A fully loaded Compressed Natural Gas (CNG)-powered commercial bus exploded and burst into flames along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on Wednesday, triggering panic among passengers and motorists.

The incident occurred at Berger Bus Stop on the Lagos-bound section of the expressway. The Toyota Hiace bus, registration number EKY 798 YK, was carrying 18 occupants, including the driver, from the Mowe-Ibafo axis toward Lagos when it suddenly erupted into flames following a reported gas explosion.

Seventeen people, including the driver, were safely evacuated by personnel of the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA). One male passenger seated at the rear of the vehicle sustained severe burn injuries and was rushed to the Lagos State Trauma and Emergency Centre at Toll Gate for treatment.

Officers of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service quickly extinguished the blaze, while police from the Ojodu Division secured the scene and maintained order.

LASTMA General Manager Olalekan Bakare-Oki praised the swift response by emergency teams that prevented further casualties. He urged operators of CNG-powered commercial vehicles to prioritise regular professional inspections and proper maintenance of gas storage and delivery systems to avoid similar incidents.

For the second time in one week, Senate proceedings suffered a delayed start after lawmakers failed to assemble in the numbers required to form a constitutional quorum.

The development has renewed concerns over legislative attendance. Senate President Godswill Akpabio warned senators against allowing political activities ahead of the 2027 general elections to undermine their parliamentary responsibilities.

The plenary, scheduled to begin at 11 a.m., did not commence until 12:19 p.m., after the arrival of Senator Abdul Ningi brought the number of lawmakers to the constitutionally required quorum.

Under Section 54(1) of the 1999 Constitution, the quorum for either chamber of the National Assembly is one-third of all its members.

With the quorum secured, Akpabio urged lawmakers not to abandon their legislative duties under the guise of preparations for the 2027 elections.

He advised senators to use weekends to travel to their constituencies and engage in political campaigns without disrupting legislative business.

The Senate then proceeded with the adoption of the votes and proceedings of its previous sitting.

Electricity distribution companies have publicly apologised to Nigerians for the prolonged and erratic power outages that have plagued households and businesses across the country in recent weeks.

Sunday Oduntan, Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Association of Nigerian Electricity Distributors (ANED), tendered the apology on Monday during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily.

“I’d like to first of all start by apologising to Nigerians. An apology is needed; it is essential because Nigerians have been taken through this problem over the past few weeks,” Oduntan said.

He acknowledged the hardship caused by the sustained blackouts and criticised a return to the “blame game” among operators in the power sector — a pattern last seen between 2016 and 2019, when DisCos, the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN), generation companies and gas suppliers routinely pointed fingers at one another instead of solving problems.

Oduntan specifically questioned conflicting explanations from the Nigerian Independent System Operator (NISO) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) over the causes of the shortfall. While NISO cited low water levels and inadequate gas supply, NNPC maintained that gas was available. He urged greater transparency on whether payment issues were affecting gas deliveries to power plants.

The ANED chief called on the Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, to convene all stakeholders to identify the real causes of the shortages and halt the cycle of mutual accusations.

The apology comes amid widespread frustration, with even Band A customers — who are supposed to receive a minimum of 20 hours of electricity daily — reporting inadequate supply. The situation has been made worse by intense dry-season heat.