A tragic road accident has claimed the lives of nine young men from Yabo Local Government Area of Sokoto State who were travelling to Lagos in search of better economic opportunities.

The incident, which happened on Friday, has thrown the Yabo community into mourning, with condolences pouring in from across the state over the loss of the promising youths.

Reacting to the tragedy on Saturday night, the member representing Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Umar Yusuf Danmaje Yabo, described the incident as a devastating loss to the affected families, the constituency, and the nation.

In a condolence message made available to journalists in Sokoto, Danmaje said he received the news with profound sorrow.

“It is with a heavy heart that I received the devastating news of the road accident that claimed the lives of nine young men from Yabo Local Government Area.

“This painful occurrence is a monumental loss, not only to the bereaved families but also to our constituency, Sokoto State, and the nation at large,” he said.

The lawmaker noted that the victims had embarked on the journey with hopes of securing better livelihoods and supporting their families.

“These were young men with dreams, ambitions, and the determination to build a better future for themselves and their loved ones. Their untimely deaths while pursuing lawful means of livelihood are deeply painful,” Danmaje stated.

He lamented that the tragedy reflected the difficult economic realities confronting many Nigerian youths, forcing them to travel long distances in search of employment.

“The entire community is mourning because we have lost a generation of hardworking and promising young people. Their deaths represent not only a personal tragedy for their families but also a huge loss of productive human resources for our society,” he added.

Danmaje said no words could adequately console the bereaved families, describing the accident as an emotional blow to the entire Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency.

He extended his condolences to the families of the deceased, traditional rulers, community leaders, and residents of Yabo Local Government Area.

“I pray that Almighty Allah grants the departed souls eternal peace in Aljannatul Firdaus, comforts their families, and gives them the strength and patience to bear this irreparable loss,” he prayed.

The federal lawmaker also called on relevant authorities, particularly road safety agencies, to strengthen measures aimed at reducing fatal road crashes on Nigerian highways.

“We must intensify efforts to improve road safety and prevent avoidable tragedies that continue to claim innocent lives. Every year, countless families are thrown into grief because of fatal road accidents,” he said.

Danmaje further urged governments at all levels to invest more in youth empowerment, skills acquisition, and job creation programmes to reduce the need for young people to migrate across the country in search of economic opportunities.

“Expanding employment opportunities closer to home will help reduce the pressure on our young people to embark on risky long-distance journeys in search of work,” he said.

The deaths of the nine youths have sparked renewed concern over youth unemployment, internal migration, and road safety, with residents of Yabo describing the incident as one of the community’s darkest moments in recent years.

A senior official of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Kebbi State Command, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity because of a lack of authorisation to speak on the incident, said on Sunday that the incident happened outside the state.

According to the official, “The incident happened close to Kainji in Niger State.

“The accident happened yesterday. I saw it on the official handle of the federal lawmaker representing Yabo/Shagari Federal Constituency.

“We were not informed, as we were supposed to be, before they took their corpses for burial,” he added.