Nigerian top-flight side's team bus goes up in flames

Nigeria Professional Football League side Wikki Tourists had a lucky escape when the team bus carrying it burst into flames and burnt to the ground.

All players, coaches and team officials of Wikki Tourist Football team survived unscathed during the incident on Saturday (Representative Image).

Nigeria Professional Football League side Wikki Tourist had a lucky escape when the team bus carrying it to its away fixture against Dakkada in Uyo burst into flames and burnt to the ground, officials said.

All players, coaches and team officials survived unscathed in the incident on Saturday, but they lost the team kit and many of their belongings as the blaze moved quickly through the vehicle.

The cause of the fire is not yet clear, although club secretary Abdullahi Ibrahim told local media it followed one of the tyres on the bus bursting. He said that the players had to escape through the windows and that many had been left in shock.

The journey from Bauchi to Uyo takes 15 hours by road, highlighting the difficult away trips Nigerian top-flight sides must make.

In March last year, Enyimba were making a 15-hour journey from Yola to Aba after a league game when their team bus was attacked by armed robbers and a number of players injured.