Four Burnt to Death, 10 Injured as Fire Guts Passenger Bus in Jigawa

By: Zagazola Makama

Four people, including three children, were burnt beyond recognition, while 10 others sustained injuries after a commercial Hummer bus caught fire in Gwaram, Jigawa State.

Security and emergency sources told Zagazola Makama that the incident occurred on February 22, 2025, at about 4:00 p.m., near the Government Girls Unity Secondary School, Gwaram.

The bus, a white Hummer with registration number ZAK 382 XA, was driven by Dalha Saleh, a 40-year-old resident of Galdimari Quarters, Saldigal Village, Zaki LGA, Bauchi State.

It was conveying 44 passengers—25 adults and 19 children from Zaki LGA in Bauchi State to Rabadi Village when the fire broke out from the vehicle’s exhaust system.

According to sources, the fire ignited after a mattress tied to the back of the vehicle caught fire from the exhaust sparks.

The four victims, all from Saldigal Village, Zaki LGA, Bauchi State, were identified as: Ziwaira Hassan, Fatima Hassan, Iyatale Hassan, Halima Muhammad (10 years, female)

Ten other passengers sustained varying degrees of burns and were rushed to Gwaram Cottage Hospital for treatment. The remaining passengers were rescued unhurt.

The sources said that the charred remains of the victims would be released to their families for burial after medical examination.

Zagazola reports that reckless overloading of commercial vehicles, particularly those transporting goods from Kano to Maiduguri, has become a serious safety and security concern.

Every day, buses and vans meant for passenger transport are stuffed with goods that should be carried by trailers, turning them into moving hazards on already dangerous highways.

Despite the presence of numerous security and road safety checkpoints, many of these vehicles pass through unchecked not because they meet safety standards, but because they pay their way through.

These drivers mostly traveled at night to evade strict checks from KAROTA in Kano- Jigawa and passed the night in Potiskum. Then proceeded with their journey in the early morning hours. And during that time, those responsible for enforcing compliance will all be out to collect bribes. No single vehicle will be stopped for any checks.

Various personnel at these checkpoints, instead of enforcing regulations, often turn a blind eye in exchange for bribes, allowing these overloaded vehicles to continue their journeys without scrutiny. Many of these vehicles exceed weight limits, causing faster deterioration of roads and bridges, which leads to costly repairs and more hazardous road conditions.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), police, and other security agencies have been largely ineffective in stopping this dangerous trend. While FRSC officers are stationed at multiple checkpoints, many prefer to look the other way rather than enforcement of the regulations.

Overload vehicles have poor stability which increased braking distance, and there are higher chances of tire blowouts, which can lead to deadly crashes. Incidents like the recent Jigawa fire disaster, where four passengers were burnt beyond recognition, are tragic recollections of this recklessness.

The Drivers always give the excuse that they opted to overload their vehicles to carry more goods in order to cover the cost that they spent giving the security agencies at various checkpoints.

This lack of oversight has further created loopholes that terrorists and criminal groups exploit. There have been several reports of terrorists smuggling weapons, fuel, and other logistics under the disguise of commercial transport. These activities are sometimes being intercepted by the Military Intelligence troops of the Nigerian Army.

There is therefore an urgent need for strict enforcement of weight limits, vehicle safety regulations, and thorough inspections at checkpoints. The government must: Empower road safety officers and security personnel to perform their duties without compromise. Impose severe penalties on both drivers and security personnel who violate or neglect their responsibilities.

Without immediate intervention, the unchecked overloading of vehicles will continue to claim lives and compromise national security, making it easier for criminal networks to operate freely across Nigeria’s highways.

Four Burnt to Death, 10 Injured as Fire Guts Passenger Bus in Jigawa

NAPTIP Intercepts 13 Victims of Human Trafficking at Abuja Airport

… Seals Up Hotel in Abuja, Rescues 11 Underaged Victims of Sexual Exploitation

By: Michael Mike

The National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP) with the support of Partners, has intercepted 13 girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking en route to Baghdad, Iraq for sexual and labour exploitation.

