Kwara road crash kills several health workers returning from May Day rally

Several health workers have died following a road crash on the Oke-Onigbin–Omu-Aran highway in Kwara State on Friday evening. The victims were returning from the 2026 Workers’ Day celebration in Ilorin when the accident occurred.

The deceased were members of the Medical and Health Workers’ Union of Nigeria (MHWUN) in Ekiti Local Government Area. They had attended the May Day rally held at the Kwara State Stadium before travelling back home.

Preliminary accounts from eyewitnesses indicate that one of the vehicles conveying the workers suffered a tyre burst while in motion. The driver reportedly lost control, leading to a crash that left multiple passengers injured and several others dead. The exact number of casualties had not been officially confirmed as of the time of reporting.

Emergency response details were still unclear, but survivors were taken to nearby medical facilities where they are receiving treatment for varying degrees of injury.

Reacting to the incident, the Chairman of Ekiti Local Government Council, Awelewa Olawale Gabriel, said the council had been hit hard by the loss. He described the victims as frontline health professionals who had been actively serving their communities before the accident.

He noted that the crash turned what was meant to be a routine return trip after a public event into a loss for both the health sector and the local government.

The council chairman extended condolences to the families of those who died and to members of the health workers’ union. He also confirmed that efforts were underway to support the injured and assist affected families.

The Ekiti Local Government Council further stated that it would coordinate with the Kwara State Government and relevant agencies to provide medical and financial support where needed.

In response, the Kwara State chapter of MHWUN announced a three-day mourning period. Members across the state have been directed to observe the period in honour of colleagues who died in the crash.

The incident has left the local government workforce and labour community in mourning, while attention now shifts to the recovery of those injured and official confirmation of the casualty figures.

Officials from the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Kwara State had not issued a formal statement at the time of filing this report.