The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Tuesday raised an alarm over the high accident rate on the Okene-Lokoja-Koton Karfe-Gegu road corridor which claimed 79 lives in the past five months.
Mr John Meheux, the FRSC Zonal Commanding Officer, who raised the alarm at the launching of a special intervention patrol along the corridor, said that 95 accidents were recorded along the corridor within the same period.
He said that 789 persons were involved in the accidents, out of which 399 sustained varying degrees of injury.
Meheux, who is in charge of Ekiti, Kwara and Kogi states, stressed the need to check the trend.
He explained that the decision to introduce a special intervention patrol was to reduce the carnage, saying that the road was the second in the country to be accorded such attention.
According to him, the intervention will help to reverse the trend and bring sanity to that corridor which serves as gateway to 26 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He also said that the operation would in the first instance last for six months, adding that 56 officers, 10 patrol vans, one tow truck and one ambulance would be deployed for the operation.
Meheux, an Assistant Corp Marshall warned motorists plying the corridor to cooperate with the FRSC in its efforts to restore sanity to the road, adding that violation of traffic rules will no longer be overlooked.
Mr Ogochukwu Ugboma, Kogi FRSC Sector Commander, explained that the focus of the operation would be on overloading, driving with worn out tyres, use of cell phone while driving, among others.
UK city named as 'cocaine capital of Europe' for second year running
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The study named London as Europe's 'cocaine capital'
The UK is home to the city branded the 'cocaine capital of Europe' for the second year running, according to a new study.
While the use of the Class A substance grew among a small number of European cities, the UK still takes first stop for highest cocaine use.
The study carried out by the EU's drug monitoring agency found London to have the highest cocaine usage, at 909mg per 1,000 last year - up from 737mg in 2016.
When weekend samples only are taken into account, the concentration for London rises to 1044, according to the figures.
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London took the top spot for the highest cocaine usage for the second year in a row
Research also showed ecstasy is making a comeback as the drug of choice for youngsters as it shifts into "more mainstream" social settings.
Amsterdam came second for highest cocaine usage, where the level recorded was 642mg per 1,000.
The Europe-wide study analysed wastewater in more than 60 European cities and towns to gain an insight into drug use.
In order to assess cocaine levels, experts examined samples for benzoylecgonine (BE) - the main substance produced when the body breaks down the drug.
Over five years there has been a "stable picture" of cocaine use around the continent, according to the study published by the European Monitoring Centre for Drugs and Drug Addiction (EMCDDA).
It added: "Most cities show either a decreasing or a stable trend between 2011 and 2015, but in a few cases, in particular Brussels and London, an increase in BE loads was observed in this period."
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The study found cocaine was the moment commonly used illicit drug in Europe
Cocaine is the most commonly used illicit stimulant drug in Europe, with an estimated 2.4 million young adults between 15 and 34 having taken the drug in the last year.
The UK is one of only three countries reporting prevalence of cocaine use among young adults of 3% or more, the EMCDDA said.
Meanwhile, experts highlighted evidence of a "resurgence" in the use of MDMA - commonly known as ecstasy - around Europe after a decline from peak levels seen in the early to mid 2000s.
Figures published last year for England and Wales showed a "statistically significant" rise in the proportion of 16- to 24-year-olds reporting ecstasy use in the last year, up from 3.9% in 2013-14 to 5.4% in 2014-15.
Europe-wide, 2.1 million young adults are estimated to have taken the drug in the previous 12 months.
In another report published on Tuesday, the EU agency said current indications suggest that in countries with higher prevalence the use of MDMA is "no longer a niche or subcultural drug".
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London was among a small number of cities where cocaine usage had increased in the last year
"It is not limited to dance clubs and parties, but is used by a wider range of young people in mainstream nightlife settings such as bars and house parties," the study said.
The agency also warned reports indicate an increased availability of high-dose MDMA tablets, as well as in powder and crystal forms.
EMCDDA Director Alexis Goosdeel said: "The revival of MDMA brings with it the need to rethink existing prevention and harm-reduction responses to target and support a new population of users who may be using high-dose products, without fully understanding the risks involved.
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More than 88 million Europeans are estimated to have tried illicit drugs
"Intoxications and even deaths associated with this drug are highlighted in our new report.
"This is particularly worrying since MDMA is moving into more mainstream social settings and is increasingly available via online markets."
