A tragic incident occurred early Saturday morning on the Benin-Auchi highway, resulting in the deaths of 12 passengers who were engulfed in flames following a severe collision between a Toyota Hiace bus and a truck.

The Edo State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps, Cyril Mathew, verified the occurrence, which took place around 5 a.m. in the Igueoviobo community, close to an army checkpoint on the highway, as reported by the News Agency of Nigeria.

Mathew stated that the bus, which had departed from Zuba in the Federal Capital Territory and was en route to Benin, collided head-on with a truck that was approaching from the opposite direction towards Auchi.

Following the impact, the bus was engulfed in flames, making it impossible to rescue any of the victims.

“The entire occupants of the bus were killed in the crash,” he stated.

He stated that driver fatigue might have been a contributing factor, as the driver could have dozed off behind the wheel, leading to the tragic accident.

Mathew noted that FRSC officials were able to identify the deceased through the vehicle’s passenger manifest and had since contacted their families.

He further disclosed that the truck driver and his assistant, commonly referred to as the “Motor Boy,” escaped unhurt.

Odukaye Kunle, a father from the Ota area of Ogun State, has been arrested by police following an incident in which he severely assaulted his five-year-old son, Boluwatife, while the child was preparing for school.

A viral video showed Odukaye in a rage, using his right leg to kick the boy down as Boluwatife approached him to request money for snacks.

The enraged father, preoccupied with his phone, unexpectedly swept the boy off his feet, leading to a horrifying scream as the child fell backward and hit his head hard on the ground.

Horrified passers-by quickly rescued him from the abusive father and called on the police to take appropriate steps concerning him.

The police, however, said yesterday that the abusive father had been arrested.

Force spokesman, ACP ‘Muyiwa Adejobi, who disclosed this on his social media account, said the errant father would be charged to court on tomorrow while the boy and his mother would be taken to the police medical unit for medical assessment and attention.

“The mother of the boy and the boy will be taken to our police medical centre, Ota for further medical assessment and attention.

“The OC Medical, Ogun State has been ordered to proceed to Otta on this mission.

“Kunle will be charged to court on Monday.

“We commend the CP Ogun State, CP Lanre Ogunlowo, and his team for their commitment and ensuring that the boy gets justice.

“We appreciate you all for your concerns as well,” he said.

Kidnapped president of Afenifere Youth Council, Prince Eniola Ojajuni has been released, The Nation has learnt.

Ojajuni was released Saturday night at Ibilo, Edo State, a source confirmed to our correspondent.

“We thank God…Ojajuni just released now. He was released at Ibilo, Edo state,” the source said.

Ojajuni was kidnapped on February 17 at Akuni in Ondo State while on his way to Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

His kidnappers had initially demanded N100 million as ransom and subsequently added two tricycles to their demand citing a failure to meet the first deadline.

The kidnappers also threatened to kill him should their demand not be met by 3 pm last Tuesday, a development that caused panic among Nigerians.

To ensure his free return, the police launched a special joint operation involving operatives from Kogi, Ondo commands, and well as tactical and intelligence experts from the Force Headquarters, Abuja

At the time of this report, it was not clear if a ransom was paid to secure his release.