Metro

Commuters Stranded As Truck Drivers Protest Bad Roads, Block Auchi-Benin Highway

Published

3 years ago

October 21, 2022

Commuters on the Auchi-Benin highway, Edo State, were stranded as hundreds of protesting truck drivers on Friday blocked the road to protest the deplorable state of the road.

While the protest lasted, all the adjoining roads that could serve as detours were also blocked.

The problem became compounded given the penultimate week suspension of three Head of Service, HoS, in three local government areas of the state for allowing articulated vehicles to destroy feeder roads in their locality.

The action led to the closure of Trunk C road in Edo North Senatorial District of the state to .

The angry drivers blocked the road as motorists were forced to look for alternative routes into and out of the state.

The protesting truck drivers, who carried placards with various inscriptions, vowed to continue their protest until their demands were met.

Saturday Tribune noticed a long stretch of articulated vehicles parked indiscriminately, piled up along the Jattu Junction and the Auchi Polytechnic school gate .

One of the coordinators of the protest, Mr. Donald Etamobe, who spoke to journalists said: “We will not stop this protest for good roads until the Federal Government addresses them.” Kadiri said.

“The protest became inevitable due to the bad road from Auchi to Benin which is impassable at the moment. Subsequently, the barricade of alternative routes by the Edo State Government, hence the peaceful protest,” Etamobe said.

A commuter, Lawal Abdullahi, told journalists that he parked his car at Aviele and took a motorcycle to his office at Auchi.

another of the motorists trapped in the gridlock, Jimoh Kadiri , said he had remained on the same spot on the road for over seven hours.

Mr. Kadiri described the development as bad for the state and the country. He, however called on the Federal Government to fix the road.

Metro

NDLEA Arrests Lady Smuggling Drugs Inside Butt Pads, Phone Chargers

Published

1 hour ago

September 21, 2025

Editor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has reported two new methods of drug concealment as part of its ongoing efforts to combat trafficking ahead of the festive season, dubbed “Detty December.”

In a post on his X handle on Sunday morning, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi announced the arrest of two individuals and the seizure of their drug consignments.

He shared two videos illustrating the sophisticated concealment methods used by the suspects.

According to Babafemi, one of the videos shows a lady who was caught with drugs hidden inside her butt pad underwear.

The second video reveals a separate seizure where a suspect attempted to smuggle drugs concealed within phone chargers.

“With the spate of ongoing arrests and seizures by @ndlea_nigeria at some major entry points, it’s obvious the race and desperation for Detty December are already in overdrive,” Babafemi wrote.

He urged law-abiding citizens to “stay vigilant and careful.”

Metro

Two Dead, Four Injured In DICON Factory Explosion

Published

15 hours ago

September 20, 2025

Editor

Two people, including a military officer, were killed and four others critically injured on Saturday following an explosion at the Defence Industries Corporation of Nigeria (DICON) factory in the Kurmin Gwari area of Kaduna.

The blast, reportedly from gunpowder used in arms production, occurred during a weekend shift, shaking nearby buildings and sending residents into panic.

Eyewitnesses said the explosion killed the officer and a civilian worker instantly, while four other workers sustained severe injuries.

The injured were first taken to St. Gerard Catholic Hospital, Kakuri, before being evacuated by military ambulance to the 44 Nigerian Army Reference Hospital for further treatment.

Sympathizers and relatives of the victims thronged the hospital, with many weeping.

DICON management has yet to release an official statement on the incident at the time of filing this report.

Metro

Police Detain Lagos NURTW Leader For Killing Resident

Published

21 hours ago

September 20, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a top official of the National Union of Road Transport Workers in the state, Samsideen Oladiti, over allegations of murder and the brutal assault of a dispatch rider.

It was that gathered that the 55-year-old man, popularly known as ‘Shamelon’, was linked to two violent crimes on Lagos Island; one involving murder and the other, assault which caused harm to the victim.

In a statement by the deputy spokesperson of the Lagos State Police Command on X, Babaseyi Oluseyi, said the state’s Commissioner of Police, Olohundare Jimoh, had responded to a protest at the Sandgrouse Market, where they arrested the suspect in connection with murder and assault.

He wrote, “Following news of the death, sympathisers of the deceased mobilised and staged a violent protest at the suspect’s office in Sandgrouse Market, Lagos Island, setting two motorcycles belonging to the suspect ablaze and causing unrest in the area.

“The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Olohundare Jimoh, personally led police personnel to the scene.

“He swiftly restored calm, prevented further breakdown of law and order, and assured residents that the suspect is in custody and will be promptly prosecuted after investigations are concluded.”

Oluseyi stated that the NURTW official had been handed over to the State Criminal Investigation Department for further investigation.

He stated, “The suspect is currently in the custody of the SCID, Panti-Yaba, for discreet investigation.”

Explaining the murder and assault, the deputy spokesperson stated, “On 17th September 2025 at about 3:00pm, the suspect allegedly attacked a dispatch rider on Lagos Island, using a helmet and fists to inflict serious bodily injury (on him). The victim (dispatch rider) was rushed to hospital, placed on oxygen, and is currently receiving medical treatment.”

In August, police reported that the suspect had also assaulted a man who later died.

Oluseyi narrated, “On 18th September 2025, at about 11:00 am, another complaint was lodged against the same suspect in connection with an incident that occurred on 28th August 2025.

“During the altercation, the suspect allegedly used a metallic ring to repeatedly strike a man on the head and face, inflicting severe injuries. Despite medical intervention, the victim was confirmed dead by a doctor on 17th September 2025. His body has since been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy.”

The police appealed to residents, assuring them that justice would be duly served.

She wrote, “The Lagos State Police Command wishes to assure members of the public that justice will be diligently pursued in all the cases against the suspect.

“Jimoh further appeals to residents to remain calm, law-abiding, and not to take the law into their own hands. He enjoins them to cooperate fully with the police in the ongoing investigations.”

Meanwhile, the state chairman of NURTW, Mustapha Adekunle, popularly known as Sego has dissociated the union from the actions of Oladiti, stressing that the “NURTW does not condone violence or any unlawful activity.”

Adekunle, in a statement on Friday, noted that while he once trusted Oladiti’s loyalty, the incident had left him “bitter and disappointed.”

He urged security agencies to conduct a thorough and impartial probe, assuring that if found guilty, the suspect would also face the union’s internal disciplinary measures after the legal process is concluded.

“I urge law enforcement officers to carry out a thorough and impartial investigation to ensure justice is served.

“Once the legal process is complete, he will also face the union’s internal disciplinary procedures. As I have always stated, the NURTW does not condone violence or any unlawful acts,” Adekunle said.

He warned members of the union against any form of lawlessness, stressing that loyalty or closeness to him would not shield anyone from the consequences of being lawless.