For students of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Monday was supposed to be a day of joy — a day to finally breathe after years of lectures, tests, strikes, and examinations. Instead, silence now hangs over the campus community following the tragic death of a yet-to-be-identified final-year student who lost his life during a celebratory motorcade.
The young man, who had only just written his final examination, never made it home to celebrate. What started as a jubilant sign-out parade turned into a heartbreaking reminder of how quickly joy can be swallowed by sorrow.
“A tragic accident has occurred…”
News of the incident first filtered through social media on Tuesday via a post by Inside Edo, a Facebook page known for local updates. According to the platform, the crash happened around Ujoelen — near a primary school — shortly after the students completed their last paper.
The post detailed how a vehicle in the graduating convoy attempted to overtake another car, but the manoeuvre went wrong. The driver lost control, veered off course, and rammed into a truck.
“A tragic accident has occurred at Ujoelen… resulting in the death of a newly graduated student of Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma,” the post read. “The risky manoeuvre reportedly led to a loss of control… Residents who were nearby rushed to the scene, but the victim could not be saved.”
Eyewitnesses say the celebration had been loud, energetic, and filled with the usual youthful excitement — white shirts scribbled with signatures, loud music, and shouts of relief. But in a moment, the atmosphere changed.
Reckless Celebration Turns Fatal
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) later offered further insight, reporting that the students were speeding and driving carelessly as they cruised through the town. Witnesses told NAN that the convoy ignored basic road safety rules during the celebration.
The deceased was said to have attempted to overtake a moving truck but instead collided with a stationary vehicle parked by the roadside. Five others sustained injuries.
“He was reportedly part of a convoy of fresh graduates who took to the highway shortly after their signing-out activities,” NAN reported.
Authorities React
Initial attempts to reach the Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, were unsuccessful. His phone line was unreachable at the time PUNCH Metro tried to contact him.
However, Mathew later confirmed the incident to NAN.
“The students, after writing their last paper, took to the road in a convoy,” he said. “In the process, one of them overtook another vehicle and rammed into a stationary truck.”
He added that one student died, while five others were rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
A Celebration That Ended Too Soon
For many AAU students, the tragedy has been difficult to process. What should have been a moment of pure joy — signing out, posing for pictures, dancing with classmates — has now cast a shadow over the graduating set.
Some students who spoke informally expressed shock and sadness, noting that sign-out parades are a longstanding tradition at the institution. But this incident, they say, is a painful reminder that celebrations should never come at the cost of caution.
As the institution and the wider Ekpoma community mourn, the story of the deceased serves as a sobering lesson: life after school is a dream every student chases, but one moment of recklessness can rewrite that dream forever.
His name may not yet be known to the public, but his story has already become a heartbreaking cautionary tale — one that will be remembered long after the signatures on those white shirts fade.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
