Metro

Two Students Die In Delta Tank Farm Explosion

Published

3 years ago

July 11, 2022

Two students of the Petroleum Training Institute, Effurun, have been confirmed dead in the explosion that rocked Matrix Energy Tank Farm at Ifiekporo, Warri South Local Government Area of Delta State.

PUNCH Metro gathered that the two students identified as Omare Sunny of the Mechanical Engineering Department and Godstime Chuks of the Petroleum Engineering Department were working as interns in the facility and were on duty when the explosion occurred last Friday night.

It was also gathered from another source that five dead bodies were recovered from the Warri river bank on Sunday afternoon.

The bodies were said to have drowned while trying to flee from the raging inferno.

Confirming the death of the PTI students in a signed press statement made available to journalists in Warri, the President of the institution’s Students Union Government, Comrade Esharedoro Efe, faulted the management of the oil firm for insisting that there was no casualties recorded in the Friday night fire at the company’s gas depot facility.

While revealing that the incident claimed three lives on the spot, with two of them being PTI students working as interns in the facility who were also on duty when the explosion occurred, the statement affirmed that the deceased students were National Diploma graduates, and were undergoing their mandatory one-year industrial training exercise in the company until their demise.

The PTI SUG, therefore, urged the management of Matrix Energy Tank Farm to debunk what it described as the company’s “misguided information” that no casualty was recorded from the explosion that occurred on July 8, 2022, and reach out to the family of the deceased students within 24 hours.

The statement, which was also copied to the Delta State Government, the Department of State Services, and the PTI management, among others, read partly, “Our attention has been drawn to a communique from Matrix Energy Limited stating that no casualty was recorded from the explosion that occurred on the 8th of July, 2022.

“It is on record that two National Diploma graduates of the Petroleum Training Institute, who were undergoing their Industrial Training by name Comr. Omare Sunny and Comr. Godstime Chuks from Mechanical Engineering Department and Petroleum Engineering Department respectively lost their lives to the cold hands of death due to that explosion. Such information is misguided, inhuman, unfair and evil.

“We frown at this occurrence and blame the management for not putting all necessary safety precautions in place which however, has led to the death of two young and vibrant students preparing for Higher National Diploma at their early prime.

“It is based on this, we are calling on the management of Matrix Energy Limited to as a matter of urgency debunk that information as it is capable of causing chaos in the students community and as such reach out to the family of the deceased with immediate effect.

“Failure to do this within the next 24hours, we shall be left with no other option than to mobilise our students in full force to shut down all forms of operations in that company.

“While hoping that justice will be served, we call on all concerned students both past and present to remain calm and not panic as we will be engaging the PTI National Alumni and relevant stakeholders to also swing into full action soonest.

“Until the right thing is done and justice is served nothing shall discourage us”.

Meanwhile, our correspondent has gathered that the remains of five persons were recovered from a river in the aftermath of the explosion that rocked the Matrix Energy Tank Farm.

The lifeless bodies were reportedly recovered by local divers on Sunday afternoon along the Warri river bank.

The discovery of the dead bodies was coming a day after a delegation of the Delta State Government claimed that no life was lost to the inferno.

The government delegation however certified 12 persons injured in the incident and were admitted at the Ogiame Ikenwoli Hospital, Ubeji for treatment while Mr. Fred Olumoro, the Matrix Group Head of Safety, hinted that the recovered bodies drowned while fleeing for safety from the fire outbreak.

Metro

Armed Bandits Attack Mopol Camp, Cart Away Rifles In Kebbi

Published

6 hours ago

June 28, 2025

Editor

Kebbi State Government has confirmed that a group of armed bandits attacked a Mobile Police post in Makuku, located in the Zuru Local Government Area, and made away with an undisclosed number of rifles.

The Director of Security at the Cabinet Office, Abdulrahman Zagga, disclosed this to journalists in Bagudo Local Government Area on Saturday.

According to Zagga, the mobile police post, which was manned by visiting officers, came under heavy attack from a large group of bandits numbering in the hundreds. Despite engaging the attackers in a fierce gun battle, the officers were ultimately overpowered.

“The bandits burnt a Toyota Hilux patrol vehicle belonging to the unit and escaped with an undisclosed number of rifles,” he stated.

Zagga clarified that it was not a police station that was attacked, as some reports claimed, but a temporary mobile police post. He added that the mobile police officers were forced to withdraw due to the overwhelming number of assailants.

He further revealed that upon learning of the attack, the state government requested air support from the Nigerian Air Force, which helped force the bandits to retreat.

“No casualties were recorded during the incident,” Zagga said. “Most of the bandits infiltrated from neighbouring Zamfara and Niger States.”

He explained that Makuku village shares a border with Niger State, making it vulnerable to such attacks.

Zagga also emphasised that, unlike some neighbouring states, Kebbi State has no peace agreements with any bandit groups or their leaders.

He pointed out that informants remain a major obstacle in the fight against banditry and noted that attacks tend to intensify during the rainy season due to extortion tactics used against farming communities.

“Once they demand money from a community and it is paid, the bandits may temporarily leave that community alone. But once the money runs out, they move on to another community to extort. That’s why many communities remain in constant fear,” he added.

However, Kebbi State Command Police image maker, CSP, Nafiu Abubakar, could not be reached for comment as of the time of filing this report.

Metro

I Will Not Move Out Of My Husband’s House, Divorced Woman Tells Court

Published

18 hours ago

June 28, 2025

Editor

A mother of six, Latinate Sanusi, has told a Shari’a court in Magajin Gari, Kaduna, Kaduna State, that she cannot leave her former husband’s house after three pronouncement of divorce.

Latinate stated this in response to Abdulrazak Yunusa’s prayer to confirm the three pronouncement of divorce he made to her and compel her to leave his house.

“My children are all girls and I intend to stay so that I can take care of them; after all he does not provide most of their needs,” she said.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the complainant told the court that he takes care of his family adding that he divorced her because she was not submissive.

The judge, Malam Kabir Muhammad after listening to both parties confirmed the three pronouncement of divorce between the couple.

He explained that there was no marriage between the couple until the woman remarries.

“What is before me is a suit on confirmation of divorce; the issue of children custody can be filed as a fresh case,” he said.

Metro

Court Dissolves Marriage On Couple’s Agreement

Published

18 hours ago

June 28, 2025

Editor

An Area Court sitting in Ilorin, Kwara State, has dissolved the Islamic marriage between one Mujidat Abdullahi and Muyideen Raji based on mutual agreement.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the presiding judge, Toyin Aluko, in his ruling said that the husband sent a letter to the court, saying that he has agreed to the divorce application of his wife.

Aluko said that since the two parties have agreed to divorce, there was no need to prolong the case.

He added that marriage should not be forced on anyone.

Aluko, therefore, dissolved their marriage and awarded custody of the only child of their marriage to the wife, due to the child’s young age.

The court ordered that the woman should observe the iddah (waiting) period before she could remarry again.

It also ordered that a copy of the ruling be made available to the husband.

Raji was ordered to pay the sum of N10,000 monthly for the child’s feeding and upkeep.

He was also granted the opportunity to have unlimited access to the child, but at a reasonable time.

Earlier, the wife had told the court that she was tired of the marriage due to lack of love and care, adding that she wanted divorce.