No fewer than 11 people were on Tuesday feared dead in an auto crash involving a bus, Toyota Corolla and a Hilux van along Ibeto/Kontagora Road in Kontagora Local Government Area of Niger State.

Malam Abdullahi Ibrahim, Federal Road Safety Corps Unit Commander in Charge of Kontagora, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Kontagora on Tuesday.

Ibrahim said that 27 people were involved in the accident, 11 died on the spot, while 16 others sustained various degrees of injuries.

He said that the bus was heading towards Kebbi, while the Toyota Corolla and Hilux were going to Kontagora.

He added that the accident was caused by wrong overtaking and speeding.

He said that bodies of the deceased were deposited at the morgue in Kontagora General Hospital, while the injured were receiving treatment in the same hospital.

The unit commander cautioned motorists against reckless driving, especially during the sallah celebration.

A security guard, Oyekunle Abolarin, has been arrested by operatives of the Lagos State Police Command for allegedly using four stolen cheque leaves to withdraw N2m from a school’s account.

The police on Sunday said the suspect’s accomplice, Are Bankole, was also arrested for allegedly providing a bank account which the school’s funds were paid to.

According to the Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi, received a complaint from the proprietress of the private school that withdrawals were made on four different occasions, between April and July 2018, from the school’s account.

Oti said the proprietress, who alleged that she had received four debit transaction alerts to the tune of N900,000, N800,000, N150,000, and N600,000, had urged the police to conduct an investigation to unravel the people behind the withdrawals.

He said operatives of the command were mobilised and their investigation led to the arrest of the suspects.

The PPRO said, “Sequel to her complaint, the Commissioner of Police mobilised a team of detectives from the State Intelligence Bureau, led by CSP Vera Ameh, to fish out the brains behind the felonious act.

“Through diligent investigation, a 42-year-old security guard of the college, Oyekunle Abolarin, of Shoyebo Street, Alapere, Ketu, was arrested. During investigation, he (Abolarin) confessed to the stealing of four different cheque leaves belonging to the school. He thereafter called in his brother-in-law, one Are Bankole, who provided the Diamond Bank account which the various amounts were paid to.”

Oti, who said the suspects were in custody, added that Abolarin told the police that he regretted his action because his boss had awarded scholarships to his four children.

He also said Imohimi advised employers of labour to do a thorough profiling of their employees and keep cheque books and ATM cards away from unauthorised persons.