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

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

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.