Metro
Niger Tanker Explosion Claims 86 Lives, Mass Burial Held for 80 Victims
A tragic tanker explosion at Dikko Junction, Gurara Local Government Area, has claimed the lives of 86 people, according to the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA).
In a press statement issued by NSEMA’s Director General, Abdullahi Baba-Arah, the victims’ remains were recovered and interred in a coordinated operation involving the agency, local authorities, and volunteers.
Eighty victims were buried in a mass grave at the premises of the Dikko Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC), while five were handed over to their families for private burial within the community. Another individual succumbed to injuries at the healthcare facility.
The mass burial, conducted from 5 p.m. to midnight, was carried out by volunteers and emergency responders who worked tirelessly under challenging circumstances to honor the deceased.
NSEMA also reported that the number of injured has risen to 55, with one fatality recorded during treatment at the PHC. Efforts are ongoing to provide medical care to the injured and support to grieving families.
Government Response
Governor Umaru Bago of Niger State visited the site of the explosion and expressed deep sorrow over the loss of lives. He directed that vehicles from the Maje axis should no longer pass through the Dikko Bridge, instead urging drivers to use the underpass and make U-turns appropriately.
The Governor tasked the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Sector Commander to deploy personnel in the area to enforce the directive and appealed to transport unions for cooperation.
He condemned the recklessness of some drivers and described the incident as “pathetic,” while thanking God the tragedy did not spread to nearby communities.
Governor Bago called on the Federal Government to expedite the completion of the Minna-Suleja Road, citing its delay as a contributing factor to recurring accidents. He also commended NSEMA, the fire service, and other emergency agencies for their swift response and assistance during the evacuation and recovery efforts.
To aid the treatment of the injured, the Governor announced the redeployment of doctors from Minna hospitals to Suleja General Hospital, where many of the victims are receiving care.
A tragic incident occurred on Saturday morning in the Ojodu-Berger area of Lagos State, as a building housing a popular local restaurant on Oremeta Street collapsed, leaving many feared dead.
The building was said to have given way at about 8:00 am, causing panic among residents and passers-by. Eyewitnesses reported a loud rumble before the structure came crashing down, trapping several individuals inside.
Emergency responders, including residents and rescue officials, have since commenced search and rescue operations at the site. As of the time of filing this report, the exact number of casualties remains unconfirmed, but several persons are believed to be trapped beneath the rubble.
Authorities are yet to issue an official statement regarding the cause of the collapse or the number of victims. However, efforts are ongoing to clear the debris and reach those who may still be alive underneath.
More details to follow.
Grief hung heavily in the air as the Zike community in Bassa Local Government Area of Plateau State laid to rest 51 of its residents brutally murdered in a pre-dawn attack that has once again cast a dark shadow over the troubled region.
The victims, mostly women and children, were gunned down in the early hours of Monday when yet-to-be-identified assailants stormed the sleepy village, firing indiscriminately. The massacre is the latest in a string of violent assaults that have plagued Plateau State in recent times.
At the mass burial held in the community, emotions ran high as families, friends, and sympathizers wept uncontrollably. Traditional mourners draped in black wailed as the victims’ coffins were lowered into the earth — a harrowing scene that has become all too familiar in the region.
Speaking at the funeral, a visibly distraught community leader, Davidson Malison, described the attack as “disheartening” and lamented the scale of the devastation.
“I can tell you the situation is very disheartening,” Malison said. “We are still searching for more corpses. Something needs to be done to put an end to this.”
The Irigwe women leader, Mary Dikwa, echoed similar concerns, calling on the government to step up its responsibility in securing lives and property.
“They have been killing us in this our community,” Dikwa said in tears. “Several times they will come and attack us. This situation has gone out of hand.”
Monday’s carnage came barely two weeks after another deadly assault left over 50 people dead and several others severely injured, despite repeated reassurances by the government to restore peace to the North-Central state.
Reacting to the renewed wave of violence, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ordered security agencies to track down the perpetrators and bring them to justice.
“I have instructed security agencies to thoroughly investigate this crisis and identify those responsible for orchestrating these violent acts,” the President said in a statement released by his spokesman, Bayo Onanuga. “We cannot allow this devastation and the tit-for-tat attacks to continue. Enough is enough.”
As the Zike community mourns yet another loss, residents are left clinging to hope — that someday soon, peace will return to their land and they can finally bury their dead without fearing for the lives of the living.
At least forty people have been confirmed dead following a brutal attack by unidentified assailants on Zike community in Kimakpa, located within the Kwall district of Bassa Local Government Area in Plateau State.
According to local sources, the assault took place in the early hours of Monday, with the attackers storming the village and opening fire indiscriminately. Residents, startled by the sound of gunfire, fled in panic, but many were caught in the hail of bullets.
A community leader in Kwall, Wakili Tongwe, revealed that he and a group of vigilantes, along with some security personnel, were on patrol in a nearby community when the assault occurred.
“We were on routine patrol in a different area when the attackers struck. By the time we arrived, they had already done significant damage,” Tongwe said.
He added that while the joint team of vigilantes and security operatives engaged the assailants and eventually repelled them, the casualties were already high. Thirty-six people were confirmed dead at the scene, with four others succumbing to their injuries later in hospital.
Several other villagers sustained gunshot wounds and are currently receiving treatment in medical facilities nearby.
As of the time of filing this report, security agencies in Plateau State are yet to issue any official statement regarding the incident.
This latest massacre comes barely two weeks after a similar attack in the Bokkos Local Government Area of the state, where over fifty people lost their lives in coordinated assaults on several communities.
