Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, has confirmed a fatal road accident that occurred at Iyana Meiran, along inward Meiran Road, leaving two people dead and three others critically injured.

According to LASTMA spokesperson, Adebayo Taofiq, the crash happened near the Primary Health Centre, PHC, Meiran, when a Dangote Silo Mixer Truck lost control due to brake failure while traveling at high speed.

The truck reportedly collided with a commercial mini-bus (Korope) with registration number EPP 541 YF and four commercial tricycles (Marwa) bearing registration numbers KTU 360 QN, LND 444 QL, LSR 444 QN, and EKY 122 QP.

The collision caused severe damage to the vehicles, trapping commuters in twisted metal and debris.

LASTMA operatives, with assistance from members of the public, rescued the injured, who were promptly taken to Mobonke Hospital on Meiran Road for urgent medical attention.

The two deceased were handed over to the Nigeria Police, who transported the bodies from the scene.

The Meiran Divisional Police Officer also led a team to the site to secure the area and assist with rescue and recovery operations. The driver of the Dangote Silo Mixer Truck reportedly fled the scene following the crash.

Expressing condolences, LASTMA General Manager, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, urged motorists, particularly operators of heavy-duty and articulated vehicles, to ensure their vehicles are mechanically sound before embarking on journeys.

He emphasised the dangers of excessive speeding and poor vehicle maintenance, which remain major contributors to road accidents in Lagos.

Bakare-Oki also appealed to all road users to exercise caution, comply with traffic regulations, and prioritise roadworthiness in the interest of public safety across the state.

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The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, Sokoto State chapter, has suspended its planned street protest over worsening insecurity and resolved to hold special prayers for peace and safety across the state.

The decision was announced on Wednesday by the state NLC Chairman, Abdullahi Jungle, who said it followed consultations and a resolution of the State Executive Council, in line with a directive from the NLC national headquarters.

Jungle said insecurity has continued to take a toll on Sokoto and neighbouring states, noting that many local government areas remain affected.

He said the decision to suspend the protest was reached after stakeholders agreed that special prayers were necessary, in line with the religious and cultural practices of the people of Sokoto during periods of crisis.

According to him, the NLC, working with the Sokoto State Action Committee and other stakeholders, engaged Islamic clerics to offer prayers for peace and security in the state.

The labour leader also called on the Federal Government to intensify efforts to address insecurity in Sokoto and surrounding states, urging authorities to provide adequate support to security agencies.

He stressed that suspending the protest does not mean labour has abandoned its demand for improved security but reflects a peaceful approach to the current situation.

Special prayer sessions were held at the NLC secretariat, attended by Islamic scholars, labour leaders and community members.

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Nigeria’s Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Maitama Tuggar, has delivered a message of solidarity and fraternity from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to the President of Burkina Faso, Capt. Ibrahim Traoré.

Naija News reports that this is as both countries explored ways to strengthen bilateral and regional cooperation.

Tuggar conveyed the message on Wednesday during an audience with President Traoré in Ouagadougou, where discussions focused on cooperation across several sectors, including security and the fight against terrorism.

Speaking after the meeting, the minister said Nigeria and Burkina Faso shared longstanding ties and common security concerns, noting that the engagement was aimed at reinforcing mutual understanding and neighbourly relations.

“We exchanged views on cooperation in several sectors. We also discussed the Nigerian aircraft that made an emergency landing in Burkina Faso,” Tuggar said.

He acknowledged procedural irregularities in the authorisation process for the aircraft’s entry into Burkina Faso’s airspace, expressing Nigeria’s regret over the incident, while emphasising Abuja’s respect for Burkina Faso’s sovereignty and international aviation protocols.

The minister also distanced the Federal Government from remarks made by a Nigerian political party official alleging maltreatment of Nigerian military personnel in Burkina Faso.

“We clearly dissociate ourselves from those comments and express our sincere regrets to the government of Burkina Faso,” Tuggar said.

Tuggar commended President Traoré and his government for their spirit of fraternity and the treatment accorded to the occupants of the aircraft during their stay in Burkina Faso.

