No fewer than nine persons lost their lives in a road accident that occurred along the Abakaliki-Enugu highway in the early hours of Friday, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

The accident occurred along Ezzangbo portion of the Abakaliki-Enugu highway and involved a Toyota Sienna bus and an articulated vehicle with registration number HKW 436 XA.

Mr Charles Abuochi, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ebonyi, confirmed the story in an interview with NAN.

He, however, said that the details of the auto crash were still sketchy.

There is an accident that happened along the Ezzangbo portion of the Abakaliki-Enugu Federal highway.

Our men are still at the scene of the crash to ensure free flow of traffic.

Preliminary report confirmed that nine persons died on the spot while one person sustained injuries and had been rushed to the Federal Teaching Hospital Abakaliki.

Corpses of deceased victims have been deposited at the mortuary.’’

According to him, the accident victims were party supporters travelling to Enugu to observe the Appeal Court ruling on the Ebonyi Governorship Election Petition Tribunal.

He said that the driver of the Sienna bus was moving on a high speed when he lost control of the wheel, skidded off his lane and crashed into the articulated vehicle coming from the opposite direction.

Abuochi expressed regret over the loss of many lives in the accident.

He said the FRSC was ready to make Christmas and New Year celebrations accident-free and warned motorists and other road users to obey road traffic laws.

We sympathise with the families of the deceased but I want to assure the general public that the FRSC is ready and prepared to ensure accident-free Yuletide.

We wish to advise that motorists and other road users should comply with safety standards to prevent the loss of lives and property of the passengers.

Our men have been fully mobilised and deployed to several accident flashpoints for proper surveillance,’’ he said. (NAN)

There was drama at Ejigbo Magistrates’ court in Lagos State western Nigeria, on Tuesday after a 22-year-old man who was arrested and charged before the court did the unthinkable by jumping off the court’s storey building to evade trial.

The suspect, Tomiwa Bolaji, had already beat the court security guards and was attempting to escape through the adjoining street close to the court premises.

Both the court registrar, security guards and police officers present pursued him and later re-arrested him in the street and brought him back into the courtroom to face trial.

The incident caused tension at the court premises as the litigants present were apprehensive.
Tomiwa Bolaji was brought to the court and arraigned for allegedly stealing a generator set valued at N25,000 belonging to Moses Udeze.
The incident happened at 11, Adenekan Street where Udeze resides.

While he was escaping with the generator, he was caught by the residents and handed over to the police at Ejigbo Division.

At the station, Bolaji confessed that he actually stole the set to sell in order to raise money.
He was charged to court on a one count charge of stealing under the Criminal Code.

When he was arraigned, he pleaded guilty.
The prosecutor, Mr Ishaku Babaji urged the court to give a short date to enable him present fact and sentence.

Consequently, the presiding Magistrate, Mrs J. O. E. Adeyemi ordered him to be remanded in prison custody at Kirikiri pending the date for fact and sentence.

The matter was adjourned till 14 December for fact and sentence.

While the court officials were preparing for his remand papers, he suddenly got up and jumped off the court building before he was re-arrested and sent to prison.