Driver Dies as SUV Somersaults Multiple Times on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway

LAGOS, NIGERIA – A driver has died after a Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) lost control and overturned several times along the Oshodi-Apapa Expressway in Lagos State, marking the second major road fatality in the commercial capital within a 10-day period . The fatal accident occurred in the early hours of Saturday at Charity Bus Stop, inward Iyana Isolo , according to a statement issued by the spokesperson of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) , Adebayo Taofiq . The agency said preliminary findings showed that the Honda Pilot SUV suddenly veered out of control before overturning multiple times and coming to a devastating stop . The sheer magnitude of the impact led to the immediate death of the driver, whose body became trapped inside the mangled wreckage of the vehicle .

“Preliminary findings indicate that the Honda Pilot Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV) involved in the incident suddenly lost control, causing it to overturn multiple times before coming to a devastating halt. The sheer magnitude of the impact led to the instantaneous death of the driver, whose body became trapped within the severely mangled remains of the vehicle,” the statement read . LASTMA officials, who were carrying out traffic monitoring and management duties in the Iyana Isolo area at the time of the incident, responded swiftly to the emergency . The officers, working alongside personnel of the Mosafejo Police Division , successfully extricated the deceased from the wreckage while managing traffic flow and preventing secondary accidents along the busy corridor . Following the recovery operation, officials of the State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit (SEHMU) evacuated the remains to a public mortuary in line with established public health procedures . The wrecked Honda Pilot SUV was subsequently handed over to officers of the Mosafejo Police Division, who have commenced investigations to determine the immediate and remote causes of the accident.

READ ALSO:

• Police Arrest Two Nigerians, Three Others For Gang Rape Of Colombian Tourist
• Two Logos, One Party: NDC’s Identity Crisis Deepens Ahead of Elections
• Troops Rescue 31 Kidnap Victims, Kill 5 Terrorists in Katsina, Zamfara Operations

Reacting to the incident, the General Manager of LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki , expressed sadness over the loss of life and extended condolences to the deceased’s family . He urged motorists across Lagos State to exercise caution while driving, obey speed limits, and adhere strictly to traffic regulations, particularly during late-night and early-morning journeys when visibility, alertness, and reaction times may be reduced . Bakare-Oki also warned against reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, excessive speeding, and other traffic violations that could lead to avoidable tragedies on the roads. “Motorists are strongly urged to eschew reckless driving, dangerous overtaking, excessive speeding and every form of traffic infraction capable of precipitating avoidable tragedies on our roads. The sanctity and preservation of human life must remain paramount in the conduct of every road user. No journey is so urgent as to justify compromising safety,” he stated .

This tragic incident occurred just 10 days after a dispatch rider was killed by a trailer at the Ilupeju Bypass . It was gathered that the tragic crash happened after the dispatch rider reportedly engaged in a struggle for right of way with a commercial minibus, popularly known as “Korope” . In the process, he lost control of the motorcycle and collided with a moving articulated trailer along the busy Ilupeju corridor . The impact of the collision caused severe injuries, leading to the rider’s instant death at the scene . LASTMA officials successfully recovered the remains of the deceased rider trapped beneath the trailer while implementing measures to ease the heavy traffic congestion caused by the accident . Bakare-Oki had earlier warned about the rising rate of crashes involving dispatch riders, noting that over 862 crash victims involving dispatch riders were rescued through emergency interventions in 2025 alone . He identified several accident-prone routes including Eko Bridge, Lekki-Epe Expressway, Otedola Bridge, Ikorodu Road, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway , and railway crossings around Ikeja, attributing the crashes to reckless overtaking, driving against traffic, fatigue, poor motorcycle maintenance, and phone use while riding.

Driver Dies as SUV Somersaults Multiple Times on Oshodi-Apapa Expressway

Police Arrest Two Nigerians, Three Others For Gang Rape Of Colombian Tourist

ROME, ITALY – Italian authorities have arrested two Nigerian nationals and three other foreign nationals in connection with the alleged abduction and sexual assault of a 32-year-old Colombian tourist in Rome, who was held captive for 72 hours in an abandoned building where she was repeatedly assaulted . The suspects were identified as Isibor Wisdom, 29, and Paul Nwabueze, 39, both Nigerians. Also arrested were Saidykhan Lamin, 29, and Karamba Kanteh, 38, both from Gambia, as well as Harouna Traore, a 43-year-old Malian .

According to reports from Italian media and international news agencies, the 32-year-old Colombian woman had arrived in Rome on May 16, 2026, together with a friend, for a holiday in the Italian capital . The nightmare began on May 19, 2026, when the victim was dining at a restaurant near Rome’s Termini Station . Investigators said the woman was approached by a man who offered to sell her hashish, a cannabis-derived product. The suspect, described by police as “the bait,” allegedly persuaded the woman to follow him. She walked with him for approximately 30 minutes before they reached a van, where she was forced inside by two other men . The victim was then transported to a deserted building on Via Cesare Tallone in the Tor Cervara district on the eastern outskirts of Rome . According to Italian police sources, the building was occupied by at least 22 undocumented migrants living illegally in the squalid complex .

During her captivity, which lasted three full days (72 hours) , the woman was allegedly repeatedly drugged, threatened with death, and subjected to aggravated gang rape by the five suspects . Police investigators stated that the five men alternated in the assaults over a 36-hour period, with the victim held in an abandoned room with blackened walls, shattered windows, and mattresses thrown on the floor . The victim was also reportedly robbed of her mobile phone and wallet, which prevented her from seeking help earlier . According to Il Tempo, the building where the crimes took place had been previously known to authorities. As recently as May 1, 2026, police conducted a raid there and seized replica firearms, ammunition, ecstasy pills, ketamine, cocaine, hashish, and heroin.

