On the night of October 24, 2024, a joyful trip to reunite old friends from Command Secondary School Abakaliki (CSSA) for their 40th anniversary turned into a macabre nightmare when a chartered bus from PKO Transport and Logistics, Yaba, carrying 15 alumni from the Lagos chapter collided with rock debris and caught fire just eight minutes before arriving in their hotel in Ebonyi State. 

The tragic accident, which occurred near the G-hostel junction on the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway, claimed the lives of seven passengers, five of whom were burnt beyond recognition, and several others suffered severe injuries that will have long-term consequences and trauma in their lives.

Mr. Chuks, the bus driver, reportedly abandoned his 15 passengers trapped inside the bus but later returned to save his phone as the fire continued to engulf the vehicle. 

The Incident

One of the injured survivors, Deborah Chinyere, told The Guardian that the event was “ugly.” She recounts that the driver was unfamiliar with the route, so she and a fellow passenger, Victory Onah, used Google Maps to help with directions, but unfortunately, a turn was missed.

“Victory got distracted and forgot to tell the driver to take a left turn that would have led us straight to the hotel, where the event was holding,” Chinyere said.

When the missed turn was communicated to the driver, Chinyere claimed that the driver “flared up and became angry, and he was not concentrating, asking why we had not told him in time,” but despite attempts to reassure the driver that they were still on track and not to panic, Chinyere claimed that the driver was “still angry” and began to “driving recklessly.” 

“So that was where the whole thing started. Because of his anger, he couldn’t drive carefully. He started driving so, you know, recklessly.” she stated

“He was just so pissed; I knew this because I was sitting directly at his back so I could read his countenance.” 

As the situation went south, Chinyere noted that the driver reportedly accelerated the speed limit to around 120 to 130 kilometres, which led to the bus colliding with road construction debris filled with rocks on the Abakaliki-Enugu Expressway, an area that reportedly lacked appropriate warning signs about road conditions.

According to Chinyere, the impact ruptured the fuel tank, causing the bus to catch fire almost immediately. “It started with the smoke, and then within some seconds, fire came out from different angles, from the back, from the front, everywhere,” she said. 

That fire claimed the lives of five passengers who were burnt beyond recognition at the scene, while two others later succumbed to their injuries at the Alex Ekwueme Federal Teaching Hospital in Abakaliki. The tragedy has left several survivors with severe burns, fractures, and emotional scars that will last for years. 

Other survivors, who spoke exclusively to The Guardian, recounted traumatic moments of fear, confusion, and disbelief, describing how the bus driver, Mr. Chuks, abandoned them  as the vehicle caught fire but later returned only to retrieve his phone, leaving many trapped inside.

d fellow commandos (a term used to refer to graduates from the school).

Dada  recalled to The Guardian that the incident was “frightening beyond words” the moment the fire started, as the bus swerved and crashed into the debris. “The driver ran into rocks, and we heard a loud noise. Then, the person behind me shouted,  ‘Fire!’  I was terrified,” Dada recalled. “I tried to open the door from my seat, but it wouldn’t budge. That’s when I started calling on the name of Jesus.”

Dada, who was seated behind the driver, said her instinct, which she attributed to God, told her to find her way out through the driver’s side of the bus.

She said, ” I moved towards the driver side of the bus because I noticed there seemed to be a way out from there. Whether I jump out or flew or what, I don’t know. I just landed on the road by the burning bus and my instinct again (which I still say it’s the voice of God) told me to leave the floor or else I’ll get burnt by the fire or the bus exploding. Stood up in pain, not knowing I had already been burnt on my face and right fingers. Stood up and moved away to the other side and saw vividly the extent of the fire, hoping all was safe but unfortunately not.”

Agnes sustained burns to her right ear, face, and fingers but was thankful to be alive. “It’s all by God’s grace. I don’t know how I made it out.”

Read More From The Guardian

The Lagos State Government has launched the Interstate Park Accreditation and Passenger Manifest Digitization project, aimed at revolutionising interstate travel through improved safety, reliability and efficiency.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi launched the project on behalf of the government on Friday, November 8, 2024.

Speaking at the Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre, Alausa, Ikeja, Osiyemi emphasised the importance of the project, stating that it is a commitment to the safety and comfort of every traveller who enters or exits Lagos by road.

Osiyemi highlighted the project’s core objectives as standardization of interstate parks across the state and the transformation of the passenger manifest system into a fully digital platform.

