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No fewer than five persons lost their lives, while eight others sustained varying degrees of injuries in a multiple-vehicle accident along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Friday evening.

The crash, which occurred around the Satguru Maharaj Ji Village axis of the highway, involved six trucks, two Toyota Hilux vans and two cars, according to emergency responders.

Sources said the accident occurred when one of the trucks reportedly suffered brake failure and rammed into another truck parked along the road, triggering a chain collision involving several vehicles.

The impact of the crash led to a fire outbreak, further complicating rescue efforts.

Emergency responders, including personnel of the Oyo State Fire Service and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), were mobilised to the scene to contain the fire and evacuate victims.

Confirming the incident, the Chairman of the Oyo State Fire Service, Maroof Akinwande, said five bodies were recovered from the wreckage, while eight injured persons were rescued and taken to hospital for treatment.

“Upon arrival, we discovered that the accident involved six trucks, including gas tankers and trailer trucks, as well as two cars, resulting in a fire outbreak,” Akinwande said.

“Five persons were recovered dead, while eight others were rescued and handed over to officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps led by SRC Adegbite from the Toll Gate Unit, Ibadan, for immediate medical attention at a nearby hospital.”

He attributed the accident to brake failure, noting that efforts by emergency responders helped prevent the fire from spreading to nearby vehicles and properties.

The incident caused heavy traffic congestion along the busy highway as motorists and commuters were stranded for several hours while rescue and recovery operations lasted.

Authorities have urged motorists, particularly drivers of articulated vehicles, to ensure regular maintenance of their vehicles and adhere strictly to safety regulations to prevent avoidable road crashes.

The FRSC is expected to conduct further investigations into the circumstances surrounding the accident.

Violence, vote buying and other irregularities tainted the Saturday’s governorship election in Ekiti State conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC.

DAILY POST reports that electorates in about 2,445 polling units in the 16 local government areas of the state turned out on Saturday to elect their new governor.

Ekiti has 1,059,360 registered voters, but only 1,028,929 of them who collected Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, were eligible to participate in the poll held in the polling units spread across the 177 wards of the 16 local government areas in the South-west state.

While the turnout for the election in which candidates of 14 parties jostled for the state’s top job was impressive in some areas, it was very low in several other places.

Although 14 political parties participated in the exercise, there are three major contenders in the governorship race.

While Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, APC was seeking his re-election for a second term, Dr Wole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and Ambassador Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, sought to sack the incumbent governor.

INEC on Sunday morning declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji winner of the election after the APC garnered 319,224 votes to defeat the closest opponent, Wole Oluyede of PDP who also scored 40,543 votes.

According to the returning officer of the election, Prof Adenike Oladiji, who is the Vice Chancellor of Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ambassador Dare Bejide’s ADC came third in the race with 12,872.

Election turns violent in polling units

DAILY POST reports that there was mild drama at Ilawe polling unit in Ward 2 in Ekiti South Local Government Area of the state when some security operatives allegedly attached to a presidential aide stormed a polling unit where a fracas ensued with the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Ambassador Oluwadare Bejide.

It was gathered that some political thugs allegedly working for the ruling All Progressives Congress, APC violently attacked some voters in the area.

According to Ambassador Bejide, the armed personnel dragged his driver from his vehicle packed nearby and assaulted him, leaving the aide with severe injuries as he was rushed to the hospital for medical treatment.

The State Commissioner of Police arrived at the troubled spot after the fracas had ended and interacted with the personnel on ground and Ambassador Bejide to find lasting solutions to the situation.

DAILY POST further gathered that pockets of violence were reported in some other polling units with some electorates reportedly disenfranchised.

A report by the EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub said 24 incidents of violence were reported across 10 local government areas.

Vote buying

Some party stakeholders were captured on camera inducing voters with cash ranging from N5,000 to N20,000 – a situation condemned by relatively all participating opposition parties.

According to election observers, there were organised vote-buying operations across all the polling units despite the presence of security operatives, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC.

DAILY POST gathered that vote-buying incidents were recorded across multiple polling units in Emure-Ekiti and Ose-Ekiti Local Government Areas of the state.