He further said discussions covered broader regional efforts to tackle terrorism and violent extremism, noting that Burkina Faso had recorded notable successes in counter-terrorism operations.

The minister reaffirmed Nigeria’s commitment to sustained dialogue, regional solidarity and enhanced cooperation with Burkina Faso and other countries in the sub-region to address shared security challenges.

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President Bola Tinubu has signed an executive order prohibiting the export of wood and allied products from Nigeria.

This was announced by the Minister of Environment, Balarabe Lawal, at the 18th meeting of the National Council on Environment held in Katsina State on Wednesday.

Mr Lawal said the directive, titled “Presidential Executive Order on the Prohibition of Exportation of Wood and Allied Products, 2025,” was necessitated by the need to strengthen Nigeria’s response to climate change and halt the rapid depletion of the country’s forest resources.

According to the minister, Nigeria’s forests are critical to environmental sustainability, providing clean air and water, supporting livelihoods, conserving biodiversity and playing a key role in mitigating climate change.

“The continued export of wood and allied products undermines these benefits and threatens the long-term health of the environment,” Mr Lawal said.

He added that Nigeria’s ecosystem is under severe pressure due to illegal logging and unregulated wood exports, which have significantly weakened the country’s forest cover.

He said all licences and permits previously issued by any ministry, department, or agency for the extraction and export of wood have been suspended and declared invalid.

The ban represents the latest major policy intervention by the federal government aimed at curbing widespread illegal logging and strengthening Nigeria’s climate change adaptation and mitigation strategies.

Not the first time

In 2018, the Standing Committee of the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES) recommended the suspension of commercial trade in African rosewood (Pterocarpus erinaceus, also known as Kosso) from Nigeria.

The recommendation followed Nigeria’s authorisation of massive exports—estimated at over 180,000 cubic metres—to China and Vietnam without evidence that the trade was sustainable.

The move raised concerns about the survival of the species. It prompted Nigerian authorities to impose bans and levies, while also drawing attention to the scale of illegal logging in West Africa.

In 2023, the federal government announced a review of its ban on charcoal export and placed a suspension on the exportation of processed wood and other allied products.

Despite these measures, enforcement has remained weak. Illegal logging has continued across major biodiversity hotspots, particularly in Cross River State, which is home to the country’s largest remaining rainforest.

In Nigeria’s north-east, failed harvests and widespread poverty have pushed many farmers into illegal logging, fuelling a cross-border trade dominated by middlemen.
Between 2001 and 2022, Nigeria’s most forested areas lost an estimated 11 per cent of their tree cover, a trend that has persisted as large-scale commercial interests continue to encroach on protected zones.

Amidst the lingering scourge of climate change across the African continent and globally, experts have encouraged the massive planting of trees as part of measures to boost climate resilience and adaptation due to the inherent ability of most tree species to sequester atmospheric carbon.

However, PREMIUM TIMES investigations have repeatedly shown that the federal government’s afforestation programmes aimed at restoring degraded forests are largely unsuccessful and poorly implemented.

Similarly, weak border controls and lax policy enforcement have also allowed perpetrators of illegal logging to evade prosecution and sanctions.

Suspended licences

Speaking on the operationalisation of the executive order, Mr Lawal said all licences and permits previously issued by any ministry, department or agency for the extraction and export of wood have been suspended and declared invalid.

With the new directive, illegal logging and deforestation are prohibited nationwide, marking a significant shift in Nigeria’s environmental policy framework.

The federal government said the prohibition is anchored on Sections 17(2) and 20 of the Nigerian Constitution. These provisions mandate the state to ensure that the nation’s material resources are harnessed for the common good and to protect Nigeria’s water, air, land, forests and wildlife.

The executive order states that unchecked logging and the commercial exportation of wood products are inconsistent with these constitutional obligations.

Under the policy, security agencies and relevant ministries are expected to enforce a nationwide clampdown on illegal logging and related activities.

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By Myke Uzendu, Abuja

The National Opposition Movement (NOM), a coalition of opposition politicians, labour leaders, and civil society figures, has fiercely condemned President Bola Tinubu’s newly enacted tax reforms, describing them as a “punitive assault” on ordinary Nigerians amid worsening poverty and insecurity and called for its suspension.