He added that the initiative consists of two primary components which he mentioned as Interstate Park Accreditation and Digital Passenger Manifest System.

According to him, the Interstate Park Accreditation will require all interstate parks in Lagos to undergo an accreditation process where parks that meet the Ministry of Transportation’s safety and service standards will be officially certified.

“These accredited parks will display distinctive signage, reassuring travellers that they are boarding from a secure and regulated facility,” Osiyemi said.

“Unregulated, roadside “mushroom” parks will be required to meet specific standards or make necessary improvements to operate.”

Speaking further, the commissioner said that the Digital Passenger Manifest System is moving from a paper-based manifest system to a digital platform which will enable the real-time capture and secure storage of passenger data.

He said this will provide immediate access to accurate passenger information in case of incidents, empowering emergency responders with critical information for swift action.

Osiyemi mentioned that established parks with existing systems will be integrated into the State’s centralised platform.

He said with the initiative, Lagosians can travel with confidence, park operators gain credibility and Lagos State can set new standards for modern and efficient transport systems.

Aligning with the objectives of the initiative, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa stated that the initiative is designed to ensure the safety and protection of Lagosians while also enabling the state to better plan for the flow of people entering and exiting Lagos.

He also assured that the set standard format for the parks will ensure good sanitation, effective security and non-availability of substances.

The Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Transportation, Olawale Musa noted that the current state of interstate parks requires improvement and reorganisation.

Musa emphasised that the government is mindful of data protection laws, assuring that any passenger information shared with the state will be kept confidential and not disclosed publicly.

the Managing Director, Touch and Pay, (TAP) technologies, the organisation responsible for implementing the project, Olamide Afolabi explained that agents at accredited parks will collect manifests and digitise them by verifying passengers’ phone numbers and National Identification Numbers (NIN).

Afolabi noted that information collected will be linked to the motor parks, the vehicle’s plate number and the driver through a unique identification code, saying the information will be connected to the Ministry of Transportation’s database.

He further mentioned that the initiative will also help the government phase out unregulated “mushroom” motor parks that have been posing threats to lives and property.

The State Secretary of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Comrade Usman Teslim praised the state government for this progressive initiative.

Teslim highlighted the successful collaboration between the Ministry, the consulting firm and the NURTW in making this transition from an analogue to a digital platform possible.

A fatal road accident which occurred in Mairuwa village along the Funtua-Sokoto highway claimed the lives of 15 people on Saturday.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) attributed the accident to preventable causes, pointing to vehicle maintenance issues and driver negligence as key factors.

The accident occurred around 11 a.m. when a Toyota Hiace bus carrying passengers from Kano suffered a tyre burst, causing the driver to lose control.

The bus then collided head-on with a Sino truck belonging to the Dangote Group, leading to multiple fatalities, with most victims being passengers in the bus.

According to a statement by FRSC spokesperson Olusegun Ogungbemide, the crash involved 28 people: 23 male adults, 1 female adult, 1 male child, and 3 female children. Of those, 15 individuals—11 male adults, 1 female adult, and 3 female children—lost their lives. Thirteen others sustained injuries and were transported to Funtua General Hospital for treatment.

FRSC Corps Marshal Shehu Mohammed expressed deep concern over the incident, emphasising the need for proper vehicle maintenance and adherence to traffic regulations to avoid such tragedies.

He urged transport unions, fleet operators, and individual vehicle owners to ensure their vehicles are roadworthy and highlighted the importance of routine checks, observing speed limits, and following traffic laws to prevent similar incidents.

The Nigerian Air Force Component from Operation Hadin Kai (OPHK) conducted strategic airstrikes against ISWAP camps in southern Lake Chad, resulting in significant militant casualties.

Intelligence sources told Zagazola Makama, a security expert that the targeted strikes on November 6, focused on camps led by notorious ISWAP commander Usman Russia, specifically hitting locations at Kwallaram and Arainna Ciki islands near Jibilarram in Marte Local Government Area.

Impeccable sources relayed the ground assessment report that the attack was highly successful, confirming that over 70 ISWAP fighters were neutralized at the Kwallaram camp.

He noted that while the exact number of casualties at Arainna Ciki remains uncertain, sources indicate that several terrorists were also killed in this coordinated assault.

“This successful Airstrikes could be described as arguably one of the most successful strikes undertaken by the Air Component of Operation Hadin Kai,” he said.

