See what was left of the Lexus SUV in which the late Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Barrister James Ocholi, his wife Blessing and son Aaron were returning to Abuja after the crash.
They had gone to Kaduna for a thanksgiving church service.
Sources said that the vehicle overturned at high speed following a burst tire.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his grief over the loss of the Minister of State for Labour, Barrister James Ocholi.
Buhari took to his Twitter handle @NGRPresident on Sunday night to mourn the fallen minister.
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President @MBuhari mourns the death today, in a car crash, of the Minister of State for Labour, Barrister James Ocholi (SAN).
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President Buhari
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The late Barrister Ocholi was sworn in as Minister of State for Labour and Employment on November 11, 2015.
President Muhammadu Buhari has disclosed that Nigeria has joined the Saudi Arabia led Islamic Coalition Against Terrorism.
Justifying Nigeria's membership of the coalition on Aljazeera at the weekend, Buhari said that it had to be done because Nigeria has terrorists to deal with.
“We are part of it because we’ve got terrorists in Nigeria that everybody knows which claim that they are Islamic.
“So, if there’s an Islamic coalition to fight terrorism, Nigeria will be part of it because we are casualties of Islamic terrorism.”
Buhari confirmed that Nigeria joined the Islamic Coalition during his recent visit to King Salman Bin Abdul-Aziz in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He argued that since Boko Haram which claims to be Islamic has joined ISIS, Nigeria should not shy away from joining any Islamic organization fighting terrorism.
“ISIS is basically based in Islamic countries. Now, if there’s a coalition to fight Islamic terrorism, why can’t Nigeria be part of it, while those that are fighting in Nigeria as Boko Haram claim to be Muslims?" he asked.
Buhari dismissed the suggestion that he was giving Nigeria an Islamic identify by joining the coalition, given that almost half of the population is Christian.
“Why can’t those Christians that complained go and fight terrorism in Nigeria or fight the militancy in the South. It’s Nigeria that matters, not the opinion of some religious bigots,” he said.
The accident that claimed the lives of the Minister of State for Labour, Chief James Ocholi and his eldest son earlier on Sunday has also claimed the life of his wife.
The critically injured Mrs Ocholi was rushed in a state of coma to Doka General Hospital, 60 kilometres from Kaduna where she eventually died on Sunday evening.
Minister of State for Labour, Chief James Ocholi has died.
Ocholi is reported to have been killed in an automobile accident along the Abuja - Kaduna road on Sunday.
According to family sources, the accident which involved Ocholi's Toyota Prado and a Lexus SUV also left his wife in a coma.
The late Minister and Senior Advocate of Nigeria hailed from Dekina Local Government Area of Kogi State.
Following the national outrage generated by the abduction of 13 year-old Christian girl Ese Oruru by 25 year-old Muslim man, Yunusa Dahiru and the revelation of several other similar abductions, the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN has demanded an end to the stealing of Christian girls by Muslims.
Speaking in an interview published in The Punch on Sunday, the General Secretary of the Christian Association of Nigeria, Rev. Musa Asake condemned the practice which he said has been going on for a long time.
"This has been going on in the North. In fact, our Christian girls are abducted but nothing is done about it. It is so sad that while we are praying to live in peace, another side is not showing a sign of peace. I don’t know where it is in the religion that teaches that they can take someone’s daughter, convert her from Christianity to Islam and marry her (off). If that is religion, then it is very unfortunate. I also want to make it very clear: If it were Christians doing this to Muslim girls, Nigerians would have been burnt to ashes. So, to me, it is a total disrespect and a complete disobedience of the law of the land and the law of God. To me, it is stealing; I don’t know why you are calling it abduction. It is stealing and the government should wake up and do something. There is nobody who has the right to take somebody’s daughter and even have the right to give her (away) in marriage. We had a similar experience in Minna (Niger State) and the matter was reported even up to the Presidency. The governor refused to cooperate. They took that girl, changed her name and married her (off). It is not good. That is what some of these Muslims are doing to us. The media should investigate and bring these ones out and the government should come out with a law. This one (Ese) is so fortunate. The one I am talking about is a pastor’s daughter. They married her off and up till today, the government is doing nothing. We met with the deputy governor; his words were arrogant. We are running out of patience. If we want to live in peace in Nigeria, then some of these Muslims have to behave. I don’t see why those practicing a religion will be stealing people’s children and they are doing it with impunity. It is unfortunate," he said.
Speaking further, Rev Asake said that Muslims have been taking Christians for granted.
"How can you take a Christian girl to your Islamic court and say she can marry whoever she wants? Are they the parents? The government is not — I repeat, is not — against the whole thing. That is why when it happens, just because Christians are saying ‘we want peace,’ they will provoke us. I think we have had enough of that kind of one-sided peace. Enough of it! Christians have been taken for granted and it will soon come to an end. We cannot continue to have this kind of nonsense. Someone takes somebody’s daughter and marries her. Can somebody else take their daughter to go and marry? If they have many children and they are not accountable or responsible for them, in the Christian community, we are not like that. If you have your child, you need to know where your child is, what he is doing and who he is doing it with. Yes, we do have some stubborn ones, but you cannot steal my daughter and go and marry her. Who are you?" he queried.
Credits: The Punch
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