Metro

Family Of Seven Died of Suspected Food Poison in Benin

Published

5 years ago

October 9, 2020

A family of seven has been reportedly feared dead after eating meal susepected to be poisonous in Benin.

The ugly incident happened at No 40, Otete Street, off Textile Mill Road, Ogida quarters, in Egor Local Government Area of Edo.

A visit to the victim’s house, it was gathered that the place was deserted while a few sympathisers were seen outside the compound.

Speaking on the incident, one of the residents of the area who lives opposite the deceased house, Mrs. Christy Igbinadolor, said she was in her house that morning when a man came to ask her about the whereabouts of her neighbours, adding that she advised him to go to the house and knock at their door and if there is no response, he should go to the police station and report.

“This morning, when I woke up, I sat outside and I saw one man who came to ask me the whereabouts of these people (the victims) and I replied him that I am just waking up from sleep.

“I told him that I just sat down here reading my Bible. I said I have not seen them this morning but the only thing I see, is that, when I woke up last night, there was light in their house but when I woke up this morning, there was no light again.

“So, from there, the man went to the compound and knocked at their door, and when I asked what happened, he said their elder brother in Port Harcourt called him and that he should come down and find out what was going on.

“I told him that when there is no response, the only thing he should do is to go to the police station and report.

“The man went to the police station and when he came back, he came with some police men and some members of the man’s church.

“They broke the door and found out that some of them have died. So, they carried them to the hospital.

“They dragged about five of them out. Some of them have babies because one of the man’s daughters came with her children.

“The man’s children were grown up and they were the ones staying in the house while two of the man’s children were staying with the man’s late wife but they decided to come and mourn their mother here in Benin when this incident happened”, she said.

Another sympathiser, Mrs. Rachel Anyanwu, said the man who has lost his children to food poisoning, lost his wife five days ago and that those who have been rushed to the hospital were his children and his relatives who came to sympathize with him over the loss of his wife.

Anyanwu said they tried so hard to revive one of the children but all was to no avail before they were rushed to the hospital.

“The man lost his wife last week Sunday and today making it five days now. Those who were rushed to the hospital these morning were his children and other relatives who came to sympathize with the man over the death of his wife.

“I know the man as an evangelist while his late wife was a pastor”, she said.

Another sympathiser, Mr. Felix Ejofor, who rushed the victims to Central Hospital Benin, said he heard people crying at the compound which drew his attention and when he got there, he saw policemen already at the scene, adding that when he looked closely, two of the children were already in their school uniforms while a pot of food was also closed by.

“So, he decided to help them by rushing them to the hospital for quick medical attention.

Police Public Relations Officer in Edo State, Chidi Nwanbuzor, when contacted, initially said he has not been briefed yet and that when he finds out, he would get back to the reporter.

However, after some hours, when the reporter called back, he refused to pick his call.

Metro

JUST IN: Court Grants Malami, Wife, Son N500m Bail Each

Published

9 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Editor

Justice Emeka Nwite of the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja has admitted former Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, to bail in the sum of N500 million and two sureties in like sum pending his trial.

Malami, his son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, who is an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, are being prosecuted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged money laundering to the tune of N8.7 billion.

Ruling on the bail application filed by Malami and his codefendants on Wednesday, Justice Nwite also ordered that the two sureties must have landed properties in Maitama, Asokoro, or Gwarimpa districts of Abuja.

He ruled that the documents of the properties belonging to the sureties are to be verified by the Deputy Chief Registrar of the Court, while the sureties are also to depose to an affidavit of means.

Malami is to deposit his travelling documents with the Court and must not travel out of the country without the express permission of the court.

Besides, the former AGF and his sureties were also ordered to deposit their two recent passport photograph with the court.

Meanwhile, Malami has been ordered to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre in Abuja pending the perfection of the bail conditions.

After delivering ruling on the bail application, the trial judge, Justice Nwite, fixed February 17, 2026, for the commencement of the trial in the matter.

The same bail conditions were extended to Malami’s son, Abdulaziz Malami, and his wife, Hajia Asabe Bashir, who is an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited.

The EFCC had slammed a 16-count charge against Malami, his son, and his wife.

