10 How death of 20 students, two teachers jolted Bauchi
The tragic loss of 20 students and two teachers of Government Day Secondary School Misau on Tuesday plunged Misau, Bauchi’s ancient town into mourning. Emotions ran high in most households where children were lost. Parents and relatives narrated their last moments with the deceased students before they embarked on the journey which claimed their lives.
Misau was thrown into mourning when news of the accident, a few kilometres to Gaya headquarters of Gaya Local Government Area (LGA) of Kano State began to filter in.
The town waited for the corpses of the victims to be brought back for burial as residents make frantic calls to know the fate of their wards who were on the ill-fated vehicle.
“A huge crowd gathered at Misau General Hospital to receive the corpses of their children. Most of the parents already knew their children had died,” a resident, Mohammed Kala said.
Immediately the corpses were brought in from Kano, they were identified by the waiting parents and relatives.
“There was so much wailing in the hospital as the corpses arrived. It was a tense atmosphere because some women fainted after seeing the corpses and had to be taken home. It’s only the men that gathered courage and held back tears,” another resident added.
The corpses were later washed and shrouded as required in Islam and taken to Misau Central Cemetery in the night for burial.
At the cemetery, according to Kala, the graves had already been prepared and the victims were all buried in a single row of graves.
Our reporter visited the school Wednesday, a day after the students were buried. Government Day Secondary school Misau looked deserted with only a group of students found sitting on motorcycles discussing the death of their colleagues. Most of the students had stayed at home or were visiting the homes of their deceased colleagues to condole with their parents and relatives.
An SS3 student, Sadiq Bala Mohammed, informed our reporter that four female members of his class died and since then he had not slept nor eaten because of the tragedy. Members of his class who died include; Na’ima Aliyu Salihu, Hauwa Mohammed Omo, Fatima Ibrahim and Hajara Garba.
Another SS3 student, Mohammed Abubakar said that three members of his class also died. They were Aliyu Mohammed, Abubakar A. Adamu and Al-Amin A. Liman.
Other students who died, according to the students, were Abubakar Abbas, Fatima Isma’il, Saleh Ahmed and Usman Abba. They could not recall the names of some because they belonged to the junior classes.
Speaking to our reporter at the school premises, the principal, Rabi’u Ahmed Dandalama said that when he was informed about the accident he became devastated and immediately hired a vehicle and headed to Gaya.
“Before I arrived, the corpses had already been taken to Gaya General Hospital and from there we took them back to Misau for burial. The deceased were later taken to the palace for prayers led by the Chief Imam of Misau, Mallam Usman Mohammed Baba, after which they were all buried according to Islamic rites at Misau Central Cemetery,” he said.
Dandalama said that when he arrived, some eyewitnesses informed him that the bus had a head-on collision with the truck while avoiding potholes on the road and the two vehicles collided.
He disclosed that, one student, Alkassim Ibrahim, and a male teacher, Mallam Inuwa Mohammed, survived the accident and were on admission at the Federal Medical Center (FMC) Azare.
Also, 20 students, comprising of 11 males and Nine females, a male and female teacher and driver, died in the accident. Teachers who died were; Mallam Mohammed Mohammed and Aishatu Mohammed Jarwal.
He commended the Emir of Misau, Alhaji Ahmed Sulaiman for his fatherly role, the chairman of Gaya local government and a former lawmaker, Bakoji Aliyu Bobo and other prominent people who assisted and commiserated with the school and Misau people over the tragedy.
Mallam Aliyu Umar Misau, a prominent elder, described the accident as a national tragedy because losing 23 young lives at once was very shocking and cannot be forgotten.
“This will forever remain in our memory as long as we live. Misau has really lost invaluable souls who are in their prime with dreams of becoming useful to their society.
“However, this is was what Allah wished, so there is nothing we can do. We are only praying to him to grant the deceased his mercies and console the families and give them and us the fortitude to bear this tragic loss,” he said.
Speaking to our reporter in Misau, a parent of one of the deceased students, Mallam Haruna Dankasa described the death of the students as tragic.
Dankasa whose son, Mohammed Haruna Ahmed, died said that his son asked him to pray for him when he was about to leave for the journey. He was at home because he was not feeling fine when his wife (the boy’s mother) called and informed him about the accident.
He added that he immediately called the principal who was then on his way to the scene and had no clear picture of the accident.
“I later called a friend who was at the scene and he confirmed to me that 18 people died on the spot. That was when I knew that my son had died.
“When the corpses were brought to Misau Hospital I identified my son and broke down crying. He had sustained a fracture on his thigh and on the neck.
“As a Muslim I know that death is inevitable and there is nothing we can do. What kept coming to my mind was that he kept coming back to me for more prayers before he left. I have 11 children, but Mohammed is exceptional. He is the best among them and he loves his other siblings,” he said.
Another parent, Aliyu Salihu, whose daughter, Na’ima Aliyu Salihu also died said that before his daughter left, food was cooked for her to eat during the journey.
“I later gave her N500 and she thanked me and left. I was later called and informed that she had died in the accident.
“My daughter is very dear to me. I love her so much because she is well behaved. She was engaged to Isah about two weeks ago and will be married to him after she finishes school and now she is dead. We thank Allah for whatever he did to us. But it was a great loss,” he said.
Mohammed Garba, an uncle to one of the female students, Abida Adamu said that they were shocked by the death of their daughter.
A resident of the town informed our reporter that a similar tragedy occurred some years back when a number of people from the town had an accident while coming from Yobe State.
“I cannot remember the time but a similar thing happened. But this one is different because all the victims of this accident are below the age of 40. So it was like losing a whole generation,” he said.