NOM called for immediate suspension of the tax reforms’ January 2026 rollout; nationwide consultations involving labour, civil society, SMEs, professionals, and state governments; explicit social protection guarantees; shifting focus to taxing luxury goods, excess profits, monopolies, and corruption rather than poverty; strong legal safeguards for taxpayer rights.

The group stressed that “Nigeria does not suffer from low taxation but from waste, corruption, mismanagement, and policy arrogance. You do not fix government failure by billing the victims.”

At a press conference held on Wednesday at the Shehu Musa Yar’Adua Centre in Abuja, NOM coordinator, Hon. Chille Igbawua, warned that Nigeria stands “at the threshold of multidimensional failure,” with citizens facing unprecedented hardships in safety, food affordability, and basic living costs.

The group accused the Tinubu government of prioritising “political interests and oligarchs” over public welfare, claiming the reforms, set to take effect from January 1, 2026, would impose exploitative burdens, including mandatory tax filings for all adults of taxable age (employed or not) by March 31, 2026, and requirements for business owners to file returns for employees even below taxable thresholds.

“This government continues to ask Nigerians to give more and more while it allows those in public office to take more and more. Tinubu has brought Nigerians to their knees. But Tinubu will not relent till he brings Nigerians to the grave. We will not allow suffering Nigerians to be brought to the grave. We, as Nigerian Opposition Movement have decided to stand up in support of those opposition politicians who issued the letter a few days ago and the NLC and TUC to say enough is enough.

“This tax plan must not take off now. Its implementation must be suspended immediately. This is not tax reform. This tax is a weapon fashioned against the economic wellbeing and social security of suffering and poor Nigerian citizens.

“This government is asking Nigerians who have already been brought down on their knees by the weight of poverty and squalor and have nothing left to give, to give more. No. You cannot tax hunger. You cannot tax poverty. And you cannot tax people into prosperity. Since he came to office, President Tinubu has shown where his heart is. It is not with the Nigerian people. It is with the few oligarchs who are attached to his economic and political interests. The bad policies of the administration are intentionally so because President Tinubu is not committed to prosperity of ordinary citizens. He is committed to getting and keeping political power as a tool of creating wealth for himself and his family and friends. This is bad for Nigeria” NOM stressed.

The coalition highlighted the reforms’ timing as “cruel and irrational,” coming after fuel subsidy removal, naira devaluation, soaring inflation, and electricity tariff hikes that have “brought Nigerians to their knees.” They alleged the plan targets low-wage earners and the unemployed in a country with over 70 million jobless citizens, limited internet access, and weak public services.

The opposition also raised concerns over transparency, questioning an undisclosed Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and a French tax agency for managing Nigeria’s tax regime. They cited allegations of grand corruption in revenue bodies like NNPC and FIRS, unresolved cases from the previous humanitarian ministry scandal, and recent public accusations by businessman Aliko Dangote against a top regulator.

Referencing Nobel laureate Wole Soyinka’s recent criticism of “state privatisation” and undue influence by the president’s son, NOM accused the administration of “state capture” and operating as “Tinubu family incorporated,” with no regard for due process or accountability.

Praising organised labour (NLC and TUC) for resisting impoverishing policies and commending opposition leaders who recently spoke against “tyranny,” the coalition aligned itself with broader calls for change.

Warning of potential social and economic fallout if the reforms proceed without pause, the group declared: “Let President Tinubu let Nigerians breathe. Enough of poverty, insecurity, and assaults on opposition voices.”

The four tax reform laws: Nigeria Tax Act, Nigeria Tax Administration Act, Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Act, and Joint Revenue Board Act, were signed by President Tinubu in June 2025 to streamline administration, broaden the tax base, and raise revenue. Proponents argue they exempt low earners (below ₦800,000 annually), reduce corporate rates, and eliminate nuisance taxes, but critics like NOM contend they lack adequate relief amid current crises.

Present at the briefing were former Minister of Youths Comrade Solomin Dalung, former Members of House of Representatives Hon. Zakari Mohammed, Hon. CID Maduabum, former Spokesperson of Peter Obi Presidential Campaign in 2023 Barr. Kenneth Okonkwo, member of Bring Back our Girls Movement Aisha Yesufu and others.

