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Enugu: How Civil Defence Officials Chased 16 passengers to death
It was a tragic Thursday in Enugu metropolis as a commercial bus driver convening 16 passengers to their destination plunged into a valley, killing all the people on the spot.
The incident occurred at the Milliken Hill, Ngwo Old Road, as operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) were pursuing the driver for a yet-to-be-identified offence.
Sources within the vicinity hinted that the NSCDC personnel, who were chasing the driver, shot at the vehicle, forcing it to slide away from the road. The bus caught fire in the process, burning all the occupants.
It was gathered that only a female passenger, who was thrown off the vehicle, survived the accident. She is receiving treatment in an unknown hospital.
The incident gave rise to a tensed atmosphere as residents and commercial bus drivers mobilised in protest of the deaths.
Their attempt to take their protest to the NSCDC office located at the New Market axis, few kilometres to the scene of the accident, was resisted by operatives of the corps.
They fired several shots to scare the protesters away. In the process, one of the bus drivers told journalists that the windscreen of his bus was shattered with bullets.
“We are still talking about the lives they snuffed out of several people few minutes ago and they are still baying for blood,” he said pointing at his shattered windscreen.
“Are they not supposed to be shooting in the air, or even use rubber bullets? But see what they have just done,” he said.
Our correspondent reports that the charged atmosphere was calmed by the Enugu State Police Commissioner, Mohammed DanMallam.
The CP’s arrival saved the situation as commuters, including journalists, were all trapped as angry residents barricaded the Ngwo Road.
Speaking to journalists, the Police Commissioner described the incident as unfortunate, stressing that they would not allow anyone jeopardise the peace in Enugu State.
He said: “What happened is very unfortunate, especially with the peace we are enjoying. This kind of thing should not be allowed. That’s the reason why I am here. I have appealed to them, they should leave everything to us.
“Investigation has started, we asked them, people who witnessed what happened, they should come forward and give us discreet statement, which will help in our investigation. We are assuring them that whoever is involved is going to be brought to book.
“As far as I am concerned, these people you are seeing, they are the major stakeholders, if they are not here, I have no business being here; that’s why I left my office to come and appeal to them. The peace we are enjoying should be sustained.
“The incident that happened in unfortunate, but they should allow us to investigate; whoever is found culpable will be brought to book.”
On the female survivor, he said: “She is in our hospital, she is being treated in the hospital, life is first. I understood she is in stable condition. So, when she has fully recovered, she will tell us what she knows about the incident.
When asked to give some a clue on the possible cause of the accident, the police chief said: “The issue, what we heard is that they were pursuing the bus, I don’t know who is pursuing who, but investigation will reveal what happened. Who is pursuing who and for what reason. But we shall get to the root of the matter in order to give the public the assurance that nobody is above the law. We all know the consequences.”
Meanwhile, when contacted the spokesman of the NSCDC, Denny Manuel Iwuchukwu, said no gunshot was fired at the commercial bus involved in the accident.
“We have a directive from the State Government that nobody should pick passengers along that road. So, when the driver stopped to pick passenger, our operative told him that it was wrong for him to do that.
“As our man entered the bus, he zoomed off with him. So, other officers on ground chased after him. In the process, the bus fell into the vehicle. We chased after the vehicle because he drove off with our man. However, not gunshot was fired,” he claimed.
The Enugu State government has inaugurated a steering committee to eliminate Gender-Based Violence, GBV, in the state, declaring zero tolerance for the social malaise.
The inauguration took place at the Government House Enugu.
The panel, which is chaired by the Commissioner for Children, Gender Affairs and Social Development, Mrs. Ngozi Enih, draws its membership from the Nigeria Police Force, Ministry of Agriculture and Agro Industrialisation, Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development and Chieftaincy Affairs, Ministry of Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Ministry of Trade, Investment and Industry, Ministry of Justice, Ministry of Health, Ministry of Education as well as the Civil Society.
Inaugurating the panel known as the Steering Committee for Strengthening Institutional and Community Responses to End Gender-Based Violence/Domestication of Enugu State Gender Policy using the Oputa Panel approach, Governor Peter Mbah restated his administration’s commitment to not bringing perpetrators of GBV to book, but also putting in place proactive measures – activities, infrastructure, and systems in place to prevent them.
