Ten persons have been confirmed dead after an accident on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway. Ahmed Umar, sector commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) in Ogun, confirmed the incident. He said the accident, which involved a Mack truck and a Toyota Hiace bus, occurred at 4:30am around the Oniworo area. Umar said the accident was caused by road obstruction on the part of the trailer as well as excessive speed and loss of control by the driver of the bus. “A total of 19 people were involved in the crash which comprised 13 male adults and six female adults,” he said. “Two male adults sustained injuries while seven male adults, two female adults and one female child died in the accident.” According to Umar, the bodies of the deceased were taken to Ipara mortuary while the injured are at Victory Hospital in Ogere.   He expressed sympathy for the crash victims’ families and asked them to get in touch with FRSC Ogunmakin for additional details regarding the accident.

  China says it recorded at least 60,000 COVID-related deaths between December 8 and January 12. This was disclosed by the country’s national health commission on Saturday. According to the South China Morning Post, the recent figures are the first official toll to be released since the country lifted restrictions. On January 8, China lifted restrictions on foreign travel, ending its quarantine requirements for inbound travellers. Jiao Yahui, director of the national health commission’s medical affairs department, said medical institutes recorded 5,503 deaths as a result of respiratory failure triggered by COVID infection. He added that 54,435 other deaths were from people infected with COVID-19 but with underlying conditions, such as cancer or cardiovascular diseases. The commission also said most of those who died were over 65 years of age. As panic continues to spread on the actual situation in China and its implications globally, some countries have accused China of not being transparent about the latest outbreak. Some have gone ahead to impose restrictions on travellers from China, demanding negative COVID tests. Femi Falana, human rights lawyer and senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), warned the Nigerian government to make it mandatory for persons arriving in Nigeria from China to produce negative COVID test results. However, Ifedayo Adetifa, director-general of the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control (NCDC), said the federal government is not yet considering severe COVID restrictions. He said the commission will keep reviewing the developing situation.

  The Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has called for the immediate and unconditional release of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, who has been in detention since 2021. Soludo made the demand in Awka, the state capital, during the campaign kick-off of the All Progressives Grand Alliance on Saturday. He specifically appealed to the Federal Government to release Kanu unconditionally and immediately. Speaking to the mammoth crowd of supporters and party faithful, the governor added that if the detained IPOB leader cannot be released unconditionally, he should be released to him, saying he was ready to stand surety for him. He said, “I am making a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to release Mazi Nnamdi Kanu unconditionally. If he cannot be released unconditionally, I want him released to me and i will stand surety for him. “We need Nnamdi Kanu in the roundtable conversation to discuss the insecurity in the South-East. We must end insecurity in the South East and we need Nnamdi Kanu to be around.” Soludo promised to cater to Kanu and also offered to bring him to the authorities any time he was required. He noted that Kanu could not be in prison custody while the issues of insecurity are being discussed in the entire South-East. He continued, “We need him around the discussion table, we need him to discuss about the future of the South-East. If the Federal Government cannot release him unconditionally, I now offer myself to ask the Federal Government to release him to me. “I will provide him anytime he is needed. I will house him here in Awka. We need him released to end insecurity in the South-East. We need him to have true conversation about Nigeria. We believe in Nigeria and we are Nigerians. “We, some time ago set up the Truth and Reconciliation Committee to find out the root cause of insecurity in the South East and they have almost concluded their assignment. “But this issue of insecurity cannot be well addressed without bringing to the table the key players in this matter. “We have applied the kinetic and non kinetic approach to fighting insecurity in the South East but the non kinetic approach cannot be complete without the Federal Government releasing Mazi Nnamdi Kanu. “We must bring him to the table because we need him to be part of this process and I call on the Federal Government to release him to me and for us to have a comprehensive discussion for the fate of the South East. “If we cannot release him based on the court process, I here by offer myself as the surety for his release and whenever you want him, I will hand him over to you “We shall provide him shelter and give him home and we make this plea in the true belief in the spirit of peace in the South East.” Soludo described APGA as the first registered political party in Nigeria with the name progressives, adding, “Anambra is the home of APGA and the home of progressives and we call on Nigerians to vote APGA all the way. “We are progressives and that is why we allowed other political parties and their candidates to come here to campaign because the state believe in a level play ground for all and sundry to campaign which some people while they were here did not do.” The presidential candidate of APGA, Justice Peter Umeadi (retd), described himself as the most qualified candidate to lead the country, adding that his administration as President would unify the country. Umeadi also said that he was the most transparent person among the candidates contesting for the post of the president of the country. The APGA presidential candidate said that since he became the APGA’s candidate in June last year, he had traversed the length and breadth of Nigeria canvassing for votes. He assured Nigerians that he had a realistic manifesto that will address true federalism, agricultural revolution, education, sports and culture, healthcare delivery, knowledge-economy, human security, transport and communication, women, youth, children and disabled, environmental impact assessment and census in Nigeria. A former governor of Anambra State, Chief Willie Obiano, described APGA as the party to beat, adding that the party would sweep the polls come February 25. “We have had 21 over 21 and we have had 19 over 21 and this time, it is going to be 21 over 21,” he added. At the rally, the party handed over the flags of the party to the governorship candidates of the party in Delta, Nasarawa, Jigawa, Adamawa and Abia states as well as the state and National Assembly candidates of the party.

  British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was “appalled” by Iran’s decision to execute British-Iranian dual national, Alireza Akbari, PA Media reported on Saturday. “This was a callous and cowardly act, carried out by a barbaric regime with no respect for the human rights of their own people,” Sunak wrote on Twitter. Foreign Secretary James Cleverly also took to Twitter, saying the “barbaric act” deserved “condemnation in the strongest terms.” “This will not stand unchallenged,” Cleverly wrote. Iran had sentenced the former top politician to death earlier in the week over espionage charges. (dpa/NAN)

  A support group, Likeminds Initiative for Tinubu, says Asiwaju Bola Tinubu of All Progressives Congress(APC) is better qualified to lead Nigeria, than any other candidate in Feb. 25 presidential election. Mr Augustine Esiekpe, the National Coordinator, LikeMinds Initiative For Tinubu, said this at a strategic meeting to mobilise voters for Tinubu/Shettima for the general election in Abuja on Saturday. According to him, an Asiwaju as president will do a better job as president than Peter Obi and Atiku Abubakar, he will be sagacious, strong will and effect the needed change in the country. Esiekpe said that Tinubu had a better character than any other presidential candidate in the race. He said former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar shouldn’t have joined the 2023 presidential race, because it was the turn of the South to rule. “The North as represented by President Muhammadu Buhari has had its eigth years share, so what is Atiku looking for, where is he representing. “The presidency should rotate between the North and the South because there must be justice, fairness and equity. “If we give Obi or Atiku our future is not secured, we should look at Tinubu who is better with record of performance to show,” he said. He said the group would mobilise voters in the Federal Capital Territory to ensure landslide victory for APC. Speaking on mobilisation, he said it was key to winning election, adding that in Lagos people hardly vote but rather resort to playing football on election day. He said that the group’s major work was to identify people with PVC and move them to vote on the day of election, adding that it would also bring INEC officials to educate members on BVAS. This according to him, would enable the group to sensitive others so they would understand process on election day and would be able to educate others. “The Obidient camp is doing this sensitisation seriously. These are some of the sensitisation we need to embark upon, campaign isn’t about gathering people at rallies, but going from place to place to sensitive voters.