Athletes, coaches and officials are among 22 people killed in a road accident in northern Nigeria as they returned from the country’s National Sports Festival on Saturday, local authorities have said.
Others were left “seriously injured” by the accident, according to a statement issued by Kano’s government office. The majority of the victims were young, it added.
“It is with a deeply saddened heart that I received the tragic news of the unfortunate incident which claimed the lives of 22 innocent citizens and left several others injured,” Abba Kabir Yusuf, governor of Kano State, said in the statement.
“On behalf of the government and the good people of Kano State, I extend our heartfelt condolences to the families of the deceased. We mourn with you and share in your grief,” he continued.
The accident was a “lone road crash that might have occurred as a result of fatigue and excessive speed,” Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps said in a statement. The crash occurred at 12:30 a.m. local time Saturday (7:30 p.m. Friday ET), the statement said.
The athletes killed in the crash were returning home after “representing their state with distinction,” Nigeria’s National Sports Commission (NSC) said in a statement posted to Instagram. The commission said it was “deeply heartbroken” by the “tragic road accident.”
The victims “carried the hope of a brighter future for our nation through their passion and commitment to excellence in sports,” NSC chairperson Mallam Dikko said. “It is our duty to ensure such heroes are never forgotten.”
Sports clubs including Kano Pillars, Kano’s local soccer team, and the Nigeria Tennis Federation have also posted their condolences online.
Nigeria’s 22nd National Sports Festival was held in Ogun State in the southwest of the country, according to the NSC. After 11 days of events, the competition held its closing ceremony on Thursday, the NSC said.
Monday will be a day of mourning for “the good people of Kano to pray and sympathize with the families of the victims,” its governor announced.