Thousands have died in oil tanker accidents in Nigeria over the years, with many of the victims being individuals who rush to the crash sites to scoop up spilled oil. In response, the Nigerian government has allocated 500 million U.S. dollars to improve the country’s road infrastructure.
Monday, February 3, 2025
Video - Nigeria launches road safety review following oil tanker accidents
Thousands have died in oil tanker accidents in Nigeria over the years, with many of the victims being individuals who rush to the crash sites to scoop up spilled oil. In response, the Nigerian government has allocated 500 million U.S. dollars to improve the country’s road infrastructure.
Wednesday, January 29, 2025
‘Over 400 Killed in 6 Months’: The Sorry Cases of Boat Mishaps in Nigeria
Over the years, boat mishaps have occurred with alarming regularity, each accompanied by tragic losses. According to the Marine Crafts Builders Association of Nigeria (MCBAN), Nigeria recorded over 3,000 boat accidents in just a decade.
The country’s waterways are estimated to be about 10,000 km, with over 3,000 km of navigable waterways. These waterways connect the country with five neighbouring states and provide access to 28 of the 36 states in Nigeria.
For many coastal communities surrounded by rivers, creeks, and other water bodies in Nigeria, boats are often the most viable means of transportation. Yet, these journeys are fraught with danger, as seen in the alarming frequency of boat mishaps claiming countless lives yearly.
A breakdown of the data collected between July and December 2024 revealed that most of the boat accidents resulted from inefficiency and the lack of proactive rescue measures to ensure the safety of water transport.
Captain Ahmed Hambali, a maritime expert, confirmed this, noting that common causes of such accidents often include poor operator experience, operational inefficiencies, lack of safety measures — such as life-saving appliances — overloading, inadequate boat maintenance, and weak regulatory oversight.
“These factors highlight the need for immediate and comprehensive action to restore safety and public confidence in waterways transportation,” he said.
The recurring issue of boat mishaps raises concern about the inefficiency of the measures taken by the National Inland Waterways Authority [NIWA]. To curb the menace of boat accidents in the country, NIWA’s waterways regulation stipulates a seven-year imprisonment for violators, but the problem persists.
Regional breakdown
When the Nigerian flag stood high for the independence celebration, tragedy knocked on the country’s door in the north-central region. A boat conveying over 300 passengers from the Mundi community in Mokwa Local Government Area of Niger State capsized, and about 150 of them died.
The victims were returning from an annual religious celebration. State authorities confirmed that local divers were swift to rescue 150 out of the 300 passengers alive.
Days later, a boat carrying over 200 passengers also drowned in the Gwajibo Mudi community in Kaima LGA of Kwara, leaving at least 169 passengers dead. Only 31 people were reportedly rescued when the boat struck a tree submerged by the rising water levels. Niger and Kwara States have been the most affected in Nigeria.
Another boat accident that occurred in Nov. 2024 resulted in the deaths of 22 commuters, mostly farmers and traders, who were sailing from Kogi State to Katcha weekly market in the Agaie area of Niger State.
In Benue State, about 20 people were killed in a boat accident that occurred in Agatu LGA when a boat conveying women and children capsized. Authorities confirmed that 76 passengers were onboard when the incident occurred.
A tragic boat accident in Lafia East LGA of Nasarawa State resulted in the deaths of four persons. The victims – a man and three women– were farmers travelling to the Ashange market from Alogami village when the overloaded boat sank with 25 passengers, four motorcycles, and bags of melon seeds.
Findings revealed that a lack of an efficient road network to connect commuters to these markets has compelled farmers and traders to adopt boats as a viable means of transportation.
The Northwest region recorded the second-highest fatalities. Data compiled by HumAngle revealed that Jigawa, Zamfara, and Sokoto States recorded 52 fatalities and 18 missing victims.
On July 7, two people died, and two others were reported missing in a boat accident in the Kwalgi village situated in the Auyo area of Jigawa State. The state revealed that the boat was travelling to Hadin village from Kwalgi when it drowned with 20 passengers onboard after a powerful wave hit the overloaded boat.
