THREE intending members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) belied to be from the Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Kwara State, were killed in a road accident on Kano Road on Thursday evening.
The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr Yinka Iroye, said the young graduates were heading to Katsina State for their NYSC programme when the 18-seater bus conveying them was involved in the accident.
Iroye, who could not confirm the identities of the victims to Saturday Tribune on Friday afternoon, said two of the deceased hailed from Iwo, Osun State.
It will be recalled that two graduates of the Kwara State Polytechnic going for their NYSC programme died in a road accident in Niger State a few weeks ago.
Also speaking, Dean, Students’ Affairs, Federal Polytechnic, Offa, Aleminu Gbenga, confirmed that the bus involved was an 18-seater bus that took off from Offa with six passengers, three of whom were graduates of the institution.
The accident was said to have claimed about 16 lives, including the graduates’.
The Dean Students’ Affairs of the institution also said the school had made arrangement to get the deceased students for burial, adding that their parents insisted on seeing them before burial.
He explained that parents of the victims had called the school management to say that they wanted their children to be brought home for burial.
“The Federal Polytechnic, Offa management has made arrangements for the burial of the corpses. One of our staff has been sent to handle it with the parents,” he said.
The students involved are two males and a female from Osun State.
The school authorities said they were waiting for further updates.
Meanwhile, the Progressive Students Movement (PSM) has mourned the deceased graduates.
The president of PSM in Nigeria, Mr Bestman Okereafor, in a statement made available to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu, on Friday, said: “With rude shock and sadness, the attention of the PSM has been drawn to a tragedy that occurred yesterday which has claimed the lives of Federal Polytechnic, Offa graduates.
“PSM bids them farewell and prays that God grant the families, the institution and loved ones the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”