Ex-NDDC MD, Son, Die in Auto Crash

Sylvester Idowu in Warri

The people of Niger Delta were thrown into a state of mourning yesterday with the sudden death of former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Pastor Power Aginighan.

Aginighan, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Delta State and the leader of the Ijaw elements within the party, was said to have died in a ghastly road accident around the Mbiama end of the East-West Expressway on Friday.

The son of the prominent Ijaw leader, identified as Tammy and his police escort, whose name could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report also lost their lives.

THISDAY could obtain details of the accident, it was however learnt that vehicle conveying the deceased was crushed by a trailer, leading to an inferno, which burned the victims beyond recognition. Delta State Treasurer of the APC, Hon. Ebiakpo Ezebiri, said the incident happened on Friday disclosing that leaders of the party had been trying to reach the deceased all through the day but could reach him.

“We were together on Thursday when we hosted Professor Utomi. People were trying to reach him yesterday to get his attention on some matters, but he was unreachable, nobody knew he was dead.

“The accident happened during the day, but since they had been burnt beyond recognition, nobody could have known who was involved. He was in the vehicle with his son and his police escort when the accident happened just after the Mbiama bridge.

“Some of our people have already gone to the scene of the accident to retrieve the bodies. We are in mourning, this is very painful,” Ezebiri said.

It would be recalled that the Ijaw elements of the APC, just over a week ago, conferred the leadership of their stock in the party on Aginighan.

Delta State Police Command’s spokesman, DSP Andrew Aniamaka, was unable to confirm the incident.