NO fewer than 12 persons lost their lives and eight others burnt beyond recognition in two separate motor accidents that occurred on Abuja-Lokoja-Okene Federal high way on Saturday morning.

It was confirmed that the first accident occurred along the Koton- Karfi road around 7a.m when a 12-seater bus lost control after having a burst tyre.

Witnesses disclosed to Sunday Tribune that the driver lost control and the bus surmersaulted several times before catching fire.

Eight passengers were burnt beyond recognition, while those that survived with burnt were taken to a hospital.

In another incident, two articulated vehicles had a head-on collision on the Lokoja-Okene road same day.

The two drivers and another two passengers lost their lives on the spot.

In a similar manner, a middle aged man, who was a staff of Federal College of Education, Okene Mr. Stephen Omole, was allegedly killed by unknown gunmen on Saturday morning.

The late Omole was in the bursary department of the institution.

Sunday Tribune gathered that five gunmen invaded his residence,opposite the college on Friday night.

It was reliably gathered that the armed gang demanded for money initially upon storming his house,before dragging him away in his Toyota vehicle.

He was later found dead with a bullet wound on his head along Itakpe-Eika road in Okehi local government area of the state.

A staff of the school who spoke under anonymity described Omole as an easy going man.

He wondered why Mr. Omole could be killed under such circumstance. He also called on the law enforcement agents to unravel the mystery surrounding his death.

In another development, three student union leaders from higher institutions in Ondo State have died, while some others were wounded in a motor accident along Owo-Akure road.

They included the Student Union Government presidents of FUTA, Adeyemi College of Education Ondo and of Ondo State School of Midwifery, all in Akure.

The boys, Dapo Awopegba (FUTA), Abiodun Akintola (ACE) and their third colleague, died at Emure Ile junction on Owo - Akure expressway on Friday night.

The students were said to be returning from Abuja, venue of National Association of Nigerian Students award to eminent Nigerians, in a bus donated to the Joint Campus Committee by the state government recently.

When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Aremu Adeniran, said the students had a lone accident due to excessive speeding around 8:00pm.

The remains of the deceased had been deposited in the morgue, while those who sustained injuries are receiving treatment at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC) in Owo.