•Scores consumed by fire, family of 4 electrocuted, 3 pregnant women killed, varsity students abducted in 4 days
By Henry Umahi
It was indeed a black Independence celebration for Nigeria. Last week, the country harvested many tragedies of immense proportions. And families have been weeping in the valley of tears.
On October 1, a tanker laden with petrol spread anguish and tears at Koko junction on Benin-Sapele Road. The tanker was said to have fallen while meandering through the deplorable portion between Ologbo in Edo State and Koko in Delta State. It immediately exploded, resulting in the razing of about 15 private and commercial vehicles trapped in the usual gridlock on the failed road.
The cause of the explosion is in controversy. A source said that a spark from a malfunctioning vehicle ignited the fuel fire. However, police public relations officer in Delta State, Bright Edafe, a deputy superintendent of police, said when the tanker heading towards Benin fell down upon getting to Ugbenu Koko Junction, desperate youths of the area threw caution to the wind and rushed to scoop the product.
He said: “Its content spilled into the nearby swamp, and the spillage attracted a couple of youths who took advantage of the incident and started scooping the fuel into jerry cans and other containers. While they were at it, an explosion erupted and the fire from the explosion engulfed the whole area.
“The fire claimed the lives of five persons amongst the youths who had come to scoop the spilled fuel, and also combusted several properties including the fallen tanker, eight buses of different makes, two tankers, five trailers, two motorcycles, one Sienna space bus, and one ‘C’ Class Mercedes Benz car.”
A witnesses regretted the horrific development, noting that he counted over 20 bodies. He said: “We tried to prevent the youths from going to scoop fuel but they threatened to deal with us. They said it was their land and that they can do whatever they wanted. They were many of them; they came with different sizes of containers. When the explosion happened around 12.15am, everyone ran away.”
Governor Sheriff Oborevwori of Delta State, in a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Sir Festus Ahon, in Asaba, blamed the Federal Government for the tragedy. He said: “This sad and unfortunate incident would have been avoided if the Federal Government had lived up to their responsibility of maintaining their roads. While I mourn the deceased, I use this medium to reiterate my earlier call on the Federal Government to save the lives of our people from these harrowing experiences.
“I also use this medium to advise our people to refrain from the dangerous act of scooping fuel from a fallen tanker because of the highly inflammable nature of the product.”
Same day, 19 persons, including a pregnant woman and a fresh graduate, were roasted beyond recognition in another fire that engulfed an illegal bunkering dump in Ibaa community in Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State. Also roasted was a young lady billed to get married next month while 25 injured persons were rescued, including the alleged owner of the illegal site.
The state commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Basil Igwebueze,
in a statement signed by the command’s public relations officer, Olufemi Ayodele, said: “It is lamentable to say that most of the victims were youths; then a pregnant woman and a young lady getting ready for her marriage ceremony next month were all casualties.”
Igwebueze condemned the activities of economic saboteurs engaging in vandalism of oil pipelines and operations of local refineries in the state. He equally decried the unrepentant nature of those dealing illegally in petroleum products through the construction of local refineries where stolen crude oil is processed locally.
The chairman of Emohua LGA, Chidi Lloyd, said: “It is unfortunate that misguided people will lose their lives in that kind of dastard manner in Ibaa.
“I have said this for the umpteenth time, anybody who is in Rivers State will bear me witness that there cannot be any shortcut to wealth. And I have also told traditional rulers that they have a duty. It is not enough to be given recognition, but they have a duty to expose criminal elements within their neighbourhoods.”
At about 11am on Monday, October 2, 2023, a family of four was electrocuted around Dinyavo area of Jalingo, in Taraba State. The cause of the incident that happened was suspected to be a power surge.
Police public relations officer in Taraba State, Abdullahi Usman, who confirmed the electrocution on Monday, identified the victims as Remond Ofonbuk, Mfonbong Remond, Hevean Remond and First Remond.
He said: “At about 11am on Monday, we were reliably informed that a house located at Dinyavoh area of Jalingo was on fire. Detectives from GRA Police Division were quickly deployed to the scene and, on arrival, found the four victims with burns suspected to be from electrocution.
“The victims are Remond Ofonbuk, 44, his wife, Mfonbong Remond, Hevean Remond, 15, and First Remond, 13-years-old. We have received information indicating that immediately power was restored, the transformer serving the area blew up.
“We learnt that many houses within the neighbourhood experienced high electric voltage which might have led to the fire outbreak that inflicted burns on the victims.
“Our detectives quickly evacuated the victims to Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo for treatment but they were confirmed dead on arrival.
“The remains of the deceased have been deposited at the Federal Medical Centre, Jalingo for autopsy while investigation is on to ascertain the actual cause of the incident.”
On Tuesday, October 3, two persons, including a pregnant woman, died in an accident that occurred at Ago Palace Way, Okota area of Lagos. Three others, including a policeman were seriously injured in the avoidable incident.
Confirming the accident, police public relations officer in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, a superintendent of police, said: “A pregnant woman and tricycle driver died in the incident.”
According to him, the policeman, working with the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) team was seriously beaten by angry mob and was rushed to a nearby hospital.
He said: “The mob attacked the hospital and the injured policeman was evacuated to another facility for treatment and safety.”
It was gathered that the accident occurred when a policeman and LASTMA officials attempted to take control of the steering of a Sienna car from its driver, who allegedly committed traffic offence.
A witness claimed that the policeman was trying to wrestle the steering from the driver of the car in a street in Ago Palace Way, Okota. So, in the process, the car hit the tricycle conveying a pregnant woman and her two children going to school. The tricycle rider and the pregnant woman died while the children were injured.
However, LASTA, in a statement, said that the accident happened when a car driver was apprehended for driving against traffic.
The LASTMA spokesperson, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, said that a traffic officer attached to the area, Mr Hassan Kehinde, of zone 27, Okota, who led the patrol team explained that a driver of a blue Toyota Sienna car was apprehended for driving against traffic (one-way) around Ago Palace Way.
He said that a policeman attached to the patrol team volunteered to escort the apprehended vehicle to LASTMA office for proper booking, adding: “On their way and in an attempt by the car driver to escape, diverted into Bayo Oyewale Street, Ago Roundabout and rammed into a fully loaded tricycle.
“While the tricycle operator died instantly, the pregnant woman later died at the hospital.
“And the two injured school children are currently in intensive care receiving medical attention”
Taofiq said that the police escort in the contravened vehicle also sustained various degrees of injuries as a result of the accident. According to him, the incident sparked off protests as a mob descended on the escort police officer but with the timely intervention of police patrol from Ago/ Okota/Ilasa Stations, the policeman was saved from being lynched.
He further said that LASTMA premises was invaded and valuable items vandalised, including vehicles packed within the yard.
Some people also drowned during the week in Kebbi State. A report quoted BalaMohammed, the administrator of Yauri district, where the accident happened on Monday as saying: “We are still searching for 40 passengers with the help of local divers and believe they have drowned.
“It is a difficult search due to the high water level and strong currents as a result of the rainy season.”
The Katsina State Police Command on Wednesday confirmed the kidnap of five female students of the Federal University, Dutsinma.