Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, says that the FCT Administration will take a firm decision on open grazing inside the Abuja city centre after consultation with herdsmen.

“Before we take any decision, we will do proper consultation so that nobody will say you never alerted them, you never interacted with them before you took that decision.
We are going to call the cattle people to sit with them. We cannot allow things to go on like this. We didn’t say that there will be no cattle in Abuja, but within the city,” he said. Mr Wike stated this while fielding questions from journalists after inspecting some road projects in Abuja on Saturday.

He said that cows would be allowed to graze in the suburbs but not in the city centre.

On the ban of commercial motorcycles from operating within the city centre, the minister said a firmer decision would be taken after the federal provided buses as alternatives.

“We did not take a firm decision because we have not been able to provide the buses that will be the alternative for the people.
It is within the government’s responsibility to provide the alternative and then ask the motorcycle operators to leave the city centre.
This is so that you don’t ask them to leave, and people will be suffering; no,” he said.

Some of the projects visited are the completion of Roads B6, B12 and Circle Road in Central Area and the rehabilitation of the Federal Secretariat, being handled by Julius Berger.

The minister also inspected the construction of the southern Parkway from Christian Centre (S8/9) to Ring Road 1, being handled by Setraco and the expansion of the outer Southern Expressway being handled by CGC.

The project spanned from Villa Roundabout to OSEX/Ring Road 1 Junction, including four interchanges.

Mr Wike equally inspected the full scope development of Arterial Road N20, from Northern Parkway to ONEX with spurs being handled by Gilmor Engineering.

The Police Command in Delta says five persons lost their lives in a petrol tanker explosion in the state, police sources said.

The spokesman of the command, DSP Bright Edafe, disclosed this to newsmen on Sunday in Warri, saying the incident occurred on 1 October at Ugbenu in Ethiope West Local Government Area (LGA) of the state.

He said that the tanker, laden with petrol, was heading towards Benin City in the morning when the unfortunate incident happened.

“In the early hours of Oct. 1, 2023, at about 0200hrs, the Command recorded a tragic incident where a tanker, laden with petroleum product, being driven towards Benin on the Warri – Benin Road fell at Ugbenu Koko Junction.

“Its content spilled into the nearby swamp and the spillage attracted a couple of youths who took advantage of the incident and started scooping fuel into jerry cans and other containers.

“While they were at it, an explosion erupted and the fire from the explosion engulfed the whole area.

“The fire claimed lives of five persons among the youths who had come to scoop fuel,” Edafe said.

He said that several properties, including eight buses of different makes, two tankers, five trailers, two motorcycles, a Sienna space wagon and a ‘C’ Class Mercedes Benz car were also burnt.

Edafe said that the remains of the victims had been deposited at the Oghara General Hospital’s morgue in Ethiope West.

He added that police operatives attached to the Oghara division, in collaboration with the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) at Ethiope West, had mobilised to the scene to ensure the free flow of traffic.

Edafe said that the Commissioner of Police, Delta Command, Mr Wale Abass, had expressed his sympathy with the families that lost their loved ones in the incident.

“It is sad that we never learn from past occurrences, since this is not the first time such incident has happened.

“Nonetheless, I appeal that Nigerians should do away with greed and avoid scenes where there is an occurrence of oil spillages.

“It poses a serious threat to their lives and the lives of others,” Edafe warned.