Metro
12 Passengers Drowned Because of N300 Boat Fare – Police
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, on Tuesday, paraded a commercial boat helmsman, Bimbo Elebiju, for allegedly causing the death of 12 of his passengers while conveying them to their destinations.
The victims were said to have drowned after the wave of a ship sailing along the Kirikiri waterfront made the boat, which engine had been switched off during an argument between Bimbo and his passengers over the fare, to capsize.
Odumosu, while parading Bimbo at the command headquarters in Ikeja, said 20 passengers boarded the boat from Kirikiri to Badagry, but while on the way, the passengers disagreed with the helmsman on the fare.
Odumosu said Bimbo indicated that the fare was N1,500, but the passengers insisted on paying N1,200, adding that the helmsman switched off the engine of the boat by the waterfront because of the N300 difference in fare.
He stated that when the ship sailed along, the wave made the boat to drift towards a stationary barge, where it capsized, adding that Bimbo jumped into the water, abandoned his passengers and escaped.
While five passengers were rescued, the CP said 10 others drowned, adding that the rescued passengers gave an account of Bimbo’s action before the tragedy struck.
He said Bimbo was trailed and arrested, adding that he would be charged.
Odumosu stated, “On July 29, 2020, around 5.45pm, our marine operatives received a distress call that a commercial boat with the inscription: ‘Mount Zion Transport’, fitted with 150HP Yamaha outboard engine, which was conveying 20 passengers from Kirikiri to Badagry, drifted towards a stationary barge and capsized along the Kirikiri waterfront.
“Five passengers were rescued, while 12 corpses were recovered. Three people are still missing. The helmsman, Bimbo Elebiju, swam to safety. Investigation revealed that the accident was caused by the deliberate act of the helmsman. There was an argument between the deckhand and the passengers as to the transport fare.
“Bimbo insisted on N1,500 per passenger and the passengers said they would only pay N1,200 each. Because of the N300 difference, the helmsman turned off the engine on a turbulent waterfront. A big ship passed and stirred the water, creating a wave that made the boat to drift towards the stationary barge. The suspect was trailed to his hideout and arrested after the survivors of the accident gave the true account of what happened. He will be charged.”
The Punch
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and the National Insurance Commission (NAICOM) have inaugurated a Joint Task Force on the Enforcement of Compulsory Third-Party motor insurance and the digitalisation of passenger manifest, according to a statement made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
The move, it was further revealed, is geared towards strengthening road safety management and promoting insurance compliance across Nigeria.
The inauguration ceremony, held on Tuesday, at the NAICOM Headquarters in Abuja, was jointly presided over by the Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps, Shehu Mohammed, mni, and the Lagos State Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Olusegun Ayo Omosehin.
The strategic partnership marks a new era of inter-agency collaboration aimed at entrenching transparency, accountability, and efficiency within Nigeria’s road transport and insurance ecosystem. The initiative seeks to enforce compliance with third-party motor insurance, digitalise passenger manifests for enhanced safety and traceability, and integrate the FRSC and NAICOM databases to facilitate seamless information sharing and enforcement.
Speaking at the event, the Commissioner for Insurance, Mr. Olusegun Omosehin, commended the FRSC for its visionary leadership and commitment to national safety and regulatory reforms. He noted that the collaboration would deliver far reaching benefits to Nigerians through effective enforcement, prompt compensation for crash victims, and robust public education on insurance obligations and consumer protection.
In his remarks, the Corps Marshal, Shehu Mohammed, mni, reaffirmed the Corps’ readiness to support the initiative through technology-driven enforcement, data integration, and field operations. He described the partnership as “a model of institutional synergy that will not only reduce road crashes but also enhance the government’s capacity to provide immediate financial and medical assistance to crash victims.
The Corps Marshal further emphasised that the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises digital transformation, inter agency cooperation, and inclusive development across all sectors of the economy.
By leveraging innovation and collaboration, the FRSC/NAICOM Joint Task Force is poised to drastically reduce the number of uninsured vehicles on Nigerian roads, enhance the welfare of road users, and promote a safer, more transparent, and accountable transport system nationwide.
The Senate has brought forward the screening of newly appointed Service Chiefs to Wednesday, October 29, reversing its earlier decision to conduct the exercise next week.
The announcement came shortly after Senate President, Godwill Akpabio, read a separate correspondence from President Bola Tinubu, seeking the confirmation of appointment of Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede.
Akpabio said the change was necessary to enable the military chiefs to assume their duties immediately.
President Bola Tinubu had urged the Senate to give expeditious consideration to the confirmation process to ensure continuity and effective coordination of the nation’s security architecture.
Following the new schedule, the Committee of the Whole is expected to conduct the screening exercise during plenary on Wednesday.
A few days ago, Tinubu reshuffled the military hierarchy. Tinubu removed General Christopher Musa, with Oluyede (a former Chief of Army Staff) replacing him as the Chief of Defence Staff.
He, however, retained Major-General E.A.P. Undiendeye as the Chief of Defence Intelligence.
The rejigging, according to presidential aide Sunday Dare, was due to “the efforts of the Federal Government of Nigeria to strengthen the national security architecture”.
“All appointments take immediate effect,” he wrote.
But critics have faulted the rejig of the military hierarchy, with the opposition African Democratic Congress (ADC “as an opposition political party, our interest remains the stability of our country and our democracy. In the light of developments in our neighbourhood of Chad and the Sahel States, we are gravely concerned”) asking President Tinubu to come out clean on the reason for the move.
“Our position remains, therefore, that the Federal Government owes Nigerians a categorical explanation about what truly happened,” the ADC wrote in a statement by its spokesman, Bolaji Abdullahi.
Senator Ned Nwoko on Sunday said he feels sorry for men with one wife, insisting that polygamy provides men greater stability and balance.
The lawmaker representing Delta North, who made the comment while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today, also addressed recent allegations of domestic violence against him by his actress wife, Regina Daniels.
When asked how he copes with managing four wives—something many men find nearly impossible- Nwoko hesitated for a while before reacting.
“That is a different topic for discussion on another day. Yes, every man should do that. The example I give is this: just imagine telling you to stand on one foot or leg. You know how difficult it is.
“But to stand on two, three, four is much more balanced. That’s just the example I give. So I feel sorry for those who have one wife because it’s difficult to stand on one leg,” he stated.
When reminded that the Holy Bible does not endorse polygamy, Nwoko countered, “The Old Testament does. I am a man of faith. But that’s not what we are here for.”
Asked whether he had any regrets about his marital choices, the senator shook his head.
“No, I don’t have any regret. I will do the same thing again. Of course, that’s the way it should be. You should marry who you want to marry,” he defended stoutly.
On the domestic violence allegations trailing him, Nwoko dismissed them outright, saying, “No, come on. You know I am not a violent person. I respect my wives. I love them and my kids.”
His comments came just hours after Nollywood actress Regina Daniels, his estranged wife, flaunted a newly acquired mansion on social media amid reports of a marital crisis.
In a post on her Instagram page, Daniels shared photos and videos of the property with the caption, “In my house, I am a Queen! I needed a roof over my head, so I got this for me and my family.”
The post followed a viral video from October 18 showing the actress in tears outside her Abuja residence, lamenting alleged abuse.
“In Ned Nwoko’s house, I am nothing, but in my own house, I am a Queen. Not again. I can’t stand the violence, it’s too much,” she said in the footage.
The couple’s six-year marriage, once the subject of public fascination due to their wide age gap, has recently degenerated into a full-blown crisis now playing out before millions of Nigerians on social media.
The Punch