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Burkina Faso has released 11 Nigerian Air Force (NAF) personnel who were held by its authorities, following intense diplomatic efforts by the Federal Government of Nigeria.

The personnel had been detained for several days before their eventual release after high-level engagements in Ouagadougou.

Release Follows High-Level Diplomatic Intervention

The release came after a Nigerian delegation led by the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Yusuf Tuggar, held talks with Burkinabè authorities, including Burkina Faso’s leader, Captain Ibrahim Traoré.

The mission focused on easing tensions and resolving the matter through dialogue.

Foreign Affairs Ministry Confirms Development

The spokesperson for Nigeria’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Kimiebi Ebienfa, confirmed the development shortly after the delegation wrapped up meetings in Ouagadougou.

He stressed that diplomacy played a key role in the outcome.

According to him, “The release of the Nigerian Air Force personnel reflects the success of constructive dialogue and Nigeria’s commitment to peaceful engagement with its neighbours.”

Delegation Included Defence and Air Force Officials

The Nigerian team was made up of senior officials from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Defence, and the Nigerian Air Force Headquarters.

They were mandated to pursue a peaceful resolution through sustained engagement and mutual understanding.

Reports indicate that the delegation worked closely with Burkinabè officials to clarify issues surrounding the detention and prevent further escalation.

Nigeria Reaffirms Commitment to Regional Cooperation

A senior official familiar with the mission said the visit was also aimed at reinforcing Nigeria’s respect for international aviation and military rules while strengthening regional ties.

“The mission points to Nigeria’s preference for diplomacy and neighbourly engagement. It was a confidence-building visit designed to strengthen trust and reaffirm shared responsibilities in addressing the complex security challenges confronting the Sahel,” the source said.

Optimism Over Stronger Bilateral Relations

Officials on both sides expressed optimism that the successful resolution would further deepen cooperation between Nigeria and Burkina Faso.

The delegation reportedly reaffirmed Abuja’s commitment to regional security collaboration, dialogue, and respect for international norms, especially within the Sahel region.

The incident is expected to strengthen trust and boost collective efforts to promote peace, stability, and security across West Africa.

FG Earlier Dismissed Espionage Claims

Before the release, the Nigerian government had rejected online claims that a Nigerian Air Force C-130 aircraft was forced to land in Burkina Faso over alleged spying activities.

Authorities described the reports as false and misleading.

They also dismissed claims that the detained personnel were intelligence officers involved in covert operations, insisting the mission was routine and in line with international standards.

See more photos below;

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Kasim Sumaina in Abuja

The Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, Wednesday in Abuja said that despite rise in local fish production from 1.1 million to 1.4 million metric tons in year, 2025, the current production level remains below Nigeria’s annual consumption estimate of 3.6 million metric tons.

He disclosed that, though the estimate reflects efforts to boost domestic output, reduce imports, and enhance food security, there’s need to boost local fish production, reduce Nigeria’s dependence on imports, and strengthen food security.

The Minister, stated this while speaking at the 4th Quarter 2025 Citizens/Stakeholders’ Engagement Meeting of the ministry.

Oyetola reaffirmed the federal government’s commitment to repositioning fisheries and aquaculture as key drivers of economic diversification, job creation, and food security under the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

According to him, “The growth recorded in the fisheries and aquaculture subsector reflects targeted interventions by the federal government aimed at strengthening local capacity, improving coordination, deploying appropriate technologies, and enhancing sectoral planning.

“In the area of fisheries and aquaculture, we are working deliberately and with unique agency to boost local fish production, reduce our dependence on imports, and strengthen food security. I’m pleased to report that local fish production has increased from 1.1 million metric tons to 1.4 million metric tons so far this year.”

To further accelerate growth, he explained the ministry has commenced engagements with relevant financial institutions to provide single-digit interest loans to fish farmers nationwide.

While acknowledging the current production level remains below Nigeria’s annual consumption estimate of 3.6 million metric tons, the progress achieved demonstrates growing momentum in the sector and a clear pathway toward self-sufficiency.