Party agents, especially those of the ruling party, were seen asking voters to display their marked ballot papers as proof of voting for their candidate.

Rather than distributing cash directly at the polling units, some of the agents issued numbers to voters after they cast their ballots for onward payments.

Alleged pre-thumb-printed ballot papers were also discovered at a polling unit, raising concerns over electoral integrity in the country.

A video clip that circulated on social media during the election also captured the moment a party stakeholder was disbursing cash to electorates.

APC caught distributing alleged uncollected PVCs

There were videos and testimonies of alleged distribution of uncollected Permanent Voters Cards, PVCs, to individuals suspected to have been brought from outside Ekiti to influence the outcome of the election.

A Civil Society Organization, CSO, under the aegis of Movement for Credible Elections, MCE, raised the alarm in a statement on Saturday, calling on relevant authorities to investigate the claims.

According to the group, if such allegations were established, they would amount to a grave violation of Nigeria’s electoral laws and a dangerous threat to the credibility of the democratic process.

“The circulation of these videos has generated widespread public concern and threatens to undermine confidence in the integrity of the electoral process. 

“Silence or inaction by relevant authorities, particularly the Independent National Electoral Commission, could further erode public trust in Nigeria’s democracy,” Convener of the group, Wale Okunniyi said.

There was no election in Ekiti – Isaac Fayose

Ekiti-born businessman, Isaac Fayose in his reaction to the conduct of the election, declared that no election was held in the state.

Fayose alleged that the ruling party only came to the state to intimidate and oppress the poor, describing the election as a coup.

He said, “Don’t deceive yourself, there was no kidnapping in Ekiti State today, they only came to intimidate and kidnap people. So many people are now in their detention center.

“They came to intimidate, oppress and perpetually enslave the poor. Even a blind man can see that there was no election today. APC refused to hold the election.

“It was a coup of the people without military uniform. It will be in the record that I didn’t follow the evil men”.

Etiki 2026: Violence, vote buying, intimidation mar governorship election

Chelsea captain, Reece James, has said he is “devastated” to see Marc Cucurella leave the Premier League club for Real Madrid.

Los Blancos moved quickly to sign Cucurella upon the request of new manager, Jose Mourinho.

The deal is worth a €55million (£47.5m) and €5m (£4.3m) in add-ons.

Cucurella spent four years with Chelsea, during which he won the Club World Cup and Conference League.

“You know, he’s obviously an amazing player, one of the best left-backs in the world, for sure,” James told talkSPORT..

“This is football. Players move every few months and I’m devastated to see him go. But I wish him all the best.”

Transfer: I’m devastated Chelsea sold Cucurella to Real Madrid – Reece James

The Adamawa State Police Command has intercepted 117 vehicles seen to be operating without registration number or with concealed, altered, or defaced registration details.

The operation, carried out by the dpecial task force constituted by the State Commissioner of Police, CP Kabiru Hassan as part of a nationwide crackdown on defaulters, led to the interception of the vehicles.

The users of the intercepted vehicles were prosecuted in line with extant laws, according to the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Suleiman Nguroje.

Nguroje, in a statement obtained by DAILY POST Saturday night, noted that use of unregistered or improperly identified vehicles poses serious security threats.

He stated that the act undermines efforts toward intelligence gathering and crime prevention.

Nguroje quoted the Commissioner of Police as saying that operations to identify irregular number plates is a continuous exercise.

“Violators will continue to face arrest, prosecution, and other legal sanctions as provided by the law,” the commissioner warned.

Police seize 117 vehicles over alleged number platesoffenses in Adamawa  

 

A train driver has been killed and 89 people injured after two passenger trains collided near Bedford, prompting British Transport Police to declare a major incident.

Emergency services said 11 people sustained very serious injuries, 22 suffered serious injuries and a further 56 people were treated for minor injuries following the collision involving two southbound East Midlands Railway (EMR) services heading to London St Pancras on Friday afternoon.

The cause of the crash remains under investigation.

RMT General Secretary Eddie Dempsey said the union was “devastated to learn that a train driver and former RMT rep has tragically died” in the collision.

In a statement, British Transport Police said the crash occurred at about 17:15 BST.

