News
Tanker explosion kills 35, injures 46 in Niger State
No fewer than 35 persons have been feared dead, while 46 others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a petrol tanker explosion on Bida–Agaie expressway, at Essa village in Katcha Local Government Area of Niger State.
Hajiya Aishatu Sa’adu, Sector Commander, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Niger Command, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Tuesday in Minna.
Sa’adu said that the tragedy occurred when some residents attempted to scoop fuel from the fallen tanker, which later exploded.
She said the injured victims were evacuated to the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) Bida, with the support of FRSC personnel, villagers, and some good Nigeria
According to her, preliminary investigations revealed that the crash was a lone accident resulting from loss of control by the tanker driver.
The sector commander cautioned motorists to exercise utmost care and adhere strictly to traffic regulations to avoid unnecessary loss of lives.
She also warned members of the public against scooping fuel from accident scenes, describing it as a dangerous act that had claimed many lives in the past.
“It is God that gives wealth. People should avoid greed and be content with what God has given them,” she added.
An eyewitness told NAN that the accident occurred around 11 a.m. on Tuesday at Essan/Badeggi communities on the Bida–Agaie road in Katcha Local Government Area.
“It was gathered that the victims were scooping fuel from the fallen tanker when it suddenly exploded, burning many beyond recognition, while others sustained severe burns,” the witness said.
Also confirming the incident, Mr Farouk Kawo, the Niger State Chairman of the Tanker Drivers Association and National Ex-Officio of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), said the tanker was conveying petroleum product from Lagos to the northern part of the country.
Kawo noted that more than 30 tankers had been involved in accidents on the same route in October alone, attributing the frequent crashes to the deplorable condition of the road.
“The community youths have continued to scoop products from accidented vehicles. Just last Sunday, a tanker conveying groundnut oil also crashed and its contents were scooped,” he said.
He appealed to the Niger Government, under the leadership of Gov. Mohammed Bago, to urgently intervene by grading the bad portions of the road to ease movement and reduce accidents.
“If the bad spots are repaired, it will go a long way in preventing further loss of lives and property,” Kawo added.
News
Tompolo denies issuing 21-Day ultimatum to FG over Kanu release
High Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, has disowned a social media publication claiming he gave the Federal Government 21 days to release Nnamdi Kanu.
In a statement signed by his Media Consultant, Paul Bebenimibo, Tompolo said he has nothing to do with the matter and described the publication as false and mischievous, alleging it was the handiwork of his enemies determined to discredit him over his ongoing fight against illegal crude oil activities in the Niger Delta region.
The statement further reaffirmed Tompolo’s loyalty to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his support for the President’s renewed hope agenda. It added that Tompolo remains committed to the total eradication of illegal oil activities and stands firmly behind President Tinubu’s administration and second-term ambition.
“The Federal Government and the general public should disregard the said publication in its entirety. High Chief Government Ekpemupolo has nothing to do with the issue of Nnamdi Kanu and remains focused on his duties in protecting the nation’s oil assets.”
The statement concludes by urging Nigerians to ignore fake news aimed at causing division or mischief within the Niger Delta region
THN reported that the self-proclaimed leader of the proscribed separatist group Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, was unable to begin his defence on Friday in his ongoing terrorism trial at the Federal High Court in Abuja.
Kanu told the court he could not proceed because he had not been given access to the case file, which he said is necessary for him to adequately prepare his defence.
News
NDLEA uncovers UK-bound cocaine in cream containers, meth in water heater
…..Raids Lagos night club over drug party, arrests owner, Pretty Mike, others; Mosotho with ice in coffee tea pack at Enugu airport; 75-year-old grandpa in Abia; female distributor of Loud in Lekki, Ikoyi, VI and environs
A total of 70 parcels of cocaine factory packed in walls of cocoa butter formula body cream containers heading to London, United Kingdom have been uncovered at the export shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) with three suspects arrested in series of follow-up operations across Lagos.