Oyetola stressed further that the initiative is designed to improve access to affordable finance, empower artisanal and industrial operators, boost productivity, and support efforts to curb illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing in Nigerian waters.

He, however assured stakeholders that the ministry would continue to deepen reforms, strengthen institutions, and create an enabling environment for sustained private sector participation across the marine and blue economy value chain.

In his goodwill message, the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) Pius Akutah, said the federal government’s commitment to positioning Nigeria’s marine and blue economy for increased investment, innovation and expansion, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

According to him, the meeting’s theme – Positioning Nigerian Marine and Blue Economy for Investment, Innovation and Expansion – reflects the administration’s determination to move the sector to the next level following the adoption of key policies.

The NSC ED, opined the participation of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC) at the meeting is a strategic move to deepen Public-Private Partnerships (PPP) in the sector, adding, “such collaborations are critical to attracting investment and accelerating growth.”

He maintained that as the year draws to a close, stakeholders are renewing efforts to strengthen the marine and blue economy as a viable alternative to Nigeria’s long-standing dependence on oil revenues.

He referenced encouraging performance indicators shared by the Managing Director of the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), as well as Nigeria’s readmission into the global maritime community, as signs of renewed confidence in the sector.

He added the developments demonstrate the Minister’s preparedness for even greater achievements in the coming year.

Commending stakeholders for their commitment throughout the year, he stated the leadership of the ministry has also spurred innovation within the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, which he said would further enhance the Council’s effectiveness and contribute to the overall success of the Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.

Akuta however described the engagement meeting as evidence of the consistency of the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy and his team in implementing the president’s directives and advancing sector-wide reforms.

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By Akpokona Omafuaire

A Delta State High Court sitting in Orerokpe, yesterday, issued an ex-parte injunction stopping and barring the Inspector General of Police, IGP, the Nigeria Police Force, NPF, and Commissioner of Police, Delta State Police Command, respondents in the matter from resuming the enforcement of the tinted glass permit policy nationwide.

The court also barred the police from harassing, arresting, detaining or extorting citizens and motorists on account of the said policy.

The court also restrained the IPG and NPF, their officers, men, agents, privies and/or contractors from continuing to use the Parkway Projects Account (a private contractor’s account) to conduct any government business, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application in this suit.

The order will subsist pending the hearing and determination of the substantive suit.

Trial judge, Justice Joe Egwu, made the orders in an ex-parte application brought by a Nigerian, Mr. Israel Joe in suit HOR/FHR/M.3/2025.

The plaintiff was represented by Mr. Kunle Edun, SAN and many other lawyers.

By this order, the announcement made by the Nigeria Police on its decision to resume the tinted glass permit enforcement on January 2, 2026, has been halted by the court.

The judge said: “An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd respondents, their officers, men, agents, privies and/or contractors from implementing, enforcing or further implementing/enforcing the Tinted Glass Permit Policy scheduled to commence on January 2, 2026, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application in this suit.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd respondents, their officers, men, agents, privies and/or contractors from stopping, harassing, arresting, detaining or extorting citizens/motorists under the guise of enforcing the Tinted Glass Permit Policy, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application in this suit.

“An order of interim injunction restraining the 1st and 2nd respondents, their officers, men, agents, privies and/or contractors from continuing to use the Parkway Projects Account (a private contractor’s account) to conduct any government business, pending the hearing and determination of the substantive application in this suit.

“An order for substituted service on the 1st and 2nd respondents through the 3rd respondent at the Delta State Police Command Headquarters, Asaba, and for such service to be deemed good and proper service.”

The post Court bars IGP, NPF from enforcing tinted glass permit policy nationwide appeared first on Vanguard News.

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We remain resolute to frustrate drug syndicates, says Marwa
A federal High Court sitting in Lagos has ordered the detention of a merchant vessel, MV San Anthonio, from Brazil, a ship, its captain and 20 other crew members.

This followed the seizure of 25.5 kilogrammes of cocaine in the hatch of the commodity vessel from Brazil at the Apapa Seaport in Lagos by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA).
 
Operatives of the NDLEA, acting on credible intelligence, had on December 6, 2025, discovered the cocaine consignment aboard the ship. 
 
