FRSC blames traffic violation as 19 passengers burnt to death in Okene Bypass accident

A total of 19 people were burnt to death in a tanker-bus collision on Sunday April 28 on Okene-Lokoja highway in Kogi State.

The collision that specifically occurred on Okene Bypass reportedly led to an explosion, trapping a total of 22 passengers in the inferno.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in a statement which gave these details said the crash was largely caused by traffic rules violation.

It added that its emergency rescue team deployed in the area battled the situation for three hours.

Part of statement read, “The crash investigation report revealed that the crash involved two vehicles comprising a Dangote truck bearing the following registration details NSH680YJ, and a Toyota Hiace Bus with registration number KMC455ZE.

“The Toyota Hiace bus loaded from Kano was on its lane on the highway when the Dangote truck driver who drove all the way from Port Harcourt wrongfully overtook a vehicle and collided head-on with the bus.

“The impact of the collision resulted in a fire inferno that burnt the victims to death.

According to the report, the crash which was caused by route violation ‘One-way’ and wrongful overtaking, involved 22 people all male.

“Unfortunately, 19 people out of the 22 victims were killed and one injured.

“The remaining two victims who got rescued by the FRSC operatives without injuries survived the crash because they complied with traffic regulations on compulsory use of seatbelt.

“The corpses of the dead victims have been deposited at Okene General Hospital.

The statement signed by the FRSC spokesman, Jonas Agwu, an Assistant Corps Marshal, recalled that the Corps Marshal of the commission, Dauda Biu, at a press conference last week Thursday “warned against traffic violations citing instances where they resulted in avoidable crashes with fire outbreak, leading to wanton loss of precious lives and destruction to properties.

“As a result of that he had earlier emphasised on the need for maximum penalty for these drivers.

Dauda Biu reaffirmed the resolution of the Corps to continue its ongoing prosecution of drivers who by their actions cause road traffic crashes in Nigeria, noting that the driver of the truck involved in the Okene crash will not be an exception.

“As such, he called on the judiciary, leadership of transport unions and other relevant stakeholders in the road transportation sector to join hands with the Corps towards restoring sanity through speedy and effective prosecution.”

NDLEA intercepts cakes laced with drugs

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has arrested a 28-year-old lady, Jennifer Iliya, in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State for producing and distributing cakes laced with illicit drugs, especially cannabis sativa.

The agency’s Director of Media and Advocacy,, Femi Babafemi, disclosed this in a statement on Sunday.

Babafemi said during her arrest on Wednesday, “a substantial number of drugged cakes weighing 1.5kg were recovered from her possession.”

He added that a 20-year-old hair stylist, Josephine Odunu, and a dispatch rider, Edesemi Ikporo, 30, were also arrested in Yenagoa on Sunday, March 10, for a similar offence.

Meanwhile, a suspect who allegedly hid drugs in women wears was also arrested at the Lagos airport.

The statement partly read, “NDLEA officers at the Gate C departure hall of the Lagos airport on Friday, April 26, arrested a passenger, Yahaya Danjuma Oturah, while attempting to export 4,000 pills of tramadol 225mg to Malpensa, Italy, on an Ethiopian Airline flight.

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“The psychoactive substance was found concealed in women wears and granulated melon packed in the suspect’s backpack and another bag containing food items.”

Man accused of stealing cement drowns at Lagos Lagoon while ‘trying to escape’

A man simply identified as Azeez, has allegedly jumped into the lagoon in Lagos and drowned, to avoid arrest for being accused of stealing some bags of cement.

The spokesperson of the Police command in Lagos , SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday.

Hundeyin said that the Director in charge of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) operations in Lagos Central, (name not mentioned), reported the case to Ikoyi Police Division on Friday at about 12.20 p.m.

Hundeyin said that the director reported that at about 10.45 a.m. on Friday, he received a call that there was an incident at Lekki/Ikoyi Link Bridge.

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According to him, on getting to the scene, he met a large crowd gathered by the waterside, watching the lifeless body of a man who had drowned.

“The deceased was later identified as Azeez. He was later confirmed dead by paramedics of Pre Hospital Care, Lagos.

“It was discovered that the seller of the cement, was pursuing the deceased before he jumped into the Lagoon, because he was alleged to have stolen some bags of cement,” Hundeyin said.

The image maker said that the scene was visited by the police, while the corpse had been evacuated to Mainland General Hospital Mortuary, Yaba, for autopsy and preservation.

Hundeyin said that investigation into the case was in progress.

Man accused of stealing cement drowns at Lagos Lagoon while ‘trying to escape’