Metro
Woman, police officer, ‘accidentally’ kill 3 persons in Akure
An aura of shivering peace pervaded Akure, the Ondo state capital, on Wednesday, as no fewer than three persons were reportedly killed.
Those who died, as learnt, were two commercial motorcycle riders and a passenger.
Witnesses narrated that tragedy struck when a bus said to have been driven by a woman knocked down and killed a commercial motorcycle rider.
This resulted in a protest by other commercial motorcycle riders who blocked the major road, leading to a gridlock in the area.
The angry motorcycle riders were alleged to have made an attempt to mob the woman who knocked down their colleague.
They were, however, stopped by a yet-to-be-identified policeman attached to a filling station closed to the accident scene.
But the situation, later degenerated when the security operative mistakenly killed another commercial motorcyclist and a passenger.
The Police officer was said to have fired some gunshots into the air in a bid to escape from the mob who attacked him while attempting to rescue the woman, but the other two persons were accidentally hit.
Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Ondo State Police Command, Funmilayo Odunlami, informed that the angry protesters later attacked the policeman who escaped from the scene with severe wounds.
“It was a road accident in which a woman driving a car hit and killed a commercial motorcyclist. Then a crowd gathered at the scene and was trying to mob the woman,” Odunlami explained.
The force publicist added, “The policeman then approached the scene to disperse the crowd and rescue the woman, but the angry crowd mobbed him. It was while he was trying to rescue himself that he shot into the air and incidentally, he misfired.”
The protesters had set a bonfire on the major highway before the arrival of a team of policemen attached to the Division A Police Headquarters in the city.
But, the officers were able to pacify the protesters and douse the tension while normalcy was restored in the area.
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested Salamatu Danjuma, a 25-year-old resident of Nadabo village in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area, in connection with the tragic death of her husband following a domestic dispute.
This was revealed in a statement by the Command’s spokesperson, CSP Ahmed Wakil, on Monday. According to the police, the couple had been experiencing marital difficulties, particularly related to the custody of Salamatu’s six-year-old daughter from a previous relationship.
Wakil explained that despite initial discussions that seemed to suggest the husband would accept the child into their home, he later refused, which escalated tensions between the couple.
The situation took a dire turn when Salamatu, feeling cornered by her husband’s refusal, engaged in a heated argument with him. In the course of this altercation, she allegedly used a knife from their bedroom, leading to fatal injuries to her husband.
The statement further revealed that detectives from the Bununu Police Divisional Headquarters were quickly dispatched to the scene. They promptly evacuated the victim to the Cottage Hospital in Bununu for medical treatment. Sadly, the husband was pronounced dead by medical staff due to the severity of his injuries.
In response to the incident, the Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Mohammed, has directed the State Criminal Investigation Department to carry out a thorough investigation into the matter. The outcome of the inquiry will determine the appropriate legal actions to be taken.
The investigation into the incident is ongoing.
The Federal University of Lokoja (FUL) community has been thrown into mourning following a tragic trailer accident that claimed the lives of five students.
The heartbreaking incident, which occurred on Monday, involved a heavy-duty vehicle transporting palm oil and firewood to Abuja. The trailer lost control and rammed into a shuttle conveying FUL students to campus at Felele, Lokoja, leading to the fatal outcome.
Confirming the sad development, the university’s Deputy Registrar of Human Resources, Vincent Ojo, described the accident as a devastating loss to the institution.
“It is with heavy hearts that we announce the tragic loss of five of our promising students, who were taken away from us too soon in a fatal trailer accident,” Ojo stated.
The deputy registrar added that the incident has left the entire university community in deep sorrow and grief.
As a mark of respect for the departed students, the university management has declared lecture-free days effective from 12 noon on Tuesday, 18th February, and all day Wednesday, 19th February 2025. In addition, all university activities will be observed on a low-key basis, and the institution’s flag will fly at half-mast as a symbol of mourning.
The university extended its condolences to the bereaved families and assured students of its unwavering support during this difficult period.
In response to the tragedy, Kogi State Deputy Governor, Salifu Joel Oyibo, visited the university to commiserate with the grieving community. He assured the students and staff that the state government is taking urgent measures to address the recurring accidents along the Felele axis.
“Our administration is committed to ensuring the safety of all road users, and we will comprehensively tackle the incessant ugly trend along this route,” Oyibo stated in a message shared on the university’s social media platform.
A tragic road accident at the Muhammadu Buhari Interchange Flyover in Hotoro, Kano, has left 16 people dead and 52 others injured. The fatal crash occurred around 9:50 p.m. on Tuesday along the Kano-Maiduguri Road, involving a DAF trailer that was transporting both goods and passengers.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) Kano Sector Command attributed the crash to overspeeding and dangerous driving, which caused the driver to lose control of the vehicle under the bridge.
Confirming the incident, Abdullahi Labaran, the Public Relations Officer of the FRSC Kano Sector Command, stated that the rescue team, in partnership with the Nigeria Police Force, quickly responded to the scene to conduct emergency operations and clear the obstruction, restoring normal traffic flow.
A total of 71 people were involved in the crash, with 52 sustaining varying degrees of injuries. The victims were promptly evacuated to Murtala Mohammed Specialist Hospital for immediate medical attention.
The Sector Commander of the FRSC Kano, CC UM Matazu, expressed his condolences to the families of the deceased and wished the injured a speedy recovery. He also issued a stern warning about the dangers of overloading trailers with both passengers and goods, stressing that such practices significantly increase the risk of fatal accidents.
“We strongly warn drivers against such dangerous practices, which significantly increase the risk of fatal crashes,” Matazu stated.
An FRSC investigation team has been assigned to further investigate the cause of the crash. Following the clearance of the accident scene, traffic has resumed normal flow in the area.
The FRSC has urged all motorists to adhere to traffic regulations to prevent further loss of lives on the roads.
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