The cocaine consignments weighing 3.60 kilograms were discovered on 14th October 2025 during examination of cargoes packaged as personal effects going to London, UK on an Air Peace flight. A cargo agent Lawal Mustapha Olakunle who presented the consignment for airfreight was promptly arrested while investigations stretching into two weeks led to the arrest of two principal suspects linked to the attempt to export the concealed Class A drug to the UK.
In a follow up operation on 18th October, a female healthcare worker Ogunmuyide Taiwo Deborah was arrested following which Mutiu Adebayo Adebiyi, the Chief Executive Officer of a travel agency, Mutiu Adebiyi & Co, was arrested at his 23 Ladoke Akintola Street, Ikeja GRA Lagos office on Monday 20th October.
In a similar development, attempt by a 35-year-old Lesotho national Lemena Mark to export 103.59 grams of methamphetamine concealed in a diabeta herbs coffee tea pack to the Philippines on an Ethiopian airlines flight from the Akanu Ibiam International Airport (AIIA) Enugu on Wednesday 22nd October was thwarted by NDLEA officers who arrested him and recovered the illicit drug.
No fewer than 21,950 capsules of tramadol 250mg concealed inside a 100-litre water heater were recovered from a suspect Umar Abubakar, 40, who was arrested by NDLEA operatives at Bode Saadu, Morro local government area of Kwara state following credible intelligence on Tuesday 21st October.
In Lagos, NDLEA operatives in the early hours of Sunday 26th October raided Proxy Night club at 7 Akin Adesola Street, Victoria Island where a drug party was going on. Over 100 suspects including the owner of the club Mike Eze Nwalie Nwogu alias Pretty Mike, were arrested and taken into custody for screening. Cartons of illicit substances including Loud, and laughing gas, were recovered from suspects at the party and the club’s store.
The raid followed intelligence about the drug party. NDLEA operatives who were embedded in the party between 11pm on Saturday 25th October however disrupted the gathering at 3am on Sunday 26th October based on Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs).
In Taraba, the duo of Auwal Musa, 26, and Salihu Bala, 22, were on Tuesday 21st October arrested with 450,000 pills of tramadol and exol-5 at Dan-anacha checkpoint while conveying the consignment in a truck loaded with building materials from Onitsha, Anambra state to Mubi, Adamawa state.
While NDLEA officers on patrol along Okene/Lokoja highway, Kogi state seized 162.200kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, from a truck on Friday 24th October, operatives in Nasarawa state on Wednesday 22nd October recovered 128kg of same psychoactive substance from a suspect, Abubakar Muhammad, 55, in Keffi area of the state.
A mother of two Oyonumoh Glory Effiong who is a major distributor of Canadian and California Loud, both strong strains of cannabis in Lekki, Ajah, Ikoyi, Victoria Island and VGC areas of Lagos have been arrested by NDLEA operatives on Friday 17th October
during a raid at her Lekki home where 500 grams of the illicit substances were recovered.
In Ikorodu area of Lagos, NDLEA officers on Thursday 23rd October raided the home of a suspect Ogunyabo Adenigbigbe at Solomade estate where 275 litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant drink, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.
A 75-year-old grandpa Echendu Onuoka was on Wednesday 22nd October arrested at Ovum village, Obingwa LGA, Abia state with 4.7kg skunk seized from him while a 60-year-old grandma Aukana John was nabbed with 225 grams of same substance at Apanta village, in the same LGA.
While 150kg skunk was recovered during a raid operation at Lot camp, Ikun Akoko, Ondo state, two suspects: Bashir Mohammad, 50, and Samini Ahmed Tijjani, 35, were nabbed with 234.5kg of same substance at Yan aya , Saminaka in Lere LGA, Kaduna on Friday 24th October just as another set of suspects: Isah Usman, 50, and Salvation Okoler, 18, were arrested with 8,600 pills of tramadol 225mg and rohypnol along Abuja/Kaduna highway.