The report also raised concerns about a rise in overdose deaths, mainly related to heroin and other opioids, in some countries.
More than 88 million adults in Europe are estimated to have tried illicit drugs at some point in their lives.
Some users suggested the condom may have been used (Picture: CEN)
A woman took to Facebook after she claimed to have found a condom inside a sausage bought at her local supermarket.
Ana Josefina Mender, from San Miguel de Tucuman in northern Argentina, said she bought some chorizo in her local supermarket and cut it open to find a ‘wrinkled condom dyed yellow’.
She shared her grim discover on her Facebook page.
‘I’ve just found the most disgusting thing in a chorizo, a condom.
‘I swear I won’t eat anything anymore! I bought it in Luque supermarket in Corrientes and Munecas area of Barrio Norte.’
The director of a zoo where a 17-year-old gorilla was shot dead has revealed it had taken frozen sperm from him so his 'gene pool' would continue.
Harambe, a western lowland silverback gorilla, was shot with a rifle when a four-year-old boy entered its enclosure on Saturday.
Zoo director Thomas Maynard said the child - who has not been named - was in imminent danger because the gorilla was disorientated and confused.
This is despite video clips appearing to show Harambe standing guard over the child and even holding his hand.
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The zoo shot the beloved animal after he dragged the boy through the water and up out of the moat - after Harambe's death frozen sperm was taken from him so his gene pool would continue
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The incident has sparked a backlash around the world - both of the zoo's actions and of the apparent negligence of family members who failed to stop the boy.
More than 290,000 have now signed a petition calling for 'Justice for Harambe' which lays blame squarely with the child's parents.
But Mr Maynard - who defended the zoo's decision to shoot the gorilla - has insisted 'there is a future' for Harambe because 'it's not the end of his gene pool'.
Western Iowland gorillas are critically endangered in the wild - in the dense rain forests of Cameroon, the Central African Republic, the Democratic Republic of Congo and Equatorial Guinea - where their numbers have declined by more than 60 per cent over the last 20 to 25 years.
Their numbers are now estimated at fewer than 175,000.
The Cincinnati Zoo has a long history of breeding gorillas. Fifty gorilla babies have been born at the zoo in the past 46 years.
Harambe was born in captivity in Texas and moved to Cincinnati zoo in 2014, where it was hoped he could be part of that breeding programme.
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During Monday's press conference, Maynard supported the animal response team's decision to kill Harambe, and said: 'Looking back we would make the same decision'
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Speaking at a press conference yesterday, Mr Maynard defended the zoo's controversial decision to shoot Harambe.
He said: 'This child was being dragged around and his head was banging on the concrete. This was not a gentle thing.
'We did not take the shooting lightly. But that child's life was in danger and people who question that, or are Monday morning quarterbacks or second guessers, don't understand that you can't take a risk with a silverback gorilla.'
The huge gorilla was about six times stronger than a man, he added, and was confused and agitated.
'This is an animal (that) with one hand, I have seen take a coconut and crush it,' he said.
Mr Maynard said tranquilizing the prize ape was not an option because a dart could have startled the creature, causing it to act aggressively before the sedative kicked in.
He added: 'Looking back, we would make the same decision. We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child's life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made.'
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Flowers are placed at a bronze statue of a gorilla outside Cincinnati Zoo's gorilla world exhibit yesterday
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A boy bows his head in front of the bronze gorilla statue as tributes are paid to Harambe, who was shot dead
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Harambe's death has sparked an outcry of emotion, with thousands of mourners branding it a 'senseless death' (pictured, Monday's vigil)
The boy had climbed the 3ft-tall barrier and crawled through the bushes before falling 15 feet (4.5 meters) into the enclosure on Saturday.
He was treated at a hospital and released that same day.
In a statement on Sunday the family said: 'We are so thankful to the Lord that our child is safe. He is home and doing just fine. We extend our heartfelt thanks for the quick action by the Cincinnati Zoo staff.
'We know that this was a very difficult decision for them, and that they are grieving the loss of their gorilla. We hope that you will respect our privacy at this time.'
Mr Maynard said he did not know if there would be changes made to the barriers at the gorilla exhibit when it reopened on Saturday.
The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) on Tuesday raised an alarm over the high accident rate on the Okene-Lokoja-Koton Karfe-Gegu road corridor which claimed 79 lives in the past five months.