Another boat mishap at the Nahuce area in Taura LGA in Jigawa claimed five lives, leaving 15 others unaccounted for. Authorities confirmed that the boat was conveying 20 passengers crossing over the Gamoda River when it capsized.
An overloaded boat conveying over 50 passengers capsized in the Gummi LGA of Zamfara State, leaving 41 persons dead. Only 12 people were rescued alive.
In the Dundaye community in the Wamako area of Sokoto State, four people died when a boat conveying 24 passengers capsized. Nineteen of the passengers were rescued, but one of them was declared missing.
In the South-south, Bayelsa State recorded the highest number of fatalities with 21 deaths, followed by five deaths recorded in Delta. No fewer than 20 passengers were killed in a boat accident along the Ezetu I community in the southern Ijaw LGA of Bayelsa.
Reports indicated that the boat, conveying mostly women, had a faulty engine that exploded on its way to Swali in Yenagoa, which led to the deaths of passengers. A boat accident in the Okibie community of the Southern Ijaw in Bayelsa also resulted in the deaths of an individual when a 15-seater speedboat capsized.
Five people were killed in a boat mishap along Bennett Island in the Warri-South LGA of Delta State. The accident left six passengers injured, with one missing and 19 rescued. The recurrence of boat accidents prompted the Bayelsa State government to implement new safety measures, including the compulsory use of life jackets by passengers, among others, to curb the menace.
In the Northeast, however, four lives were lost after a boat mishap occurred in the Mayo Ranemo area in Taraba. The victims, over 30 of them, were in transit to Balengo town in Karin-Lamido when the engine boat capsized in the Benue River, leading to four fatalities.
As for the southwest, a boat collision in Lagos State claimed the lives of five passengers sailing from Ebutte Ero to Badagry when an ill-fated wooden boat collided with a fibre boat with 10 and 15 passengers onboard, respectively.
Ahmad Hambali, a maritime expert, said the frequent boat accidents occurring in the Nigerian waterways, especially in Northern Nigeria, are deeply concerning.
“Although I have not come across any investigation reports to determine the root causes of these incidents, it is important to note that boats, historically, have been regarded as a safe mode of transportation.”
“It is therefore alarming to witness the increasing frequency of these tragic incidents, which continue to claim so many lives. This calls for urgent intervention by the government to address this issue,” he said.
Hambali noted that the services of industry experts must be employed to conduct thorough investigations into these accidents, identify their root causes and implement effective preventive measures, or else the menace will persist.
“By addressing these issues systematically, lives can be saved, and waterways transportation can once again fulfil its vital role in the region’s economic and social life,” he added.
In October last year, while commiserating with the victims of the tragic boat mishap on Independence Day, President Bola Tinubu directed NIWA to investigate the spate of boat mishaps in the country and devise modalities to curtail the trend.
The president also urged them to expand their surveillance of inland waters to ensure safety and prosecute boat owners who violate the ban on night sailing.
However, HumAngle reached out to Bola Oyebamiji, the Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), to understand the latest modalities on the ground aimed at safeguarding the lives of Nigerians commuting via waterways, as per President Tinubu’s directive, but the message was met with silence.
Several calls made to him were unsuccessful because his number was unreachable.
By Isah Ismaila, HumAngle
Video - 17 bodies recovered after boat capsizes in eastern Nigeria
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Death toll in Nigeria gas tanker explosion rises to 98
The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to transfer gasoline from a crashed oil tanker into another truck using a generator.
The fuel transfer sparked the explosion, resulting in the deaths of those transferring the gasoline and bystanders.
Hussaini Isah, the National Emergency Management Agency's head of operation for Niger State, told the Associated Press on Monday that there is a possibility that the death toll could still rise.
“The death toll keeps changing,” he said.
On Sunday, Isah said the blast claimed many victims because a crowd had gathered at the scene, including people taking pictures, bystanders and others attempting to scoop gasoline.
