Adeyemi Federal University of Education Denies Involvement of Graduates in Gombe NYSC Crash Rumor

The purported involvement of Adeyemi Federal University of Education Ondo (AFUED) graduates in a fatal vehicle crash en route to their National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) deployment in Gombe State has been conclusively debunked by multiple authoritative sources. On Wednesday, November 19, 2025, social media platforms were flooded with reports claiming that an 18-seater bus carrying AFUED graduates to the NYSC orientation camp in Gombe State had crashed fatally, allegedly killing 16 prospective corps members and critically injuring two others. However, the university management, in immediate response to the viral claims, engaged security agencies including the Nigeria Police and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and reached out to media outlets for verification.

Investigation revealed a different reality. A direct communication from one of the AFUED graduates involved confirmed that the accident in which she was involved occurred on the Lagos/Ibadan Expressway, not the Bauchi/Gombe highway as initially reported. The accident resulted in two casualties — the driver and one unidentified person — and the graduate sustained no injuries. She has since safely joined her NYSC program colleagues in Gombe State.

The FRSC and NYSC officials in Gombe further denied any knowledge of a catastrophic crash involving prospective corps members bound for the state. The FRSC Public Relations Officer, Janet Kassa, emphasized that thorough verification showed no record of such an incident along the Gombe route. Similarly, the NYSC Public Relations Officer in Gombe dismissed the circulating images and reports as false, indicating the orientation camp was operational with corps members scheduled to be sworn in as planned.

While some online platforms initially reported fatalities, these have been corrected by credible reports, including from PUNCH Newspaper on November 21, 2025, which carried a detailed debunking under the headline “NYSC, FRSC debunk report of crash involving Gombe prospective corps members” by reporter China Azubuike. The narrative that circulated was categorized as fake news, stirring unnecessary panic among the public, students, and families.

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The University Management thanks media organizations and relevant security agencies for their prompt cooperation and appeals to all media practitioners to adhere strictly to the ethics of journalism — emphasizing truth, objectivity, and fairness. They urge the public to disregard the false reports concerning the deaths of AFUED graduates.

This situation highlights the critical need for responsible reporting and fact-checking in the digital age to prevent the spread of misinformation that can cause distress and confusion among stakeholders.