- Lagos Monarch, Ex-Kogi Gov’s Son, Junior Pope Die As Nigerians Celebrate Eid-El-Fitr
- NEMA Loses Hope Of Finding Two Passengers Who Fell Off Bus Into Lagos Lagoon Alive
- Pandemonium As NSCDC Officers Allegedly Shoot Woman At Eid Ground In Zamfara
It was a black Eid-El-Fitr ceremony as several Nigerians lost their lives as Nigerians joined the rest of the world to mark this year’s Eid-El-Fitr, a ceremony that signals the end of the holy month of Ramadan.
First, news filtered in that the Osolo of Isolo Kingdom in Lagos State, Oba Kabiru Agbabiaka, Adeola Olushi III died shortly after returning home from the Eid prayer ground on Wednesday.
The chairman of Isolo Local Council Development Area (LCDA), Olasoju Adebayo, confirmed his death in a statement.
“I have the instruction of the Governor of Lagos State, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to formally announce the passing of the paramount ruler of Isolo Kingdom, Oba Kabiru Agbabiaka, Adeola Olushi III, today April 10, 2024. He was aged 64” the sad news stated.
While Nigerians were still processing that, news also filtered in that a former member of the House of Representatives from Kogi State, Hon. Mohammed Idris also died shortly after returning from eid-el-fitr prayers.
Mohammed, the son of a former Governor of Kogi state, Ibrahim Idris, represented Ankpa, Olamaboro and Omala Federal Constituency at the lower chamber of the National Assembly.
It was gathered that he slumped and died shortly after observing Eid prayer at his residence in Abuja on Wednesday.
Also, two persons fell into the Lagos lagoon following an accident involving a commercial vehicle popularly called LT on the newly renovated Third Mainland Bridge.
The accident occurred around 11 a.m. on Wednesday when the brakes of the vehicle failed.
Emergency management officials said marine police are leading the search and rescue operations to recover the two adults in the Lagoon.
Other passengers have been taken to the General Hospital, Lagos Island.
A Director of Operations, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Olatunde Akinsanya, who spoke to journalists after the incident, said, “Today (On Wednesday), at 10 minutes after 11am, we had a road accident very close to Adeniji Bypass.
“A commercial bus with 22 passengers suffered brakes failure on high speed. In the process, he ran himself into the barrier on the Third Mainland Bridge and two adults were plunged into the lagoon.
“We have recovered the wreckage of the vehicle and the victims have been taken to a nearby hospital for treatment.
“The next action is the search and rescue operations on the waterway and that is what we are collaborating with marine police, NEMA and others.”
The crash which happened on the day Muslims are marking the Eid-El-Fitr and also a work-free day, saw other road users gather around the accident scene to render help to the victims.
Rescue officials, security agents as well as traffic management officers were also on the scene.
The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), Wednesday disclosed that the hope of rescuing the two passengers who fell off a bus into the Lagos lagoon following an accident on the Third Mainland Bridge has become very slim.
The South-West Coordinator of NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, made this known to journalists at the scene of the accident in Lagos.
Reacting to the search and rescue, Farinloye said personnel of the Marine Police were in search of the two adults, a male and female, who fell off the bus.
He said: “However, by now, we are not looking at the search and rescue again, but recovery.
“This is because the male passenger was said to have floated about three times before he was finally drowned, while the woman did not even surface at all.
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“Therefore, the possibility of any of them surviving is slim.”
Pandemonium broke out in Gusau, the Zamfara State capital, on Wednesday, as personnel of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) allegedly shot and killed a woman while attempting to pursue hoodlums.
The tragic incident, which occurred while Muslim faithful gathered to observe Eid prayer sparked outrage and unrest among residents, leading to an escalation of tensions in the area.
An eyewitness narrated that the NSCDC personnel, in their pursuit of suspected hoodlums armed with dangerous weapons, opened fire indiscriminately, resulting in the tragic death of an innocent woman.
In response to the shooting, an angry mob gathered and vented their frustration by setting ablaze an NSCDC vehicle.
Confirming the incident to Channels Television via a telephone conversation, the police spokesperson in Zamfara State, ASP Yazid Abubakar, said two NSCDC personnel linked with the shooting are currently in the custody of the police.
He said the Zamfara State Police Command has started a probe into the cause of the incident.
“We have two of them in our custody as we speak now. The command is still investigating the incident.”
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When contacted, the Spokesperson for the NSCDC in Zamfara State, Ikor Oche, denied the allegation that the men of the Civil Defence shot the victim.
He said the personnel of the Corps were at their post, observing the movement of the Muslim faithful who were out to observe the Eid prayer when they heard the gunshot.
According to him, they mobilised to the scene where they met a woman fatally injured.
“Because they were the ones close to the scene, a mob descended on them. They had to run for their safety and abandoned their Hilux vehicle. The vehicle was set ablaze by the mob and about seven of our men were injured. They did not shoot or kill anybody.”
Oche said the state command of NSCDC has also launched an investigation to unravel the cause of the incident.