Mbah, who was represented by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, said, “We take gender-based violence seriously. We have zero tolerance for it, and in Enugu State, we are ready to go the extra mile to deal with it.
“If you notice, the government has selected people that are very committed to this goal. This is not an activity where we just want to check-off the list. We will track this. We will monitor this, and we will have quarterly engagements on the successes that this particular committee has achieved in terms of reference that we are going to send.
“We will tighten those terms of reference indicators, so that we monitor what we are doing both in terms of cost input and the value added. It’s very important to us. Many people will be involved – civil society, the police and various ministries.”
He however, said that the effort was to protect everyone, men and women alike, as GBV was not restricted to any gender.
“The whole idea is to hold people responsible that are involved in matters relating to gender violence and deter people that by culture or by association get involved in that, protect women, protect our children, and in the case of violence against men, protect our men because most times we misconstrue gender violence to mean women, but it can also be men too.
“We encourage our men to speak out and to make sure they understand that the policy that Enugu State is soon going to domesticate is for everyone, and not only for the female gender,” he stated.
In her remark, Mrs. Enih, explained that the Oputa Panel approach was inspired by the need to cover all local peculiarities in domesticating the policy on GBV, restarting government’s confidence in the members of the panel.
“The approach we are going to use is the Oputa Panel approach, and in the Oputa Panel approach, we are going to tour the 17 Local Government Areas to get firsthand information about what our people are going through because policy is meant for the people, and a policy should suit the people.
“Again, every community has its peculiar problems, so that’s why the government decided that if we have to domesticate the gender policy, we have to hear from the people who own the policy and know the changes that they desire to see. That is the reason we are using this approach.
“The committee members are to also serve as judges. As we gather this information from our people, we will come back to tailor it in a way to suit the people of Enugu State, and then our policy is ready.
“We want the people to know that there is a gender policy for them. I can assure you that when the people are aware that there is such a policy, they will seek for the enforcement of that policy. So, this is not going to be one of those policies that will just lie on the shelf,” she said.
Digital solutions provider, Globacom, has congratulated Christians in Nigeria on this year’s Easter celebration, and urged them to emulate the noble qualities of Jesus Christ.
The company, in a goodwill message to the Christian faithful in the country, lauded their perseverance through the Lenten period which preceded Easter. It enjoined them to always promote the ideals of selflessness, love and peace among all as a way of demonstrating the virtues of the exemplary life of Jesus Christ.
“Peace, love and sacrifice are the central message of Easter. Christ offered himself in atonement for the sins of the world and he lived a life which made Him an eternal symbol of peace and goodwill for mankind”, Globacom added.
The company enjoined all Nigerians to share in the lessons of promoting selflessness, a necessary ingredient in the growth and development of every society. It also enjoined all Nigerians to join hands to make Nigeria a better place for all.
Easter is celebrated yearly at the end of the Lenten season of fasting and prayer considered as a ritual of purification for the Christian faithful. It also precedes the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus Christ on Good Friday and His eventual resurrection on Easter Sunday.
The company assured its customers of seamless voice, data and Short Messaging Service (SMS) during and after the Easter celebrations, while urging them to avail themselves of the various data and voice offerings on the network.
The Guild of Private Broadcast Managers has extended its heartfelt congratulations to the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) as it celebrates its 70th Anniversary.
In a congratulatory message signed by the Guild’s National President, Ambassador Patrick Uzoyi-Peters, JP MNGRM, the guild described the milestone as a testament to the NUJ’s unwavering commitment to upholding press freedom, journalistic integrity, and the advancement of democracy in Nigeria.
“For seven decades, the NUJ has played a pivotal role in shaping the media landscape, advocating for the rights and welfare of journalists, and ensuring that the voice of the people remains strong and unyielding. Your resilience, professionalism, and dedication to ethical journalism have been instrumental in fostering transparency, accountability, and national development”.
Celebrating this historic achievement, the Guild’s President, Uzoyi-Peters recognized the sacrifices and contributions of journalists across the nation who work tirelessly to inform, educate, and empower society.
The Guild reiterated it commitment towards collaborating with the NUJ in promoting responsible journalism and strengthening the media industry for the greater good.
While wishing the NUJ continued success, growth, and greater impact in the years ahead, President Uzoyi-Peters prayed that the anniversary serve as a renewed call to uphold the principles of truth, fairness, and press freedom in our collective pursuit of a more informed and just society.
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