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How 14 GIGM, ABC bus passengers were abducted in Kogi – Police, operator
How 14 ABC, GIGM bus passengers were abducted in Kogi – Police, operator
Fourteen bus passengers comprising 12 from God is Good Motors and two of the ABC Transport have been abducted in Kogi en route to Abuja.
Spokesman for Kogi Police Command, Williams Aya, confirmed this on Monday, adding that the incident happened last Saturday.
He said, “God is Good Motors was with 12 passengers while ABC was with two passengers. Meanwhile, the driver of the God is Good, Mr Godwin Oniovosa, was later rescued.”
Newstrends learnt that the passengers were coming from Abia State, South East, before their buses were attacked midway by armed men, forced the victims out and led into the bush.
The management of ABC Transport Plc in a statement said, “What did occur was that at about 1:30pm on Saturday 3rd, February 2024 at a village called Ayele Adumu in the Olamaboro LGA of Kogi State, unknown persons blocked the road and attacked oncoming vehicles and amongst which was an ABC Sienna en-route Enugu to Abuja with two passengers.
“The two passengers and the bus driver were led into the bush alongside other passengers of other vehicles and have since been held hostage.
“ABC Transport is actively cooperating with relevant security agencies to resolve the matter as swiftly as possible.”
The company added that “Our top priority is the safety and well-being of our passengers and crew, and we are taking all necessary measures to ensure a prompt and thorough resolution to the issue at hand.
“We understand the concerns raised by the public due to the reports in circulation, and we urge everyone to rely on official statements from ABC Transport for accurate and up-to-date information. Our team is working tirelessly to provide updates as the situation unfolds.
“We appreciate the cooperation of our passengers, stakeholders, and the public in allowing us the time and space to address this matter responsibly. We remain committed to maintaining the highest standards of safety and security for our valued passengers and staff.”
Meanwhile, a joint task force comprising various security agencies is currently on the trail of the kidnappers to rescue the abducted victims.
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Couple, 4 others die in Abuja-Lokoja Road crash
Couple, 4 others die in Abuja-Lokoja Road crash
A woman, Hajiya Fatima Ahmed Usman, her husband, Alhaji Muhammad Usman, alongside their four other relations reportedly lost their lives in a ghastly motor accident which occurred at Ahoko bridge, along the Abuja-Lokoja highway.
A witness said the incident occurred around 12:34 pm on Sunday, the eidfitr day.
He said the couple and the four others left Toto town in Nasarawa State in an unmarked Honda car to attend a burial of one of their relatives at Kotonkarfe when the accident happened.
He said the car veered off the road and somersaulted into a ditch after a trailer hit the vehicle from behind, adding that all the six occupants died on the spot.
Our reporter learnt that Muhammed Usman was the chairmanship aspirant in the November, 2024, Toto LGA election in the area.
However, the remains of the deceased were evacuated into an ambulance to Toto for burial.
Couple, 4 others die in Abuja-Lokoja Road crash
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NSCDC personnel die, policemen, soldier injured in Abia auto crash
NSCDC personnel die, policemen, soldier injured in Abia auto crash
A personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, has been confirmed dead while five policemen and a soldier were injured in an auto crash at Ibeku, along the Umuahia-Bende-Ohafia federal highway in Abia State.
Newstrends gathered that the vehicle conveying the security operatives, who are members of the state joint security task force comprising Police, Army and NCDC personnel, veered off the road and plunged into a ditch in the narrow and dilapidated highway.
Motorists and some residents of the Ihie Ibeku community were said to have assisted to rescue the victims and took them to the Federal Medical Centre, Umuahia before the arrival of the security agencies.
Eyewitnesses told Vanguard: “Out of the 10 security operatives onboard, one officer from the NSCDC was confirmed dead, while eight others sustained injuries and were rushed to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Umuahia. We heard that one security operative had disembarked along the highway before the accident occurred and was initially declared missing but was later found alive.”
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Contacted, Police Public Relations Officer, Abia State Command, Maureen Chinaka, said she does not speak for ‘Operation Crush (the joint security task force).
Meanwhile, Governor Alex Otti, has condoled the leadership of the state joint security task force over the unfortunate crash.
While condoling with the Joint Command and the family of the deceased NSCDC official, Otti in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Mr Ferdinand Ekeoma, assured that his administration will ensure that the injured personnel receive quality medical attention to ensure they recuperate quickly.
He noted that the Joint Security Task Force has done a wonderful job in securing the state against criminals and assured that his administration will continue to offer the necessary support to sustain the tempo.
NSCDC personnel die, policemen, soldier injured in Abia auto crash
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2024 Hajj: Reps refer NAHCON to anti-graft agencies
2024 Hajj: Reps refer NAHCON to anti-graft agencies
Anti-Graft agencies and the Office of the Auditor- General for the Federation (OAGF) have been asked to beam their searchlights on the financial records of the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria (NAHCON).
The House of Representatives urged the bodies to carry out comprehensive external audit of the commission, including the N90 billion federal subsidy for the 2024 hajj operations.
Specifically, the Green Chamber, which could verify the authenticity of the list provided to it by the commission, directed the anti-corruption agencies to probe NAHCON’s claim that it sponsored 1000 officials from the subsidy.
The recommendation followed the adoption of the report of the ad hoc committee that investigated the commission and the FCT Muslims Pilgrims Welfare aboard over the shoddy treatment of Nigerians during last year’s Hajj operation.
The House also asked the government to carry out a review and renegotiation of the questionable Bilateral Air Agreement that allows Saudi-owned airlines to airlift 50% of Nigerian pilgrims to the detriment of domestic airlines who have consistently shown capacity in pilgrims airlift.
The House said that that the National Hajj Commission of Nigeria should henceforth publish a transparent and detailed breakdown of all Hajj charges, justifying each cost to prevent hidden fees and financial mismanagement.
The commission has a mandate to ensure a uniform fee structure for all pilgrims, with clear and justified cost variations, where applicable and carry out an upward review of the $500 Personal Travel Allowance (PTA) to a more reasonable amount that can adequately supports pilgrims during the pilgrimage.
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On pilgrims accommodation and welfare in the holy land, the House asked the commission to decentralise accommodation management and allow State Pilgrims Welfare Boards and private tour operators (PTOs) to be part of negotiating benchmark prices for pilgrims’ accommodation.
It also has the task to establish a service rating system for accommodation providers; thereby ensuring that providers meet set standards before being contracted; while ensuring timely fund disbursements for accommodation to preventing last-minute reallocations that force pilgrims into substandard hotels.
It must implement an effective refund mechanism for pilgrims if accommodations or services fall below agreed standards and impose penalties for poor performance for service providers who fail to meet their obligations.
In addition, the commission should establish an effective pilgrim complaints and resolution unit to handle grievances related to accommodation, feeding, transportation, and other services as well as a transparent system for the issuance of official Hajj visas to registered tour operators, ensuring that they receive visas proportionate to the number of pilgrims they manage, and maintain a publicly accessible records of all visa distributions to prevent corruption and manipulation.
Warning against unilateral decisions, the House urged NAHCON to engage tour operators, airlines and state pilgrims welfare boards, and regulatory agencies in decision-making processes, rather than making unilateral decisions and strengthens its enforcement capacity to ensure that service providers, tour operators and state boards comply with set Hajj standards.
On pilgrims’ feeding, the House asked the Hajj commission to contract Nigerian food caterers to prepare culturally-appropriate meals for pilgrims and introduce rigorous quality control checks for catering services, to ensure hygienic and nutritious meals for pilgrims.
2024 Hajj: Reps refer NAHCON to anti-graft agencies
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