Tragedy At The Parade: 4 Dead As Truck Ploughs Into Eggon Carnival
Celebration Turns Tragic
THE annual Eggon Carnival in Nasarawa-Eggon Local Government Area ended in tragedy on Friday after a heavy-duty truck veered off the road and rammed into the carnival procession, killing four people and leaving many others injured. The crash, confirmed by the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), involved three trucks approaching the procession route when one of the vehicles lost control and ploughed into participants celebrating at the parade.
Emergency responders evacuated injured victims to the Nasarawa-Eggon General Hospital, where medical teams were mobilised to handle the sudden influx of patients. The FRSC Sector Commander in Nasarawa State, Yahaya Sabo-Adikwu, attributed the incident to reckless driving, stating that preliminary findings showed the drivers were speeding and failed to observe safety protocols while navigating a crowded public route.
The bodies of the deceased were transported to the Federal University of Lafia Teaching Hospital mortuary. Eyewitnesses, including a procession marshal, said the trucks appeared unstable while approaching the carnival crowd, alleging that speeding and possible driver impairment may have contributed to the loss of control. Calls have now intensified for deeper scrutiny of commercial drivers, with witnesses urging mandatory drug and alcohol testing, as well as routine medical and psychomotor evaluations for operators of fuel and cargo trucks traversing densely populated areas.
In a statement, carnival organisers announced the immediate cancellation of the 2025 edition, expressing sorrow and offering condolences to bereaved families. The tragedy has reignited national conversations around heavy-duty vehicle regulation, driver accountability, crowd-event traffic control, and the enforcement of stricter deterrents against reckless commercial driving on public celebration routes.
