Metro

One Dies In Bayelsa Auto Crash

Published

2 years ago

January 6, 2024

One person was on Friday killed in a fatal accident which occurred around the PDP Road Junction along the Isaac Boro Expressway in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital.

The deceased was said to be the motor boy of a truck that was involved in the accident with a tipper and a tricycle popularly called Keke.

A few persons, including three female passengers and the Keke rider, as well as the truck driver were injured in the accident.

Some personnel of the Federal Road Safety Commission arrived at the scene shortly afterward and evacuated the corpse of the victim.

The incident caused traffic jam as vehicles were restricted to one lane of the road around the scene.

An eyewitness said the deceased got trapped and was crushed under the truck after jumping down from the swerving vehicle as the driver tried to control it after hitting the Keke and the tipper, which fell on the road and spilled the diesel in its tank.

According to the eyewitness, who did not want his name to be mentioned in the print, the truck driver maneuvered the vehicle away from crashing into a petrol station on the left side of the PDP Road before it was forced to a stop by the perimeter fence of a popular relaxation bar on the right side where it killed the conductor.

He said, “The driver of the tipper was trying to make a U-turn at the junction when the truck, coming on the same lane from the Opolo-Biogbolo side of the expressway, hit the tipper and the Keke.

“After hitting the tipper and the Keke, he curved his hand, maybe he was trying to control the steering, and entered inside this (PDP) road, and finally stopped here (perimeter fence). Before he could stop here, the conductor tried to jump down, and where he fell, there was no space for him to escape to anywhere. So he died under the tyres.”

The tricycle rider, Melvin Goodnews, who survived the accident with the three female passengers he was carrying, said he had slowed down and was waiting for the tipper to turn when the truck hit his Keke and it tumbled.

“All I can remember is that my Keke tumbled and I was just seeing tyres passing. If the truck didn’t hit the tipper, it would have killed all of us because I was carrying three women inside my Keke and one of them has a big cut on her leg,” he said.

Although the tipper driver was not seen at the scene of the accident, his motor boy, Eze Cashmir, said they had navigated the u-turn and were waiting for the other lane to clear when the truck suddenly hit their vehicle.

He said, “As we were trying to turn, suddenly our vehicle started staggering and I thought that my driver had climbed the median, then there was pressure. There was a hit and we fell. I managed to come out from the window (of the fallen tipper). I managed to turn off the engine and looked for my phone and that of my driver.

“As I moved to the other side, people told me that it was the long truck that hit us and somebody is trapped under it.”

Metro

Sowore Mobilises Supporters For #FreeNnamdiKanu Protest

Published

4 hours ago

October 20, 2025

Editor

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has urged Nigerians to join a nationwide protest demanding the release of detained Indigenous People of Biafra’s leader, Nnamdi Kanu, despite a court order restricting demonstrations around key government areas in Abuja.

In a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Monday morning, Sowore called on citizens to take to the streets in peaceful protest.

“Good morning, wherever you may be this morning, do not stop moving. Carry a sign, sing a song, make a statement!” he wrote.

He had earlier shared a message on Sunday night welcoming participants to the protest tagged#FreeNnamdiKanuNow.

“We warmly welcome everyone who has travelled from far and wide to join the #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest tomorrow. Your courage, sacrifice, and solidarity speak volumes. Together, we are writing history,” he wrote.

Sowore announced that protesters would converge in front of the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, Abuja, at 7 am, urging them to “come ready, come peaceful, come determined.”

He also shared a Facebook post that read, “We want to put one million people on the streets of Abuja tomorrow for #FreeNnamdiKanuNow — let’s make it happen.”

However, the planned march comes in defiance of an interim injunction issued by Justice Mohammed Umar of the Federal High Court, Abuja, which restrained Sowore and other organisers from protesting in or around sensitive government areas, including the Presidential Villa, National Assembly Complex, Force Headquarters, Court of Appeal, Eagle Square, and Shehu Shagari Way.

Reacting to the reported order on Saturday, Sowore questioned its legitimacy and the perceived double standards of law enforcement.

“Suppose a court order truly exists restricting protests around Aso Rock Villa; it begs the question: why hasn’t the same police force obtained a similar order against those protesting freely for three consecutive days opposing Nnamdi Kanu’s release?” Sowore asked.

“The hypocrisy is glaring. The double standards are undeniable,” he added.

The activist disclosed that his legal team, comprising 115 lawyers, would challenge the alleged court order once it is formally served on Monday.

He maintained that the planned October 20 #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest would proceed as a peaceful and lawful march, declaring, “October 20 #FreeNnamdiKanuNow remains sacrosanct. We march peacefully, lawfully, and powerfully.”

The demonstration also coincides with the fifth anniversary of the #EndSARS protests of October 2020, which culminated in the alleged Lekki Toll Gate massacre — a period now remembered for its call for police reform and justice for victims of brutality.

Metro

Police Fire Tear Gas At #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow Protesters In Abuja

Published

4 hours ago

October 20, 2025

Editor

Security operatives on Monday fired tear gas canisters at protesters, including human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who had gathered in Abuja to demand the release of the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

The protest, tagged #ReleaseNnamdiKanuNow, was planned to take off from the Transcorp Hilton area and other parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), but was disrupted as police officers moved in early, firing multiple rounds of tear gas to disperse participants and passersby.

The operatives, who had cordoned off the hotel and adjoining streets, began firing tear gas even before protesters arrived in large numbers.

A visibly tightened atmosphere was observed across the city on the way this morning.

Soldiers, police, and operatives of the Department of State Services were deployed to key locations, including the Three Arms Zone, Eagle Square, Federal Secretariat, Unity Fountain, and routes leading to Aso Rock.

Metro

[PHOTOS] #FreeNnamdiKanuNow: Gridlock Hits Abuja Expressway

Published

5 hours ago

October 20, 2025

Editor

Severe morning traffic congestion has brought the Kugbo-Nyanya Expressway to a standstill on Monday, as a planned #FreeNnamdiKanuNow protest disrupts commuting into the Federal Capital Territory.

The demonstration, organised by activist Omoyele Sowore, began at 7 a.m. near the Transcorp Hilton Hotel, with protesters demanding the release of Indigenous People of Biafra leader Nnamdi Kanu, who has been detained since 2021 on terrorism charges.

According to NTA News, the heavy gridlock is fueled by parked vehicles and gatherings along the busy Abuja-Keffi highway stretch, mixing commuter traffic with protest-related activity.

“Motorists heading into the FCT from the Kugbo/Nyanya axis report slow movement, with several lanes reportedly blocked by parked vehicles and protest‑related activity,” the station reported.

It identified that the corridor is historically vulnerable to disruptions, citing “heavy traffic and blocked lanes due to security checks during protests and security operations in the past.”

The protest, defying police warnings and a Federal High Court order, aims to march toward the Presidential Villa, raising security concerns across the city.

PUNCH Online had earlier reported that security operatives fired tear gas canisters at protesters, including Sowore, who had gathered for the protest.