At least 16 persons have been confirmed dead following a fatal road accident along the Lokoja–Okene highway in Kogi State.

In a post shared on X by security analyst Zagazola Makama, he said the tragic incident occurred at about 9:20 a.m. on Friday near Aku village around the Osara axis of the busy highway.

Security and traffic safety sources told Zagazola Makama that the accident involved a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BUU 17 ZD carrying 22 passengers from Jos, Plateau State, to Lagos.

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“Security and traffic safety sources said the accident involved a Toyota Hiace bus with registration number BUU 17 ZD, conveying 22 passengers comprising 21 males and one female from Jos, Plateau State, en route to Lagos,” Makama said.

According to the sources, the vehicle reportedly lost control while moving at high speed, veered off the road and plunged under a bridge, leading to multiple casualties.

Preliminary findings attributed the accident to driver fatigue.

The sources disclosed that 16 occupants of the vehicle, including 15 men and one woman, lost their lives in the crash, while six other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries.

READ ALSO:Road Accident Claims Lives, Many Injured In Kogi

Emergency responders were said to have arrived at the scene after receiving a distress call and immediately evacuated the injured victims to medical facilities in Osara and the Specialist Hospital in Lokoja for treatment.

The remains of the deceased victims were deposited at the Ankuri Mortuary in Lokoja.

Authorities, meanwhile, advised motorists to obey speed limits, ensure adequate rest during long-distance trips and strictly comply with road safety regulations to avoid preventable accidents and loss of life.

The Edo State Security Corps (ESSC) has arrested a 45-year-old ex-convict, Owen Osas, for alleged unlawful possession of firearms and suspected involvement in a robbery incident.

Osas was reportedly arrested with a cut-to-size single-barrel gun during a covert operation along Fishpond Road in Eyean, Uhunmwonde Local Government Area.

The arrest reportedly comes barely a year after he was released from prison, where he had served time for illegal possession of firearms and other criminal offences.

Osas, who confessed to the latest crime, also admitted to being a member of the Eiye Confraternity.

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Consequently, a victim of an alleged robbery incident, Reginia Izy, identified Osas as the person who robbed her a day before his arrest.
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The victim narrated that the suspect had approached her residence around 8 p.m., pretending to be familiar before carrying out the attack.
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‎The Deputy Commander Operations of ESSC, Richard Balogun, said the arrest was part of intensified efforts to rid Edo State of criminal elements.

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‎Balogun explained that operatives conduct both overt patrols and covert operations to track and apprehend suspects.
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He said, ‎“Our men are always on patrol. Some operate in plain clothes as part of covert strategies, while others are stationed at strategic locations.

“Osas, who is a former convict, was arrested with firearms and he also confessed to be a member of the Eiye Confraternity.”
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Gunmen suspected to be kidnappers have abducted a 60-year-old man in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The victim was kidnapped on Saturday while on his way to his residence.

The incident occurred at Jinarere, Alakia in Ibadan.

Public Relations Officer of the State Police command, Olayinka Ayanlade, when contacted, confirmed the incident.

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Ayanlade in a statement made available to DAILY POST on Sunday, explained that efforts are ongoing to rescue the victim.

Ayanlade said, “Preliminary information reveals that the victim, a 60-year-old male and building materials trader, was accosted while returning home along the Jinarere axis of Alakia Road by four masked armed men, who forcefully whisked him away in an unregistered ash-coloured Toyota Corolla vehicle”.