“Tragically, one person was pronounced dead at the scene. He is the driver of one of the trains involved and his family have been informed,” the statement said.

Following the incident, EMR suspended all services to and from London St Pancras for the remainder of Friday evening.

Passengers described scenes of chaos and devastation immediately after the collision.

Dr Peter Knapp, who was travelling in the “front carriage of the train that collided into another one”, recounted the aftermath.

“When I got up, I saw all of the chairs everywhere. It felt like I’d been in a bomb explosion.

“When I got up, I saw people’s bloodied faces and people’s legs looked broken and there was smoke everywhere”, he said.

Speaking from the roadside after being evacuated, Knapp said police were collecting passengers’ details while some victims were taken to hospital.

“Some people are spitting out blood”, he said.

Another passenger, Shola Mene, said she heard a “big bang” before passengers were thrown from their seats.

“People flew from their seats, the seats were pulling, and then someone just flew across and hit my husband in the face.

“There was a lot of blood. A lot of people had facial injuries”, she said.

Mene said confusion followed the impact as passengers struggled to understand what had happened.

UK Transport Secretary Heidi Alexander said she was “deeply concerned” by news of the collision and the loss of life.

“My thoughts are with all of those affected,” she told reporters on Friday evening, “especially the people who’ve been injured, their friends and their family”.

Asked about the cause of the incident, Alexander cautioned that it was “too early to speculate”.

“We will make sure that there’s a thorough investigation done to establish how this collision happened and to ensure that lessons are learned so that we don’t have an incident like this ever again,” Alexander said.

“The UK railways are some of the safest in the world,” she added. “It’s very unusual for this to happen on the network.”

An air ambulance was among the emergency resources deployed to the scene, located south of Elstow near the A421 and A6 interchange.

Aerial images from the site showed both trains badly damaged, with most carriages remaining on the tracks while at least one carriage appeared to have been forced off course.

EMR said the trains involved were the 16:40 service from Corby to London St Pancras and the 15:50 Nottingham to London St Pancras, which collided at Bedford South.

Teresa Itabor, from Wellingborough in Northamptonshire, said she had boarded the train at 16:57 and was travelling to London to celebrate her birthday.

“We left Bedford station and there was a massive bang… I didn’t know what was going on. My head hit the seat in front of me,” she said.

“I opened my eyes and that’s when I saw people on the floor with blood everywhere.”

The National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers also expressed concern over the incident.

“We are deeply concerned by reports of a train collision between Bedford and Luton and the serious injuries sustained by on-board train staff and passengers.

“The thoughts of the whole union are with those affected and we continue to monitor the situation.”

EMR has advised passengers to use alternative travel routes for services to and from London St Pancras until the end of Saturday, 20 June.

The operator said tickets would be accepted on alternative routes at no additional cost and noted that other train operators had been informed of the “disruption to your journey “.

 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Biodun Oyebanji, as the winner of the 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.

Oyebanji was returned elected after polling a total of 319,224 votes, defeating his closest challenger, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Dr. Wole Oluyede, who secured 40,543 votes.

The candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Dare Bejide, came a distant third in the keenly contested election with 12,872 votes.

Announcing the result, the Presiding Officer, Professor Adenike Oladiji, declared that Oyebanji, having scored the highest number of lawful votes cast in the election, was duly elected governor of Ekiti State.

According to the final results announced by INEC, the APC candidate recorded a landslide victory over his rivals, sweeping past the PDP and ADC candidates by a wide margin.

“That Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress, having satisfied the requirements of the law and scored the highest number of votes, is hereby declared the winner and returned elected,” Professor Oladiji announced

Residents of Igboho in Oyo State were thrown into celebration after a kidnapped family, including a pregnant woman, her children and a sibling, were reportedly released following a two-hour ultimatum issued by Yoruba activist, Sunday Adeyemo, popularly known as Sunday Igboho.

A video circulating on social media showed large crowds of residents singing, dancing and celebrating the return of the victims.

The development comes after Igboho had earlier issued a stern warning to suspected Fulani community leaders in the area over rising cases of kidnapping and insecurity.

