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Many feared dead, vehicles burnt as petrol tanker explodes in Enugu

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Many commuters have been feared dead and eight vehicles burn as fuel laden tanker fell and exploded at Ugwu- Onyeama axis of the Enugu-Onitsha Expressway on Saturday.

The Director, Enugu State Fire Service, Chief Okwudili Ohaa confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Enugu.

Ohaa, told NAN that gallant fire fighting officers of the service the extinguished the fire which lasted over an hour.

The Chief Fire Officer that the number of casualties in the inferno were uncertain as the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and other security agencies are trying to evacuate the charred bodies of the victims.

He said that about eight vehicles were burnt and scores of road users, who scampered for safety, must had been injured in the incident.

“The suspected petroleum-ladened tanker fell and exploded into flames at about 11:30a.m. and the gallant fire fighting officers from our 9th Mile Station immediately rushed to the scene; but got overwhelmed.

“I have to immediately send for re-enforcement from the Ogui Road and Government House Fire Stations that supported the 9th Mile team.

“It took the combined efforts of 10 experienced and gallant fire fighters to extinguish the fire before other para-military personnel came to evacuate corpses and rescue those injured to nearby hospitals,” he said.

The chief fire officer thanked members of the public for quickly alerting the state fire service about the incident.

However, eyewitnesses described the tanker blast as devastating as it destroyed nearby vehicles and causing widespread panic.

They said that initial rescue efforts were hindered by the intensity of the fire – intense dark and choking smoke; thus, making it difficult for bystanders to access the scene until the fire fighters put the raging inferno under control.

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They also said that some victims and vehicles were burnt beyond recognition. (NAN)

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Kaduna State to hold education summit – Commissioner

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Kaduna State Government will convene an Education Summit as part of its strategy to bring about transformative change in the education sector, which will be anchored on four strategic pillars.

The Commissioner for Education, Professor Muhammad Sani Bello, who disclosed this while inaugurating the steering committee, further said that the event will be titled KADA EDUPACT International Summit 2025″.

According to him, one of the pillars is the Policy/Governance/Innovative Education Financing Pillar.

The Commissioner also listed the Access and Retention, Credible Learning Outcomes From Quality Inputs Pillars, as well as the Technology and Innovation pillars.

Prof Bello argued that the main objective of the summit is “to forge an Educational Pact between the government and the people, establishing commitment to shared model for education delivery, measurable outcomes and clearly defined negotiables.”

He further said that experts will make motivating presentations, adding that the Summit will provide opportunity for robust discussions on local and international investments in education, policy-making as well as technological innovations for improved teaching and learning.

The Commissioner also assured that a comprehensive education development roadmap for Kaduna State would fashioned out during the summit.

He said that the Director General of Kaduna State Schools Quality Assurance Authority, Professor Usman Abubakar Zaria, will coordinate the activities of the steering committee, whose membership cuts across relevant Ministries Department and Agencies.

Sub-committees to handle various aspects of the summit were announced immediately after the steering committee was inaugurated.

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Police Bust Human Trafficking Ring In Oyo, Rescue 84 Victims

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The Oyo State Police Command has uncovered a human trafficking ring in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

In a major operation, the police rescued 83 individuals and a child from a house in the Orogun area of the city, where they had allegedly been held for an undisclosed period.

Preliminary reports suggest that the victims, believed to be nationals of the Democratic Republic of Congo, were lured to Nigeria under the pretence of being offered employment opportunities.

There are also claims that the perpetrators extorted significant sums of money, reportedly in dollars, from the victims’ parents and relatives as part of the elaborate scheme.

The rescued individuals are currently at the Police Headquarters in Eleyele, Ibadan, where authorities are conducting further investigations to ascertain the full details of the case.

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Pope Francis Laid To Rest In Santa Maria Maggiore Basilica

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Pope Francis was buried inside his favourite Rome church after a funeral mass in St Peter’s Square, the Vatican said on Saturday.

Francis, who died on Monday aged 88, was laid to rest during a 30-minute ceremony which started at 1:00 pm (1100 GMT) at the Santa Maria Maggiore basilica in the Italian capital.

Footage shared by the Holy See showed cardinals marking his wooden and zinc coffin with red wax seals.

Cardinal Kevin Farrell, who as camerlengo is running the Vatican’s day-to-day affairs until a new pope is elected, sprinkled it with holy water after it was lowered into a tomb set inside an alcove.

A reproduction of the pectoral cross worn by Francis during his lifetime hung above it.

Francis had asked that the tomb, located near the altar of Saint Francis, be simple and unadorned, reflecting the humble spirit of his papacy.

The tombstone bears only the inscription “Franciscus” — the pope’s name in Latin.

Its marble is sourced from Liguria, the northwestern Italian region once home to the Argentine pontiff’s Italian ancestors.

Francis, born Jorge Bergoglio, had specified in his will the exact spot he wanted to be buried, in the side nave of the beloved fifth-century AD church.

The pontiff was devoted to the worship of the Virgin Mary and made a point of praying in Santa Maria Maggiore before leaving on trips abroad and upon his return to Rome.

Located in the heart of Rome, the basilica already holds the tombs of seven popes.

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