After the full discharge of the cargo from the ship, a total of 21 crew members of diverse nationalities, including Russia, Phillipines, Ukraine and Azerbaijan, were taken into NDLEA custody along with the drug exhibits.
 
This is coming on the heels of a similar interception by NDLEA officers of another commodity laden vessel- MV Nord Bosporus, from the port of Santos in Brazil with no less than 20 kilogrammes of the Class A drug buried under its cargo on November 16, at the Apapa seaport in Lagos.
 
Suspects taken into custody along with the latest seized cocaine consignment include the Master of the vessel, Trofymov Oleksandr, and other crew members.
 
They are Stoychev Sergiy, Bobrov Maksim, Stupnytsky Sergiy, Bitinev Aleksei, Novruzov Teymur, Sosnov Oleg, Bondar Ihor, Klymenko Oleh, Cala Michael De Jesus, Jamir Julfikhar Jacusalem, Blanco Crus Veloso, Fajardo Ronnel Luntaao, Gumela Lolito Jr. Serojano, Toston Romulo Jr. Oling, Smirnov Viacheslav, Gorre Mar Kemmeth Tabudlong, Cruz John Vhoie Glavez, Sablan Jamille Alorro, Abesia Kelvin Belarmino, and Ubay Kenneth Biaoco.
 
In line with international legal protocols, the NDLEA on Friday, December 12, 2025, filed an ex-parte application in suit FHC/L/MISC/1408/2025 before Justice Frida Nkemakonam Ogazi of the Federal High Court, Lagos, for the detention of the ship and the 21 crew members pending when charges will be filed against them.

Ruling on the application, the judge said: “An order of the court is hereby made extending the detention of the Vessel MV San Antonio that is being investigated by the applicant, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), for 14 days in the first instance, following the seizure of 25.5 kilogrammes of cocaine aboard the said vessel on December 6, 2025, at Apapa seaport, Lagos, pending the conclusion of investigation and or filing of criminal charge and prosecution.” 
 
The court thereafter adjourned the matter to December 29, 2025.
 
In his reaction to the development, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of the NDLEA, Brig.-Gen. Mohammed Buba Marwa (rtd), said the latest seizure reinforces his earlier warning to international drug cartels and their local collaborators that they would never get a foothold in Nigeria.

Marwa, while commending the officers of the Apapa Strategic Command of the agency for the back-to-back successful operations, said: “This is no doubt a testament to NDLEA’s heightened capacity and unwavering resolve to frustrate the drug syndicates targeting the West African sub-region, especially Nigeria.” 
 
He said the agency would continue to collaborate with local and international partners to ensure zero tolerance for substance abuse and illicit drug trafficking in the country.

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Multiple explosions on Wednesday rocked Auchi, the administrative headquarters of Etsako West Local Government Area in Edo.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondent reports that multiple explosions occurred in three different areas of Auchi at about 6:30 p.m. on Wednesday.

NAN observed that the first blast occurred along Igbei Road, the second at the Igbo Shade area near an AP filling station, while the third explosion occurred along the Auchi–Okene Road, close to Winners Junction.

Properties worth millions of naira were reportedly destroyed, including buildings and shops, across the three affected areas.

As of the time of filing the report, the cause of the explosions was unknown, and the number of deaths or casualties could not be ascertained.

An eyewitness, who spoke to NAN on condition of anonymity, said the explosions occurred almost simultaneously in different parts of Auchi.

The eyewitness added that the blasts appeared to have been coordinated.

The eyewitness described the incident as an allegedly planned attack on the Auchi community and stressed the need for a thorough investigation to prevent future occurrences.

NAN further reports that a fuel tanker fell along the expressway, prompting residents to scramble to scoop fuel.

It took the intervention of the Police Area Commander in Auchi, who mobilised officers to the scene to prevent a possible explosion as the crowd continued to grow.

Meanwhile, a credible source at the Divisional Police Station in Auchi told NAN that the spilt petrol which had flowed into drainage tunnels, later exploded at different locations.

The source, however, added that the areas were cordoned off to prevent loss of lives. (NAN)

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