Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, has donated ₦110 million to the families of 22 Kano athletes who tragically lost their lives in a road accident earlier this year.
The donation, disbursed under the Victim Support Fund, provided ₦5 million to each bereaved family to support their recovery and ease the burden of their loss, according to a statement on Thursday by the spokesperson to the Kano State Governor, Sanusi Bature Dawakin Tofa.
In a show of solidarity, Kano State Governor, Abba Kabir Yusuf, also committed an additional ₦130 million. Each of the 10 injured athletes received ₦2 million and a plot of land, while the families of the deceased got another ₦5 million each.
This came after an earlier relief effort by the state government, which provided ₦22 million—₦1 million to each bereaved family and ₦500,000 to the injured.
Speaking during a special disbursement ceremony, Governor Yusuf expressed heartfelt appreciation to the First Lady, describing her intervention as “a clear demonstration of compassion, leadership, and shared humanity.”
Additional contributions poured in from other quarters: the Ogun State Government donated ₦32 million, the Jigawa State Government ₦20 million, and philanthropist Engr. Sagir Koki contributed ₦2.2 million.
Altogether, financial support to the victims’ families and the injured athletes has now reached ₦321.2 million, in addition to plots of land and 30 bags of rice.
During the event, Yusuf announced that the Kano Sports Institute in Karfi would be renamed the “Kano 22 Athletes Institute” in honour of the fallen sportsmen and women.
To ensure fairness in the distribution of entitlements, the sum of ₦6,709,375 was allocated for the first tranche to each bereaved family, with Sharia courts assigned to oversee inheritance procedures in accordance with Islamic law.
Speaking on behalf of the bereaved, Alhaji Baffa Indabawa, chairman of the victims’ families, expressed deep gratitude to the First Lady and the state government, describing their efforts as “a dignified and consoling response” to their collective grief.
The tragic accident occurred on Saturday, May 31, 2025, along the Kaduna–Kano expressway, as the athletes returned from the 2024 National Sports Festival held in Ogun State.
