speed, reckless driving, poor vehicle maintenance, and inadequate highway infrastructure continue to fuel Nigeria’s high rate of traffic fatalities.
Authorities in Nigeria say investigations are ongoing to determine the full circumstances surrounding the crash. The FRSC has reiterated calls for strict compliance with speed limits, proper vehicle maintenance, and adherence to traffic laws to prevent further tragedies.
Families of the victims have begun arriving at hospitals and mortuaries to identify loved ones, as the community mourns one of the deadliest road accidents recorded in the area in recent months. The incident has renewed urgent appeals for improved road engineering, enhanced enforcement of safety regulations, and sustained public awareness campaigns to reduce the alarming frequency of fatal crashes on Nigerian highways.