Gasoline prices in Africa’s most populous country have soared after the administration of President Bola Tinubu removed subsidies on the product more than a year ago in an attempt to channel the resources to more developmental purposes. However, the policy has caused untoward hardship.
Scooping gasoline from a fallen tanker is common in Nigeria as some people see it as an opportunity to get free product that they could either use or resell for a profit.
Monday, January 20, 2025
Nigerian gasoline tanker explosion death toll rises to 86, with 55 others injured
The blast happened in the early hours of Saturday near the Suleja area of Niger state after individuals attempted to transfer gasoline from a crashed oil tanker into another truck using a generator.
The fuel transfer sparked the explosion, resulting in the deaths of those transferring the gasoline and bystanders.
In an update, Hussaini Isah of the National Emergency Management Agency told the Associated Press that an additional 55 people were injured and are receiving treatment at three different hospitals in the Suleja area.
“There were people that were burnt to ashes. How can we get that figure?” The official said, indicating that the death toll might be higher than 86. “We won’t know the exact figure without forensics.”
The blast claimed so many victims because a crowd had gathered at the scene, including people taking pictures, bystanders, and others attempting to scoop gasoline, Isah said.
Gasoline prices in Africa’s most populous country has soared after the administration of President Bola Tinubu removed subsides on the product more than a year ago in an attempt to channel the resources to more developmental purposes. However, the policy has caused untoward hardship.
Scooping gasoline from a fallen tanker is common in Nigeria as some people see that as an opportunity to get free product that they could either use or resell for a profit.
Thursday, December 19, 2024
Stampede at youth festival in Nigeria causes ‘multiple’ deaths
The incident occurred on Wednesday at an Islamic high school in Ibadan, the capital of Nigeria’s southwest Oyo State, where up to 5,000 young people and children had reportedly gathered for the event.State Governor Seyi Makinde said in a statement on X that the disaster had caused “multiple loss of lives and injuries” and that security forces had been deployed to get the situation under control and evacuate attendees from the site.
Video footage that appeared to be from the scene showed a large crowd of mostly children looking on as some were carried off the site to local hospitals, according to news agency The Associated Press.
“This is a very sad day,” Makinde said. “We sympathise with the parents whose joy has suddenly been turned to mourning due to these deaths.”
“While investigations are ongoing, the primary organisers of the event that led to this stampede have been taken into custody,” he said.
He promised that “anyone directly or remotely involved in this disaster” would be held accountable.
Local media identified the event organisers as the Women In Need Of Guidance and Support Foundation, which held a similar festival last year.
The group was preparing to host up to 5,000 young people at this year’s event, according to the Oyo-based Agidigbo FM radio station.
The festival organisers had promised participants would “win exciting prizes like scholarships and other bountiful gifts”.
Nigeria’s national emergency services said a team had been deployed to provide assistance to the victims.
Wednesday, December 4, 2024
More than 50 dead and dozens missing after Nigeria boat sinks
At least 54 bodies have now been recovered from Nigeria’s River Niger after a boat, that may have been carrying more than 200 passengers, capsized in the early hours of Friday, the authorities say.
Twenty-four of those on board were rescued, some of whom are still in hospital, but dozens of others may be missing.
Divers are still searching the waters but hope is fading on the possibility of finding more survivors.
This is just the latest in a long series of boat accidents on the country’s inland waterways. Despite safety recommendations being made, rules are rarely followed and few are held accountable.
The boat was travelling from Kogi state, central Nigeria, to a weekly market in neighbouring Niger state when it went down.
Market traders and farm labourers were thought to have been among the passengers.
The cause of the accident is not yet known but there are indications that many of the travellers may not have been wearing life jackets as required.
Getting accurate details about who exactly had boarded the boat is difficult because there was no record keeping, the local official in charge told the BBC.
“The problem is that there’s no passenger manifest and because of the time the accident occurred, giving an accurate account of persons, survivors and those missing, is very difficult,” Justin Uche, who is head of the Kogi state office of the National Emergency Management Agency said.