Meanwhile, following the strike, on November 7, reports emerged that ISWAP had mobilized additional fighters from its Sambisa wing, regrouping in Kusuma and Sigir in Gamboru Ngala Local Government Area.

The locations are within the territory under Usman Russia’s control, with mobilized fighters reportedly including elements from Sambisa Forest and northern border areas of Cameroon. The group’s intent remains unknown.

Nigerian troops have killed 169 terrorists and arrested 641 of them. Troops also arrested 40 oil thieves and rescued 181 kidnapped hostages.

Spokesman Defence Media Operations, Major General Edward Buba disclosed this in a statement on Saturday.

Buba also noted that troops intensified their offensive against terrorists and insurgents across the country.

He hinted that synchronized air strikes by the air force as well as ground operations by ground forces have dislodged terrorist from their enclaves killing several of them.

“For instance, on November 6, 2024, the air component of Operation HADIN KAI, conducted targeted air strikes on terrorists located at KWALLARAM and ARAINNA CIKI islands in Borno State. The strikes resulted in the neutralisation of over 70 extremist members at KWALLARAM, with several more killed at ARAINNA CIKI,” he said.

“Meanwhile during the week under review, troops neutralised 169 and arrested 641 persons. Troops also arrested 40 perpetrators of oil theft and rescued 181 kidnapped hostages. In the SS, troops denied the oil theft of the estimated sum of One Billion Four Hundred and Two Million Nine Hundred and One Thousand Nine Hundred Naira (N1,402,001,900.00) only.

“Furthermore, troops recovered 192 assorted weapons and 2,970 assorted ammunition. The breakdown is as follows: 106 AK47 rifles, 38 fabricated rifles, 26 Dane guns, one FN rifle, 3 fabricated revolver pistols, 11 locally made pistols, 5 pump action guns, one dummy AK47 rifle, and one unexploded RPG bomb.

“Others are 1,410 rounds of 7.62mm special ammo, 1,074 rounds of 7.62mm NATO, 67 rounds of 7.62 x 54mm, 130 rounds of 108mm, 101 rounds of 9mm ammo, 146 live cartridges, 2 baofeng radios, 7 vehicles, 29 motorcycles, 40 mobile phones and the sum of N729,000.00 only amongst other items.

“Troops in the Niger Delta area discovered and destroyed 20 crude oil cooking ovens, two dugout pits, 42 boats, seven reservoirs, five drums, 50 storage tanks and 83 illegal refining sites. Other items recovered include three pumping machines, three outboard engines, one generator set, one speedboat, eight motorcycles, three mobile phones, and three vehicles among others.

“Troops recovered 914,445 litres of stolen crude oil, 537,325 litres of illegally refined AGO, and 1,285 litres of PMS.

“On the whole, troops operations have severely depleted the ranks and files. Consequently, the terrorists are forced into a desperate recruitment drive on social media, particularly the ISWAP terrorist group. Troops will sustain the offensives to eliminate all threats.”

The Nasarawa State Police Command has confirmed that its operatives rescued no fewer than 14 kidnapped victims and arrested five suspects.

The spokesman of the Nasarawa State Police Command, DSP Ramhan Nansel confirmed this on Tuesday after security operatives raided the hideout of the kidnappers.

“Police operatives attached to Toto Division in collaboration with community youths on November 4, 2024 burst kidnappers’ hideout located at Achido village, a deeply forested terrain bordering the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Kogi state where they rescued 14 kidnapped victims namely: Adamu Abdullahi, Musa Ahmed and Auwal Adamu of Kuje FCT – Abuja,” Nansel said.

Other rescued kidnapped victims, according to the statement on X, are Hussaini Yakubu, Haruna Usman, Jibrin Bature, Isyaka Yakubu, Sule Bello and Yusuf Yusuf all males of Lapai, Niger state.

Others include Yusuf Tashai, Kabiru Iliya both of Rubuchi area of FCT, Sabo Yakubu, Sagir Iliya and Yunusa Danladi of Tanshi village, Kuje Area council, FCT-Abuja.

“Consequently, the operatives arrested five suspects in connection to the crime namely Shuaibu Garba, Umar Mohammed, Yakubu Kasim. Mustapha Adamu and Abdul Mohammed,” he added.

Nansel said that they have all confessed to be responsible for the supply of food to the kidnappers in the forest.

He stated that the Nasarawa Commissioner of Police, CP Umar Shehu Nadada has restated the command’s commitment to continuously partner with members of the community to rid the state of crime and urged the public at all times to say something when they see something.