No fewer than 14 passengers narrowly escaped death by a whisker while the driver sustained a minor injury when the bus they were travelling in suddenly went up in flames along the Old Niger Bridge in Onitsha, Anambra State.

Our correspondent gathered on Thursday that the incident, which happened on Wednesday, created panic and heavy gridlock on the bridge for several hours as passers-by and firefighters battled to quench the inferno.

The vehicle, a Toyota Hiace bus, was said to be heading to Asaba, Delta State when it suddenly caught up in flames in the middle of the bridge.

An eyewitness near the scene and trader in the area, who identified himself as Obiora Uzor, said the passengers had managed to jump out of the bus one after the other before the fire finally engulfed the whole vehicle.

Although no life was lost in the inferno, the eyewitness, however, noted that the driver was not lucky enough as he was affected by the flames, which started from the front of the vehicle.

“The bus suddenly went up in flames while in motion and caused panic on the bridge as the passengers struggled to escape having been caught up by the fire. No one knew the cause of the fire.

“It caused a heavy gridlock to and fro the bridge as motorists and other passersby were battling to extinguish the fire before the arrival of firefighters who later controlled the inferno,” the witness added.

When contacted, the Media and Publicity Unit of the Anambra State Fire Service, confirmed the incident, in a statement on Thursday.

The statement read, “The Anambra State Fire Service on Wednesday, October 30, 2024, received a distress alert at 0930 hours reporting of a vehicle (bus) engulfed by fire along the Bridge-head, Onitsha.

“A crew of firemen and firefighting equipment were immediately deployed to the rescue. They extinguished the fire and ensured that it did not affect other vehicles that were plying the bridge.

“The cause of the incident is unknown. No life was lost. The public was advised to alert the fire service in time whenever there is a fire incident and to install fire extinguishers in their vehicles. Remember, fire kills but, we can prevent it.”

It said the firefighters left the scene in the afternoon after extinguishing the fire.

Our correspondent, who visited the scene on Thursday evening observed that the vehicle, burnt beyond recognition, was still at the scene of the incident, but pushed to a corner at the bridge to prevent an obstruction of movement.

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Two brothers have been nabbed for allegedly killing their female neighbour who they accused of witchcraft.

The incident occurred in Kashin Dila Fulani village, Malam-Madori Local Government Area of Jigawa State, leaving residents shocked and saddened.

According to police reports, the brothers conspired and attacked the victim, inflicting fatal injuries with sticks and knives, leading to the untimely and unfortunate death of the victim.

Arewa PUNCH gathered that the two biological brothers were said to have been suspecting and accusing one Hauwa Yusai (now late) who happens to be the next house neighbour to the elder brother of the duo, of being a witch and practising the same.

Confirming the incident to our reporter via a telephone interview, the Police Public Relations Officer, Jigawa State Police Command, DSP Lawan Shiisu Adam informed our correspondent that the suspects are in custody and will face prosecution any moment from now.

DSP Lawan stated that the motive behind the killing is believed to be rooted in superstition and misinformation.

He narrated that “on October 16, 2024, at 1:30 a.m., the Malam-Madori Division received a distress call regarding an assault on Hauwa Yusai, 55, of Kashin Dila Fulani settlement.

“The victim was allegedly attacked by two brothers – Husaini Ali, 45, and Ya’u Ali, 20, who accused her of witchcraft.”

According to him, the suspects brutally beat Hauwa Yusai with sticks and stabbed her with a knife, inflicting severe injuries.

The spokesperson of the Police in the state explained that, upon receipt of the distress call, a team of Police officers swiftly responded to the scene, rushing Yusai to the Hadejia General Hospital, where she was pronounced dead by a medical doctor on call.

He added that the suspects were arrested, taken into custody, and later transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) in Dutse for a discreet investigation.

However, DSP Lawan revealed that, during interrogation, the suspects have voluntarily confessed to the crime, thus assured that the suspects will face the full extent of the law in court.

He emphasised the commitment of the state command to equity and justice in this tragic case while further assuring that the command will thoroughly investigate and prosecute the perpetrators.

“The police are working to prevent similar incidents in the state.”

In the same vain, the Jigawa State Police Command has urged citizens to report suspicious activities, just as it cautioned against vigilantism.

The incident has sparked more concerns about witchcraft-related violence in the state among others and emphasises the need for awareness, even as the police boss reiterated the call on citizens to avoid taking laws into the hands.

A female doctor, Ganiyat Popoola, who was kidnapped on December 27, 2023, has regained her freedom after 10 months in captivity.

A registrar in the Department of Ophthalmology at the National Eye Centre, Kaduna, Popoola, was abducted along with her husband and nephew.

Her husband was released in March, while Popoola and her nephew remained in captivity.

Popoola’s kidnapping had sparked widespread outrage, particularly among the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors (NARD), which went on strike in August to press for their colleague’s release.

The President, Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Tope Osundara in a statement, confirmed the release of Popoola and her nephew .