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FRSC Boss Commiserates with Families of Niger Fuel Tanker Explosion Victims
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The Corps Marshal of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has condole with families of the victims of the fuel tanker fire which occurred at the Dikko junction in Niger state on Saturday, charging tanker operators to always adhere strictly to safety standards and observe due protocols in transloading fuel products.
In his reaction to the fuel tanker incident, according to a statement signed by the Public Education Officer, Assistant Corps Marshal Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), the Corps Marshal described the human losses to the inferno as disheartening and disastrous, warning that such incidents must never be allowed to happen again.
The Corps Marshal expressed worry that despite sustained enlightenment programs carried out by the Corps with the tanker drivers on the need to be safety conscious while transporting petroleum products due to their inflammable nature and the general public to stay away from scenes of tanker crashes, many people could still fall victims of the Saturday’s unfortunate tanker incident. While recalling that 73 burnt bodies have so far been recovered by the rescue teams for final burial as arranged by the Niger State Government, the Corps Marshal revealed that the FRSC teams have been directed to sustain the joint operations with other relevant stakeholders to ensure effective management of traffic at the scenes in order to prevent further incidents.
In the same vein, the accident investigation unit of the Corps will work in collaboration with other agencies to unravel the causes and proffer solutions that could address future occurrence. “Meanwhile, those that sustained various degrees of injury have been taken to different hospitals including Suleja General Hospital for further medical attention as normalcy has returned to the area with free movement of traffic,” the Corps Marshal stated.
Shehu Mohammed stressed the importance of inter-agency collaboration and robust engagement with members of the public including critical stakeholders to ensure that the nation does not witness this level of human losses again, especially when the incident could have been prevented by strict adherence to due diligence. “The nation was yet to recover from similar incident that occured in Jiagawa last year, and having to witness another incident of this magnitude at the beginning of the new year is painful and regrettable,” he further stated.
The Corps Marshal assures Nigerians that the FRSC will continue to work with the relevant stakeholders and members of the public to find lasting solutions to all road-based emergencies and called for involvement of all Nigerians in the joint efforts to ensure safety and security of lives and property of road travelers.
While praying God for repose of the souls of all those that lost their lives to the inferno, the Corps Marshal appeals for support to the families of the survivors in the various hospitals to ensure their quick recovery. He further commiserate with the people of Niger state and commended the prompt intervention of the Executive Governor of Niger State who was physically present at the scene.
The Regional Chairman of Church of Christ in Nations (COCIN), Barkin Ladi Local Government Area of Plateau State, Rev. Ezekiel Dachomo, has denied reports that he prayed for the re-election of President Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima in the 2027 presidential election.
Dachomo, who is currently in Israel on what he described as his first International Christian Advocacy Tour, said his visit was aimed at drawing the attention of world leaders to the plight of Christians in Plateau.
The cleric made the clarification in a social media post on Monday night following reports that he had prayed for the success of the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential ticket and expressed support for the Muslim-Muslim ticket.
Dachomo said his earlier post, in which he prayed for Nigeria, had been misconstrued as an endorsement of Tinubu and Shettima ahead of the 2027 election.
According to him, there was nowhere in the post where he prayed for the President and Vice-President to win the election.
“People are trying to frame me, saying I prayed for a Muslim-Muslim ticket. But I did not, and I will never pray for a Muslim-Muslim ticket because Nigeria belongs to both Muslims and Christians,” he said.
Dachomo said his prayers were for the well-being and success of Nigeria and its citizens, irrespective of their religious affiliations.
“I pray for both Muslims and Christians in Nigeria. I pray for Nigeria to succeed. If you truly want to come to God, come with a clean heart,” he added.
The cleric further stated, “I did not pray for President Tinubu and Vice President Shettima to win in 2027. My prayers have always been for Nigeria to succeed.”
Dachomo’s clarification came amid reactions to his ongoing advocacy tour in Israel, where he is seeking international attention to security challenges and what he described as the persecution of Christians in Plateau.
Ahead of the 2027 election, the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to disqualify candidates whose names are not contained in political party registers, as stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026.
In a statement on Tuesday, the Chairman of the committee, Bayo Balogun, drew the commission’s attention to a Supreme Court ruling on Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) and called for their full enforcement across all political parties.
Balogun, a member of the All Progressives Congress, APC, said that pending legal proceedings concerning the interpretation, constitutionality and enforceability of the sections had been resolved by virtue of the Supreme Court judgment.
The lawmaker recalled that the Supreme Court, on September 24, 2026, restored the provisions after setting aside the Court of Appeal judgment that had declared them unconstitutional.
According to him, the apex court held that the provisions were not inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution.
Balogun explained that Section 77(5) provides that only members whose names are contained in the membership register submitted to INEC are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions.
He said that Section 77(6) requires political parties to use the register submitted to the electoral umpire for such exercises.
Balogun urged INEC to proceed without further delay to enforce Sections 77(4) to 77(6) in the administration and monitoring of political parties and their electoral activities.
He further urged the commission to audit the membership registers and candidates submitted by political parties to establish whether the names of the candidates are contained in the registers earlier submitted to INEC in compliance with Section 77(5).
“This will be a litmus test for the commission – any culpable political party and candidates should be disqualified.
“Diligent enforcement of the provision would help prevent disputes and reduce the volume of litigation that could arise from alleged irregularities or non-compliance with Sections 77(4) to 77(6) of the Electoral Act,” Balogun said.
An helicopter crashed into a swamp near Naval Base in Igbokoda, the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State, on Monday.
The incident occurred at about 11.00a.m during heavy down pour, throwing the coastal community into panic.
The number of people on board of the helicopter was yet to be officially confirmed, while the condition of possible survivors cannot be confirmed.
Confirming the incident, Maurice Oripenaiye, the Chairman of the local government, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in a telephone interview that he could not ascertain the number of the victims.
Oripenaye also said he was yet to ascertain the identity of the crashed helicopter and the passengers.
“It happened during the heavy rainfall at about 11.00a.m. I cannot confirm the number of the people on board. I have deployed some youths to the area for rescue purpose,” he told NAN.
Similarly, the Police Command in Ondo State while confirming the crash, said details surrounding the incident were still emerging.
The command in a statement by its spokesperson, Abayomi Jimoh, a deputy superintendent of police, in Akure, said efforts were ongoing to establish the full circumstances surrounding the crash.
“The command urges members of the public, particularly residents of Igbokoda and adjoining communities, to remain calm and refrain from circulating unverified information.
“The public will be duly informed as soon as further credible information becomes available,” it stated.
(NAN)
