Four pupils from Egbolo community in Igalamela-Odolu Local Government Area (LGA) of Kogi state died on Monday morning, with others injured, after a truck carrying them to school veered off the road into a river.
The vehicle, which was also carrying building materials, was transporting the pupils to Ofuloko Primary School in a neighboring community when it reportedly failed to climb a hill after crossing a bridge, rolled backward, and plunged into the river around 8 a.m.
Usman Idrisu, the youth leader of Egbolo, described the incident as a black Monday for the community.
He said the tragedy reinforces the urgent need for a primary school within Egbolo, noting that children currently trek long distances to access basic education.
“We are seriously grieved in Egbolo community for the death of four of our children who died in the cause of seeking education.
“As it is now, many of them that sustained injuries have been rushed to a hospital in Idah town.
“This incident could have been averted if only there is a primary school in our community,” he said.
Idrisu urged the Kogi state government to establish a primary school in Egbolo to prevent similar incidents in the future.
“That is why we are earnestly appealing to Kogi state government to come to our aid by giving us a primary school so that our children will not be facing long distance before they can acquire primary school education,” he added.
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