A 45,000-litre capacity diesel-ladden tanker fell off Otedola Bridge on Monday evening
and went up on flames.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA)  confirmed the accident to newsmen in a brief message.

The agency’s spokesperson, Olawale Afolabi, confirmed the incident in a brief message sent to journalists on Monday, October 19.

According to Afolabi, LASEMA received a distress report at about 4:24 pm and deployed its Tiger team to the scene.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) says its operatives have intercepted a Saudi Arabia-bound consignment of cannabis concealed in a gallon of palm oil at the Mallam Aminu Kano International Airport and seized 8,725 kilogrammes of powdered tramadol worth over ₦6.98 billion at the Apapa Port in Lagos.

This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, NDLEA’s Director of Media and Advocacy.

According to the statement, the operations also led to the seizure of large consignments of illicit drugs across several states and the arrest of dozens of suspects, including an 85-year-old woman in Edo State.

At the Kano airport, NDLEA operatives on Friday, October 16, intercepted a female passenger, Fatimah Ahmad, during the outward clearance of an Ethiopian Airlines flight to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, via Addis Ababa.

A search revealed 511.75 grammes of cannabis, also known as skunk, concealed in a gallon of palm oil. The statement said Ahmad told operatives that her cousin, Abubakar Yahaya, gave her the gallon. He was subsequently arrested at the airport car park.

At the Apapa Port in Lagos, a joint examination involving the NDLEA, the Nigeria Customs Service and other agencies uncovered a shipment of powdered tramadol from India on October 2. The consignment had been declared as maize starch.

A confirmatory test at the NDLEA forensic laboratory identified the substance as tramadol hydrochloride powder. When separated from its concealment on Wednesday, October 14, the shipment comprised 349 bags weighing 8,725 kilogrammes, with an estimated street value exceeding ₦6.98 billion.

In a separate operation at the Tin Can Island Port on Monday, October 12, officers recovered 55 kilogrammes of Canadian Loud, valued at ₦165 million, concealed in a Toyota Sienna vehicle inside a 40-foot container.

The agency also raided Idumota Market in Lagos on October 14, arresting Elizabeth Chidera Kalu and recovering 10,600 ampoules of diazepam injection and 6,500 tablets of Molly from her store.

Two men, Idowu Daudu, 35, and Ahmed Oniyinde, 35, were arrested in Mushin the following day with 59.95 kilogrammes and 61.23 kilogrammes of skunk, respectively.

In another operation, NDLEA operatives intercepted a truck travelling from Trade Fair Market along Iyana Oba on October 15. Two suspects, identified as Tajudeen Adeduntan, a loading manager, and his assistant, Azeez Sikiru, were arrested after officers recovered 18,000 pills of tramadol 250mg concealed in cartons labelled as Rambo insecticide.

In Edo State, operatives raided Warake, Ivhiaro and Ewe/Irue communities in Owan East Local Government Area between October 15 and 16, arresting six suspects and recovering various quantities of cannabis and other substances.

Among those arrested was 85-year-old Grace Ehimeka, who was allegedly found with 179 kilogrammes of skunk at Warake. Other suspects included Ayo Aigberadion, 53, with 220.8 kilogrammes at Ewe/Irue; Ali Garba, 57, with 5.852 kilogrammes; Habib Braimoh, 45, with 100 grammes; Musa Mubid, 35, with two kilogrammes of cannabis, cannabis seeds, tramadol, Swinol and diazepam; and Hope Okoro, 35, with 237 grammes of Loud.

In Ondo State, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, October 17, raided a cannabis farm in the Okemoro Isinbode camp forest and destroyed 7,500 kilogrammes of skunk cultivated on three hectares of land.

Five suspects were arrested during the operation. Recovered exhibits included 92 bags of skunk weighing 1,267 kilogrammes, 11 kilogrammes of cannabis seeds and three kilogrammes of fresh stems, bringing the total weight of the recovered exhibits to 1,281 kilogrammes.

In a separate operation in Owo, officers tracked 53-year-old Okunebe Ndidi to his hideout in Ameyinti on October 16 and recovered 25 bags of cannabis weighing 375 kilogrammes.

In Bauchi State, operatives intercepted a Volkswagen Golf wagon driven by 35-year-old Shamsu Garba at Ragwam village in Katagum Local Government Area on October 14, recovering 894,800 pills of tramadol capsules and Exol-5 tablets.

The same day, officers on patrol along the Bauchi-Gombe Road recovered 291 blocks of cannabis weighing 265 kilogrammes from an abandoned vehicle at Tudun Natsira village.

In Kano State, two suspects, Ali Abdullahi, 38, and Ibrahim Adamu, 23, were arrested along the Zaria-Kano Road on October 13 with 30,100 tablets of tramadol 225mg.

Another suspect, 54-year-old Murtala Dayyabu, was arrested at Niger Street, Malan Kato, on October 14 with 100,000 tablets of Exol-5.

In Kaduna State, a raid at Kayimi village led to the arrest of Mohammed Sani, 48, Zaharadeen Shafiu, 29, and Yakubu Abdullahi, 20, with 496.5 kilogrammes of cannabis.

At Food Palace on Ali Akilu Road, Kaduna, operatives arrested John Ayo David, 39, with 49,500 tablets of tramadol 225mg. In Abuja, a 42-year-old suspect, Odo Jonas Ejike, was arrested in the Utako area on Saturday, October 17, with 29,500 capsules of tramadol.

No fewer than five people have were killed after a diesel tanker crashed into several vehicles along the Iwo Road-Ojoo Expressway in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

According to reports, the sad incident occurred around 10 am on Saturday at Aduloju Bus Stop, opposite Dominion City, and involved a fully loaded diesel tanker and Nissan Micra commercial cars, among other vehicles.

Adeoye Ayoade, General Manager of the Oyo State Road Traffic Management Authority,  confirmed the incident.

Ayoade said the accident was triggered by a traffic build-up following the breakdown of a long trailer carrying motor spare parts around Arilogu at about 5 am.

 He said, “A long trailer carrying motor spare parts broke down at the Arilogu area around 5 am. They said the driver was taken to the hospital while they were waiting for the vehicle that would transload it. So, the traffic started building up there, causing a long traffic.

“The tanker carrying diesel lost its brake and fell. About six vehicles were involved in the crash, both private cars and Micra. The tank on the truck then rolled on top of one of the Micra.

“The five people inside the Micra, two males including the driver at the front and three females sitting at the back, died.”

The Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, Olayinka Ayanlade, who also confirmed the unfortunate incident, said the accident occurred around Kajorepo.

Ayanlade said the state Commissioner of Police, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, immediately directed the Divisional Police Officer in Kajorepo and other nearby patrol teams to secure the scene and rescue those involved.

He said, “Yes, there was an accident earlier today at around Kajorepo. Immediately, this report got to the command, the Commissioner of Police, Oyo State Police Command, CP Abimbola Ayodeji Olugbenga, directed the DPO Kajorepo and other nearby patrols to secure the scene and rescue those involved.”

The OYRTMA GM said the bodies of the victims had been deposited at the Adeoyo Hospital Mortuary, while the damaged vehicles were towed to a police station.

He added that personnel of OYRTMA, the Federal Road Safety Corps and the police were deployed to the scene to manage the situation and restore traffic.

The accident caused heavy gridlock along the busy route as traffic officials directed motorists and worked to clear the obstruction.

However, Ayoade said the affected vehicles had been removed from the road, and traffic had been restored on the route.