A truck has rammed into a Lagos State BRT bus at Ibafo bus-stop along the Lagos Ibadan Expressway.

Our correspondent who went to the scene gathered that the accident occurred around some minutes to 6am on Saturday.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps and Police on response call at the accident scene insisted that only their Public Relations Officers were authorised to speak.

However, unconfirmed reports from onlookers noted that several people on the BRT bus were injured.
So This Happened (247) reviews Wofai Fada’s engagement, a fake medical doctor, others

Onlookers accounts noted that the BRT was parked loading its passengers at the bus stop before the truck loaded with cows heading to Lagos rammed into it, taking it off the road to destroy shops and kiosks by the roadside.

The cow truck had been towed a little away from the scene so as not to hinder traffic.

Two influential groups, the Egbe Omo Yoruba Parapo and the Tinubu Shettima Divine Mandate Initiative (TSDMI) 2023, have issued urgent calls for the immediate release of Ambassador Otunba Adejare Adegbenro.

Ambassador Adegbenro, a respected Yoruba leader and diplomat, has been unlawfully detained by the Nigerian police since April 26, 2024.

Egbe Omo Yoruba Parapo, a leading Yoruba ethnic group representing the cultural and social interests of the Yoruba people in southwestern Nigeria, has expressed deep concern over the detention of Ambassador Adegbenro.

The group highlights Adegbenro’s significant contributions to the Yoruba community, particularly in Ogun State, where his efforts have driven progress and prosperity.

“Ambassador Adejare Adegbenro has long been a pivotal figure in the growth and development of the Yoruba race. His dedication to fostering unity, promoting cultural heritage, and championing socio-economic advancements has earned him respect and admiration both locally and internationally,” stated a spokesperson for Egbe Omo Yoruba Parapo.

The group condemns the detention as a violation of Adegbenro’s fundamental rights, noting that it disrupts his ongoing work as an advocate for peace, justice, and mutual understanding among diverse groups.

They urge the relevant authorities to intervene swiftly to secure his release, emphasizing his unwavering commitment to service and integrity.

Egbe Omo Yoruba Parapo calls on governmental bodies, civil society organizations, and the media to join them in demanding justice and fairness for Ambassador Adegbenro. They stress the importance of upholding the rule of law, human rights, and dignity for all individuals.

In a related development, the Tinubu Shettima Divine Mandate Initiative (TSDMI) 2023 has also demanded the immediate release of Ambassador Adegbenro.

TSDMI is a distinguished support group dedicated to promoting the candidature of President Ahmed Bola Tinubu and Vice President Kashim Shettima, as well as upholding justice, democracy, and human rights in Nigeria.

Ambassador Dr. Otunba Adegbenro, described as an illustrious son of Ogun State and a respected diplomat, has been unjustly deprived of his freedom, according to TSDMI.

The group asserts that his detention violates fundamental human rights and international protocols, specifically the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations, to which Nigeria is a signatory.

“TSDMI strongly condemns this blatant violation of Ambassador Dr. Adegbenro’s rights and calls for his immediate and unconditional release. As our Grand Patron, he has tirelessly dedicated himself to the agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and to the service of our nation, fostering international cooperation and advancing Nigeria’s interests on the global stage,” said a TSDMI representative.

The group urges President Tinubu and the Nigerian Police to uphold the rule of law and release Ambassador Adegbenro without delay. They warn that any adverse events during his detention will be the responsibility of the Nigerian Police.

TSDMI stands in solidarity with Ambassador Adegbenro and his family, calling on all stakeholders, both domestic and international, to demand his immediate release and ensure that justice is served.

A 45-year-old driver and member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Tapha Mustapha, and two others, were on Thursday convicted and sentenced to two years’ imprisonment for trafficking hard drugs.

Other convicts sentenced alongside the NURTW member are Andrew Ukelere and Anthony Chiemerem.

The three convicts were earlier arraigned before the court by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, on April 27, 2024, on charges bordering on conspiracy, trafficking in 13.9 kilograms of tramadol and 590 litres of Pentazocine, a psychotropic drug similar to cocaine.

During their arraignment, the prosecutor, Mariam I. Erondu, who was represented by Julian Negedu, told the court that the convicts were arrested with the drugs on March 19, 2024, on the Long Bridge area of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, Lagos State.

According to the prosecutor, the offences committed contravened Sections 11(b) of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency Act Cap N 30, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004, and are punishable under the same Act.

The trio, however, pleaded guilty to the charges.

Following their guilty plea, Justice Kehinde Ogundare, adjourned the matter to Thursday for a review of facts and sentence, and then ordered that they be remanded at the Ikoyi Correctional Centre.

At the resumed hearing of the matter for review of facts, the prosecutor called Mr Benjamin Naetah, a Senior Exhibits Keeper with the agency, who tendered the drugs and other exhibits, which were admitted by the court.

Upon the conclusion of the review of facts, the prosecutor urged the court to convict and sentence the trio in accordance with the sections of the NDLEA Act that they were charged with.

But the convicts’ lawyers, Lilian Omotunde and Ore-Ofe Ogunleye, in their plea for mercy, urged the court to award a non-custodian sentence on their clients, being first-time convicts and for not wasting the time of the court.

Omotunde, who is the counsel for the first and second convicts, said: “The first convict is a first-time offender; he is a member of the National Union of Road Transport Workers. He was contracted by the roadside to deliver a good after Lagos State, but he was caught up by the law.

“The second convict is a 35-year-old medicine store attendant, who was sent on an errand by his master.

“I urge the court to award a non-custodian sentence,” she said.

Also, counsel for the third convict, Ogunleye, urged the court to award a non-custodian sentence to her client.

She particularly cited Section 426(2) paragraphs a, b, d and e of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA) 2015.

Responding to the counsel’s submissions, the prosecutor, Erondu, who also cited Section 311 of ACJA, urged the court to consider the commercial quantity of the prohibited drug seized from the convicts and the damage it would have done to the country.

In his judgment, Justice Ogundare sentenced the first and second convicts to two years imprisonment, while the third convict was sentenced to a year imprisonment.

The judge however ordered both the first and second convicts to pay the sum of N500,000 each, and the third convict to pay the sum of N100,000, in lieu of the jail term.