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Wike to pay medical expenses of Abuja tanker explosion victims
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has offered to offset the medical bills of victims of an accident involving a truck and multiple vehicles near Karu Bridge, along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway, Abuja on Wednesday.
The Senior Special Assistant to the Minister on Public Communication and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, disclosed the development in a statement on Thursday.
The FCT Emergency Management Department confirmed that 10 persons died, while 30 others suffered major burns and are currently hospitalised.
According to the statement, the minister also sympathised with the victims, and directed the Mandate Secretary on Health and Environment, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, to ensure prompt treatment of the injured, which she did.
Wike said he had been briefed that seven of the 17 casualties received were referred to the National Hospital, while six of them with minor injuries were treated successfully, and three others with severe burns and inhalation and crush injuries are currently receiving treatment.
“The Minister of Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has sympathised with victims of the motor vehicle accident that occurred yesterday’s evening, in Karu, Abuja. He offered to foot the medical bills of the casualties.
“The minister, who described the accident as avoidable, expressed condolences to the families of those who lost their lives, and directed continuation of treatments of those who sustained injuries.
“Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, the FCT Minister said when he heard about the accident, he immediately directed the Mandate Secretary on Health and Environment, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe, to ensure prompt treatment of the injured, which she did.
“On my directive, the Mandate Secretary on Health and Environment, Dr Adedolapo Fasawe was in Asokoro District Hospital, till today’s morning and she was among the medical personnel who attended to the 17 casualties brought to the hospital.
“She briefed me that after initial stabilisation, seven of the 17 casualties received were referred to National Hospital, six with minor injuries were treated successfully, three with severe burns and inhalation and crush injuries are currently receiving treatment. However, one of the casualties with third degree burns passed away while being resuscitated,” the statement partly read.
The minister also called on road users, particularly heavy duty vehicle drivers, to adhere strictly to speed limits, while expressing sadness that the lives lost and vehicles destroyed in the accident could be avoided.
He also called on the Federal Road Safety Corps and other agencies to intensify efforts to maintain conpliance with traffic rules.
According to him, such financial mishandling not only disrupts critical public services and projects but also results in major losses to the nation’s purse—resources that could have been channelled into crucial services and developmental efforts, as laid out in Section 14(2)(b) of the Constitution.
Speaker Abbas, thereafter setup a Special Committee to be chaired by Rep. Chinedu Martins to immediately launch a probe into the “Utilisation of take-off grants, bailout funds, and interventions allocated to MDAs, government institutions, and GOEs from 2015 to present.”
The FCT Minister, Mr. Nyesom Wike, expressed satisfaction with the progress on the Abuja light rail project, reaffirming its May 29 delivery as sacrosanct.
He made these assurances after inspecting the ongoing construction of access roads to the train stations on Wednesday, from Metro Train Station in the Central Area to Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja.
Reassuring journalists accompanying him, the minister reiterated that President Bola Tinubu would commission the rail project on May 29 to mark his second year in office.
The visited stations were Wupa station near Idu and Bassanjiwa station near the airport.
“This is part of our routine inspection of ongoing projects to see the contractors’ progress,” Wike explained.
“We are working day and night to fulfill our promise to President Tinubu and FCT residents. By May, Mr. President will ride on the Metro line.”
Gunmen suspected to be Fulani herdsmen are currently invading some communities in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State.
According to sources, the herdsmen armed with AK-47 rifles stormed the community around 04:15pm on Thursday.
“Our lives are in danger this evening, armed Fulani herdsmen, about 600 in numbers have taken over our communities this evening,” a resident told SaharaReporters.
“They’re currently moving around towns in Ukum Local Government Area of Benue state. No security personnel at all, Governor Alia didn’t send security, they said operation will start soon once they (herders) have observed the place.”
The insecurity situation in Benue has been alarming in recent weeks with attacks from gunmen suspected to be herdsmen.
The media had reported that suspected herdsmen again unleashed terror in Benue State, attacking three communities in Otukpo Local Government Area (LGA) on Wednesday, just a day after 11 people were killed in a deadly raid on Otobi community.
The latest victims of the escalating violence were Emichi, Odudaje, and Okpamaju, communities that had previously suffered an attack in February, which left five people dead.
However, the renewed attack has created fear and mass displacement among residents, with women and children fleeing to safety.
Local sources say the death toll from the fresh attack remains unclear, but several casualties are feared.
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