Ganduje mourns as 5 Kano students die in fatal accident

Kano State Governor, Abdullahi Ganduje, has expressed shock over the death of five students in a ghastly auto accident on Kano-Katsina road.

Ganduje, who spoke through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Abba Anwar, in a statement on Thursday, in Kano, said:

“We were shocked over the death of our children, the five students who died in an auto crash on their way to Katsina state for zonal students’ meeting.

“The information was sad and tormenting, we learnt that they died around Bichi local government area. They are Abubakar Sulaiman, Tahir A. Dalhatu, Maryam Abdullahi, A’isha Wada-Abdulsalam and Usman Abubakar-Abubakar.

“The first four were from Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, while the fifth person was from the Federal College of Education, Kano,” he said.

Anwar quoted Ganduje as saying: “This is a tragedy for the state and the nation in general.

“They are young, dedicated and responsible youth who chose to pursue education in order to move the society forward. They left us when we need them, but our creator, their creator, the Almighty Allah needed them the most,” he said.

The governor prayed to the Almighty Allah for the repose of their souls and to grant the 13 others who were injured a quick recovery.

Ganduje condoled with their families, the Sa’adatu Rimi College of Education, Kumbotso, the Federal College of Education, Kano, and all students, over the tragic incident.

Ganduje took over office in 2015. He previously served as Rabiu Kwankwaso’s deputy governor twice, between 1999 to 2003 and 2011 to 2015.

In October 2018, video clips reportedly recorded by spy camera were published by an online medium Daily Nigerian showing the governor receiving wads of dollar notes in what appears to be bribe payments from contractors. The governor, through his commissioner for information, however, denied the allegations and claimed the video clips were doctored to blackmail him and threatened legal suit to the publisher of Daily Nigerian, the journalist who released the video clips.