At the Seme border area of Lagos, NDLEA operatives on Wednesday 22nd October nabbed Jacob Ojugbele with 55kg skunk at Ashipa area of Badagry while Amusa Oluwabukola was arrested with 121.3 litres of skuchies at Itoga Badagry.
In Zamfara state, NDLEA operatives on patrol along Gummi-Anka road on Monday 20th October arrested a suspect Abubakar Ibrahim, 30, in possession of AK 47 riffle and 1,746 assorted calibres of ammunition, for AK 47 and GPMG rifles while moving them from Sokoto to Bagega forest, Anka LGA, Zamfara. Both the suspect and the exhibits have since been handed over to the appropriate security agency for further investigation.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitization lecture to students and staff of Asabari Grammar School, Iluwa Isale Oke, Saki West LGA, Oyo; Government Day Girls Secondary School, Birnin Kebbi, Kebbi; St. Mark’s College, Nsude, Enugu; Kusaki Secondary School, Gboko North, Benue; Government Day Secondary School, Serti- Baruwa, Gashaka LGA, Taraba; Police Children School 2, Port Harcourt, Rivers and Hajara Ahmad International School, Tudun Wada, Kano state, among others.
While commending the officers and men of MMIA, AIIA, Lagos, Kwara, Abia, Nasarawa, Kogi, Ondo, Anambra, Taraba, Kaduna, Seme and Zamfara Commands for the arrests, and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) urged them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
News
Police Service Commission mourns death of dedicated DPO, CSP Matilda Ngbaronye
The Police Service Commission (PSC) is engulfed in sorrow following the sudden and untimely death of Chief Superintendent of Police (CSP) Matilda Ngbaronye, the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of a key division in Lagos.
CSP Ngbaronye reportedly passed away on Friday after complications arose from a surgery she underwent at a private hospital in the state.
The news was officially conveyed in a Sunday statement released by Ikechukwu Ani, the Head of Press and Public Relations for the Commission.
The statement captured the deep sense of loss felt across the police force and the PSC, emphasizing the profound impact of Ngbaronye’s service.
The Chairman of the Commission, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) Hashimu Argungu (Rtd.), expressed his heartfelt shock and grief over the devastating news.
In his tribute, DIG Argungu praised the late officer’s dedication, describing her as a “committed and hardworking Police Officer who was devoted to the service of the Nigeria Police Force.”
This description highlights the high regard in which Ngbaronye was held by the Commission’s leadership and speaks volumes about her exemplary conduct throughout her career.
CSP Ngbaronye’s passing leaves a void in the command structure of the Lagos State Police Command, where she was known for her effective leadership and commitment to maintaining law and order.
Divisional Police Officers hold crucial roles, serving as the primary link between the police force and the communities they serve.
Their day-to-day work is vital for crime prevention, swift response to emergencies, and fostering community trust.
Ngbaronye’s reported diligence in this role marks her as a dedicated public servant whose life was committed to the security and peace of the nation.
While the statement from the PSC focuses on the tribute, the circumstances of her death following an unsuccessful surgery at a private facility add a layer of tragedy to the event.
This detail implicitly raises questions and highlights the vulnerability of officers who dedicate their lives to public service.
The entire Police Service Commission, under the leadership of DIG Argungu, extends its deepest condolences to the family of CSP Ngbaronye, her colleagues, and the entire Nigeria Police Force.
The PSC’s tribute serves not just as a formal acknowledgement of her death, but as a sincere farewell to an officer who exemplified the qualities of commitment and hard work that the force strives to uphold.
Her memory, as a devoted and hardworking officer, will undoubtedly serve as an inspiration to her peers and subordinates.
The PSC prays for the repose of her soul and for the family to find the fortitude to bear this irreparable loss.
The final words of the Commission’s release reflect a somber realization that a valued member of the service has been lost too soon, underscoring the human cost of dedicated service to the nation.
CSP Ngbaronye’s legacy will endure through the positive impact she made during her time as a Divisional Police Officer.
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