News

Accident: Hope Of Rescuing Two Passengers From Lagoon Dim – NEMA

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2024

The Coordinator, National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, says the hope of rescuing the two passengers who fell off a bus into the Lagos lagoon following an accident on Wednesday has become dim.

He spoke with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) at the scene of the accident in Lagos.

This is just as the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) said that the remaining occupants of the bus were seriously injured.

The impact of an accident earlier on Wednesday, according to Farinloye, left two adults thrown off an 18-seater bus into the Lagos lagoon.

Farinloye had said this in a statement, adding that personnel of the Marine Police were in search of the two adults, a male and female, who fell off the LT 18-seater bus.

He said that the crash occurred by Adeniyi Adele axis inward Lagos Island on the Third Mainland Bridge.

He said that the driver of the vehicle, who was on speed, swerved off the road and hit the bridge railings, with the impact pushing the two passengers off the bus into the Lagos lagoon.

Speaking with NAN correspondent who was at the scene, Farinloye said that personnel dispatched from the agency, joined by two teams from the Nigerian Police Marine Corps, had been assisting in the rescue operations.

“However, by now, we are not looking at search and rescue again, but recovery.

“This is because the male passenger was said to have floated about three times before he was finally drowned, while the woman did not even surface at all.

“Therefore, the possibility of anyone of them surviving is slim,” he said.

According to him, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) had, however, mobilised more local divers to join the team for the recovery operations.

Mr Jonathan Owoade, Zonal Coordinator, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), also corroborated the explanation by the NEMA official.

Owoade said that other victims in the bus had been rescued and taken to a nearby general hospital for treatment.

“We are on our way to the hospital to see their state of being and also commiserate with them,” he told NAN.

According to him, the accident seemed to have occurred as a result of speeding by the driver, given the impact.

NAN reports that the emergency response agencies were seen on ground at the scene of the accident, comprising marine police, LASEMA, FRSC, NEMA, and the local divers.

The bus involved in the accident damaged part of the railings, and pieces of its shattered windshield littered the scene.

Meanwhile, LASTMA, in a statement by the Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, Mr Adebayo Taofiq, said the 18 other passengers rescued in the bus accident and taken to the hospital were seriously injured.

He said that LASTMA officer Olamide Ojo-Oniyun (One Alpha, Zone 1 Lagos Island), who led the recovery operations, confirmed that his team had evacuated the LT Commercial bus off the road for unhindered vehicular movement inward in the Adeniji Adele area of Lagos Island.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, also cautioned motorists to obey speed limits and ensure their vehicles are properly checked before embarking on any journey within or outside the state.

Recall that the Federal Government reopened the third mainland bridge on April 4, setting the speed limit at 80 km per hour, following extensive repairs over a period of five months.

Wednesday’s accident occurred on a day Muslims were celebrating Eid-el-Fitr.

It came days after the Lagos Sector of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) reiterated the call for safe driving on the newly reopened Third Mainland Bridge after an accident occurred on it on Thursday.

A collision involving three vehicles occurred on the bridge on Thursday, the day it was fully reopened to traffic after months of partial closure.

The FRSC described the Thursday incident, which involved three vehicles inward Iyana Oworo axis of the bridge, as an avoidable crash and blamed it on negligence.

The Sector Commander, Mr Babatunde Farinloye, had told the NAN that though there was no injury in the accident, there was minor damage to the vehicle.

The sector commander advised motorists to drive cautiously, reiterating the need to comply with the 80km per hour speed limit on the bridge.
(NAN)

News

Migration Agency Warns Migrants Against Irregular Travel Routes

Published

1 hour ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

The International Organisation for Migration (IOM), in collaboration with Giving is Healing Foundation, has sensitised residents of Ayobo in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State on the dangers of irregular migration and the need to embrace legal travel procedures.

Speaking during a sensitisation programme held at Megida Ifelodu Community Development Association in Ayobo, the founder of Giving is Healing Foundation, Mr. Gbolahan Ayediran, warned intending migrants against using illegal travel routes.

