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Woman carrying her Baby, 17 others dead in ghastly road accident

Tragedy struck in Gwalli village, Gummi Local Government Area of Zamfara State, on Saturday, when a Toyota Hummer bus carrying wedding guests plunged into a river from a dilapidated, locally-built bridge, leaving 19 people dead.

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The victims were en route to Sakaba village in Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State to accompany a newly wedded bride when the overloaded vehicle, designed to carry 18 passengers but reportedly transporting more than 30, lost control and fell into the water.

According to a report by Daily Trust, it stated that 17 bodies were recovered on the day of the incident, with another recovered on Sunday, while one remains missing. Among the 21 survivors were the bride and the driver of the ill-fated bus.

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Liman Bello Muhammad Gwalli, a witness, said the vehicle was the second to cross the water after the first vehicle succeeded in crossing to the other side of the river.

However, halfway into the journey on the bridge, the bus got stuck, and the driver came down to check what was stopping the vehicle from moving, he said.

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“Having noticed the situation, he decided to reduce the number of women on board. So, he asked some women to come down.

“The bride, who was sitting in the front seat, and some other women came out of the car. Immediately after some of the women disembarked, the bus slanted and fell into the river.

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“One of the victims handed over her child to another woman from inside the car when the driver was reducing the number of passengers on board.

“However, the vehicle crushed the child to death while plunging into the water.

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“Immediately, the bus fell into the water, some villagers around embarked on a rescue mission. Seventeen corpses were recovered within 30 minutes.

“The vehicle was pushed to the bank of the river, and they began the search for the passengers in the vehicle. In the process, the bodies of 17 were recovered. One other victim was seen floating on the water the following day. The corpse of another victim has not been recovered,” he said.

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Confirming the incident, the Police Public Relations Officer, Zamfara State Command, DSP Yazid Abubakar, said it was unfortunate that the incident was caused by overloading, lamenting that a vehicle that was designed to carry at most 18 passengers was crowded with about 40 people.

Abubakar lamented that, “The driver had stopped and reduced the number of passengers on board after the vehicle got stuck on the bridge.

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“It is very unfortunate, and people should learn how to carry passengers. Drivers should always stick to the specifications of their vehicles; if a bus is designed to carry 10 people, the driver should stick to that and carry only 10 passengers.

“According to reports from Gummi, 17 people died on the spot, and two are still missing. So, I can confirm to you the death of 17 people, and two others are missing.

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“I would like to use this medium to warn drivers to desist from overloading their vehicles. All we are doing is for their good. How can you pack about 40 people in a bus that is meant to carry at most 18 people?

“It is unfortunate the victims lost their lives in this way, but sincerely speaking, the number of casualties could be minimised if the driver carried the exact number of people the bus was designed to carry.”

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JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas

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JUST IN; Oyo Governor, Makinde names Olubadan as Chairman Oyo Council of Obas

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has inaugurated the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs, declaring that the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, will be heading the council for a period of 2 years.

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The declaration follows the passing of the Oyo State Council of Obas and Chiefs (Further Amendments) Bill, 2025, by the state House of Assembly, and the signing of the same into law by the governor.

Recall that the lawmakers had amended Clause 5 of Section 28 of the Chieftaincy Law to make the Council chairmanship rotational among the Alaafin of Oyo, the Soun of Ogbomoso, and the Olubadan of Ibadanland.

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While inaugurating the Council, Governor Makinde said he had consulted with the trio of the Alaafin, the Olubadan and the Soun, with the three of them reaching a consensus that the chairmanship should start with the Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Rashidi Ladoja.

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NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun

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NPF committed to community policing, says IGP Egbetokun

The Inspector General of Police (I-GP), Dr Kayode Egbetokun, has assured that the police remained committed to community policing to ensure that criminals were drastically reduced in the country.
The I-GP, who was represented by the Assistant Inspector of Police ( AIG) Zone 17, Dr Ajani Musibau, stated this at the Police Community Relations Committee ( PCRC) National Leadership Training and Conference on Thursday in Akure.
The theme of the conference is: “Inclusivity and Diversity: the New Leadership Paradigm.”
He said that security could not be achieved by only the police, but with the support from the community.
The I-GP stated that security was a joint work and responsibility of all, commending the current leadership of the Nigeria Police for a paradigm shift towards modern policing.
Also, the Commissioner of Police in Ondo State, Mr Adebowale Lawal, said that bandits could not infiltrate the state due to community policing strategy embraced by the command.
He explained that bandits would have infiltrated the state through Kogi and Edo, but intelligence reports from members of PCRC had been a great help to the police command.
According to him, the support and logistics received from the Inspector General of Police, Dr Kayode Egbetokun and Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa had also motivated police personnel to work earnestly.
He said that effective community policing was a sure way to curb activities of criminals, and implored members of the public not to relent in their efforts to provide police and other security agencies with useful information.
Lawal also commended other conventional security agencies, forest guards and vigilantes for their support to the police in fighting bandits
In his remarks, the National Chairman of PCRC, Alhaji Ibrahim Mogaji said that the conference was to strengthen leaders of PCRC in the South-West zone and encourage them to redouble their efforts and support in fighting crimes.
According to Mogaji, the occasion also enabled the association to appreciate Gov. Aiyedatiwa, I-GP, the AIG Zone 17 and the state Commissioner of Police.
He advised the participants to moblise other members of PCRC and orientate them on their roles to continue to fight crime in the country.
The PCRC national chairman asked Nigerians to respect the dignity of police and to be civil when interacting with them.
Mogaji said that the leadership training would be replicated in other geo-political zones of the country.
Also, Aiyedatiwa, represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Security, Mr Gbenga Atiba, commended the PCRC , AIG Zone 17, and the Commissioner of Police for their unrelenting efforts to guarantee peace across the state.
Aiyedatiwa promised that the state government would give PCRC attention and continue to support police and other security agencies with appropriate logistics that would make policing more effective.
A guest lecturer, Comrade Yinka Folarin asked members of the public to give respect and dignity to members of the police, saying that they also had rights that must be respected.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that PCRC honoured Gov. Aiyedatiwa, AIG Zone 17 and the Commissioner of Police with awards. (NAN)

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Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told

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Increase salary, welfare packages for Police other security personnel – FG told

Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has called for improved welfare packages for armed forces personnel and all members of the security and intelligence community to aid their effectiveness and efficiency.

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National Chairman of PDP, Tanimu Turaki, made the call in a statement in Abuja on Thursday to mark the 2026 Armed Forces Celebration and Remembrance Day.

Turaki also urged the Federal Government to adequately fund security agencies to effectively neutralise those he described as agents of insecurity, and restore peace to the country.

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He expressed PDP’s condolences to the families of members of the armed forces who died in active service while executing their mandate of protecting Nigeria’s territorial integrity and sovereignty.

“On a day like this, we acknowledge that they paid the supreme price for the continuous existence of our country.

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“We advise all actors, whether state or non-state, not to engage in actions capable of destabilising the country.

“In honour of those who have died to keep our country safe, we pray that their deaths may not be in vain and their labours not forgotten,” Turaki said.(NAN)

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