A statement by the spokesman of the agency, Vincent Adekoye on Tuesday read that the girls whose ages range between 19 and 39 years old were allegedly deceived and recruited by some faceless unregistered Labour Recruiters who are suspected to be agents of a larger criminal labour recruiting gang operating between Nigeria and some Middle East countries.

Adekoye said the victims were incepted at the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport, Abuja, shortly before departing for Iraq.

He said similarly, the operatives of the agency have sealed up a popular three star hotel located at the ever-busy Kwali, in Kwali area council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, and rescued 11 underaged girls suspected of use for sexual expedition.

Adekoye said luck ran out of on the owner of the hotel as she was arrested while other supporting staff escaped, noting that the development came barely one month after operatives of NAPTIP burst a private apartment located inside one of the highbrow estates in the heart of Abuja and rescued nine pregnant girls suspected to be victims of human trafficking.

He stated that the interception of the Iraq-bound girls followed a tip-off by some concerned partners who noticed the unusual movement of some unknown faces at the departure lounge of the Abuja Airport in the company of some timidly looking girls all chorusing the same answer to different questions about their destination, and immediately alerted the agency.

Speaking on the incident, the Director General of NAPTIP, Binta Bello, who witnessed the interception of the first batch of five girls at the Airport on her way out of Abuja for an official duty to Adamawa, expressed displeasure over the level of deceit by the traffickers and called on parents and guardian to always be careful of fake promises for their children and wards.

Shel said: “I wish to point out that our action is in line with the provision of the Trafficking in Persons (Control of Activities of Organisations and Centres) Regulations 2019, which empowers NAPTIP to issue clearance certificates to all travel agents or tour operators and intending travellers for the purpose of Educational excursions, Recruitment for Labour, Sporting activities, Cultural, music excursions or competitions as well as all organisations, shelters, and homes offering services for the purpose of rehabilitation of trafficked persons.

“The case at hand is pathetic because these girls were deceived and recruited for a supposed job in Baghdad by unlicensed labour recruiters who are not known to any constituted authority in Nigeria. This implies that should anything happen to these girls; we will not be able to hold anyone responsible because they are undocumented labourers.

Also, they were issued 60 days visa and yet signed a labour agreement of two years with them, noting that the implication of this is that as soon as the visa expires, they are at the mercy of the master and lose all legal rights to demand anything including their legitimate salary.

“Investigation revealed that they will be paid a sum of 250 dollars as monthly salary by their tax master out of which they will remit four months’ salary to the agent here in Nigeria and another huge sum to the agent in Iraq.

“From the testimonies of scores of victims who passed through the same condition, they were never paid regularly as expected, maybe four or five months only for the agreed contract period of two years. In fact, the major issue with their master is when they ask for their salary to be paid.

“It is painful that while unspecified numbers of victims are in those volatile and war-torn destination countries seeking help to be rescued, these are happily embarking on a journey to the unknown.

“We are seriously worried about the situation because some who were rescued recently came home with life-threatening medical conditions while others escaped with a life-threatening wound and everlasting scars inflicted on them by their masters.

“We cannot close our eyes and allow these ones to join the statistics of stranded victims who will are calling on social media for help. We are also on the lookout for the unscrupulous unregistered recruiters who are behind all these scenarios.

“While sincerely appreciating the Management of the Nnamdi Azikwe International Airport with particular reference to the airport manager and his security personnel, the officials of the various airlines and sister law enforcement agencies who provided one form of assistance or the other to us, I wish to sue for more cooperation to rescue these girls from the deceit of the mindless traffickers”, the Director General said.

NAPTIP Intercepts 13 Victims of Human Trafficking at Abuja Airport

NDLEA busts trans-border drug cartel, arrests 4 members in Onitsha, Keffi

By: Michael Mike

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have busted a trans-border drug trafficking syndicate, arresting four members arresting four during which multi-million-naira worth of tramadol pills were recovered.

