Imo army recruits hospitalised after vehicle crashes on way to Zaria training camp

By Ezurike Ugochukwu

Several candidates from Imo State recently recruited into the Nigerian Army sustained varying degrees of injuries on Saturday after the vehicle conveying them to the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria, Kaduna State, was involved in a road accident, raising concerns over their health and the fate of their enlistment.

The candidates were travelling to Zaria to commence their basic military training when the accident occurred. The journey, military sources said, was being coordinated under the supervision of Lieutenant Colonel P.D. Ngal.

A military source disclosed that the recruits had successfully completed the enlistment process and were heading to the training depot before the unfortunate incident interrupted their journey.

“The candidates from Imo State were on their way to the Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria to begin recruit training when the accident occurred this morning,” the source said.

Videos circulating on social media showed several injured candidates lying beside the road and inside the damaged vehicle as emergency responders and other motorists rushed to rescue and evacuate them. The victims were subsequently taken to nearby hospitals for medical treatment.

Although the full extent of the injuries remains unclear, military sources expressed concern that some of the affected recruits could lose their opportunity to serve if they are unable to meet the physical requirements of the training programme.

According to one source, recruits who sustain serious fractures or other medical conditions that render them medically unfit are usually withdrawn from training.

“The Army cannot train candidates with severe injuries. Where a recruit suffers a serious fracture or any condition that prevents participation in training, such a person may be withdrawn on medical grounds,” the source explained.

The Depot Nigerian Army in Zaria is the institution where newly recruited soldiers undergo months of rigorous basic military training before their eventual deployment into active service. Unlike cadets of the Nigerian Defence Academy, who are trained as commissioned officers, recruits at the depot are trained as non-commissioned soldiers.

As of the time of filing this report, the Nigerian Army had yet to issue an official statement confirming the cause of the accident, the number of casualties, or the condition of the injured recruits.