Meanwhile Kogi state’s governor Usman Ododo ordered all hospitals where survivors are receiving treatment to ensure that they get adequate care including food.
He also urged stricter enforcement of safety regulations to ensure that such incidents are avoided in future.
This is the third time a passenger boat has gone down in Nigeria in the last 60 days.
Last month, a wooden dugout canoe, packed with nearly 300 passengers, overturned and sank in the middle of the River Niger killing nearly 200 people.
Just last week, five people died when two boats collided in southern Nigeria’s Delta state.
By Chris Ewokor, BBC
Related story: Video - Nigerian government to phase out wooden boats to reduce waterway deaths
Wednesday, November 27, 2024
Nigeria boat accident leaves five dead, 20 missing
At least five people were killed and 20 others are missing after a speedboat struck a submerged log and capsized in Nigeria's southern state of Delta, a police spokesperson said on Tuesday.
The incident happened on Friday in the remote Gbaramatu Kingdom of the state's Warri South-West district.
Emergency responders are still conducting a search and rescue operation to find the 20 missing people. Six survivors are receiving treatment at a local hospital.
Related story: Video - Nigerian government to phase out wooden boats to reduce waterway deaths
At least 60 dead in Nigeria boat accident
Monday, November 11, 2024
Video - Nigerian government to phase out wooden boats to reduce waterway deaths
The wooden vessels make up 90 percent of all the boats, and account for the majority of fatal accidents that have claimed thousands of lives over the years. However, safety experts said the government also needs to strengthen its safety measures campaign, such as requiring passengers to wear life jackets and enforcing a ban on night travel and overloading of boats.
Related stories: At least 60 dead in Nigeria boat accident
At least 20 feared dead in Nigeria boat accident
Monday, October 21, 2024
Leverkusen's Boniface only 'slightly injured' after car accident
The forward can be seen looking into the camera and then showing what appears to be his arm dripping with blood.
Other images show a black sports car which appears to have been destroyed in an accident. The post has since been deleted.
German tabloid Bild reported Sunday Boniface is "doing well considering the circumstances and is only slightly injured", citing a source close to the striker.
Boniface wrote on social media on Sunday "god is the greatest" and "god says my time hasn't come."
The forward's club Leverkusen are yet to comment publicly on the news.
The 23-year-old striker joined Leverkusen last season and played a key role as the club broke through for an unbeaten league and cup double -- their first ever Bundesliga win -- while receiving his debut Nigeria call-up.
This season he has seven goals in 10 games in all competitions. On Saturday, he missed a penalty but headed in the winner in a 2-1 home victory over Eintracht Frankfurt.
Leverkusen are away at French club Brest in the Champions League on Wednesday.
Friday, October 18, 2024
Video - Nigeria's Tinubu calls for review of safety protocols after oil tanker explosion
Authorities in Nigeria have launched an investigation into an oil tanker explosion in northern Jigawa state, which claimed the lives of more than 140 people. President Bola Tinubu has pledged support for the victims' families and has called for a review of fuel transportation safety protocols.
Related story: Death Toll rises to 153 from Nigeria fuel tanker explosion
Thursday, October 17, 2024
Death Toll rises to 153 from Nigeria fuel tanker explosion
The death toll from a fuel tanker explosion in northern Nigeria has risen to at least 153, with another 100 people injured, police told CNN Thursday.
The blast, which happened late evening local time on Tuesday in Majiya, a village in Jigawa state, came after the vehicle crashed and while locals were attempting to retrieve the fuel.
“The driver lost control and the tanker somersaulted and spilled fuel into a drainage ditch,” Jigawa police spokesperson Shiisu Lawan Adam said.
“As a result, residents rushed to scoop the fuel when the explosion happened.”
A mass burial was held on Wednesday afternoon for some of the victims, Adam said.
The death toll rose steadily since news of the deadly explosion broke.
“People are feeling very sad,” said Umar Majia, a member of the community whose 12-year-old nephew was killed in the blast.
“This type of incident has never happened in the community. It is the worst tragedy so far,” he told CNN.
