Former Senator representing Kaduna Central, Shehu Sani, has strongly criticised the Kano State Government for giving what he called a “small and unbefitting” compensation of one million naira to the families of athletes who died in a road accident while returning from the National Sports Festival in Ogun State.
The tragic accident claimed the lives of 22 young athletes who were representing Kano State at the festival held in Abeokuta.
On Saturday, the Kano State Government announced a donation of ₦1 million to each of the affected families. But Senator Sani said the amount was too small, considering the athletes died in active service to the state.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Sani wrote, “One million for each of the deceased athletes is not enough. Kano is rich enough to do more than that. The deceased died in active service.”
The former senator stressed that the lives lost cannot be replaced, but the state government should show more care and respect by offering better support to the families.
“These young people gave their lives while serving the state. They were representing Kano with pride. The least the government can do is to give their families a more decent compensation,” he added.
Nigerians on social media also joined the conversation, with many agreeing that the compensation was not enough.
UsmanDan posted, “These athletes deserved better. They died trying to bring honour to their state. One million naira is an insult.”
Another user, Hafsat\_Kano, commented, “What will one million do for a family that just lost their child? Kano can do more. The government should rethink this.”
The tragic accident has thrown the sports community into mourning, with many calling for improved safety measures during such travels and better treatment of athletes.
