The FCT Fire Service (FFS) has disclosed that brake failure on the part of a truck conveying Compressed Natural Gas canisters led to Wednesday’s explosions at Karu bridge, Abuja.

The FCT FFS Public Relations Officer, Ibrahim Mohammad, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.

Mohammad said that the truck, which was headed toward Nyanya axis from AYA, lost control and in the process rammed into several vehicles on the route.

Scene of the CNG explosion at Karu Bridge, Abuja
“The impact led to fire which resulted in casualties.

“Figures of casualties have not been given as rescue operation is still ongoing to see the number of lives that are involved

“Some vehicles that were burnt to ashes have to be thoroughly investigated to ascertain whether people are trapped inside them and that is why the search is still ongoing even with searchlights as we speak,” he said.

The spokesperson , however , gave an assurance that once proper search had been concluded, the number of casualties will be disclosed.

He added that the Federal and FCT fire services alongside other sister agencies were at the scene to carry ou operation. (NAN)

A 14-year-old boy, Timothy Amosun, in Junior Secondary School 3, has died after a rainstorm destroyed Mayigi Community Comprehensive High School in Ilase, Ogun.

The Ogun government confirmed the incident on Wednesday through a statement by Mr Lekan Adeniran, Chief Press Secretary to Gov. Dapo Abiodun.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that five other pupils, two teachers, a food vendor, and her seven-month-old child sustained injuries during the tragic incident.

The governor sympathised with the victims of the rainstorm, which caused the collapse of the school building in Ipokia Local Government Area of the state.

He described the incident as a rude shock and a painful tragedy for the affected families and the community.

“We pray God grants the family of the deceased the strength to endure this irreplaceable loss,” the governor said.

He assured the public that the state government would cover the medical expenses of those injured in the rainstorm.

The governor also directed that victims in critical condition be transferred to specialist hospitals within and outside Ogun for comprehensive medical care.

Additionally, Abiodun instructed the Commissioner for Education to visit the victims’ families and assess the damage to facilitate the school’s reconstruction. (NAN)

Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Dangiwa, has said over 90 per cent of land in Nigeria remains unregistered.

He said this has resulted to over 300 billion dollars loss due to longstanding land registration challenges.

Dangiwa disclosed this on Tuesday at the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme (NLRDP), a National Workshop, organised by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Development in Abuja.

He said that since the inception of formal land registration in Nigeria in 1883, the processes have been conducted under a non-compulsory sporadic system.

“This process was slow, cumbersome, opaque and expensive for the average landowner.

“It is not surprising that less than 10 per cent of the entire land in the country was registered in 140 years,’’ he said.

According to him, this has made it impossible for landowners to leverage their assets for economic purposes.

“Nigeria has faced longstanding challenges in land governance including: lack of a systematic, credible, and uncontested framework to identify property ownership, interests, and locations.

“The cumbersome and inefficient property registration process has resulted in less than 10 per cent of land in Nigeria been registered under the current sporadic system.

“Other challenges include the absence of authoritative data to support effective land administration, limited access to available land records, the existence of the Land Use Act of 1978 (now Cap 2004).

“This was without the necessary regulations to facilitate its implementation,’’ he said.

Dangiwa added that the absence of a national institution to advise the Council of State, which was empowered to make regulations for the Act.

He said inadequate data and information for effective land valuation in both urban and rural areas was also a major challenge.

Dangiwa said addressing this issue was not just about administrative efficiency but a critical step towards economic transformation.

According to him, this workshop marks a significant step in the current administration’s efforts to implement long-overdue reforms.

He said that these reforms were essential to unlocking the immense potential of Nigeria’s landed assets for economic growth, wealth creation, poverty reduction, capital accumulation, and national development.

This, he said, could be through the National Land Registration, Documentation, and Titling Programme.

He said the ministry planned to develop and inaugurate a National Digital Land Information System (NDLIS) to modernise land administration.

According to him, this will centralise and digitise land records, reducing bureaucracy and corruption in land transactions.

Dangiwa added that the ministry sought to increase the formalisation of land transactions from less than 10 per cent to over 50 per cent in the next 10 years

He said the ministry remained committed to expanding the formal economy, enhancing the capacity to track and regulate land markets, and improving access to credit for citizens and businesses.

Sen. Aminu Tambuwal, Chairman, Senate Committee on Lands, Housing and Urban Development, said land was one of the most critical assets of any nation.

According toTambuwal, Nigeria continues to face persistent hurdles in land administration and accreditation, including bureaucratic inefficiencies, lack of transparency, and recurring disputes.

He reiterated the Senate Committee’s commitment to providing robust legislative support to ensure the success of the programme.

”These include: strengthening land administration frameworks, conducting oversight to ensure accountability, providing sustainable funding for critical initiatives, and collaborating with state assemblies to harmonise land-related centres,” he said.

Also speaking, Ademorin Kuye, Chairman, House Committee on Public Assets, said Nigeria’s land assets were unaccounted for and the economic implication was that undocumented land could not serve as collateral for loans and investment.

”Poorly governed land leads to illegal encroachment, deforestation, unsustainable agricultural practices.

“The legal challenges are the ambiguities in land titles which force endless litigation, draining resources, and undermining trust in our judicial system.

“It is against this background that this land registration and documentation programme emerges as a beacon of hope, a bold step towards addressing these systemic challenges through innovation, collaboration, and digitisation.”

Also speaking, Dr Ndiamé Diop, the World Bank’s Country Director, who was represented by Dr Michael Ilesanmi, said the National Land Registration and Documentation Programme aligned with the vision of the World Bank to eradicate poverty.

“We are proud to partner with the Government of Nigeria on a number of development initiatives; this particular programme will help unlock the potential of the nation at national and sub-national level for investors.”(NAN)