By Attah Ede
Sixteen out of eighteen Prospective Corps Members (PCMs), have lost their lives in a road accident on their way from Ondo State to the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) orientation camp in Gombe State.
The remaining two surviving students were badly injured and remained in critical condition at a hospital.
The victims were all graduates of Adeyemi Federal University of Education (AFUED) in Ondo State.
They were transit in an 18‑seater bus when the incidence happened.
Eyewitnesses said the accident was catastrophic, leaving two survivors seriously wounded.
Emergency responders recovered the bodies and evacuated the injured to a local medical facility.
As of press time, no formal statement has been issued by the NYSC Management. Authorities, including the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), were leading the investigation into the cause of the crash.
The incident has reignited national concerns over road safety, especially for young graduates mobilised to distant place of primary assignment (PPA) by NYSC.
On social media and across university communities, there were growing calls for stronger travel safety protocols and stricter oversight of vehicles used to transport prospective corps members.
Some have even urged a rethink of how NYSC deployment is handled, suggesting that mobilisation procedures should prioritise reducing long, risky journeys.
