Category Nigeria News

Seven people have died in a lone road crash along the Kiyawa–Azare Road in Jigawa State after a commercial bus lost control and somersaulted multiple times, police confirmed on Sunday.

The accident occurred near Jigawan Kurma village in Kiyawa Local Government Area.

According to the police, the Toyota Hummer Bus travelling from Kano to Potiskum with 18 passengers on board suffered a sudden rear tyre burst while on speed.

“The vehicle lost control instantly, somersaulted several times, and veered off the road,” a police spokesperson said, describing the scene as “severe and tragic.”

A team from the Motor Traffic Division, led by the Divisional Police Officer in Kiyawa, was dispatched to the crash site for rescue operations.

Police said seven people, including the 70-year-old driver, Mallam Ibrahim Potiskum, died on the spot.

“Seven occupants sadly could not survive the impact,” the statement added. “We have secured all recovered luggage and deposited the bodies at the hospital mortuary. Efforts are ongoing to identify and contact the families.”

READ ALSO: Road Accidents May Claim 65,000 Lives By 2030 Without Investment In Safety — Chidoka

Eleven injured passengers were rushed to the General Hospital in Dutse.

Medical officials confirmed that four of them have been treated and discharged, while the remaining victims are still receiving care.

Jigawa State Commissioner of Police, CP Dahiru Muhammad, expressed sympathy to the bereaved families.

“Our hearts go out to everyone affected by this unfortunate incident,” he said. “We pray for the quick recovery of the survivors.”

He also issued a reminder to motorists to prioritise safety on the highways.

“We urge drivers to carry out routine checks, maintain their vehicles properly, and drive with caution. Tyre bursts, excessive speed, and fatigue remain major causes of fatal crashes in Nigeria,” he warned.

Road safety experts continue to raise concerns about Nigeria’s high rate of preventable road deaths.

“Tyre-related crashes are still among the top contributors to fatalities on our roads,” one expert noted, calling for stricter enforcement of vehicle maintenance standards.

Over 9,000 beneficiaries have been recorded as the Federal Ministry of Education, in collaboration with the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund) and the Bank of Industry, has rolled out the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF).

The new scheme is designed to improve the welfare of academic and non-academic staff across Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

In a statement released on the official X handle of the National Orientation Agency on Monday, under the initiative, eligible staff of federal and selected state universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education can access interest-free loans of up to ₦10 million, repayable over a maximum of five years, following a 12-month moratorium.

According to details released by the Ministry, about 248 institutions nationwide have been cleared to participate in the programme.

These include all federal universities, polytechnics, and colleges of education, as well as one state university, one state polytechnic, and one state college of education in each state.

READ ALSO: FG Opens Portal For ₦50m Student Venture Grant

The Ministry also confirmed that in the first phase of disbursement, more than 9,000 staff members of eligible institutions have already received payments under the scheme.

The over 9,000 beneficiaries account for 28 per cent of the 33,000 verified applicants drawn from around 219 federal and state tertiary institutions.

A former minister of aviation and former corps marshal of Federal Road Safety Corps, Osita Chidoka, has called on the government to invest in safety and precaution measures on the roads to avoid accidents on the highways.

Chidoka made the call on Monday during an interview with Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

READ ALSO: UPDATED: Policeman, Five Others Dead As Trucks Collide On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

He said that if the government failed to invest in road safety, by 2030 at least 65,000 lives would have been lost to road crashes if care is not taken.

“No country loses 5,000 people from a particular incident and does nothing. But let me tell you the price of doing nothing, if we do nothing and this thing keeps growing at the current 10 per cent between 2024 and 2025, and FRSC remains without patrol vehicles and fueling to go about at least reducing speed on our highway, by 2030, we would have lost at least 65,000 Nigerians from road crashes.

“It could be me, it could be you, and could be anybody, and that is not good enough,” Chidoka said.

‘Vision Zero Possible’

The former minister further stated that it was possible to reduce fatalities and serious injuries in road crashes.

“Vision zero is possible, and I tell people that I’m passionate about road safety. Road safety is not the same as FRSC. FRSC is the Federal Road Safety Corps, but road safety is an issue that Nigerians should be interested in,” he noted.

“I am saying to Mr President, we don’t need any new legislation, we don’t need any new laws.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bauchi Zone, has raised the alarm over what it described as the Federal Government’s lack of commitment to resolving lingering issues in the nation’s university system.

It warned that another nationwide strike may be imminent if urgent actions were not taken.

READ ALSO: ASUU Suspends Warning Strike, Gives FG One Month To Address Demands

Speaking during a press conference held at Plateau State University (PLASU), Bokkos, on Saturday, November 15, 2025, the zonal coordinator, Timothy Namo, claimed that the government had shown little interest in addressing key matters despite the suspension of the union’s two-week warning strike declared on October 13, 2025.

Namo recalled that ASUU suspended the warning strike on October 21 after a National Executive Council (NEC) emergency meeting, where the union observed an overwhelming show of support from students, the media, labour unions, the National Assembly, and concerned Nigerians.

The suspension, he said, was intended to create room for meaningful engagement and resolution.

‘Nothing Substantial Achieved’

However, he lamented that “barely one week to the expiration of the four-week window given to the government, nothing substantial has been achieved”.

According to him, the NEC meeting held from November 8 to 9 at Taraba State University rejected the salary increment proposal presented by the government, describing it as “a drop in the ocean, far below expectations to reverse the brain drain syndrome that has crippled the university system across Nigeria”.

