The Nigerian Army has concluded plans to launch sustained operations in the forests identified as the fortress of the criminal gangs in Kwara North and South Senatorial Districts.

The operations, according to a government statement on Sunday by Rafiu Ajakaye, the spokesman of Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq, would involve the newly trained forest guards in the isolated areas.

“The operations will rout the criminals from their hideouts and restore lasting calm in the affected areas, while care would be taken to prevent the violent elements from hibernating elsewhere.”

The statement explained that the state government has been working with the Office of the National Security Adviser to eliminate the threats in parts of the state, especially in identified settlements in Ifelodun, Edu, and Patigi Local Government Areas.

While the government asserted that “No one can dismiss the worries of our community folks,” it, however, noted that “sensitive security issues require careful and realistic analysis of the situation, planning, and execution of plans for sustainable success.”

Meanwhile, Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq has briefed key stakeholders in the Lafiagi axis of Kwara North on the many efforts of the government to rid the areas of criminal gangs involved in violent crimes in the region.

The meeting, which came as the Nigerian Army concluded its strategy to flush bandits out of the troubled communities, was held in Ilorin, the capital city, and attended by the leadership of the Lafiagi Descendants’ Development Union (LADDU) headed by Dr. Abdullahi Jibril Mohammed Lafiagi.

The governor acknowledged the concerns of the communities and reassured them of the government-led multi-stakeholder response to the situation.

Credible sources informed OSUNDAILY NG in Ilorin that prior to the stakeholders’ meeting with the governor, a combined team of soldiers and vigilantes was ambushed on Thursday while returning from a clearance operation in Lata Nna in response to credible intelligence.

The team was in the area to raid bandits’ hideouts, rescue kidnap victims, and destroy their camps.

“However, on their way back after the operation and rescue mission, they ran into an ambush, and an unspecified number of vigilantes were reportedly killed or missing.

“Though the casualty figure remains unclear, a new expedition on Saturday in the area led to the recovery of some bodies,” the source added.

A tragic road accident in the early hours of Sunday has killed eight people after a commercial 16-seater Mazda bus collided head-on with a DAF truck at the Atura Bus Stop, along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway.

The fatal crash, confirmed by the General Manager of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, Olalekan Bakare-Oki, involved a Mazda bus with registration number KJA 811 YF and a DAF truck bearing the plate number T1 4636 LA.

According to Bakare-Oki, all eight victims, including the driver and conductor of the bus, died instantly. Eight other passengers sustained various degrees of injuries and were quickly transported to the Badagry General Hospital by officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, for urgent medical care.

Emergency response teams comprising personnel from LASTMA, FRSC, the Nigeria Police (Morogbo Division), and troops from the 244 Battalion, Ibereko Barracks, worked in concert to evacuate the scene and rescue survivors.

Preliminary investigations suggest that the commercial bus was traveling at high speed when the driver lost control and veered into the path of the oncoming truck. The impact was described as catastrophic, offering little chance of survival for several passengers.

Bakare-Oki, who visited the accident site, expressed deep sorrow over the tragic loss and offered condolences to the families of the deceased.

“This painful event is a stark reminder of how precious and fragile life is. No one should begin a journey and not return. We mourn with the families and pray for strength in this time of grief,” he said.

He also conveyed his best wishes for the full recovery of the injured passengers and issued a stern advisory to all commercial and articulated vehicle operators to adhere strictly to safety regulations, emphasizing that excessive speeding and reckless driving continue to endanger lives on Nigerian roads.

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency, TRACE, has said no fewer than 10 persons have lost their lives and three others were severely injured after an 18-seater bus plunged off the Omu bridge located at Awa along the Ijebu-Ode–Ibadan Expressway.

OSUNDAILY NG reports that the accident occurred at about 8:30 p.m. on Friday.

The TRACE spokesperson, Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirming the incident on Saturday, said the bus conveying 15 passengers included three women and seven men, while two persons, including a toddler and an adult, escaped unhurt.

He attributed the cause of the crash to excessive speed and warned motorists against overtaking and night travel, saying such reckless behaviour has continued to claim lives on the highways.

The TRACE spokesman disclosed that the corpses have been deposited at the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital morgue, while the injured passengers were responding to treatment.

He said, “15 persons were involved in the crash. Sadly, 10 of them – three women and seven men – were confirmed dead at the scene, while three others suffered injuries. Two persons, including a toddler and an adult, escaped the crash unhurt.

“The deceased victims were evacuated and their remains deposited at the Ijebu-Ode General Hospital morgue.

The injured passengers were also taken to the same facility for treatment,” he added.