Metro
FRSC Engages Traditional Leaders, Others on Sensitisation Against Use of Trailers As Passenger Vehicle
The Corps Marshal, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Shehu Mohammed, has solicited the assistance of Traditional, Religious and Youth leaders in the Corps’ ongoing campaign against road accidents, according to a statement e-signed by the Public Education Officer, Corps Commander Olusegun Ogungbemide, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
Tje Corps Marshal prevailed on the leaders to by caution their subjects on the need to discontinue the use of trailers for their trips. This is following the fatal road crash that occurred on the busy Kano-Zaria Highway involving a trailer with about 90 persons on board.
The crash which occured as a result of speed violation that eventually led to loss of control happened at exactly 0315HRS on Monday 1 July 2024, killing 25 male adults as well as leaving a total of 53 other male adult victims with injuries of different sorts. However, FRSC emergency and rescue team was able to rescue 12 persons without injury from the crash.
The rescued victims have been taken to Murtala Muhammad and Nasarawa Specialist hospital in Kano State for proper medical attention. While the driver of the truck has been arrested and handed over to the Police for further investigation and possible prosecution.
You would recall that in the last couple of months, the Corps rose to the challenge of confronting this bad road use behaviour on all fronts. This gesture led to a high level of partnership between the Federal Road Safety Corps, leadership of the various Transport Unions, Security Agencies, as well as State Traffic Management Agencies.
In furtherance to the aforementioned actions, the Corps went a step further to establish and flag-off an Inter-Agency Joint Task Force so as to give a holistic approach to enforcing compliance against the use of trailers as passenger vehicles; as well as mitigate road traffic crashes, fatalities and injuries emanating from the lawlessness of trailer drivers.
These JTF which took off its operation in Niger, Bauchi, Taraba and Kaduna States and later extended to some notorious corridors of the Southern part of the country, has successfully arrested as at today, a total of 362 trailers loaded with 5169 passengers hanging on top of goods and animals. As part of the operations, the JTF dropped over 3530 passengers who were mandated to take alternative vehicles designed for conveying passengers. This is aside the aggressive sensitisation and advocacy campaigns going on across board.
Irrespective of these efforts, most of these commuters still disregard the sensitisation campaigns and travel to their destinations using these trailers as means if conveyance.
More worrisome is the fact that a whole lot of these trailer drivers travel at night when the operational arm of the Corps does not operate to escape arrest.
It is on the strength of the foregoing that the Corps Marshal calls on these Leaders to compliment FRSC’s efforts towards bringing these deadly road traffic violations to a halt by sensitising their Subjects further.
Justice Njideka Nwosu-Iheme of the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Wuse Zone 2, Abuja, has sentenced the husband of late gospel singer, Osinachi, Peter Nwachukwu, to death by hanging.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme found him guilty of culpable homicide resulting in the death of the deceased on April 8, 2022.
The judge sentenced Nwachukwu to death while sentencing him after the court had held that the prosecution had proven the burden of proof placed on it by the law and subsequently found the defendant guilty.
Nwachukwu was arraigned on June 3, 2022, by the Office of the Attorney-General of the Federation (OAGF), on behalf of the Federal Government, on a 23-count charge bordering on culpable homicide punishable with death, criminal intimidation, cruelty to children, criminal intimidation of children, spousal battery, among others.
In the course of trial, the prosecution called 17 witnesses, including two children of the late Osinachi, who testified as fourth prosecution and fifth prosecution witnesses, PW4 and PW5 respectively, while it tendered 25 documents as exhibits before the court.
The defendant testified for the defence and further called four other witnesses and tendered four exhibits in his defence.
Shortly before sentencing the defendant, counsel for Nwachukwu, Reginald Nwali, pleaded with the court to be lenient in its judgment, while the prosecuting counsel, Mrs Aderonke Imala, urged the court to give force to the law as stipulated.
Justice Nwosu-Iheme subsequently sentenced Nwachukwu to death by hanging on Count 1, while he was sentenced to two years imprisonment each on Counts 2, 3, 8,9, 12, 13, and 18.