Ayediran said many Nigerians desire to migrate abroad in search of better opportunities but often ignore proper procedures, thereby exposing themselves to several dangers.

“Lots of people want to migrate and most of them do it in the wrong direction. The reason for the programme is for us to advise people on how they can migrate in the right way. As much as migration is their right, they should do it correctly,” he said.

He advised intending travellers to obtain the necessary travel documents before embarking on any journey, noting that such documents include international passports, visas, flight tickets and yellow cards, depending on the destination country.

According to him, migrants should also gather adequate information about their destination countries to enable them make informed decisions before travelling.

Ayediran further highlighted some of the dangers associated with irregular migration, including abuse, exploitation, discrimination and forced labour.

Also speaking, the Chairman of Megida Ifelodu Community Development Association, Elder Mathews Amusan, commended the organisers for enlightening members of the community on safe migration practices.

He urged residents planning to travel abroad to always follow legal migration procedures to avoid falling victim to human trafficking and other migration-related challenges.

One of the participants, Mr. Kolawole Adenoko, said the programme enlightened him on the dangers of irregular migration and the importance of travelling through the proper channels.

He added that he would also educate his relatives and friends on the risks associated with illegal migration.

News

Shatta Wale Bailed Burna Boy From Ghana Prison After Arrest For Smoking Weed – Captan

Published

4 hours ago

May 28, 2026

Editor

Ghanian singer, Captan, has claimed that his former record label boss, Shatta Wale, once bailed Nigerian singer Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana after he was allegedly arrested for smoking weed.

Speaking in a recent podcast interview, Captan claimed that Shatta Wale sent him and others to free Burna Boy from police custody.

He also claimed that Shatta Wale and his group once accommodated Burna Boy when he was being hunted by some dangerous men.

Captan said, “I once bailed Burna Boy out of prison in Ghana when he was arrested for smoking weed. Shatta Wale sent me and some guys to go and free him from police custody.

“There was a time we also accommodated him when some people were after his life. We helped him settle the case.”

He added that he and Burna Boy are no longer in good terms after the Nigerian artist’s fallout with his mentor, Shatta Wale.

He, however, said he and Shatta Wale are open to reconciling with Burna Boy if he asks for it.

Watch the video here

News

Children’s Day: Chaos At Ogbe Stadium As Dozens Faint

Published

20 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Editor

Chaos erupted on Wednesday during the Children’s Day celebration as dozens of students reportedly collapsed following a stampede triggered by the use of pepper spray.

The event,
organised by the Edo State Ministry of Education at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium was disrupted after some male students of Ihogbe College allegedly made uncompromising advances towards female students at the venue.
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‎ A parent who identified himself as Oboh Emmanuel said, “the behaviour of those uncultured students attracted the attention of bouncers stationed at the stadium as they rebuked the male students.”
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‎Oboh said the affected students later regrouped and attacked the bouncers, leading to a confrontation within the crowded arena.

READ ALSO:Children’s Day: Edo Commits To Child Protection
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It was gathered that in the ensuing confusion, the bouncers were reported to have deployed pepper spray in an area occupied by a large number of students.
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‎Several students, particularly female students, reportedly fainted after inhaling the substance, while others sustained injuries after being stepped on during the ensuing melee.
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‎The panic was said to have spread across the stadium as students, teachers and parents scampered for safety.
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‎Many of the affected students were reportedly rushed to the Edo Specialist Hospital for medical attention.

Reacting to the incident, Chief Press Secretary to Governor Monday Okpebholo, Dr Patrick Ebojele, said the security personnel that fired the tear gas had been detained.

He said all the students, except two, that were rushed to the hospital have been discharged.

Ebojele stated that doctors wanted to observe the students till tomorrow before allowing them to go home.

“The two students are not seriously injured. Doctors want to observe them overnight. Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education is still at the hospital. The man who used pepper spray has been detained.

“The incident did not happen the way it is being exaggerated. All modalities were put in place to ensure the children enjoyed their day.”
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