Former president of the Nigeria Skating Federation and foremost Ijaw leader, Comrade Joseph Evah, has lambasted the Kano State Government over the death of 22 athletes who perished while returning home from the Ogun 2024 National Sports Festival (NSF) – the Gateway Games, Completesports.com reports.
Over the weekend, a bus conveying athletes and officials from Kano State veered off the road and overturned around Dakatsalle, said to be approximately 40 kilometres from the state capital. The sport fraternity in Nigeria is still mourning the tragedy, with Nigerians questioning the state of road infrastructure in the country and the condition of the bus.
In a press conference he organised in Lagos on Tuesday, June 3, 2025, Evah said accounts from the survivors of the accident indicated that the bus released to the athletes by the state government was in a terrible condition. The Coordinator of the Ijaw Monitoring Group (IMG) stated that the bus was over 30 years old.
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“We are in a period of mourning, especially in the sporting fraternity. We are in a period of mourning but we just have to console ourselves for what has happened in our country. The reason for this press conference is very simple; we are Nigerians, we know ourselves,” Evah told journalists.
“This unfortunate accident claimed 22 lives of Nigerian youths and over the years, I have been involved in youth activities. I was the pioneer president of Nigeria Skaters Federation, and I sent a lot of young men and women within and outside the country for sporting activities.”
He added: “These young children; 17, 18, 19, 22 have parents. If we don’t mobilise for the deaths of these heroes, nothing will happen. The government will only make statements and within one month, they have forgotten. I decided to invite the media because you are the conscience of this nation. You can see this newspaper of June 2, 2025, the survivors said the bus broke down many times before the crash.
“If we are not interested in following up, more of this abnormality will happen. Look at this bus, this bus is more than 30 years old. We are talking about Kano State; we are talking about Kano Emirates, one of the richest emirates in the world, recognised by Saudi Arabia. Who are those responsible for this?
Evah continued: “Media, find out, who are the people that gave these children a bus that is 30 years old. The media must not ignore this like them, we should ask questions, so that such a thing will not happen again. If we keep quiet, it will repeat itself next week. Can Kano State Government give a vehicle of 30 years to politicians to go for any campaign, to move to Abuja for a rally? Not to talk of moving from one end of Nigeria to another end of Nigeria. Look at it, who is asking questions?,” he queried.
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Evah lashed out at the paltry N1million donated to the families of the deceased athletes, describing it as an insult. He lamented that the human life holds no value in Nigeria, stating that politicians can afford to spend N1billion of tax payers’ money on frivolities and extra-marital affairs.
The ex-Skating Federation president demanded that the Chairman of the National Sports Commission (NSC), Mallam Shehu Dikko, and governor of Kano, Abba Yusuf, should visit the families of the 22 deceased athletes and offer them substantial amounts, for the loss of their family members who he said have paid the supreme price for bringing glory to the state. Evah vowed not to give up until an action is taken in this direction.
“The reason I called this press conference is because I have done it before and it worked. In 2011, youth corpers were killed in Bauchi – they were burnt to ashes at a police station and after six months, nothing happened. I mobilised Niger Delta women, we all put on black clothes mourning and at the same time, we gave the government seven days to call the parents and pay compensation. In this country it happens; life goes on,” an emotional Evah said.
Also present at the event were Chief of Staff, Ijaw Monitoring Group, Chief Elijah Andrew; Moses Efeakpokrire, Secretary, Niger Delta Peoples Forum and Rachael Nwabi, National Association of Ijaw Female Students Alumni. They took turns to mourn the athletes, demanded that tangible compensation be paid to the families and monuments be erected to remember their sacrifice to Kano State.
By Femi Ashaolu
