News
Sunday Horror As Road Accidents Claim 10
No fewer than 10 people lost their lives in fatal road accidents that occurred in Ijebu Ode/Ore Expressway at Agodogun area of Odigbo Local Government and at Ibaka Market in Akungba Akoko in Akoko-South West Local Government Area of Ondo State on Sunday.
According to eyewitnesses, the Ijebu Ode/Ore Expressway crash happened following a head-on collision of the two vehicles involved in the accident.
But the Federal Road Safety Corps said the accident happened at about 1.40pm and involved a black Mercedes Benz jeep with registration number EPE 144 EW and a blue Toyota Carina car with number plate KTP 580 RG.
The Ondo State Sector Commander of the corps, Mr. Vincent Jack said seven people were involved in the accident, saying six died while one was injured.
The commander said the accident was caused by over-speeding on the parts of the drivers of the vehicles involved.
On the Akungba market accident, Jack said four people died, while two were injured.
An eyewitness narrated that a truck with registration number LSD 509 XM had a brake failure and the driver lost control of the vehicle and ranmmed into a road side market in the town.
The FRSC boss said, “The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the morgue of the State Specialist Hospital in Ikare Akoko, while the injured were also taken to the same hospital for treatment.”
He urged motorists to always avoid over-speeding and to also be mindful of the rules and regulations of the traffic.
Meanwhile, gunmen suspected to be armed robbers in the early hours of Sunday whisked away the driver of the chairman of Takum, LGA, Shiban Tikari, who was later released.
Emmanuel Bello, a Senior Special Assistant on Public Affairs to Governor Darius Ishaku, told our correspondent that the attack happened when the council chairman was going to Donga for a thanksgiving service.
Bello, who said the chairman was driving in another car with his Donga counterpart in a convoy when the incident occurred along Takum-Chanchanji-Wukari road, called for reinforcement of the Joint Benue/Taraba military task force to help check the level of insecurity in the area.
But the Taraba State Police Public Relations Officer, ASP. David Misal who confirmed the incident, said it was a robbery attack and that the council chairman was not personally involved, but his personal car was snatched by the robbers.
On the attack in Wukari, the Police image maker said he was yet to be briefed by the Divisional Police Officer, in charge of the area.
Nobel Laureate, Professor Wole Soyinka, has called on Nigerians to reject silence in the face of extrajudicial killings and other abuses of human rights.
Soyinka stressed that accountability and civic courage remain essential to rebuilding public confidence in the nation’s institutions.
He made the call during the 28th Wole Soyinka Lecture held in Port Harcourt, last Friday as part of activities marking his 92nd birthday.
The lecture, themed “Reclaiming the Nigerian State through Accountability, Justice and Civic Courage,” drew participants from different sectors of society.
The renowned playwright and human rights advocate said the country’s greatest tragedy was not only the unlawful killings carried out by state and non-state actors, but also the silence that often follows such incidents, allowing perpetrators to evade justice.
According to him, indifference by citizens to abuses of power and violations of fundamental human rights has contributed to the persistence of extrajudicial killings and other forms of injustice across the country.
Soyinka said he dedicated this year’s lecture to victims of unlawful killings, noting that the event was intended to honour individuals who had lost their lives as a result of failures within the justice system and society’s inability to protect the sanctity of human life.
He stressed that the lecture was dedicated to what he described as the basic unit of every society – the human being, and urged Nigerians to place greater value on human dignity irrespective of ethnicity, religion or social status.
The Nobel Laureate recalled several incidents of violence, including the fatal shooting and killing of a young man in Ugheli in Delta State by a police officer, and the mob killing of Deborah Yakubu in Sokoto State sometime ago, lamenting that many of those responsible are yet to face justice.
He expressed concern that some perpetrators of violent crimes had openly admitted their actions without fear of prosecution, describing such situations as evidence of serious failures within the nation’s justice system.
Soyinka maintained that when justice is delayed or denied, public confidence in state institutions continues to erode, thereby encouraging further violations of human rights.
Responding to critics who accuse him of promoting religious or ethnic divisions whenever he spoke on such issues, Soyinka dismissed the allegations and pointed out that his advocacy has always centred on the protection of human life and the rule of law.
He urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and continue demanding justice in cases of alleged extrajudicial killings, including the recent shooting of a young man by a police officer, stressing that every life deserves equal protection under the law.
The literary icon also recalled an earlier pledge by a past incoming president to make public the files relating to unresolved assassinations and extrajudicial killings, questioning the status of the promised investigations.
He challenged citizens to continue asking questions about unresolved cases, insisting that justice, accountability and respect for human dignity are indispensable to building a peaceful, democratic and inclusive Nigerian society.
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has clarified that there was no fire at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, contrary to its earlier advisory.
Earlier yesterday, FAAN had announced that a fire incident had occurred at Terminal 2 of the nation’s busiest airport, and assured that its Aerodrome Rescue and Firefighting Service had been deployed to contain the situation.
There were also reports that activities were briefly disrupted at the airport yesterday after smoke was seen inside parts of the terminal.
Videos circulating online showed passengers kept standing outside the terminal while firefighters responded to the incident.
However, in an update issued less than two hours later by the Director of Public Affairs and Consumer Protection, Henry Agbebire, and posted on FAAN’s official X handle, the authority said preliminary findings showed that the smoke seen at the terminal was caused by the discharge of the facility’s FM-200 fire suppression system.
“Further to our earlier advisory regarding the incident at Terminal 2 of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) wishes to provide the following update,” the statement read.
“Preliminary findings indicate that there was no fire at the terminal. The smoke observed within the affected area resulted from the discharge of the terminal’s FM-200 fire suppression system. The reason for the activation of the fire suppression system is currently being investigated,” FAAN stated.
The authority said normal operations had resumed at the terminal while investigations were ongoing to determine the cause of the incident.
“Normal operations have since resumed at the terminal, while detailed investigations are ongoing to determine the exact cause of the incident,” the statement added.
The authority thanked passengers, airlines, airport users and other stakeholders for their understanding and cooperation.
FAAN appreciated the understanding and cooperation of passengers, airlines, airport users and all stakeholders, and reiterated its commitment to the safety and security of all airport operations.