…As Islamic leaders in Kwara condemn the killing of Hafsoh Lawal

Incessant road crashes have sadly continued to take severe tolls on Nigerians, with the latest report showing that 10 persons have died in Yobe, while three others sustained injuries in an accident that occurred on Damaturu- Maiduguri Road.

The State police command spokesman, SP Dungus Abdulkarim, confirmed this in Damaturu on Tuesday.

He said that the incident occurred at a security checkpoint in Warsala Town around 10 am on Tuesday when a truck loaded with cement and passengers hit a car before it plunged into a ditch.

Abdulkarim said that of the 13 passengers on the trailer,10 died instantly, while the three sustained injuries.

He said the injured had been conveyed to the Specialist Hospital, Damaturu for treatment.

The spokesman said that the investigation revealed that the truck allegedly lost control and rammed into a car at the checkpoint before it made its way into the ditch.

He said the car driver, who was alone in the car, survived the accident unhurt, but the car was damaged.

In another development, Islamic leaders in Kwara, under the aegis of Kwara State Council of Ulama, on Tuesday condemned the alleged killing of Hafsoh Lawal by one Abdulrahman Bello for ritual purposes.

The leaders included the Chief Imam of Offa, Sheikh Muyideen Hussein; Chief Imam of Malete, Abdullah Ibrahim; the Ajanasi of Ilorin; Chief Imam of Gambari, among others 

 Lawal, a final-year student of Kwara College of Education, was allegedly killed by Bello for rituals.

Sheikh Mohammad Salih, Chief Imam of Ilorin, made the condemnation on behalf of the council in Ilorin during a news conference.

Salih appealed to the police command in Kwara to be thorough in its investigations.

According to him, anyone found culpable in a criminal act should be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others with criminal intentions.

“We are interested in the course of justice for Hafsoh and her family. On our own part, we will not relent in assisting the security agencies in getting to the root of the matter.

“Nigerians should avoid the profiling of any community for the sinful acts of a few individuals in our midst.

“Ilorin and indeed, Kwara, are not homes for ritualists. We are known for our Islamic culture, of which ritualism is not a part.

“Ritual acts are offensive to all known religions. We must all rise up and be counted in the war against it,” he said.

The chief imam also said there would be a meeting with various Muslim leaders and clerics to prevent a similar occurrence in Kwara and the nation.

According to Salih, efforts will also be doubled in preaching the correct attitude towards the propagation of Islam.

“Since the unfortunate incident, we have stepped up counselling activities of alfas and other clerics on the best conduct in preaching Islam that Kwara and Ilorin have been known for through the ages.

“The council, therefore, condemns the murder of Miss Hafsoh Lawal by Alfa Abdulrahaman Bello for ritual purposes.

“We commiserate with the family of Hafsoh, who has been thrown into mourning due to the ungodly act of Abdulrahman. In this moment of grief, it is only Allah who can console the family,” he said.

The chief imam also commended Gov. AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of Kwara for the peaceful co-existence which encouraged the growth and development of the state.

… following electric power surge!

On Tuesday, fire gutted some shops in the Ladipo market, destroying goods worth several millions of Naira.

The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, confirmed this in a statement on Tuesday.

He said the agency received distress calls through its 767 and 112 emergency toll-free lines at about 00.09hrs concerning the fire outbreak.

”LASEMA immediately activated the state’s emergency response plans and response team from its Cappa Base.

”Upon arrival at 00.16hrs at the scene of the incident, it was discovered that a warehouse surrounded by shops was gutted by the fire.

”Investigations revealed that the inferno was caused by an electric power surge after public electricity power supply was restored to the area,” he said.

Oke-Osanyintolu said that there was no record of injury or loss of life during the incident.

”Valuable goods worth a fortune were, however, destroyed by the inferno,” he said.

He said that the goods destroyed include electronics, generating sets, bicycles, auto spare parts, phones, and home appliances.

The permanent secretary said that occupants of the warehouse have been sensitised on the appropriate safety measures to take to prevent a re-occurrence in the future. 

 A tanker loaded with Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has exploded in Ibadan, killing its driver and injuring one other person.  

Mr Yemi Akinyinka, General Manager (GM), Oyo State Fire Services Agency, confirmed the incident in a statement made available to newsmen on Wednesday in Ibadan.

He explained that the tanker lost control, rammed into two other trucks, and somersaulted into a nearby pit before bursting into fire.

The GM said the incident resulted in the death of the tanker driver and injured the motor boy.

“The incident happened around Fijabi House, Agbowo, Ojoo/Iwo Road Expressway.

“The agency received a distress call about the fire incident at exactly 2.45 a.m. through a telephone call.

“The service swiftly deployed personnel to the scene and curtailed the fire from spreading to the nearby residential area.

“On arrival, we met three trucks of 20-metre distance from one another involved in the fire incident,

“The driver was burnt to death while the motor boy was rescued alive and taken to the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, for treatment,” he said.

Akinyinka stressed that the tanker was utterly destroyed by the fire while the other two trucks were rescued by the agency’s personnel.

“The agency’s Director of Operations, Mr Ismail Adeleke with team members, the police, and some other security agencies were at the scene to prevent a breakdown of law and order,” he said.