No fewer than 18 passengers have died following a head-on collision involving two commercial vehicles on the Dutsinma–Karofi–Radda Road in Katsina State.
The accident occurred at about 8:00 p.m. on Saturday, January 31, 2026, when two Golf commercial vehicles travelling in opposite directions reportedly lost control and collided.
Sources said one of the vehicles was conveying wedding guests from Dutsinma, while the other was coming from Kano with passengers.
The impact of the collision caused both vehicles to burst into flames, leaving three passengers severely burnt. The bodies of the deceased were taken to the General Hospital in Dutsinma.
Among those who lost their lives were a groom, his bride, and some of their friends.
Confirming the incident, a friend of the groom, Zakari Haradu Aboro, said the vehicle was transporting the newlywed couple and their friends from Dutsinma to Kafin Soli when the crash occurred.
“I am deeply saddened and heartbroken to share a tragic news I witnessed firsthand this evening in Katsina State,” Aboro wrote. “Just minutes after we left the bride’s house, heading for Kafin Soli, we received a devastating phone call from an anonymous person informing us that the owner of the phone had died in a terrible accident.”
He added that before they could reach the scene, it became clear that the victims were members of the wedding party.
“The news had already spread that the vehicle carrying the groom and his friends had been involved in a fatal accident on the Dutsinma–Kafin Soli road. Sixteen people lost their lives instantly, including the groom and the bride,” he said.
Aboro expressed condolences to the affected families, praying for strength and comfort as they mourn their losses.