The court sentenced the defendant to six months imprisonment on Count 10, three years imprisonment on Count 11, while he was fined the sum of N500,000 and N200,000 respectively on Counts 6 and 7, respectively.
The late gospel artist who had several tracks, including Ekwueme died on April 8, 2022, at the age of 42. Her death triggered outrage in the country, with fans and Nigerians calling for justice for the singer.
In a heartwarming display of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR), Prostar Sport International, a renowned sports equipment and apparel company, has partnered with the ‘Pad Me A Girl Initiative,’ to promote menstrual health awareness and empower young girls.
The project enunciated by Gatmash Media has commended the company, renowned for providing high-quality sports dresses, has supported the initiative with customized shirts.
Theresa Moses, Convener of the Pad Me A Girl Initiative said “We’re thrilled to have Prostar Sports International on board this initiative. Their customized shirts will not only promote our cause but also serve as a symbol of solidarity with the girls we’re working to support”.
Mr. Paul Maduakor, CEO of Prostar Sports International said “At Prostar Sports International, we believe in empowering young girls and promoting menstrual health awareness. We’re proud to support the Pad Me A Girl Initiative and contribute to a more inclusive and supportive community”.
The shirts feature a bold design with the Pad Me A Girl Initiative’s logo. This is aimed to promote menstrual health awareness and obliterates stigmas attached to it. It was disclosed that the shirts are made from high-quality, breathable fabric for comfort and durability.
The initiative has made significant impact, and has reached over 2,000 young girls and women in Abuja and Benue IDP camps, and has provided reusable sanitary pads and menstrual health education, empowering girls to manage their menstruation with dignity.
The next phase of the project will kick off in June/July 2025, with plans to expand the initiative’s reachout and impact. Through the ‘Access PAD Me A Girl,’ PAD Bank, young girls will continue to receive free sanitary pads every month, empowering them to manage their menstrual health with dignity.
Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, a non-denominational ministry, on Monday opened the first ever Old People’s Home and Orphanage in Imo State.
The Seraphic Home, located in Mgbirichi, Ohaji Egbema, near Owerri, was commissioned by Imo State Governor, Senator Hope Uzodimma, who described it as a watershed in the provision of care for the elderly, needy and less privileged.
Uzodimma praised the Spiritual Director of Zion Ministry, Evangelist Chukwuebuka Obi, for “thinking home” and bringing meaningful development to the state, adding that he was delighted with the choice of Imo State for such an impactful project.
According to the governor, “Evangelist Ebuka’s decision to expand the ministry’s operations in Imo has placed the state on a path to greater global recognition” —a vision he said he had foreseen when initially allocating land for the ministry’s headquarters in Ngor Okpala.
Evangelist Ebuka Obi, in his welcome remarks, said that the home was built to provide care for orphans and the elderly, especially those without anyone to support them. He invited the elderly with no caregivers to take advantage of the facility, which offers free accommodation and care.
“This state-of-the-art facility will provide a safe and nurturing environment for orphans and elderly individuals, offering them a sense of belonging and care. The home will provide shelter, food, clothing, education, and healthcare, and ensure that the residents receive the support they need to thrive,” Evangelist Ebuka disclosed. He said that the home would provide comprehensive care for old people and orphans free of charge, adding that more of such projects would be cited in other parts of the country.
The Seraphic Orphanage and Home for the Elderly will be a safe space for vulnerable populations to receive care and support and provide opportunities for community engagement and volunteerism and a platform for skills development and capacity building for caregivers and staff, Ebuka concluded.
Zion Ministry’s Seraphic Home foundation is a non-profit charitable organization with the objective of touching and impacting lives positively and promoting the welfare of others. It runs a whole range of programmes which support disadvantaged and impoverished families by providing scholarships for different levels of Education for over 60 children yearly as well as funding for patients who are unable to afford life-sustaining treatment and pay hospital bills for various health challenges.
