AFUED Graduates Killed While En Route to Gombe NYSC Camp
A devastating crash involving an 18-seater vehicle carrying prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members from the Adeyemi Federal University of Education (AFUED), Ondo, has left at least 16 of the graduates dead and two others fighting for their lives. The students had been travelling north to take part in the compulsory orientation in Gombe when the collision occurred earlier today.
According to preliminary accounts, almost all occupants of the small bus were killed at the scene after the vehicle was badly smashed. First responders recovered the bodies and rushed the surviving victims to a nearby hospital for urgent care. Details on how the crash happened remain unclear, as investigators and road-safety officials have yet to release a formal determination.
Students, staff, and relatives at AFUED were said to be in shock as the news spread through the campus and messaging groups. Community leaders and online commentators described the loss as heartbreaking, and many used the moment to renew calls for improved enforcement of traffic regulations, better vehicle maintenance checks, and a review of long-distance transfer arrangements for prospective corps members.
The incident has again drawn attention to the risks associated with overnight and long-haul journeys that young graduates undertake to reach orientation locations across the federation. Critics argued that concentrated national mobilisation often forces students onto unsafe routes or into overcrowded, ill-prepared vehicles—problems they say authorities must urgently address to prevent repeat tragedies.
At the time of reporting, official confirmations from the NYSC, the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), or state authorities were still pending. News organisations covering the story urged caution, noting that the figures being shared are provisional and subject to confirmation as emergency services complete their work and family notifications are made.
The university has not yet published a full list of the victims publicly.
This tragedy adds to a worrying pattern of fatal road accidents involving travellers bound for NYSC camps in recent years and will likely intensify public debate about whether mobilisations should be decentralised or better regulated to safeguard lives.
Updates are expected as official statements and verified information become available.
