NEWS
FG Kicks as Truck Damages Almost-completed Lotto Bridge
The Federal Government has expressed concern over a significant damage caused to the almost-completed Lotto Bridge Interchange on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, expressed the concern during an inspection of the site on Monday.
Kesha said that the damage was caused by a low-bed articulated vehicle, which was transporting an excavator and collided with the bridge structure.
She expressed worry at the extent of the destruction, saying that the incident occurred in the early hours of Thursday, when the excavator’s boom, not properly secured, struck the bridge beams.
“From what we observed, the boom of the excavator was not properly lowered from the port, which made it too high to pass under the bridge,” she said.
The accident, according to Kesha, damaged five beams on the bridge, with two of them severely compromised and requiring complete replacement.
She said that the damage would have adverse effects on road traffic, motorists and the economy.
Kesha said: “To carry out the repairs, we will have to shut this section of the road and divert traffic to the other side.
“Anyone familiar with Lagos-Ibadan Expressway knows how critical this route is. Traffic here is something else.”
She said that besides inconveniences, there would be financial implications of repairs on the bridge.
“The damage is extensive, and it will cost the nation a lot.
“We will use this as a lesson; people must understand that their carelessness has consequences for millions of Nigerians.
“We will not condone this kind of recklessness,” she warned.
She said that a detailed assessment of the damage had been ongoing since Friday, adding that while no specific timeline had been set for the repairs, work would begin as soon as the report was submitted and approved.
“We are preparing a comprehensive report, which includes the scope of work, cost implications and a detailed repair plan.
“Once we get the go-ahead, the contractor will swing into action,” she added.
Kesha also highlighted the broader damage caused by heavy-duty vehicles on Nigerian roads.
She urged vehicle owners and logistics companies to take precautions and ensure that their trucks would be roadworthy and within height limits.
She said that weighbridges, designed to check overloading, would soon be operational at the Old Toll Gate on the expressway.
“It is not just about good roads. When drivers overspeed or carry loads far beyond what is safe, it turns these roads into hazards. What happened here is a clear case of negligence.
“The minimum clearance height is five metres, and we even exceeded that to 5.6 to six metres because we know the kind of drivers we deal with.
“The Lotto Bridge was almost completed, with only the connecting ramps left to be finished by the contractor, who took over from Julius Berger.
” Unfortunately, the recent damage is expected to delay the project by several months,” she regretted.
Kesha confirmed that the driver responsible for the incident had been arrested by the police.
She said that the bridge, which was designed to ease traffic for commuters heading to Ikorodu, Sagamu and Mowe, would remain closed until completion of all necessary repairs.
“The Lotto Bridge is not in use yet. We were preparing to open it soon, but that is now on hold.
“We will not take any risks. We owe Nigerians safe infrastructure, and we will do everything it takes to fix the damage and ensure safety before opening it,” Kesha said.
She re-affirmed the government’s commitment to maintaining public infrastructure and ensuring safety of lives and property. (NAN)
From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), has confirmed the death of four persons in a motor accident which occurred on Sunday on Lokoja –Ajaokuta road in Kogi State.
The Kogi State Sector Commander of FRSC, Tenimu Etuku, who disclosed this to journalists in Lokoja on Monday, said seven other persons sustained varying degrees of injuries in the accident.
He said the accident which involved an 18-seater Toyota commercial bus occurred at Jimgbe Community on Ajaokuta – Lokoja road, Ajaokuta Local Government.
Etuku said the injured victims of the accident were rescued by FRSC personnel, who also took them to the Kogi State Specialist Hospital for treatment while corpses of the dead four persons were deposited at the St.
Morgue of the same hospital.Giving further details, Etuku said the 18-seater bus with Abuja registration number ABC 232 XA was heading to Abuja from Enugu before the sad incident.
The Sector Commander explained that the driver in an attempt to avoid a head-on collision with an oncoming truck rammed into a faulty stationary truck.
Etuku described the incident as very unfortunate, urging motorists to always be mindful of the motoring environment, which may be free but not safe.
“This is because there is a big difference between a free motoring environment and a safe motoring environment.
“Therefore, drivers must always be alert while driving on the highways,” he advised.
