The University of Jos community is grieving but it’s also asking hard questions. Why were students returning from an outing at 2 a.m.? Why do late-night student trips so often end in tragedy in Nigeria? And what exactly happened on the Jos–Zaria Road that cost eight young men their lives? In this article, HSENations examines this incident.
These questions dominated social media morning of Dec 11, after a horrific crash claimed eight UNIJOS students, including the president of the university chapter of the National Association of Plateau State Students (NAPSS), Datong Miakop.
A Celebration That Turned Fatal
The students had just attended a NAPSS-organised event one meant to unite Plateau students when their bus began the long, dark journey back to campus. What happened next unfolded in seconds.
Around 2 a.m., a trailer reportedly rammed into their bus from behind with such force that the vehicle was pushed off the road and slammed into an electric pole.
Witnesses said the crash scene was chaotic: crushed metal, trapped passengers, and frantic attempts by emergency responders to pull students out before it was too late.
The Grim Numbers
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) received a distress call at 2:30 a.m. By the time officers arrived:
• Seven students were already dead.
• An eighth died in hospital.
• Three others survived with injuries.
• All victims were male.
A Wave of Grief and Unanswered Questions
By dawn, tributes filled X, WhatsApp, and Facebook. Photos of the deceased, their past campus activities, and farewell messages circulated as students struggled to process the scale of the loss.
NAPSS Federal University Lafia chapter released a statement mourning its members and calling the incident “a black day for Plateau students everywhere.” But grief quickly turned to reflection.
This tragedy has revived an uncomfortable conversation: Why do student road trips especially late-night ones so often end in disaster?
FRSC Plateau Corps Commander Olajide Mogaji, reacting to the crash, warned that the pattern is predictable:- late-night travel, fatigue, over speeding, risky overtaking and impaired driving.
He urged students and drivers to avoid night journeys entirely, saying the risks multiply after midnight.
The UNIJOS crash isn’t an isolated event- it is part of a growing trend of night-time fatalities involving students returning from dinners, award nights, departmental events, and association activities.
There are increased calls for:
• stricter rules on student events ending late
• mandatory vetted drivers for departmental and association trips
• safer transport policies enforced by school authorities.
