Several Nigerian Army personnel and candidates recently shortlisted for recruitment from Imo State sustained varying degrees of injuries after the vehicle conveying them to the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State, was involved in a road accident on Saturday morning.
According to military sources, the victims were travelling to the Army Depot in Zaria to commence their basic military training when the crash occurred. The journey was reportedly being coordinated under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel P.D. Ngal at the time of the incident.
Videos circulating online showed several injured candidates lying by the roadside and inside damaged vehicles, while emergency responders and other motorists assisted in evacuating the victims. Many of those injured were subsequently taken to nearby medical facilities for urgent treatment.
As of the time of filing this report, the exact cause of the accident, the number of injured persons and whether there were any fatalities had not been officially confirmed.
The Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria is the country's principal training institution for newly recruited soldiers, where successful applicants undergo months of intensive military training before being enlisted into the service.
Military sources noted that candidates who sustain severe injuries before or during training risk disqualification on medical grounds if they are unable to complete the physically demanding programme. They explained that recruits with serious fractures or other debilitating injuries are typically withdrawn from the recruitment exercise.
The Nigerian Army had yet to issue an official statement on the incident as of the time of this report.
