Connect with us

NEWS

Ibaji Boat Mishaps: 20 Persons Confirmed Dead

Published

on

Share

From Joseph Amedu, Lokoja

No fewer than twenty persons have been confirmed dead in a boat mishap that occurred on Tuesday at about 4:30pm in Ibaji local government area of Kogi State.An eye witness account and a farmer in the local government area, James Otoga, told journalists that the sad incident occurred in the evening of Tuesday, 30th September 2025.

According to him , the boat fully loaded with people departed from Onugwa community in Ibaji heading to Ilushi market, but capsized leaving yet to be identified numbers of people dead”The boat was fully loaded with our people going to market for the first of October celebration.
Only five survival have surfaced yet and 20 bodies have been recovered so far and more of our people are lying lifeless beneath the river Niger.”Even those who came for a burial in Onugwa and returning back to Ilushi were also missing, we are yet to confirm the number of people onboard and those who survived” he stated.Confirming the incident the Chairman, Ibaji local government area, Ugeh Emmanuel through a telephone conversation with journalists described the incident as the most disastrous in the history of the local government, saying many people have lost their lives in the accident.”As I am speaking with you now , no body can authoritatively say this is the actual number of casualties. And again we can not even ascertain the number of people onboard right from their departure destination.”This is a very serious accident , the boat have not even near Ilushi when the mishaps occurred around 4:30pm. Most of the victims were moving to Ilushi for the cerebration of first October which has been a tradition in the community before they met their untimely death”Recalled that in the last one year there was numerous boat mishaps in Kogi, Niger and other riverine states where many people lost their lives.Effort to reach the Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Bola Oyebanji and Assistant General Manager (AGM), Corporate Affairs, Suleiman Makama proved abortive as their cell phone could not be reached .Meanwhile the Government and people of Kogi State received with deep sadness the news of the boat mishap which occurred on the River Niger, involving traders traveling from Ibaji Local Government Area of Kogi State to Ilushi market in Edo State.Kogi State’s Commissioner of Information and Communications, Kingsley Fanwo in a statement said that reports reaching government indicates that the unfortunate incident has allegedly claimed the lives of not less than 26 passengers.According to the statement “This is a heartbreaking loss, and our thoughts and prayers are with the families of the deceased, as well as the entire Ibaji Local Government Area, in this moment of grief.”His Excellency, Alhaji Ahmed Usman Ododo, the Executive Governor of Kogi State, has expressed deep condolences to the bereaved families and has directed relevant agencies, including the State Emergency Management Agency, to work with local authorities to provide immediate support and relief to those affected.”The Governor further assured that the State Government will intensify ongoing efforts in collaboration with federal agencies to improve safety measures on our waterways in order to prevent a recurrence of such a tragedy.”We call on our people, especially riverine communities, to always prioritize safety by avoiding overloading and by using life jackets and other precautionary measures whenever they travel by water.”The Government of Kogi State stands with the people of Ibaji LGA and will continue to support them through this difficult time”

NEWS

Police Detain Woman for Alleged Killing of Co-wife in Bauchi

Published

on

Share

The police command in Bauchi State, said it has apprehended a housewife over alleged killing of her co-wife following a domestic violence incident in Bauchi metropolis.

This was contained in a statement by the spokesman of the command, SP Nafiu Habib, on Monday in Bauchi.

He said that the command detained the suspect (name withheld) on Sept.

27 for alleged culpable homicide following a domestic incident at Tafawa Balewa Housing Estate in Bauchi.

Habib said that on Sept. 27, at about 4:05 p.m., the Police C-Division, Bauchi, received credible information that there was a domestic incident between two wives residing in the same household belonging to their husband.

He said that preliminary investigation revealed that the 33-year-old suspect, who is the second wife, allegedly acting under hallucinations, struck the first wife with pestle on the forehead, and the victim fell unconscious.

“Upon receipt of the report, detectives attached to C-Division immediately mobilised to the scene.

 “The scene was documented, and the victim was rushed to the Specialist Hospital, Bauchi, where she was certified dead by a medical doctor. The corpse has been deposited at the hospital mortuary for autopsy,” he said.

Habib said that the police recovered the pestle used in committing the offence.

He quoted the Commissioner of Police, Sani-Omolori Aliyu, as directing the transfer of the case to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for discreet investigation and prosecution.

Aliyu condoled with the bereaved family and cautioned against domestic violence.

The CP also advised husbands to seek timely medical and psycho-social support for members of their families exhibiting mental health challenges. (NAN)

Continue Reading

NEWS

FRSC Deploys 170 Ambulances Nationwide for Emergency Rescue

Published

on

Share

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed more than 170 ambulances across the country as part of efforts to strengthen emergency response and rescue operations on Nigerian roads.

The Corps Public Education Officer (CPEO), Osondu Ohaeri, disclosed this on Monday in Abuja, while responding to questions on the operational capacity of the corps emergency ambulance network and its response to Road Traffic Crashes (RTCs).

Ohaeri said the FRSC had the largest number of ambulances among emergency response agencies in Nigeria, with more than 170 ambulances and 60 Zebra points across the country.

He said the figure should however not be interpreted as the number of ambulances currently operational or serviceable as of September 2026.

According to him, an accurate current figure of serviceable ambulances will require the latest fleet-status report from the corps medical and rescue office.

He explained that the figures demonstrated the scale of the corps emergency response network, while the availability of individual ambulances was managed operationally based on their location, condition and assignment.

On the adequacy of the ambulances for emergency rescue, he said the corps continued to maintain and deploy its assets as part of its emergency response responsibilities, stressing that the status of individual vehicles could vary depending on their operational condition and assignment.

