An explosion occurred early Monday morning at the Zungeru Hydroelectric Dam in Niger State, causing injuries to several workers and damaging the dam’s installations.

Eyewitnesses reported that the blast severely injured a foreign engineer, believed to be Chinese, who suffered significant burns to his head and hand.

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He was initially taken to the Minna General Hospital but is expected to be transferred to the IBB Specialist Hospital in Minna due to the severity of his injuries.

The total number of injured workers is yet to be confirmed.

The cause of the explosion remains unknown at this time.

No official statements have been released regarding the incident.

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Attempts to reach the Niger State Police Public Relations Officer, Wasiu Abiodun, for confirmation and details were unsuccessful as of the time of this report.

A Delta State High Court sitting in Ibusa, Oshimili North Local Government Area, has sentenced two men, Mr. Ojerbo Solomon and Mr. Ola Babatunde, to death by hanging.

The court found them guilty of murder, armed robbery, and rape following an eight-year-long trial.

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Justice M.O. Omovie delivered the judgment on Monday, declaring that the prosecution, led by Mr. E.H. Edema, had provided compelling evidence against the defendants.

The prosecution presented five witnesses who testified that on February 8, 2016, Solomon and Babatunde, armed with firearms, cutlasses, and knives, broke into the victims’ home and committed the crimes.

During the trial, it was revealed that the defendants had raped the victims and then slit their throats.

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While one of the victims, Mr. Praise Sunday, survived the attack, his mother and sister did not.

The court heard that after the crimes, the two men fled on the victim’s motorcycle to Ewohimi in Edo State, where they were eventually captured by the police.

Despite the defendants denying the charges and presenting no witnesses in their defense, Justice Omovie concluded that the evidence presented by the prosecution was sufficient to establish their guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.

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Consequently, the court sentenced both men to death by hanging.

On Monday, the Federal High Court in Abuja dismissed a N1 billion lawsuit filed by Nnamdi Kanu, the detained leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), against the Federal Government and the Department of State Services (DSS).

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Justice James Omotosho, delivering the judgment, stated that Kanu failed to provide sufficient evidence to support his claims of fundamental rights violations by the defendants.

Kanu had alleged that the DSS denied him unhindered access to his lawyers and eavesdropped on his confidential conversations during the preparation for his defense.

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However, Justice Omotosho ruled that these allegations could not be substantiated.

The suit, filed on December 4, 2023, by Kanu’s lawyer Aloy Ejimakor, named the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation, the DSS, and its Director-General as respondents.

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Kanu sought eight reliefs, including declarations that the DSS’s actions amounted to a denial of his rights to legal representation and an injunction to prevent further violations.

Kanu also requested N1 billion in damages for the mental, emotional, and psychological distress he claimed to have suffered.

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In a counter-affidavit filed on March 12, the DSS denied the allegations.

Yamuje Benye, a staff member from the DSS legal department, asserted that Kanu was provided with secure and safe custody and had regular access to his family and lawyers.

He argued that the DSS personnel never confiscated documents brought by Kanu’s lawyers or interfered with their consultations.

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Benye also highlighted that Justice Binta Nyako, who presides over Kanu’s criminal trial, mandated supervised visits to ensure security.

He emphasized that all visitors to DSS facilities undergo routine security checks to prevent unauthorized materials from entering the premises.

The DSS argued that the lawsuit was an abuse of court process, given that similar issues were being adjudicated by Justice Nyako.

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The Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Attorney-General of the Federation also urged the court to dismiss the suit on similar grounds.