Metro

Edo: Vehicle With Occupants Plunges Into River After Multiple Hits

Published

2 years ago

July 3, 2023

Editor

A pick-up truck and its occupants on Monday reportedly plunged into Ovia River along the Benin-Ore highway in Edo State.

This as another truck was said to have hit several vehicles that slowed down to pass through the dilapidated bridge.

This is coming barely after 5 days eleven people lost their lives when their vehicle was rammed by a truck on the same bridge

However, there has been conflicting reports concerning the kind of vehicle that plunged into the river.

While an eye witness said it was a fully loaded Sienna bus, the Federal Roads Safety Commission (FRSC) said it was a Ford pick-up truck that plunged into the river.

The accident was said to have happened a few minutes before the Deputy Governor of the state, Philip Shaibu, arrived at the scene to the area as a result of last Thursday’s incident.

He was said to have mobilized funds for local divers to find survivors inside the river and a specialized vehicle that could pull out the plunged vehicle from the river.

When contacted, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, Paul Okpe said that rescue efforts were ongoing and being coordinated by his men as at the time of filing this report.

According to him, when the incident happened, his men were immediately deployed to the scene from the Commission’s office at the old Toll Gate, saying he was therefore waiting for their final report at the end of the day.

He said “Five vehicles were involved; the truck that hit them and four vehicles who had slowed down to pass the bridge. Three of them and the truck are except the one that plunged into the river.

“You know Ovia River is in a valley so vehicles especially trucks coming from both ends are always descending a slope and there are always small vehicles slowing down to access the bridge. I have been talking to the Federal Controller of Works and he has said they were going to fix it.

“So far, no life has been lost as the one person who was strapped in a Lexus Jeep when the truck ran into them has been rescued and he is in the hospital.”

“The deputy governor was there and facilitated the mobilization of divers and a towing vehicle to the area.

“As I speak my men are still there so we have to wait until they are through with their efforts and those of the divers but they said the vehicle that plunged into the river was like a ford truck so we will wait for them to get the whole details.”

Metro

Police Detain 3 Nsukka Masqueraders For Allegedly Assaulting Residents

Published

7 minutes ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

The police command in Enugu State has detained three masqueraders in the Nsukka area of the state for allegedly assaulting law-abiding citizens.

The command’s spokesman, SP Daniel Ndukwe, said in a statement in Enugu on Tuesday that police operatives, with the assistance of members of the community, led to the arrest of the suspects on June 23 at 3:30 p.m.

He said that the arrest of the suspects was in connection with the alleged physical assault of citizens by the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade group on June 22 as seen in a viral video.

“The suspects, along with others still at large, took advantage of the ‘Oriokpa’ Masquerade celebration to assault several innocent members of the public, inflicting bodily injuries on them.

“One of the victims was hospitalised for treatment due to injuries sustained during the attack.

“The masqueraders initially resisted police arrest and fled the scene.

“However, with the assistance of law-abiding community members, the three suspects were later identified and apprehended,” he said.

The spokesman said that the state’s Commissioner of Police, Mr Mamman Giwa, had ordered a thorough investigation into the case to ensure that justice was served.

Ndukwe quoted the commissioner as saying that masquerade celebration was a sacred and symbolic aspect of the nation’s culture.

He said that the state police chief, however, decried the actions of those who exploited the occasion to commit criminal acts.

Ndukwe said that the commissioner warned against the use of cultural festivities as a cover for fomenting trouble and committing crimes against fellow citizens, as perpetrated by the ‘Oriokpa’ masqueraders.

“The command is assuring the public that all those involved in the assault of law-abiding citizens will be brought to justice,” he added.

(NAN)

Metro

Edo Police Arrest Four Suspected Cultists

Published

4 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

Edo Police Command said it has arrested four suspected cultists allegedly responsible for cult violence in Auchi and its environs of the state.

In a statement, the command’s Public Relations Officer, CSP Moses Yamu said, the suspects, who were arrested during a joint operation, belong to different cultist groups.

The statement reads partly, “On 22/06/2025, operatives of the Command’s Anti-Cultism Unit in a joint operation with Jattu and Auchi Divisions embarked on a house-to-house arrest of cultists.

“These four (4) suspects were arrested in various locations in Auchi; Musa Murphy 25yrs of No 35 Ogeneni area Jattu, Auchi a member of Arobaga Confraternity, Gabriel Moses 25yrs of ECocota-Community, Auchi a member of Aye Confraternity, Michael Ayo 23yrs of No1 Emeke Uzuire, Auchi member of Eiye Confraternity and Philip Sunday 24yrs of Ebira camp, Auchi a member of Vikings Confraternity.”

Yamu expressed the state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika’s assurance to the “general public of the Command’s resolve to rid the State of cultism while the suspects would be charged to court as soon as the investigation is concluded.”

Metro

Chaos In Court As Ex-convict Attempts To Escape

Published

7 hours ago

June 24, 2025

Editor

A dramatic scene unfolded on Tuesday in an Ilorin Area Court as an ex-convict, Segun Samuel, attempted to escape from the court premises, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The Prosecution Counsel, ASP Samuel Mayowa, who witnessed the incident, told NAN that the ex-convict cunningly removed the chains from his leg with a broomstick, walked towards the restroom and scaled the court fence.

“He has four different criminal cases in this court. One of the cases was heard on Monday, and he was sentenced to one year’s imprisonment.

“In the second criminal case, he was sentenced to six months of community service, and the third case was supposed to be heard today, before he pulled that stunt,” he said.

Luckily, he said, the police officers in the court premises and the prison warder swung into action and pursued him.

He said that after a thorough search, and with the help of the community, the ex-convict was found in a dilapidated building at Oke-Suna Area, Ilorin.

The Correctional Service officer, he said, was called, and the ex-convict was captured and returned to custody