He stressed that while some non-monetary aspects of the renegotiation process had recorded progress, the most critical components—salaries and working conditions—remain unresolved.

He also frowned at what he termed a deliberate attempt by some government officials to undermine negotiations.

“There is no sufficient evidence from the government’s response so far to suggest that education is a priority in Nigeria and that the government truly desires to avert a crisis in the universities,” Namo said.

He criticised the partial payment of promotion arrears dating back to 2017 and the release of third-party deductions as inadequate gestures, saying they do little to rebuild trust.

‘Lack Of Political Will’

Contrary to the government’s claims of insufficient funds, ASUU cited financial allocations showing significant increases to both federal and state governments.

Namo further noted that states received ₦3.92 trillion in 2022 and ₦5.81 trillion in 2024, while the Federal Government received ₦3.42 trillion in 2022 and ₦4.65 trillion in 2024, representing increases of more than 62 per cent and 70 per cent, respectively.

“These statistics confirm that it is not lack of funds but lack of political will and misplacement of priorities that make education suffer in Nigeria,” he insisted.

The union called on traditional rulers, civil society organisations, student bodies, the Nigeria Labour Congress, and the National Assembly to intervene to prevent another disruption of academic activities.

Namo also urged the government to use the remaining days of the negotiation window wisely, saying the surest way to safeguard the nation’s future is through massive investment in education.

The Edo State Government has said it will launch a full-scale probe into the Edo Museum of West African Arts (EMOWAA/MOWAA) project, with officials alleged to be involved in financial mismanagement expected to face questioning

Commissioner for Information, Kassim Afegbua, disclosed this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily programme.

Afegbua said the state now has documents indicating possible financial infractions and is prepared to ensure full accountability.

“Yes, there is a plan for a probe,” he said. “Proper investigation will be done based on the documents we now have at hand. People are going to be asked questions and will have to answer on financial profligacy and malfeasance.”

He explained that the project is fully owned by the Edo State Government and largely funded with taxpayers’ money.

He added that international donor partners who contributed financially would also demand clarity on how their funds were managed.

The Commissioner raised concerns over what he described as the “secretive” overnight change of the project’s name from Edo Museum of West African Arts to Museum of West African Arts.

He said the state would not relinquish ownership, insisting that official documents still reflect full government control.

Afegbua confirmed that the government would work with Interpol, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), and other agencies to ensure a transparent investigation.

He noted that the immediate past governor, Godwin Obaseki, had previously set up a committee chaired by Senator Adams Oshiomhole to conduct preliminary checks before the matter was escalated.

Describing the financial concerns as straightforward, he revealed that estimates from the quantity surveyor showed the pavilion construction cost was ₦4.1 billion, out of which ₦3.8 billion had already been paid, with clear progress milestones documented.

“We are only saying, hand over to the Edo State Government what belongs to the Edo people instead of converting it overnight to yourselves,” he said.

READ ALSO: Chelle Blames ‘Voodoo’ After Crushed World Cup Hopes

Afegbua also queried staff and trustee appointments, alleging that key decisions were made “singlehandedly” without the government’s knowledge, despite the state contributing 95% of the funding.

He added that donor countries “should be asking Obaseki, Ihenacho and others: where is our money?”

The Commissioner noted that the project began under the Legacy Restoration Trust before transitioning to EMOWAA and later MOWAA, emphasising that state funds were committed at each stage with Executive Council approval.

The police say they have deployed operatives to the Danko/Wasagu Local Government Area of Kebbi State, following the abduction of students from the Government Girls Comprehensive Senior Secondary School (GGCSS) in Maga by bandits.

The gunmen were said to have stormed the school on Sunday night and abducted the girls.

READ ALSO: Bandits Abduct 25 Schoolgirls, Kill Vice Principal In Deadly Attack On Kebbi School

According to sources, the attackers killed the school’s Vice Principal, Malam Hassan Makuku, before abducting several schoolgirls.

In a statement by the Kebbi State Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Nafiu Abubakar, on Monday the police said 25 students were abducted by the bandits.

Vigilantes, Others Deployed

Abubakar disclosed that a combined team of additional police tactical units, military personnel, and vigilantes had been deployed in the area.

He said those deployed were currently combing the bandits’ routes and the nearby forest, with a view to rescuing the abducted students and possibly arresting the perpetrators.

The statement partly read, “On November 17, 2025, at about 0400hrs, information received revealed that a gang of armed bandits with sophisticated weapons, shooting sporadically, stormed the Government Girls Comprehensive Secondary School, Maga, Danko district, Danko/Wasagu LGA of Kebbi State.

“The police tactical units deployed in the school engaged them in a gun duel.

“Unfortunately, the suspected bandits had already scaled through the fence of the school and abducted 25 students from their hostel to unknown destination.”

Vice Principal Killed

The police also confirmed the killing of the school’s vice principal during the attack.

“Similarly, one Hassan Makuku ‘m’ was shot dead while Ali Shehu ‘m’ sustained injury in his right hand.

“Upon receiving the unfortunate incident, a combined team of additional Police tactical units, military personnel and Vigilantes has been deployed in the area and they are currently combing the bandits’ routes and nearby forest, with a view to rescuing the abducted students and possibly arresting the perpetrators of the dastardly act,” Abubakar stated.

“In the light of the above regrettable incident, the Commissioner of Police, Kebbi State Command, CP Bello M Sani, had reiterated the Command’s unwavering determination in safeguarding the lives and property of the residents of Kebbi State.