The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) says one person was killed in a road accident that occurred in Ilubirin along the Third Mainland Bridge.

In a statement on Monday, Adebayo Taofiq, LASTMA director of public affairs, said the incident left five others injured.

Taofiq said the accident was caused by reckless driving from a J5 Ford bus driver, who lost control of the vehicle, leading to a collision with a Mercedes truck.

He said the victims have been taken to hospital, with the affected vehicles towed off the road.

Olalekan Bakare-Oki, general manager of LASTMA, urged road users to to ensure their vehicles are in good shape especially during the yuletide.

“The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has confirmed a tragic collision involving a J5 Ford bus (FKJ 724 YC) and a Mercedes truck (FKJ 746 YC) at Ilubirin, inward Sura, along the Lagos Third Mainland Bridge,” the statement reads.

“The accident, which occurred earlier today, claimed one life and left a total of five individuals affected.

“LASTMA Officials, under the leadership of the General Manager, Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, promptly arrived at the scene and spearheaded the rescue operations.

“With the support of concerned bystanders, four victims were extricated from the wreckage, three of whom were rescued alive.

“Tragically, one individual, trapped inside the J5 Ford bus laden with pepper and other perishable goods, succumbed to injuries sustained in the crash.

“Preliminary findings suggest that the J5 Ford bus experienced brake failure while traveling at high speed, resulting in a collision with the Mercedes truck.”

Finnish authorities have frozen assets belonging to Simon Ekpa, controversial pro-Biafra agitator, over alleged terrorism.

On November 21, Ekpa was arrested by law enforcement in Finland. Four other men were also arrested for suspected terrorism.

The secessionist was subsequently sent to prison by the district court of Päijät-Häme for “spreading terrorist propaganda on social media”.

Ekpa was said to have committed the crime in 2021 in Lahti municipality.

He is accused of instigating violence and inciting terror in the south-east of Nigeria through his social media pages.

Nigeria’s federal government has been demanding the extradition of Ekpa, a dual citizen of Finland and Nigeria, for prosecution.

Finnish authorities had stated that Ekpa’s offence is not bailable. His trial is expected to commence in May 2025.

According to Yle, a Finnish media platform, Ekpa’s assets, and those of other suspects, have now been frozen.

The Finnish government also froze the assets of companies associated with Ekpa.

The Finnish platform also reported that Ekpa is currently being held at the Kylmäkoski Prison.

The prison was established in January 1993 in the Kylmäkoski municipality.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied reports that Mahmood Yakubu, its chairman, is dead.

A report on Saturday alleged that Yakubu had died in London following a “brief illness”.

“Mahmood Yakubu, Chairman of Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has died in London after a brief illness,” the report reads.

“Sources reveal that he went to bed in good health but woke up with a serious medical emergency.

“Despite his family’s efforts to secure the best care by transferring him to London for treatment, he was pronounced dead.”

But speaking with TheCable, Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to the INEC chairman, dismissed the report as false, urging Nigerians to disregard the news.

“The report is fake news. This is not the first time that this kind of news is circulating. They have been propagating it since last Saturday,” he said.

“A news platform suddenly started reporting the news. The INEC chairman is hale and hearty.”