Nigeria’s Vice President Kashim Shettima mourned the victims in a statement Wednesday, saying: “My heart aches for those who have had their families torn apart by this disaster.
“This devastating incident has shaken us all to our core. The Federal Government stands with the people of Jigawa. We are mobilising all necessary resources to support the injured and assist the families affected by this calamity.”
Shettima also announced “immediate federal government intervention and called for a comprehensive review of fuel transportation safety protocols.”
The blast comes a month after at least 48 people were killed in a similar accident in the north-central Niger state.
Fuel tanker explosions are not unusual in Africa’s most populous country, where oil supplies are frequently dispatched by road.
Previous fires have led to multiple casualties. In 2020, more than 500 people lost their lives in more than 1,500 fuel tanker accidents recorded that year, according to Nigeria’s road safety agency.
Residents, beleaguered by soaring living costs in the West African nation - where gasoline is scarce and expensive - often brave danger to scoop fuel from fallen tankers or damaged oil pipelines.
Gas prices have risen dramatically to more than six times their usual rate since the government ended fuel subsidies last year.
Poverty remains rife in Nigeria despite its status as one of Africa’s largest oil producers.
By Nimi Princewill, CNN
Related story: Nigeria fuel tanker explosion kills over 90, injures dozens
Wednesday, October 16, 2024
Nigeria fuel tanker explosion kills over 90, injures dozens
More than 90 people have been killed and 50 wounded after a fuel tanker exploded in northwestern Nigeria, according to police.
The overnight explosion took place on an expressway in Jigawa state as dozens of people rushed to the vehicle to collect the fuel, a police spokesman said on Wednesday.
“The residents were scooping up fuel from the overturned tanker when the explosion occurred, sparking a massive inferno that killed 94 people on the spot,” Lawan Adamu told The Associated Press news agency.
The fire burned into the early hours of Wednesday.
Last month, at least 48 people were killed in an explosion after a fuel tanker collided with another truck in Nigeria’s north-central Niger state.
Deadly truck accidents are common along most of the major roads in Nigeria, with experts attributing many of them to reckless driving, poor road conditions and poorly maintained vehicles.
In 2020 alone, there were 1,531 petrol tanker crashes resulting in 535 fatalities and 1,142 injuries, according to Nigeria’s Federal Road Safety Corps.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company in early September increased the price of petrol by at least 39 percent, the second major hike in more than a year.
Related story: More than 50 killed in Nigeria fuel tanker crash
Thursday, October 3, 2024
At least 60 dead in Nigeria boat accident
Nigeria (Reuters) -At least 60 people were killed after a boat carrying mostly women and children returning from a religious festival in Nigeria's northern Niger state capsized this week, a local official said.
About 160 people have now been rescued after the wooden boat ferrying nearly 300 passengers sank on Tuesday night on the River Niger around the Gbajibo Community, said Jibril Abdullahi Muregi, chairman of the Mokwa local government area.
The boat was returning to Gbajibo from Mundi after the annual Maulud celebration when disaster struck, Muregi said in a statement late on Wednesday
Rescue operations are still ongoing, he said.
It was not yet clear why the boat sank.
Overcrowding and poor maintenance are responsible for most boat accidents on Nigerian waterways.
By Ahmed Kingimi, Reuters
Related story: At least 20 feared dead in Nigeria boat accident
Tuesday, September 17, 2024
Dozens of Muslim worshippers killed in Nigeria crash
Dozens of Muslim worshippers have been killed in a crash in northern Nigeria's Kaduna state.
The victims were travelling to celebrate Eid-el-Maulud - Prophet Muhammad's birthday - in the northern town of Saminaka.
Their bus collided with an oncoming truck near the town of Lere, an organiser of the Eid celebration said.
Fatal road collisions are very common in Nigeria. Both drivers and passengers have been known to flout safety measures, which are loosely enforced by the authorities.
An official at the Kaduna State Emergency Management Agency put the death toll at 36 on Monday morning.
However, event organiser Ahmad Dayyabu told the BBC up to 40 people had died and 31 more were being treated in hospital.