In the earlier viral video, Igboho was seen addressing community representatives and traditional leaders, where he expressed anger over alleged killings and abductions in the area.

He accused some members of the Fulani community of kidnapping residents and referenced incidents involving a pregnant woman and ransom negotiations that reportedly turned deadly.

“The person who brought the ransom, you still killed him and spared only one person,” he said, while warning that such incidents must not repeat.

Igboho also issued a two-hour ultimatum for the release of other abducted victims, stressing that he had shown restraint following appeals from traditional rulers.

“I am Sunday Igboho. I am calm because my fathers asked me to be calm with you. Let this be the last time such a thing will happen,” he said.

He further warned that failure to comply would trigger decisive action, including threats of entering suspected hideouts linked to the kidnappings.

Following the ultimatum, videos from the community showed jubilant residents celebrating what was described as the release of the abducted family, though details surrounding the circumstances of their freedom remain unclear at the time of filing this report.

 

Helen Ajayi and her daughter challenge court findings on marital status, legitimacy and estate administration, seeking reversal at the Court of Appeal.

Mrs. Helen Prest Ajayi and her daughter, Tomisin Ajayi, have filed an appeal against the June 17, 2026 judgment of the Lagos State High Court in the long-running dispute over the administration of the estate of late Dr. Tosin Ajayi. 

The appeal, lodged at the Court of Appeal, Lagos Division, seeks to overturn the entire judgment delivered by Justice O.A. Odusanya in Suit No. ID/3364LM/2021 between Mrs. Adenike Oluyemisi Ajayi and five others, and Ms. Helen Davies and another. 

In the notice of appeal, Helen Prest Ajayi, who stated that she was wrongly sued as Helen Davies, and her daughter raised five grounds of appeal challenging key findings made by the trial court.

The appellants contended that the trial court erred in finding that Helen Prest Ajayi was merely a mistress of the deceased despite what they described as an existing consent judgment delivered by a court of coordinate jurisdiction in 2021, which recognised her and the first respondent as co-wives of the late medical practitioner.

 They argued that the earlier judgment was pleaded and tendered in evidence but was not given due consideration. 

They further challenged the court’s finding that Tomisin Ajayi was born out of wedlock, maintaining that evidence before the court established that she was a legitimate child of the deceased. 

According to the appeal, documentary evidence, including a birth certificate and oral testimony, supported her claim, while the first respondent allegedly acknowledged her status as a child of the deceased during proceedings.

The appellants also faulted the court’s determination regarding the marital status of the parties, arguing that the principal issue before the court was whether the first respondent was entitled to administer the estate of the deceased and not the characterisation of Helen Prest Ajayi’s relationship with him. 

In another ground of appeal, they contended that the trial court granted reliefs that were neither sought by the claimants nor supported by evidence, including pronouncements describing Helen Prest Ajayi as a mistress and undocumented partner of the deceased. 

The appellants further argued that the trial court exceeded its jurisdiction when it pronounced on the ratio and quantum to be adopted in distributing the estate of the late Dr. Ajayi among beneficiaries, maintaining that the matter before the court was limited to determining who was entitled to apply for letters of administration. 

Meanwhile, the appellants have also filed a motion seeking a stay of execution of the judgment pending the determination of the appeal. In the application, they argued that the judgment contains executory orders that the respondents have begun taking steps to enforce. 

They told the court that the estate comprises substantial real and corporate assets, some of which are already the subject of separate litigation and preservative orders before the Federal High Court and appeals pending before higher courts. 

They further contended that allowing execution of the judgment could prejudice pending proceedings and render the appeal nugatory if eventually successful. 

The appellants therefore urged the court to preserve the status quo pending the hearing and determination of the appeal.

Oyebanji said he was fully aware of the expectations that accompany the overwhelming mandate given to him by Ekiti voters, assuring residents that his…

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The Executive Producer of The Headies Awards, Ayo Animashaun, has defended the decision to stage the prestigious music awards ceremony in Toronto, Canada, saying the move is aimed at expanding the global reach of African music rather than abandoning Nigeria.

The post Headies not moving away from home  — Animashaun appeared first on Tribune Online.