Delta APC stalwart, son die in auto crash

A former Acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission (NDDC), Pastor Power Aginighan and his son have died in an auto crash.

Aginighan, an All Progressives Congress (APC) stalwart and his son identified as Tammy, as well as a police orderly, reportedly died in a fatal road crash around the Mbiama end of the East-West Expressway, Rivers State.

The tragedy, which occurred on Friday was said to have thrown the Delta APC family into deep mourning.

Sunday Tribune gathered Saturday that the vehicle conveying the trio were travelling in plunged into a ditch while trying to avoid an articulated truck, somersaulting and burst in flames.

The three occupants were reportedly burnt beyond recognition.

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An APC chieftain, Hon Ebiakpo Ezebiri, was quoted on Saturday as saying that leaders of the party had been trying to reach the deceased all through the day, but his mobile phone was unreachable.

“We were together on Thursday when we hosted Professor Pat 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 was quoted as saying.

It was gathered that they had already crossed the Mbiama bridge located in Rivers State before the incident occurred.

Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Delta Command, Mr Andrew Aniamaka in a phone call with TribuneOnline on Saturday said though the incident reportedly happened in Rivers State, they were yet to confirm the incident from the appropriate quarters.