Tragedy struck the quiet rural community of Egbolo in Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area of Kogi State on Monday morning after a truck carrying schoolchildren lost control and plunged into a river, killing at least four pupils and injuring several others. The incident occurred at about 8:30 a.m., leaving the entire community in deep mourning.
According to residents, the pupils were on their way to Ofuloko Primary School, a neighbouring community several kilometres away. Egbolo does not have a functional primary school, forcing children to travel long distances each day in search of basic education. Many parents say the daily journey exposes their children to danger, a fear that became reality with Monday’s tragic accident.
Eyewitnesses said the pupils had boarded a truck transporting building material, a common practice in the area where transportation options are limited. The vehicle reportedly failed to climb a hill after crossing a small bridge and rolled backward before plunging into the river below. Residents rushed to the scene, desperately pulling children from under the overturned truck.
“We are seriously grieved in the Egbolo community for the death of four of our children who died in the course of seeking education,” said community youth leader, Usman Idrisu. He explained that the truck was not a school vehicle but was simply helping to drop off some of the children at Ofuloko Primary School. He added that many of the surviving pupils sustained varying degrees of injuries and were rushed to nearby clinics for treatment.
The deaths sparked immediate outrage in Egbolo, where residents blocked the road in protest shortly after the accident. Many accused the government of abandoning the community and failing to provide essential infrastructure, including a school. They argued that the community’s growing population makes the absence of even a basic primary school unacceptable.
A grieving parent who lost his son in the crash broke down as he blamed years of government neglect for the tragedy. “If our community had a school, our children would not be risking their lives every day,” he lamented. “We cannot continue like this. We need help. We need a school.”
Egbolo, like many rural communities in Kogi State, faces serious development challenges. Residents say they have repeatedly appealed to government authorities for a primary school, but their requests have gone unanswered. The lack of a school forces children—some as young as five—to trek long distances through unsafe paths or rely on whatever transportation they can find.
Community leaders say the accident is the latest reminder of the consequences of inadequate rural infrastructure. Beyond the absence of a school, residents also complain about poor roads, lack of health facilities, and limited access to safe transportation.
Idrisu appealed directly to the Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Usman Ododo, urging him to urgently intervene. “We appeal to Governor Ododo to consider the population of Egbolo and establish a primary school here,” he said. “Our children deserve safe access to education. We cannot continue putting their lives at risk.”
The tragedy has revived wider conversations about the state of education and infrastructure in rural Nigeria. Many rural communities still lack functioning schools, trained teachers, and transportation, forcing children to embark on long and dangerous journeys. According to education advocates, such challenges contribute to high dropout rates and undermine efforts to improve literacy levels.
Parents in Egbolo say they want immediate government action to prevent further loss of life. They are calling for not only a local school but also improved roads and safer transport options for children. Some community members also want a formal investigation into the accident and better enforcement of transport safety standards in rural areas.
As the community prepares to bury the four pupils, the mood remains sombre. Residents describe the children as humble, eager to learn, and hopeful about their future. Instead, their lives were cut short in an accident many say could have been prevented with better government attention.