Nigeria

Tragedy struck in Bauchi State when a 27-year-old man, Rotji Lazarus, lost his life in a fatal hit-and-run accident just 24 hours before he was scheduled to travel abroad for a job opportunity he had recently secured. The heartbreaking incident occurred on Bauchi–Dass Road in the Yelwa area of Bauchi, shattering the hopes and dreams of his family and friends who had been celebrating his imminent departure.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident happened at night, near the Powers Officers’ Wives Association (POWA) shops, close to the Police Barracks. Lazarus was reportedly by the roadside, where he managed a small fruit juice stand, when a vehicle — moving without headlights — struck him. The impact was fatal, and before help could arrive, the driver had sped off, heading towards Rafin Zurfi on the Tafawa-Balewa Road, leaving Lazarus lifeless on the ground.

The sudden death has sent waves of grief through the local community of Gwalameji, where Lazarus lived, and among his friends and customers in Yelwa who were familiar with his friendly nature and entrepreneurial drive.

Lazarus was widely regarded as a dedicated young man with a promising future. He was a graduate of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, where he earned his diploma, and had further pursued a Postgraduate Diploma in Tourism and Leisure Management at the Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, in Benue State. Despite his academic qualifications, Lazarus had not allowed the challenging job market in Nigeria to deter him. He established a modest fruit juice business while waiting for an opportunity to move abroad.

That opportunity had finally arrived. According to relatives and friends, Lazarus had recently secured employment overseas and was set to leave the country the very next day. His bags were packed, his travel arrangements finalized, and his loved ones eagerly anticipated seeing him off, hopeful that he was on the verge of a new chapter in life. But fate had other plans.

The news of Lazarus’s death spread quickly across Bauchi, particularly in Gwalameji and Yelwa, where many knew him as a gentle, hardworking, and cheerful individual. Condolences have poured in from friends, family members, and members of the community, who gathered at his family home to console his grieving parents.

One of those who expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy was the Bauchi State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Professor Titus Saul Ketkukah. The Commissioner personally extended his condolences to Lazarus Buba, the father of the deceased, who also serves as a Special Adviser in the state government.

In his message, Professor Ketkukah described the late Lazarus as a respectful, humble, and kind young man. “It is a heartbreaking loss, not just to his family but to our entire community. Rotji was known for his gentle nature, his dedication to his work, and his deep respect for elders and authority,” the commissioner said. He prayed for strength for the bereaved family to bear the tragic loss.

As of the time of this report, the identity of the driver remains unknown. Security operatives and local vigilante groups have reportedly begun investigations and are appealing to the public for any information that could lead to the apprehension of the hit-and-run driver.

Residents of the Yelwa area have also voiced concerns about the frequent occurrence of accidents along the Bauchi–Dass road, especially at night, attributing many incidents to reckless driving and poorly maintained vehicles operating without headlights. Many are now calling on state authorities to enhance road safety enforcement and ensure that roadworthy vehicles, especially at night, are adequately monitored.

“We’ve lost too many young people to these careless drivers,” one resident lamented. “If there were more streetlights, visible traffic enforcement, and routine vehicle checks, tragedies like this could be prevented.”

While the grief over Lazarus’s untimely passing is palpable, his friends and loved ones are choosing to remember him for the bright, kind-hearted, and ambitious person he was. Plans for his burial have been made according to family traditions and in line with Christian rites.

His family remains heartbroken, knowing that just a day separated him from the opportunity of a lifetime. “He was our hope,” one relative said. “Everything was ready. We had prayed for his success abroad, and now we are burying him.”

The tragedy has once again highlighted the perils faced by pedestrians in Nigeria’s urban centers, especially with the growing issue of reckless driving and the absence of reliable public safety measures.

As his community mourns, calls continue for justice for Rotji Lazarus — a young man whose life was cut short just as it was about to take flight.