Eight school children have survived a ghastly motor accident in Lokoja the Kogi State capital.

Eyewitness account told DAILY POST that the children are pupils of Kingdom Heritage Nursery and Primary School Lokoja.

DAILY POST gathered that the children were returning from school when the sad incident occurred on Thursday at the popular Lokongoma market in Lokoja.

It was further gathered that a heavy-duty truck carrying a container load fell on two small vehicles which trapped the Children.

Through the combined effort of the Nigeria Police, Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), and other relevant agencies, the children were rescued.

The Kogi State Security Adviser Commodore Jerry Omodara Rtd. who was on ground to ensure the rescue of the school children confirmed this to our Correspondent on Thursday.

As of 5:17PM, efforts are still in place to ensure that the truck is evacuated from the road to ensure free flow of traffic.

Two Chinese Nationals have been kidnapped while five security personas have been killed following the attack from some gunmen who invaded a mining site on Zango City, the outskirts of Lokoja, Kogi State capital.

It was gathered that the gunmen in large numbers had a field day on Monday when they stormed a mining site in Zango City and killed five persons, made up of three vigilante members and two staff of the mining site before they abducted two Chinese citizens.

Locals said the unfortunate attack occurred in the evening at about 5 pm and lasted for about 45 minutes when sounds of sporadic gunshots emanated from the hilly range behind Al Azhar International School. They said the suspected gunmen were about 20, with many of them bearded.

It was gathered that while the audible gunshots from the mountain were unrelenting, people hurriedly closed their shops, and panic-stricken locals abandoned their homes to take cover in other places considered safe.

A hunter who preferred not to be named claimed to have participated in evacuating the corpses, identifying the deceased vigilantes simply as Abdulazeez, Tijani, and Yusuf, said gory photos of their remains were sighted.

Abdul, a resident and shop owner in Zango, said he heard the sounds of the gunshots, “Initially, we did not know what was happening, and the gunshots were loud. I had to leave the area along with other people out of fear. This is very bad and worrisome in the state capital. We urge the government to step up security in the state.”

Efforts to reach the police including telephone calls and messages to the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, William Anya, did not yield results.

The Federal Ministry of Works has commenced the rehabilitation of the dilapidated Gamon Bridge, which connects the Benin/Mosogar/Sapele Highway from Mosogar in Ethiope West LGA to Okirighwre in Sapele Local Government Area of Delta State.

This development follows the intervention of Senator Ede Dafinone, who represents the Delta Central Senatorial District. He drew the federal government’s attention to the poor state of the bridge, which urgently needed repair.

Senator Dafinone, in a letter addressed to the Honourable Minister of Works, with reference number SED NASS/FMW/ERGP2024/901 dated July 4, 2024, highlighted the deplorable condition of the Gamon Bridge and the pressing need for repairs.

The letter, titled “RE: Urgent Attention and Repair of Gamon Bridge and Adjoining Road on Benin-Sapele Road, Delta State,” stated:

“The deplorable condition of GAMON BRIDGE, located in my Senatorial District, has been brought to my attention. To avert imminent disaster, I request the intervention of the Honourable Minister, Federal Ministry of Works, as mentioned above.

“The bridge, known as GAMON BRIDGE, was constructed in the late 60s and early 70s. It serves as a gateway to deeper South-South states through the River Ethiope for commuters from the Southwest states. It links the busy Ethiope West LGA to the NPA seaport in Sapele LGA, covering 8.7 km, including the nearly 2.0 km bridge.

“Presently, the non-motorable 8.7 km federal link road, including the near-collapse GAMON BRIDGE connecting the Benin/Mosogar/Sapele Highway from Mosogar point in Ethiope West LGA to Okerighwre in Sapele LGA, requires urgent and emergency intervention from the federal government.

“Moreover, with the recent rains, the entire stretch of the GAMON Bridge and road are frequently flooded due to some alleged remediation slabs cast on both sides by a state agency, which are rather harmful ‘dead weights’ on the bridge, causing stagnant flooding and distorting its engineering and structural design.

“Consequently, I urge the Honourable Minister of Works to provide immediate remediation and intervention to avert an imminent disaster in the area.”

In response to Senator Dafinone’s letter, the Honourable Minister for Works, Engr. David Nweze Umahi, mobilized contractors to begin immediate repairs on the bridge, a development applauded by stakeholders in Delta State.

An elated Senator Dafinone took to his official Facebook page to announce the development, praising the Honourable Minister for the quick response. According to him, “I am pleased to announce that the rehabilitation of the Gamon Bridge, which connects the Benin/Mosogar/Sapele Highway from Mosogar in Ethiope West LGA to Okirighwre in Sapele LGA, has commenced.

“On July 4th, 2024, I brought the urgent need for the repair of the Gamon Bridge and the adjoining Benin-Sapele road in Delta State to the attention of the Federal Ministry of Works.

“Constructed in the late 1960s and early 1970s, the Gamon Bridge has historically served as a critical gateway for commuters travelling from the Southwest states to the deeper South-South states via the River Ethiope. This 8.7 km stretch, including the nearly 2.0 km bridge, links the bustling Ethiope West LGA to the NPA seaport in Sapele LGA.

“We extend our heartfelt gratitude to the Honourable Minister, Governor David Nweze Umahi, CON, for his prompt response in addressing this pressing issue.”

When our correspondent visited the bridge, workers were on-site repairing broken bars and desilting the bridge.