“They took off from the town of Kwandare on their way to here, Saminaka. On reaching the town of Lere, their vehicle was run over by a trailer truck," he said.
“From our investigation, there were 71 people in that ill-fated vehicle."
The bus is said to have been overloaded.
More than 1,470 people died in road collisions across Nigeria in the first quarter of 2024, official statistics show.
That is around 16 people per day on average.
The government declared Monday a public holiday in order to mark this year's Eid-el-Maulud.
By Haruna Shehu-Tangaza, BBC
Monday, September 16, 2024
A boat capsizes in Nigeria drowning at least 40 people
A boat carrying mostly farmers capsized on a river in northwest Nigeria, drowning at least 40 people, President Bola Tinub u said Sunday.
The accident happened in Zamfara state, as farmers were trying to get to their land, Tinubu said in a statement. The president promised support for the victims and directed emergency agencies to assess the incident.
Yazid Abubakar, a police spokesperson in Zamfara, told The Associated Press the accident happened on Saturday and that five people were rescued, but 40 are still missing. It was not immediately clear how many people were on the boat when it went down.
The boat was carrying mostly farmers who use the crossing regularly to sell produce at the markets and locals say they’re often overloaded.
Zamfara state is rampant with armed groups who kidnap for ransom, steel cattle and engage in illegal mining.
Boat accidents are common in remote communities across Nigeria because of overloading and boats that are in poor condition.
In August, more than 20 people died in a boat accident on a river in southern Nigeria after the engine exploded.
Most boats don’t carry life jackets or have proper safety measures in place, say locals.
By Dyepkazah Shibayan, AP
Related story: Drowning of Nollywood start forces industry to look at safety
Monday, September 9, 2024
More than 50 killed in Nigeria fuel tanker crash
The Niger State Emergency Management Agency said the collision happened at about 00:30 local time on Sunday (23:30 GMT Saturday), and caused an explosion which engulfed both vehicles.
Director-general of the agency, Abdullahi Baba-arah, said response teams were dispatched to the scene to manage the situation.
A number of other vehicles were also caught up in the explosion.
Footage taken from the scene shortly after the incident shows the two vehicles, which have been entirely burnt out, as well as a number of dead cattle.
Speaking to the Reuters news agency after the incident, an emergency rescue worker said they were attempting to recover bodies, as well as dead animals which were still inside the vehicle.
Emergency agency spokesperson Hussain Ibrahim told the BBC that funerals took place for the victims on Sunday.
“We had a mass burial for 52 people yesterday and we have eight people receiving treatment at the hospital," he said.
“This without doubt is the worst accident we have recorded in many years.”
He added that the Niger state government is footing the hospital bill for those injured.
Governor Umaru Bago said he was “pained by the unfortunate incident” in a condolence message to the families of the victims.
Fuel tanker explosions and accidents are common in Nigeria, partly due to the poor state of roads.
By Michael Sheils McNamee & Mansur Abubakar, BBC
Related story: Video - 20 people feared dead following tanker explosion in Nigeria
Friday, August 9, 2024
At least 20 killed as boat explodes on Nigeria river
At least 20 people were killed when a wooden boat caught fire and exploded on a river in Nigeria's coastal state of Bayelsa on Wednesday, a police spokesperson said.
The boat was carrying traders taking goods to coastal communities, Bayelsa police spokesperson Musa Muhammed said on Thursday.
Traders make weekly trips between coastal settlements and the state capital Yenagoa.
At least 200 people were reported killed in boat accidents in Nigeria last year, with authorities regularly blaming overcrowding and poor maintenance.
By Tife Owolabi, Reuters
Related stories: Drowning of Nollywood start forces industry to look at safety
Eight dead, several missing after ferry capsizes in Nigeria
Monday, June 10, 2024
Drowning of Nollywood start forces industry to look at safety
“You see the risks, people, we take to entertain you,” the 42-year-old shouts above the noise of a small motor boat as it speeds along the River Niger.
