By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Pastor Enoch Adeboye, has narrated how his ambition to lead a paramilitary group led to a massive scam.

He recalled an incident from years ago when he was deceived by someone claiming to offer him a prestigious position.

He said the man, who presented himself as a recruiter for a new paramilitary agency, convinced him to invest in the venture.

The clergy revealed this in a post on his X handle on Monday.

Describing his decision to trust the man as a lapse in judgment influenced by his past fascination with the military, Adeboye admitted that his desire to fulfil this role led him to act prematurely.

He narrated, “Years ago, I was duped by a man who promised to make me a commandant of a paramilitary group. This man had been sending messages to me through my secretary for a while, and so, one day, I gave him an audience. He explained to me how a Boy-Scouts-like group had evolved into this new agency, and that he was sourcing for who would lead the group spiritually.

“Normally, I ask God before getting involved in anything at all, but this time, my love for the military in my younger days beclouded my best instincts, and I agreed to be their head. He told me that they needed some funding, which I gave as the prospective head. However, I later found out that the man was a fake.”

He, however, noted that the experience birthed the Redemption City corps and a local police post.

“My desire to be part of a paramilitary group made me run ahead of God, but God had already purposed for Redemption City to have its own corps of chaplains as well as a local Police post. He knew the desire of my heart, and He had planned for it to be fulfilled in His own time. I thought that I could bring my desire to fulfilment in my own time, but I was wrong. What I lost in that experience was money, but for someone else, it might have been their life or a loved one.

“However, I later found out that the man was a fake. My desire to be part of a paramilitary group made me run ahead of God, but God had already purposed for Redemption City to have its own corps of chaplains as well as a local Police post. He knew the desire of my heart, and He had planned for it to be fulfilled in His own time. I thought that I could bring my desire to fulfilment in my own time, but I was wrong. What I lost in that experience was money, but for someone else, it might have been their life or a loved one,” he added.

The death toll from the Kaduna Eid-El-Maulud auto crash has risen to 40, with most victims being children.

The incident occurred on Sunday when a J5 bus carrying children to celebrate Eid-el-Maulud lost control due to overspeeding and overloading, colliding with an articulated vehicle along Saminaka Road in Lere Local Government Area.

Initially, the Federal Road Safety Corps reported 25 fatalities, with 48 others injured. However, more victims succumbed to their injuries in hospital, bringing the total death toll to 40.

Kaduna State Governor, Uba Sani, expressed shock and deep sorrow, offering condolences to the victims’ families.

“This is a tragic loss of young lives, and we will do everything possible to support the affected families,” he said.

He directed the state Commissioner for Health to ensure that the surviving children receive urgent and comprehensive medical care.

Reports have it that Governor Sani also plans to reach out to the families of the deceased, demonstrating his commitment to supporting those affected by this devastating incident.

Recall that the accident occurred around 1:00 pm on Sunday when the J5 bus, carrying 63 children, collided with an oncoming articulated vehicle.

The Kaduna Sector Commander of the FRSC, Corps Commander Kabiru Nadabo, confirmed the incident, stating.

“The driver of the J5 bus lost control due to overspeeding, leading to the fatal crash. Fifteen children died instantly, while 48 others sustained varying degrees of injuries.”

Nadabo further explained that 10 more victims later died due to the severity of their injuries, and subsequently, more victims passed away in hospital, bringing the death toll to 40.

Nadabo stressed the importance of road safety, urging drivers to exercise caution and adhere to speed limits to prevent such tragedies.

“This accident serves as a stark reminder of the dangers of reckless driving. We urge drivers to be cautious and follow speed limits to avoid similar incidents.”

Due to the severity of the injuries, some victims were transferred to ABU Teaching Hospital in Shika, the University of Jos Teaching Hospital, and Aminu Kano Teaching Hospital for proper medical attention.
The FRSC has launched an investigation into the crash.

“This accident is a wake-up call for all drivers to prioritise road safety. We will continue to educate drivers on the importance of safe driving practices.

“We must learn from this tragedy and work towards preventing such incidents in the future,” Nadabo emphasised.
“Our thoughts are with the families of the victims during this difficult time,” he added.

By Francesca Hangeior.

The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has listed the benefits of the Compressed National Gas initiative to include a “cleaner environment, cheaper fuel for the people.”

The governor spoke Tuesday during the opening of a weeklong Skill Development and Training for Auto Technicians in the state on the conversion of petrol vehicles to CNG-powered vehicles.

The Presidential Compressed Natural Gas Initiative recently began the conversion of petrol-powered vehicles to CNG and the distribution of conversion kits in some states.

The training is a collaborative arrangement between the National Automotive Design and Development Council and the state government.

Oyebanji, who was represented by the Commissioner for Infrastructure and Public Utilities, Prof. Mobolaji Aluko, said, “The President Bola Tinubu-led Federal Government and the state government have in collaboration ensured that Ekiti State is in the forefront of this endeavour and we continue to ensure that our people get the best in terms of the advantages.”

The governor said that the state was already using CNG to power its independent power plant and urged motorists and vehicle owners in the state to embrace Compressed National Gas to power their automobiles in view of the inherent advantages.

“CNG is not strange to us, we are just adding gas for mobile vehicles. We are already in a good position as far as CNG is concerned. Use of CNG will enable our people to have access to cheaper fuel to power their vehicles,” he added.

NADDC Director General, Joseph Osanipin, said that the training was aimed at ensuring capacity building and skill upgrades for technicians and youths to enable them to cope with the dynamic automotive industry.

Osanipin, who said that Tinubu established the PCNGI in furtherance of his commitment to ease the impact of fuel subsidy removal on Nigerians, said there were a lot of benefits along the CNG value chain.