The operatives of Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) and security personnel today responded swiftly to a serious railroad collision at the PWD Railway Line, involving a moving train travelling inward Agege and a Honda car (EKY 902 JT), driven by a 55-year-old man who remarkably survived the harrowing encounter.

Adebayo Taofiq, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department of LASTMA, said that the collision inflicted extensive and irreparable damage on the Honda car and rendered it virtually a complete write-off.

Notwithstanding the severity of the impact and the considerable destruction sustained by the vehicle, the motorist miraculously escaped without any reported injury with no casualty recorded at the scene.

In a commendable inter-agency synergy, LASTMA operatives, working in concert with security personnel rescued the driver of the car unhurt and facilitated the immediate removal of the mangled vehicle from the railway track.

Their timely and coordinated intervention was instrumental in clearing the obstruction and enabling the train to resume its journey towards Agege.

Despite the successful removal of the wrecked automobile from the railway track, vehicular movement around the PWD axis remains severely impeded, with considerable traffic congestion continuing to undermine the smooth flow of traffic along the affected corridor.

The wrecked Honda car was subsequently handed over to security personnel by LASTMA for further investigation on the cause of the collision.

• The mangled Honda car

The General Manager of LASTMA, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki commended the prompt, coordinated and professionally executed response of the Authority’s operatives and the security personnel involved in the emergency operation.

He acknowledged their exemplary vigilance, responsiveness and collaborative disposition in managing the aftermath of an incident with considerable potential for catastrophic consequences.

The General Manager emphasised that effective inter-agency collaboration, situational awareness and expeditious emergency intervention remain indispensable to mitigating the consequences of unforeseen transportation incidents, particularly those involving railway operations and adjoining road infrastructure.He further reiterated the imperative of scrupulous adherence to railway safety regulations, urging motorists to exercise exceptional caution when approaching railway crossings and designated train corridors.

Bakare-Oki cautioned against any attempt to traverse railway tracks when a train is approaching or already in motion, stressing that reckless disregard for railway safety protocols could precipitate devastating and irreversible consequences.

LASTMA consequently appeals to all motorists and other road users to demonstrate heightened vigilance, sound judgement and uncompromising compliance with established traffic and railway safety regulations.

The Authority maintains that the preservation of human life must remain paramount in all road-use decisions, as preventable collisions can be averted through responsible conduct, anticipatory caution and strict observance of safety instructions.

Emotional scenes of tears, tight embraces and prayers of gratitude filled the Department of State Services (DSS) headquarters in Aleshinloye, Ibadan, on Thursday evening as 20 rescued prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were reunited with their families after seven harrowing days in captivity.

The young graduates, who had been abducted on 1 October while travelling from Oyo State to orientation camps in Abia and Akwa Ibom states, were handed over to their parents and relatives around 8:30pm after undergoing debriefing by security operatives. Families had waited for about three hours outside the facility before the emotional reunion.

Some parents wept openly upon seeing their children, while others simply held their hands in silence as they walked toward waiting vehicles. One mother, Faith Felicia Abiala, struggled to hold back tears as she spoke: “I cannot recount all the tears and sorrow, but I give thanks to God that I am seeing her alive today. On the day she was taken, I was so devastated I couldn’t even eat, but today my heart is filled with joy.”

The 20 victims were among 30 prospective corps members travelling in two buses when gunmen attacked them along the Owerri-Onitsha expressway near Umunoha in Imo State. Ten managed to escape into the bush during the assault, while the remaining 20 were taken into the forest. They regained their freedom on Wednesday, 7 October, following a joint operation involving the DSS, military and police, and were later brought to Ibadan.

One of the freed members, Akande Morenikeji, described the seven days as “stressful” and “mentally and physically draining.” She said the female captives were not chained or sexually harassed, though the male victims faced greater restrictions. Reports on whether ransom was paid remain mixed, with some families earlier claiming they had paid millions of naira, while one of the freed members insisted no ransom was paid.

The reunion brought long-awaited relief after a week of anxiety during which kidnappers initially demanded as much as ₦1 billion (₦50 million per person) before reportedly reducing the figure. Parents thanked security agencies and called on the Federal Government to improve protection for corps members travelling to their service locations, with some suggesting air travel as a safer alternative for long-distance journeys.

Police say efforts to apprehend those responsible for the abduction are ongoing.

• ABU, Zaria

Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has reviewed upward increase in registration charges ahead of the 2026/2027 academic session.

The ABU increase will see students paying between N143,000 and N298,000 depending on their programme and level of study.

The new rates represent a significant increase from the N62,000 to N84,000 range paid during the previous academic session.

The Governing Council approved the revised charges at its 218th Special Meeting on September 29, following a resolution of the university Senate and consultations with stakeholders.

The increase is particularly steep for students in professional, medical and science-based programmes.

For instance, Medicine and Surgery students at 100 level will now pay N242,000, up from N82,000, while Dentistry has risen from N82,625 to N242,000.

Law students will pay N182,000, compared with N82,625 previously, while those studying Civil, Computer, Electrical and Mechanical Engineering will pay N172,000, up from N82,625. Nursing Science has increased from N78,875 to N212,000, while Medical Laboratory Science and Medical Radiography will also attract N212,000 at 100 level.

Veterinary Medicine rose from N82,625 to N232,000, while Computer Science increased from N82,625 to N172,000.

Students in Accounting, Economics and Public Administration will now pay N152,000, compared with N75,125 previously.