He laughs - it is not clear if it is out of joy or nervousness - and tells the driver to slow down.
“I am begging the captain, that I’m the only child and I have three boys,” the actor - whose real name was John Paul Odonwodo - booms as he notices with alarm some water coming into the boat.
The next day the Nollywood star was dead. He drowned in the same river, after a boat he was travelling in collided with a fishing canoe.
Four others, including film crew members, were also killed.
The death in April of one of the biggest names in Nigeria’s renowned movie business - he had more than 100 films under his belt - sent the industry into shock.
Actors have since been speaking out about Nollywood’s poor safety record and calling for change.
Nollywood is the third largest film industry in the world - after Hollywood and India’s Bollywood.
It produces more than 2,500 films a year: some are by large, established production houses, but there are dozens of smaller companies riding on the coat-tails of one the country’s huge success stories.
After the fatal accident, the Actors Guild of Nigeria immediately responded, saying that all filming in and around rivers would be suspended indefinitely.
It then called for safety standards to be implemented and observed.
A preliminary report into the capsizing from the Nigerian Safety Investigations Bureau released last month found multiple failings:
. the driver was not certified to operate the boat
. the boat was not registered
. only one person was wearing a life jacket
. that passenger, one of eight survivors, had brought the life jacket on board themselves.
In a now-deleted Instagram video posted soon after the incident, the film’s producer, Adanma Luke, said she had been told there were life jackets and Junior Pope was offered one but did not take it.
“I have been so traumatised. I have been so cold. This whole thing still feels like a dream to me. I wish I could still wake up from this dream,” she said in the video.
She later wrote: “My heart is shattered in pieces as I write this… I find myself praying, how can we turn back the hands of time?”
Ruth Kadiri, a top actor, producer and screenwriter who knew Junior Pope well, says he tended to be happy and "extremely hyper".
“He always brought in the positive energy… and I think he was really loved by all,” she told the BBC’s What in the World podcast about her friend.
She went on to say that incidents like the one that killed Junior Pope are far too common in Nollywood.
Kadiri remembers an incident when she almost drowned during filming - making her think about the fear the actor “must have felt at the last minute of his life”.
“I had to shoot a movie so we couldn’t use life jackets," she says.
“I asked the team if everything was OK and they said the canoe was fine. So I got on the boat, they started to paddle, and the canoe just tumbled into the river."
She was saved by a colleague who grabbed her in the water.
The star, who has more than six million Instagram followers, is now calling for change.
However, she says she understands the temptation for actors who want to get on to do something that is potentially unsafe.
“We all do crazy things for the love of this job. We do things we normally would not do.
“As you grow, you learn to put your needs first. Not because you don’t like the production, but because if something goes wrong, that’s the end of it.”
Kadiri says that safety is an industry-wide issue but whereas the bigger, well-funded productions can take measures, many smaller operations are unable to afford the extra costs.
In order to improve things, she suggests that a safety regulatory body should be established that can have people on film sets.
“The director is thinking about creating the content, the actor is thinking about getting in character, so let us create an extra body. It might save a lot of stress.”
Actor Chidi Dike says Junior Pope’s death was “an awakening to all”.
He agrees that “safety hasn’t been taken very seriously”, but notes that there have been some improvements.
He has noticed that directors and producers are now trying to make sure filming does not go late into the night, which in the past has meant dangerous night-time journeys home.
“Everything is risky... driving very fast. There was one time I was coming home really late and I almost got into an accident," he told the BBC.
"But it is better now."
It is an unexpected legacy for the effervescent actor with a huge catalogue of films, but Junior Pope’s final video may well turn Nollywood into a safer place to work.
By Hannah Gelbart, BBC
Wednesday, June 5, 2024
Seven rescued as 50 feared trapped in collapsed Niger mining pit
The Minister of Solid Minerals Development, Dele Alake, said this in a statement issued by his Special Assistant on Media, Segun Tomori, on Tuesday in Abuja.