According to the spokesman of the anti-narcotics agency, Femi Babafemi in a statement on Sunday, the operations which was intelligence-led led to the interception of drugs concealed in the bumper and false bottom of sienna buses heading to border towns.

Babafemi said following weeks of intelligence and surveillance operations by operatives of the Directorate of Intelligence in NDLEA, a Sienna bus marked ABJ 452 HG was intercepted at Nasarawa- Toto road, Keffi, Nasarawa state on Tuesday 27th January 2025 at 6a.m. Two suspects: Zahradeen Adamu, 27 and Abubakar Usman, 44, were arrested in the vehicle coming from Onitsha, Anambra state enroute Yola, Adamawa state. Also a second Sienna bus driven by Abba Usman, 48, was also intercepted.

He said during a search of the two vehicles, specially constructed steel compartments were discovered after the removal of the back bumper where a total of 190,960 pills of tramadol were concealed and, in the space, designed to house the spare tyre of the vehicles.

Babafemi said investigations revealed that an Onitsha, Anambra state-based dealer, Kingsley Mbaeri was the supplier of the seized tramadol consignment, adding that a swift follow up operation led to the arrest of Mbaeri at his Uga Street, Onitsha home on 29th January.

He said two vehicles: a Toyota Corolla car marked FGG 948 MF and a Toyota Sienna bus marked GWA 23 HH were recovered from his house.

The spokesman said in another interdiction, operatives of the Intelligence Department intercepted a commercial bus coming from Onitsha, Anambra State at Abaji checkpoint, FCT Abuja on 4th February, adding that a passenger in the bus, Chimezie Ojingwa, 32, carrying motor spare parts in a black bag was arrested. When his bag was searched, 404.47 grammes of methamphetamine; 506.49 grammes of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis and 262.32 grammes of dimethyl sulfone, a precursor substance for mixing meth, all of which were concealed in the motor parts were recovered.

In Cross River state, NDLEA officers on patrol along Ogoja -Abakaliki road, Yahe last Thursday intercepted 170,000 pills of tramadol in a truck driven by Paul Chukwudi, 31, while operatives at the Apapa seaport in Lagos last Tuesday recovered 85,400 bottles of codeine-based syrup in a container imported from India.

Babafemi disclosed that two suspects: Halilu Isa and Gambo Umaru were nabbed at Bama road, Maiduguri, Borno state last Friday with 60 compressed blocks of skunk, a strain of cannabis, weighing 72 kilogrammes while NDLEA operatives in Ekiti state last Tuesday raided a notorious drug joint at Iloda street, Ikole-Ekiti where they arrested three suspects: Bala Muhammed, 57; Yahaya Adamu, 55, and Abdullahi Shehu, 30. A total of 83 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from them.

In Lagos, 28-year-old Samiat Yussuf was on Saturday arrested by operatives during a raid of her Lekki home where 169.5 litres of nitrous oxide popularly known as laughing gas and 111 grammes of Loud were recovered. Not less than 132.84 kilogrammes of skunk were recovered from two suspects: Ibrahim Usman, 40, and Solomon James, 40, in Taraba. While Usman was nabbed with 88 kilogrammes of Arizona and Ghana Loud at Wukari, James was arrested with 44.84 kilogrammes of same substance at Takanaba, Sabongari, in Jalingo LGA.

Across the country, according to Femi Babafemi, NDLEA commands continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization lectures and advocacy visits to worship centres, schools, workplaces, palaces of traditional rulers and communities all through the past week.

Meanwhile, the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Buba Marwa (Rtd), while commending the officers and men of Directorate of Intelligence, Apapa, Cross River, Borno, Ekiti, Taraba, and Lagos commands of the agency for the arrests and seizures of the past week, also applauded their compatriots in all the commands across the country for intensifying the WADA sensitization lectures and advocacy messages to every part of their areas of responsibility.

NDLEA busts trans-border drug cartel, arrests 4 members in Onitsha, Keffi