The remains of two unidentified persons have been recovered following an explosion on Tuesday night that triggered an inferno on Otedola Bridge, Lagos State.
Four others sustained varying degrees of fire injuries, while four buildings and 15 vehicles were destroyed.
This was revealed by the spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin.
Hundeyin explained, “The accident was suspected to have occurred when the vehicle was trying to ascend the link road to the Lagos-Ibadan Motorway by Otedola Bridge. Consequently, the vehicle somersaulted, spilt its entire contents on the road, and fire ignited immediately.
“The vehicle’s registration number and make are still unknown. However, a total of four buildings, 15 burnt vehicles, including tricycles, an unspecified number of shops, and household properties were lost in the inferno.
“The number of human lives lost is still being quantified, as only two bodies have been recovered. A private hospital was affected, but details of the victims there remain sketchy. More updates will follow as the rescue operation continues.”
However, the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) reported that one person died in the incident.
Ibrahim Farinloye, the South West Coordinator, reported that four others were injured to varied degrees. As of 10:20 p.m., he reported that the subsequent fire had damaged a business-level structure.
“One person died, four people were injured, 14 vehicles and four shops were destroyed, while one commercial storey building was affected,” Farinloye said.
![Rev. Fr. Anthony Odiong, a US-based Nigerian Louisiana Catholic priest, was arrested in Florida on Tuesday for possessing child pornography, according to law authorities. The suspect is reportedly accused of many other cases of sexual assault. The Waco, Texas, Police Department announced in a Facebook post on Tuesday that officers detained Father Anthony Odiong in Ave Maria, Florida, with assistance from the United States Marshals Service. Waco police announced in March that they had received "credible information" about a sexual assault allegedly committed by Odiong in Texas in 2012. “During the subsequent investigation, a case of possession of child pornography was uncovered,” the police said. The priest was apprehended in Florida by the Caribbean Regional Fugitive Task Force. The Waco Police Department said that he will be extradited to Texas. Odiong had previously served in the Archdiocese of New Orleans before being removed as priest in December of last year due to controversy over homilies in which he claimed, among other things, that the Catholic Church was being taken over by "the gays." At the time, the priest was also accused of abusive behaviour; a Louisiana lady claimed in U.S. bankruptcy court that Odiong had committed both financial and sexual abuse against her. Prior to joining the New Orleans Archdiocese, Odiong served in at least two Texas parishes. On Tuesday, Waco police stated that during their sexual assault investigation, "the presence of other survivors was revealed." “Multiple women have come forward to tell similar experiences as the sexual assault survivor who reported the initial allegation,” the police department said. “Survivors’ experiences ranged from sexual assault and indecent assault, more commonly recognised as groping, and financial abuse, with some survivors experiencing every element of Anthony Odiong’s manipulation.” The police said they “believe there may be more survivors, and we wish to speak with anyone who [has] had similar encounters” with the priest. The Archdiocese of New Orleans issued a brief news release on Tuesday noting Odiong's arrest in Florida. The archdiocese “encourages anyone with any information to contact law enforcement,” the release said.](https://chronicle.ng/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/ezgif-6-4730550ede-450x300.jpg "Odiong: US-based Nigerian Catholic priest convicted over sexual assault")