By Oluwatosin Faleye

The heart of man is truly full of wickedness and nowhere is this clearer than in the recent avoidable tragedy that claimed the lives of 21 young athletes from Kano State.

These were vibrant, determined youths who proudly represented their state at the 2024 National Sports Festival in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

On their journey home, after enduring countless challenges to prepare and compete with pride, they died in a horrific accident when their bus plunged off Chiromawa Bridge on the Kano-Zaria Expressway.

*Lives Wasted by Negligence, Not Fate

How could this have happened? How can athletes representing an entire state be subjected to a dangerous 16-hour road trip across 1,028 km, rather than being airlifted like dignitaries, VIPs, or religious pilgrims?

*Where is the value for life.Where is the priority for the future?

A government that fails to protect, yet finds billions for pilgrimages.
Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf approved a ₦1.45 billion subsidy for 2,900 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia—₦500,000 each for a religious exercise.
Yet, the same government could not allocate funds to ensure the safe return of the youth representing the state in a national sporting competition.

To add insult to irreversible injury, the government announced a ₦1 million compensation for each bereaved family. But the question is, can ₦1 million replace a life cut short?

Can ₦1 million restore the lost future of a potential Olympic champion?

Would this tragedy have occurred if leadership had put safety over ceremony?

*Critical Questions That Must Be Answered
Would the Chairman of the Kano State Sports Commission, Umar Bala Fagge, make that same dangerous road trip in that same bus?

Was the bus roadworthy?

Was it newly acquired or an overused death trap?

How many trained drivers were assigned to such a long, high-risk journey?

Was there any emergency response plan in place?

These are not rhetorical questions—they are demands. Because young lives have been lost, not to an act of God, but to poor planning, negligence, and a lack of foresight.

…No Public Holiday Can Wipe Away This Shame
Declaring a public holiday is not leadership. Leadership is prevention. Leadership is prioritizing life. Leadership is accountability. Had the state government taken these athletes seriously—as it does pilgrims or politicians—this may never have happened.

Enough of the Lip Service—We Demand Accountability
The youth are not expendable. The glory they sought to bring to Kano has now turned into grief. The government must do more than issue condolences—it must answer, act, and prevent.

This is not just a tragedy for Kano. This is a tragedy for Nigeria.