The CPEO said the corps was also focused on improving its emergency response capacity, particularly by strengthening rescue deployment and collaboration with other relevant agencies.

He also said that the corps had historically recorded an average response time of about 15 minutes under its documented emergency-response programme.

He cautioned against presenting the figure as the current nationwide average without updated operational data.

According to him, response time varies depending on several factors including the location of a crash, traffic congestion, distance from the nearest ambulance point and accessibility of the crash scene.

He added that the accuracy and timeliness of information provided by callers could also affect the speed with which rescue teams reached crash scenes.

Other factors he said include the possibility of emergency teams responding to other incidents simultaneously.

Ohaeri stressed that the corps had identified faster response to road traffic crashes and other emergencies as one of its management priorities in 2026.

He said efforts were therefore ongoing to strengthen rescue deployment and inter-agency collaboration to improve emergency response to road crashes.

He added that the FRSC remained committed to improving emergency rescue operations, strengthening the deployment of its resources and working with relevant stakeholders to ensure better outcomes for road crash victims.

He reiterated that complaints concerning emergency response, evacuation, treatment of victims or other forms of alleged misconduct should be channeled through the appropriate authorities for investigation and necessary action.

The CPEO further assured that the corps would continue to strengthen its emergency response mechanisms as part of broader efforts to reduce the consequences of road traffic crashes and improve the safety of road users nationwide.(NAN)

Continue Reading

NEWS

NBA Decries Rising Insecurity in Plateau, Urges Urgent Action

Published

on

Share

The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has decried the spate of security challenges currently confronting Plateau and other parts of Nigeria.

The Chairman of Jos Branch of the association, Morgan Dung, said this during a joint news conference on Monday in Jos.

Dung spoke on behalf of the Jos, Bukuru and Pankshin branches of the association.

The chairman particularly decried the recent attacks and killings in Mangu, Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos, Bassa, Wase and Kanam Local Government Areas (LGAs) of the state.

Dung, who described the continuous killings of innocent residents as “unfortunate and unacceptable”, called on the Federal Government and the security agencies to tackle the menace.

“The protection of lives and property remain the most fundamental responsibility of government as contained in section 33 of the 1999 Constitution as amended.

“NBA frowns at the inability of the government to prevent the continuous loss of lives and property in Plateau and beyond.

“We particularly condemn the recent killing of members of community vigilantes at their duty posts in Mangu, Barkin-Ladi, Riyom, Bokkos and Bassa LGAs

“We call on the government and security agencies to bring the perpetrators to book. This menace must also stop,”he said.

Dung, however, commended president Bola Tinubu over his recent visit to Plateau and the move to establish State Police in the country.

He further called on the government to sponsor an executive bill to fully domicile security issues under the concurrent legislative list.

Dung urged the government to properly and adequately equip security agencies, strengthen border surveillance and secure all forests serving as hideouts for bandits and other criminal elements.

The chairman also commended Gov. Caleb Mutfwang for revamping Operation Rainbow, a state-owned security outfit and training of 2,000 personnel of the neighbourhoods watch.

He, however, called for the licensing of Operation Rainbow to operate with kinetic facilities, implement the anti-land grabbing law and provide structures for police division and forward operation bases in the state.

Dung advised security agencies to deploy more personnel and equipment to flashpoints in the state, insisting that such a move would ensure prompt response to threats.

The chairman, who called on the judiciary to ensure timely dispensation of terrorism cases, advised governors to sign death warrants of convicted terrorists to serve as a deterrent to others.

He pledged NBA’s readiness to promote access to justice, document evidence of atrocities and pursue public interest litigation to ensure accountability (NAN)

Continue Reading

Advertisement

Top Stories

NEWS14 hours ago

Police Detain Woman for Alleged Killing of Co-wife in Bauchi

ShareThe police command in Bauchi State, said it has apprehended a housewife over alleged killing of her co-wife following a...

NEWS14 hours ago

FRSC Deploys 170 Ambulances Nationwide for Emergency Rescue

ShareThe Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has deployed more than 170 ambulances across the country as part of efforts to...

NEWS14 hours ago

NBA Decries Rising Insecurity in Plateau, Urges Urgent Action

ShareThe Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has decried the spate of security challenges currently confronting Plateau and other parts of Nigeria....

NEWS14 hours ago

Benue Begins Compilation of Out-of-school Children

ShareThe Benue Government has begun compilation of out-of-school children as part of efforts to improve child protection and access to...

NEWS14 hours ago

NAPTIP Uncovers Suspected Baby Trafficking Ring in C’River

ShareThe National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) has uncovered an alleged child trafficking operation involving newborn...

NEWS14 hours ago

Kaduna Pensioners Applaud Uba Sani over N3.65bn Gratuity, Death Benefits

ShareThe Kaduna State Chapter of the Nigeria Union of Pensioners (NUP) has commended Gov. Uba Sani for approving N3.65 billion...

NEWS14 hours ago

FG Calls for Urgent Action to Protect Nigeria’s Rivers

ShareThe Federal Government has called for integrated management of Nigeria’s rivers, forests, wetlands and watersheds to safeguard water resources, public...

BUSINESS16 hours ago

FCCPC Calls for Improved Capacity Building on Competition Reporting, Matters

ShareThe Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says there is a need for sustained capacity building in competition reporting...

BUSINESS16 hours ago

Fire Guts Customs Western Marine Command Office in Lagos

ShareFire gutted the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) Western Marine Command office in Apapa, Lagos, on Monday, destroying property worth millions...

BUSINESS16 hours ago

Fuel Price Hike Reduces Sales, Increases Cost of Doing Business — Traders

ShareSome traders in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed concern over the impact of the recent fuel price increase...