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Gas Explosion Kills Two, Injures Six In Anambra Market

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A gas cylinder explosion has killed about two persons and injured several others at the Plumbing Market, along Uga Street, near Onitsha Bridge Head Market in Anambra State.

The PUNCH gathered that the incident which occurred on Friday, caused panic in the market as traders, passers-by and customers scampered to safety.

An eyewitness near the scene said the explosion happened while a welder was working on metal with carbide.

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One of the market leaders, identified as Uzomah Eke, who spoke to our correspondent on Saturday, said, “Two persons died yesterday(Friday) in our market at the plumbing section of the Bridge Head Market, Onitsha, as a result of a cylinder explosion.

“A welder was welding iron with carbide, and the gas cylinder suddenly exploded, killing two and injuring many others near the scene.”

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Explosion Rocks Rivers Oil Facility, Casualties Feared

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It was a real tension because some body parts of the victims, which were shattered as a result of the explosion, littered the floor and this caused everybody in the area to run for safety and abandon their wares; Some traders did not lock up their shops.

“The explosion damaged some goods and properties in the sections of the market. Interventions and rescue efforts were made by good-spirited individuals who took the injured victims to the hospital and also prevented further damage.”

Although the Anambra State Fire Chief, Chukwudi Chiketa, could not confirm the incident when contacted, as he said he was not aware.

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However, the Spokesman for the Anambra State Police Command, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, confirmed the development when contacted on Saturday.

READ ALSO:Many Feared Dead As Fuel Tanker Explosion Rocks Enugu

Ikenga added that police operatives have taken steps to secure the area and prevent criminal-minded persons from taking advantage of the situation to commit crimes.

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He said, “Police operatives attached to the Onitsha Head Bridge Divisional Police Headquarters on May 16, 2025, complemented the rescue efforts by good-spirited individuals on the six victims of a gas cylinder explosion at a plumbing market, along Uga Street, which regrettably recorded one death.

“Preliminary information revealed that the welding gas cylinder exploded as the welder was working on the metal due to exposure to excess heat.

“Meanwhile, the six rescued victims are currently receiving treatment in the hospital, while the deceased has been deposited in a morgue.

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READ ALSO:Another Explosion Rocks Gas Facility In Rivers State

“To this end, the Police Operatives have taken steps to secure the area and prevent criminal-minded persons from taking advantage of the situation to commit crimes.”

According to him, the Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ikioye Orutugu, is concerned about the unfortunate incident and has provided some safety tips to prevent such from reoccurring.

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The tips include regular inspection and maintenance of the gas cylinder equipment, ensuring that the gas cylinders are stored securely and that the equipment is used according to the manufacturer’s instructions and safety guidelines,” he added.

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IFAD, Life-ND Train 630 Agriprenuers In Edo

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Livelihood Improvement Family Enterprises for Niger Delta (Life-ND) in collaboration with the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD) and the Federal Government on Tuesday trained no fewer than 630 youths in agriprenuer in Edo State.

The trainees, regarded as incubatees, were simultaneously trained across the three Senatorial Districts of the state with the theme: Building a New Generation of Agriprenuers for Sustainable Food Security in Edo State.

Speaking at the orientation programme in Benin, the state Commissioner for Agriculture and Food Security, Dr. Jerry Uwangue, said the programme “aligns perfectly with the vision of our state,” adding “to nurture young farmers into successful agriprenuers who can transform subsistence farming into profitable agribusiness ventures.”

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Represented by Principle Igbinadion, Programme Manager, Agricultural Development Project (ADP), Uwangue said
the programme was not about training individuals, but “breeding a new generation of innovators, leaders, and wealth creators who will drive Edo State towards self-sufficiency in food production.”

READ ALSO:Anambra, Lagos, Others Top 2025 Fiscal Performance Rankings, As C’Rivers Dropped from 5th to 30th

Uwangue expressed the state government’s readiness to support the beneficiaries through “improved Access to inputs, Extension services, value chain development, and Linkages to markets.”

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We are also integrating LIFE-ND initiatives into the broader state agricultural transformation framework to ensure sustainability beyond donor support.),” he added.

The commissioner, while urging the incubatees to take the opportunity seriously, said: “Agriculture today is no longer about hoe and cutlass; it is about innovation, technology, and entrepreneurship.”