From Mike Tayese, Yenagoa
The Administrator of the Presidential Amnesty Programme (PAP), Dr. Dennis Otuaro, has said that President Bola Tinubu is happy with the significant achievements recorded by the agency in the Niger Delta in about two years.
He spoke at the flag-off of the fourth batch of the two-day “Leadership, Alternative Dispute Resolution, and Mediation Training for PAP Stakeholders” organised by the agency in collaboration with the Alumni Association of the National Defence College (AANDEC) at the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, Abuja, on Monday.
The PAP had in July and August 2025 successfully conducted a similar capacity-building workshop for three batches of its stakeholders at the same military facility.
Otuaro, who said the President is delighted with the agency’s expanded scholarship scheme, inclusive stakeholder engagement, and peacebuilding process in the Niger Delta, urged stakeholders to maintain their position as key players in the region’s peace and development.
According to him, Tinubu is supportive of the programme because of his strong desire for the region to enjoy sustainable peace, stability and development.
He reiterated that the workshop is a vital component of the PAP’s peace process with all stakeholders as important partners in the peace initiative.
He stressed that the participants are not only partners for peace, but also the President’s peace ambassadors.
The PAP boss also applauded the National Security Adviser, Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, for his strategic support to strengthen the programme’s initiatives and enable it to achieve the intended objectives for the people of the region.
While declaring the workshop open, Otuaro said, “His Excellency, President Bola Tinubu is very happy with what we have achieved so far in one year and nine months. As stakeholders, you should continue to be key players in the peace and development of the Niger Delta, which His Excellency has been very supportive of and desirous of.
“The objective behind this training is to ensure that all of us are partners in every peace effort in the Niger Delta. This initiative is also to give you a sense of belonging.
“When we organised this workshop in July and August this year, we assured stakeholders that more people would also participate in the training. We don’t want to do the PAP’s work alone. It is a process of putting our heads together to ensure that the region is peaceful and united. When we are united, Mr. President will do more for the region.
“We must also realise that peace starts from our communities; you all are leaders in your own rights. I know and acknowledge the support that the Office has received since we came on board. This leadership workshop is part of our peacebuilding process and is designed to ensure that peace is sustained in our region.
“Since we came on board, we have redirected the Programme towards our people and for the next generation. We have achieved a lot. This 2025-2026 academic session, we have sent 4,500 students, our future leaders, on scholarships to universities within Nigeria. We are doing this to invest in the future of our region.”
Otuaro said that his leadership would not be distracted by the smear campaign of some anti-Niger Delta elements who were angry that the programme had been taken to the people of the region, saying “nobody will hold the region to ransom.”
He further urged stakeholders not to be manipulated by political merchants, but to massively support President Tinubu’s 2027 re-election bid because of his clear agenda for the region.
Otuaro enjoined the stakeholders to participate actively in the workshop and utilise the lessons they would gain to strengthen peace and development in their communities and the Niger Delta in general.
He also expressed appreciation to the management of the Nigerian Army Resource Centre, resource persons, and the President of AANDEC, Rear Admiral Ndidi Agholor (retd.), for partnering with the PAP to deepen the peace process in the region.
From Sylvia Udegbunam, Enugu
The Enugu State Police Command has sustained its onslaught against criminal activities during the Yuletide season with the arrest of a male armed robbery suspect and the recovery of an imitation firearm and ammunition.
The suspect, one Oshim Lambert Chimuanya (male, aged 28), was arrested on 13th December 2025 at about 11:30 p.
m. while attempting to rob members of the public around Agric Bank Bus Stop, Independence Layout, Enugu, following a prompt response to a distress call by operatives of the Command attached to the Independence Layout Police Division.In a statement sent by the Police public relations officer Enugu State command Daniel Ndukwe stated that Upon arrival at the scene, the operatives apprehended the suspect in the act of robbing an unsuspecting young man and recovered from him one revolver imitation (toy) pistol loaded with eight toy bullets.
The suspect is currently in custody and will be arraigned in court upon the conclusion of investigations.The Commissioner of Police, Mamman Bitrus Giwa, has charged operatives of the Command to sustain the momentum and continue to make Enugu State uninhabitable for unrepentant criminals during the festive season and beyond. He further enjoins citizens to continue to cooperate with the Police by providing timely and credible information that will aid crime prevention and detection.
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