READ ALSO:

• Two Logos, One Party: NDC’s Identity Crisis Deepens Ahead of Elections
• Troops Rescue 31 Kidnap Victims, Kill 5 Terrorists in Katsina, Zamfara Operations
• Rescue Oyo Schoolchildren Within 24 Hours or Step Down, HURIWA Tells Tinubu

At dawn on the third day of her captivity, the woman managed to break free from her captors. She was found half-naked on a pavement on Via di Tor Cervara by a passing driver, who immediately rushed her to the nearby Casilino Hospital . Upon examination, doctors identified injuries consistent with sexual assault and confirmed that she had been plied with drugs. The hospital activated a specialist programme for women who are victims of violence and alerted police, triggering an urgent investigation . Investigators from Italy’s Flying Squad Section IV launched an urgent probe. Within days, they reconstructed the events and organized a raid on the abandoned building, involving officers from the Prenestino district, the Forensic Police, and the Police Headquarters’ Immigration Office .

During the raid, police identified 22 non-EU citizens with illegal immigration status living in the building. Eleven of them were issued expulsion orders and taken to detention centres in Ponte Galeria, Palazzo San Gervasio, and Bari pending deportation procedures . Among those identified, five men were later recognized by the victim through photographic identification as the perpetrators of the violence she suffered . The five suspects were arrested and have since been charged with aggravated gang rape, with prosecutors citing the victim’s vulnerable condition—being drugged and held against her will—as an aggravating factor . They remain in police custody pending further legal proceedings .

Italian authorities said efforts are ongoing to track down additional individuals believed to have been involved in the crime. According to Il Messaggero, at least three other people are being sought, including the man who allegedly lured the tourist from the restaurant (described as an Italian man named Antonio), the person who transported her to the abandoned building, and the driver who conveyed her . Investigators are focusing their search on Termini Station, where the abduction occurred, and Tor Bella Monaca, a known drug-dealing square where the victim’s friend reportedly said they intended to buy drugs . The case has intensified political debate in Italy over urban security, migration policies, and the management of illegal squats in Rome’s neglected periphery. Fabrizio Santori, head of the League party in Rome’s assembly, called the incident “confirmation of the total failure of the Gualtieri administration on urban security” . Vice-President of the Chamber of Deputies Fabio Rampelli demanded “severe penalties and immediate repatriation of those responsible” . The Colombian consulate in Rome is said to be providing legal and psychological support to the victim as investigations continue.

Police Arrest Two Nigerians, Three Others For Gang Rape Of Colombian Tourist

Troops Rescue 31 Kidnap Victims, Kill 5 Terrorists in Katsina, Zamfara Operations

ABUJA, NIGERIA – Troops of Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA have rescued 31 kidnapped victims , neutralised five terrorists , and dismantled several terrorist camps in a series of coordinated operations across Zamfara State and Katsina State . This was contained in a statement made available to Defence Correspondents in Abuja by the Acting Deputy Director, Army Public Relations, 8 Division, Nigerian Army / Sector 2 Operation FANSAN YAMMA, Lieutenant Colonel Olaniyi Osoba .

According to the statement, in Zamfara State, troops rescued 31 kidnapped victims around the Bagega–Kawaye axis in Anka Local Government Area of the state . It explained that the victims were rescued from captivity following a precision air interdiction conducted by the air component of Operation FANSAN YAMMA and a follow-on ground operation on terrorist enclaves west of Bagega Forest . The statement stated that the rescued individuals, who had spent several weeks in captivity , were identified as indigenes of Maga, Gummi, Zuru, Wasagu, Bukuyyum and Anka Local Government Areas across Zamfara and Sokoto States, and were provided medical support before being set to reunite with their respective families.

READ ALSO:

• Rescue Oyo Schoolchildren Within 24 Hours or Step Down, HURIWA Tells Tinubu
• ‘He Squeezes My Breasts,’ Wife Tells Court as Judge Dissolves 10-Year Marriage Over Battery
• FG Deepens CNG Expansion with 1,100-Vehicle Capacity Gas Station in Abuja

The statement added that in a separate operation in Zamfara , troops made contact with terrorists in the Maradun and Gidan Dan Jaja axis , where they neutralised two terrorists , destroyed identified terrorist camps, and recovered several fabricated rifles and four motorcycles used by the criminals . It further added that in Katsina State , troops intercepted terrorists in transit at the Ruwan Godiya axis and Sayaya Road in Matazu Local Government Area , who were allegedly moving in preparation for an imminent attack. Following a fierce firefight, troops neutralised three terrorists and recovered motorcycles and ammunition .

The statement explained that one of the terrorists neutralised was later identified as a foot soldier of the notorious terrorist kingpin, Muhammad Fulani , while rifles and motorcycles were recovered from the two encounters . According to earlier security reports, Muhammad Fulani is a wanted bandit leader operating across Matazu, Musawa, Kankia, Charanchi and parts of Kano State . Security forces had previously intensified operations targeting him, resulting in the killing of five bandits and the rescue of 32 victims earlier in May . The military has reiterated that the manhunt for Muhammad Fulani and other fleeing members of his gang remains ongoing .

The statement reaffirmed that Operation FANSAN YAMMA remains resolute in its commitment to eradicating terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of citizens across the North West region . The military continues to sustain offensive operations against criminal elements, working to dismantle terrorist networks and rescue remaining hostages held in captivity across the North-West geopolitical zone .

Troops Rescue 31 Kidnap Victims, Kill 5 Terrorists in Katsina, Zamfara Operations