Metro
Two Siblings Die in Niger State Mine Collapse
Tragedy struck in Kakaki village, Paikoro Local Government Area of Niger State, as two siblings lost their lives following the collapse of a mine where they were reportedly working.
The incident, which occurred on Saturday, claimed the lives of Zubairu Ibrahim, 20, and Sadiq Ibrahim, 25, in a devastating turn of events that has left the community in mourning.
The brothers, who had not informed their parents of their plans, left home on the fateful day to join others in search of solid minerals at the mine site.
Their absence was first noticed when they did not return for dinner and evening prayers. Initially, their father, Zubairu Ibrahim, believed they were with friends, but later learned that they had gone to the mining site to dig for gold.
A frantic search was initiated by community members, led by their distraught father.
Hours later, the search party discovered the lifeless bodies of the siblings buried under the collapsed soil at the mine site. The loss has thrown the family and the entire village into deep sorrow.
This incident comes months after a similar tragedy occurred in Shiroro, Niger State, where several miners also lost their lives in a mine collapse. The recurrence of such incidents has raised concerns over the safety of informal mining activities in the region.
The Ministry of Mines and Solid Mineral Resources, through its spokesperson, Mrs. Maureen Dibie, confirmed the incident on Tuesday.
In a statement, Dibie revealed that a delegation from the ministry, led by the Permanent Secretary, Yunusa Nahauni, visited the bereaved family on Sunday to offer condolences and conduct a fact-finding mission.
The team included directors from the ministry, representatives from the Miners Association, and the Caretaker Chairman of the State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Mines Workers.
During the visit, the father of the deceased expressed his profound grief over the loss of his two sons, lamenting the harsh reality of life after their untimely death.
Speaking on behalf of the ministry, Nahauni expressed deep sorrow over the tragedy, stressing that the incident could have been avoided if the community had adhered to the Governor’s directive, which had suspended all mining activities in the state. He reiterated the need for strict compliance with safety regulations to prevent such occurrences in the future.
A devastating house fire in the Ori-Eru area of Idikan, Ibadan, Oyo State, has claimed the lives of a man, his wife, and their grandson. The incident occurred on Friday at approximately 3:46 PM, leaving the community in mourning.
According to a statement by CSP Olaniyan Jibola of the Mapo Police Division, the fire engulfed the upper floor of a six-room residential storey building.
Preliminary investigations revealed that the victims had used a naked flame to keep their room warm during the cold weather, which tragically led to the fire.
“On arrival, we met the upper floor of a residential building of six rooms on fire. We swiftly swung into action, and the fire was completely extinguished. Unfortunately, the three victims had slept off after putting on the fire and could not escape,” the statement read.
Despite the tragedy, the prompt intervention of the police and a team of Amotekun officials led by Gbenga Akinyemi from the North West Division helped rescue five individuals from the burning building. Fortunately, the fire did not spread to the ground floor or adjacent properties.
The remains of the victims have been recovered, while the rescued individuals are receiving medical attention.
Customers of Zenith Bank have taken to social media to voice their frustration over difficulties encountered during online banking transactions.
Reports emerged on Tuesday of challenges related to payments and various features, leading to widespread discontent among users on social media platforms like X.
In a statement shared on X on Saturday, Zenith Bank announced that routine maintenance would commence on September 29 and conclude on October 1, running from 12:01 AM to 5:00 AM. The notice, titled ‘Notice of Routine Maintenance,’ stated, “Please be informed that we are currently undertaking routine maintenance of our Information Technology Infrastructure to enable us to significantly improve the quality of service rendered to you.”
However, customers reported that the maintenance did not begin as scheduled, causing considerable inconvenience.
On Tuesday, October 1, 2024, the bank’s Mobile Banking App, USSD Service, Internet Banking, and Corporate Internet Banking platforms remained unavailable for an extended period, specifically between 12:01 AM and 2:30 PM WAT.
One dissatisfied customer, Adetunji Akeem, expressed his frustration, sharing that he was unable to withdraw money for food and transportation to work, which forced him to borrow from colleagues.
“It is frustrating. I haven’t eaten all day because I wasn’t able to withdraw money today. Zenith said they would be undergoing maintenance on Saturday through a pop-up message on the bank app, but they didn’t start until this morning,” he lamented.
Another customer, Adeleye A. P., known on X as #deji4ever, criticised the bank for not scheduling maintenance during the night, especially at the end of the month when many employees are expecting their salaries.
He tweeted, “The worst bank award should be given to Zenith. Why deny customers transfer privileges to other banks on the last day of the month? It’s a bad business strategy to ensure money doesn’t leave its coffers.”
Dave Oriss, tweeting under the handle #orissonline, echoed similar sentiments, adding, “#ZenithBank, you should keep frustrating your customers. Some have emergencies, and you are busy shifting the time for maintenance.”
Iran fired 200 missiles, including hypersonic weapons, at Israel in a major escalation of the ongoing conflict, state television reported on Wednesday.
The barrage, which Iran claims targeted military bases near Tel Aviv, came as retaliation for the recent killing of Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah by Israeli forces.
This picture shows a projectile flying above the Jordanian capital Amman towards Israel, on October 1, 2024. – Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a missile attack under way against Israel on October 1 was in response to the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week as well as that of the Hamas leader. (Photo by Khalil MAZRAAWI / AFP)
Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC) confirmed the missile launches, stating that “90 percent” of the projectiles hit their intended targets, which included three military bases.
The footage of the missile strikes was broadcast on Iranian media, showing a significant show of force by Tehran.
This picture taken from the West Bank city of Hebron shows projectiles above the Israeli city of Ashdod on October 1, 2024. (Photo by HAZEM BADER / AFP)
The Israeli military countered that 180 missiles had been fired into their territory, with most being intercepted by Israel’s advanced defense systems.
Despite the intercepts, the attack marks the first reported use of hypersonic missiles by Iran against Israel.
This picture shows projectiles being intercepted by Israel above Jerusalem on October 1, 2024. (Photo by Menahem Kahana / AFP)
Hypersonic missiles, capable of traveling at speeds of up to 15 times the speed of sound, pose a unique threat due to their low-altitude flight path and ability to evade conventional missile defenses.
Iran unveiled this advanced missile technology in June 2023, with then-president Ebrahim Raisi proclaiming it as a cornerstone of Iran’s deterrence capabilities, designed to maintain peace and stability in the region.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu responded swiftly to the attack, warning that Tehran had made a “big mistake.” He vowed to make Iran “pay” for the strikes, further raising tensions in an already volatile situation.
Fire erupts between Ben Gurion International Airport near Tel Aviv and the city of Modiin following an Iranian missile attack, on October 1, 2024. Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said a missile attack under way against Israel on October 1 was in response to the killing of Hezbollah chief Hassan Nasrallah last week as well as that of the Hamas leader. (Photo by Ahmad GHARABLI / AFP)
In Washington, the United States indicated that it was discussing a joint response with Israel.
Meanwhile, Iran’s chief of staff issued a stern warning that Tehran would strike key Israeli infrastructure if Iran’s territory were attacked in retaliation. The region now braces for potential further escalation amid growing fears of a broader conflict.
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