Through your dedication and creativity, you can build thriving enterprises that will not only feed our people but also employ others and contribute to the State’s economic growth,” he added.

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READ ALSO:Obaseki Has Paid N147m Counterpart Fund For LIFE-ND Agric Project, Says Coordinator

He urged the incubatees to “seize the opportunity, remain diligent, and be proud ambassadors of the agricultural transformation we are driving in Edo State.”

Earlier in his remarks, State Coordinator, Life-ND, Mr. John Omoruyi, said the training “represents the beginning of a transformative journey,” adding that over “3,000 agriprenuers women and youth in the promotion of cassava, rice, fish and poultry commodities along with the corresponding value chain as well as Business Development Service (BSC) in Edo State,” have been captured.

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He added that “together, we are building a new generation of skilled, self-reliant, and prosperous youths who will transform the agricultural landscape of Edo State and increase in the food basket of Nigeria.”

 

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Ogun FRSC Spokesperson Dies After Protracted Illness

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The Public Education Officer of the Ogun State sector command of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Florence Okpe, a Chief Route Commander, is dead.

The State Sector Commander, Akinwunmi Fasakin, confirmed the demise of Okpe to our correspondent in a phone conversation on Tuesday.

Fasakin said that the former image maker of the command had been on a sick bed for a while before succumbing to death on Tuesday in her hometown in Cross River State.

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READ ALSO:FRSC Warns Officers Against Bribery, Unethical Practices

The sector commander said, “We lost Okpe this morning, Tuesday; her family has confirmed the sad news. She had been sick for a while and attending the clinic here in Ogun until she was given medical leave, after which she travelled to her hometown in Cross River State, where she eventually died.

“Okpe was no doubt an enigma, a very sound, resourceful and professional officer of unparalleled dedication to duty. I have sincerely lost a very dutiful officer. She was very dear to me, and it’s been a sad day since we were told of her death.

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“The command commiserates with her family and loved ones and pray that the Almighty God will grant all of us the strength to bear this irreplaceable loss.”

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Two Dead, 28 Rescued As Building Collapses In Lagos

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Two people have been confirmed dead, while 28 others were rescued after a two-storey building collapsed at 49 Coates Street, off Oyingbo Road, Lagos, early yesterday.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service (LSFRS) said it received a distress call around 12:20 a.m., and responders from the Sari Iganmu Fire Station arrived nine minutes later to begin rescue efforts.

The Director of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS), Beatrice Makinde, confirmed that the deceased were a man and an elderly woman. A resident, who declined to be named, said he was awakened by a loud cracking sound moments before the building gave way. Another resident said a man who visited the premises late on Sunday had not been seen since the incident, though officials have not confirmed this.

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READ ALSO:Lagos: Festac DPO, Matilda Ngbaronye Is Dead

Teams from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), LASAMBUS, the Fire Service, the Nigerian Police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) were at the site, using heavy machinery to search through the rubble.

LASEMA’s Permanent Secretary, Femi Oke-Osanyintolu, said the operation would continue until everyone was accounted for. He added that investigations were ongoing to determine whether structural fatigue or substandard materials caused the collapse, and that anyone found culpable would be prosecuted.

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Residents said the building had been repeatedly marked for demolition by the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) over structural defects, but the owner allegedly ignored the warnings and carried out unauthorised renovations. Some tenants reportedly moved out after noticing cracks, while others remained until the collapse.

READ ALSO:Lagos Inaugurates 24-hour Traffic Management Operations

Emergency officials provided water, medical care, and temporary relief supplies to displaced residents, while authorities urged the public to stay away from the area to allow rescue operations to continue smoothly.

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Earlier, LSFRS Controller General, Margaret Adeseye, said 15 people: seven men, four women and four children, had been rescued with varying degrees of injury and taken to the Federal Medical Centre in Ebute Meta and the Lagos Island General Hospital. She confirmed that the collapsed structure had previously been declared unsafe but remained occupied.

Adeseye added that the LSFRS and other emergency agencies were fully mobilised to ensure that all victims were rescued and accounted for.

“It is an ongoing rescue involving an existing two-storey building which had reportedly been marked distressed before collapsing on the occupants,” she said.

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