He said that first responders had already been deployed to the scene of the incident, adding that the rescue mission was in collaboration with the mining company.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that 30 people were said to be trapped in the pit at a mining site operated by African Minerals and Logistics Ltd.
However, other sources said at least 50 workers are trapped underground at the pit.
Among those trapped is the site manager of the mining company, Ibrahim Ishaku.
It was gathered that a middle-aged man, whose name was given as Kuta and who is the chief security officer of the mining company, died while trying to rescue some of the victims.
It was further gathered that while manual rescue operation was ongoing, another portion of the mining pit caved in, forcing the rescuers to abandon the rescue operation and run for their lives.
Abdullahi Arah, the director-general of the Niger State Emergency Management Agency (NSEMA), said the collapse was caused by a downpour which softened the soil.
The minister said the swift rescue action was a demonstration of the commitment of the government to mitigate the adverse impact of the incident and rescue those still trapped in the rubble.
“Upon learning of the incident, we mobilised our Federal Mines Officer (FMO) and officials of the Mines Inspectorate to the site.
“In collaboration with the mining company, we have rescued seven victims, some with injuries. Rescue operations with excavators are ongoing to ensure we avert loss of lives,” he said.
According to the statement, the minister recently announced a policy on the mandatory arrangements of remedial measures for mining pits as part of the criteria for applying for mining licences.
The move was aimed at minimising incidents such as the collapse of the mining site in Niger.
It said the minister was actively monitoring the situation at the mining site
He assured Nigerians of the Federal Government’s resolve to investigate the remote causes of the disaster to prevent a recurrence.
In an earlier statement in Minna on Tuesday, the public relations officer of the state emergency management agency, Hussaini Ibrahim, said, “due to the unacceptable nature of that environment as a result of banditry, the information of the incident is very scanty, including rescue operations”.
Mr Ibrahim, however, disclosed that excavators had been deployed to the scene for the rescue operations.
He also said bandits attacked two areas in the state on Sunday night.
He said the bandits kidnapped six persons in Adogo Mallam village in Mashegun Local Government Area and at least 20 people in Tunga Kawo village in Erena ward of Shiroro Local Government Area, where he said hundreds of cows were also rustled.
By Maimuna Raji Egigogo, Premium Times
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
Enugu road crash leaves sixteen travellers dead
Sixteen occupants of a Toyota Hummer Bus were, on Tuesday, burnt beyond recognition when the bus burst into flames after plunging into a fence along Enugu/Opi/Nsukka Road in Ekwegbe in Igbo-Etiti Local Government Area of Enugu State.
The police spokesperson in Enugu State, Daniel Ndukwe, disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday night.
Mr Ndukwe, a deputy superintendent of police, said the accident occurred at about 5:20 p.m.
The police spokesperson said the sixteen yet-to-be-identified passengers who died in the crash comprised 14 males and two females.
He said the 18-seater bus, said to have been driven at high speed, lost control and plunged into the fence of Maduka University along the road.
“A preliminary investigation reveals that the vehicle unfortunately burst into flames burning beyond recognition, the 16 deceased individuals, who were taken to the hospital and confirmed dead,” he said.
“However, two other passengers were rescued alive and taken to the hospital for medical attention by police officers, soldiers and public-spirited citizens, who immediately responded to the incident,” Mr Ndukwe stated.
He said the vehicle was loaded with edible vegetables and other food items during the crash, adding that police operatives have since recovered the items from the Igbo-Etiti Police Division.
The police spokesperson said a preliminary investigation showed that the vehicle was heading towards Nsukka from the Enugu Axis of the road, but the actual point of take-off and final destination of the vehicle have not been ascertained.
The Commissioner of Police in Enugu State, Kanayo Uzuegbu, has visited the scene of the accident in the company of the officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Mr Ndukwe said.
Mr Uzuegbu, he said, visited the scene alongside the FRSC officials to assess the situation.
The police commissioner, during the visit, described the accident and burning of the victims as “sad.”
He commiserated with the yet-to-be-traced family members, friends, and associates of the deceased victims.
By Chinagorom Ugwu, Premium Times