In count one of the charge, the anti-graft agency alleged that, “You Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between July 2022 and June 2025, in Abuja, procured Metropolitan Auto Tech Limited to conceal the unlawful origin of the sum of N1,014,848,500.00 in a Sterling Bank Plc account, when they reasonably ought to have known that the sum constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 21(c) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Section 18(3) of the same Act”.

Count five reads: “That you Abubakar Malami, SAN, Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami and Hajia Bashir Asabe, an employee of Rahamaniyya Properties Limited, sometime in September 2024, in Abuja, conspired to disguise the unlawful origin of the aggregate sum of N1,049,173,926.13 paid through the Union Bank Plc account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, Jabi, between November 2022 and September 2024, contrary to Section 21 of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022, and punishable under Sections 18(2)(a) and 18(3) of the same Act”.

Count six reads: “That you Abubakar Malami, SAN, and Abubakar Abdulaziz Malami, between November 2022 and October 2025, indirectly took control of the aggregate sum of N1,362,887,872.96 paid through the Union Bank Plc savings account of Meethaq Hotels Limited, when they reasonably ought to have known that the funds constituted proceeds of unlawful activities, contrary to Section 18(2)(d) and punishable under Section 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022”.

Metro

18-year-old OAU Medical Student Dies While Sleeping

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

The management of Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile-Ife, has announced the death of an 18-year-old part-three medical student of the institution.

The student, identified as Timilehin Adetoye Toromade, was a student of the College of Health Sciences, Department of Medicine and Surgery.

According to a statement by the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Abiodun Olarewaju, Timilehin with matriculation number CLI/2022/133, reportedly died in his sleep in the early hours of Tuesday, January 6, 2026.

The statement revealed that the “university received the news of the student’s passing with shock and deep sorrow”.

It also described the incident as devastating to the academic community.

According to the statement, “preliminary information suggested that the student might have died shortly after 2 a.m., as one of his roommates reportedly said the deceased opened the door for another student around that time.

“The Vice-Chancellor of the university, Professor Adebayo Simeon Bamire, expressed condolences on behalf of the Visitor, the University Council, Management, Senate, staff and students”.

The VC, Professor Bamire, described the incident as a painful loss, saying, “The loss of a young life filled with promise, purpose, and potential is a tragedy that words alone cannot adequately capture.”

He added that the university community was united in grief over the passing of a student who had embraced the rigours of medical training with the aim of serving humanity.

According to him, the death had left a void among the student’s peers and all those who knew him within the university community.

The university management stated that it was working closely with relevant authorities to fully understand the circumstances surrounding the incident, in line with established medical and administrative procedures.

It also disclosed that appropriate support measures were being put in place to assist students and members of the university community who may have been emotionally affected by the loss.

The management called on students, staff, alumni and friends of the institution to remain calm and compassionate, while extending sympathy to the family of the deceased.

Metro

Panic As BRT Bus Catches Fire On Third Mainland Bridge

Published

1 day ago

January 6, 2026

Editor

Panic gripped motorists on Tuesday afternoon following a fire outbreak involving a Bus Rapid Transit, BRT, vehicle on the Third Mainland Bridge, leading to massive traffic disruption.

The incident occurred around 1:00 p.m. near the Adekunle section of the bridge, heading towards Iyana Oworo.

The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, confirmed the development in a statement posted on its official X handle.

According to the agency, the high-capacity BRT bus suddenly went up in flames, prompting anxiety among road users in the area.

Footage shared online showed the bus completely consumed by fire, with thick plumes of smoke rising into the sky as motorists slowed down or sought alternative routes to avoid the scene.

While no injuries or loss of life were reported, the incident caused a heavy traffic buildup extending from Adekunle towards Iyana Oworo.

“A high-capacity bus is currently on fire on the Third Mainland Bridge by Adekunle, inward Iyana Oworo, and this is impacting traffic flow,” LASTMA stated.

“Our personnel are on ground managing traffic, while efforts are ongoing to extinguish the fire,” the agency added.

Subsequent updates indicated that officials of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service arrived at the scene and worked to control the blaze to prevent further damage.

Traffic officers were also deployed to redirect vehicles away from the affected area as emergency responders tackled the situation.

As of the time this report was filed, the cause of the fire had yet to be determined.