The Senate on Tuesday observed a moment of grief following the death of a police officer attached to the convoy of Senate President Godswill Akpabio, who was killed in a road accident in Ibadan, Oyo State.
Akpabio disclosed during plenary that a petrol tanker rammed into his convoy on Sunday, killing a police dispatch rider identified as DSP Ibrahim Hussaini. Dispatch riders are police officers who ride government-branded motorcycles as part of security convoys for public officials.
According to the Senate President, the incident occurred shortly after his convoy picked him up from the Ibadan airport following an official visit to Oyo State for the installation ceremony of a colleague. He said the officer was run over by the tanker and died on the spot.
Akpabio informed lawmakers that Hussaini was buried earlier on Tuesday in Kogi State. He added that the late officer was survived by two wives and four children.
While mourning the officer, the Senate President appealed to heads of ministries, departments and agencies to consider offering automatic employment to the deceased’s children. He pledged to personally facilitate their employment if no vacancies were available in public institutions.
“I’m recommending two of his senior children for immediate employment in any parastatal willing to take them. Otherwise, I will employ them personally in my private concerns,” Akpabio said.
Following the disclosure, Senator Sunday Karimi (Kogi West) raised a motion for personal explanation to formally bring the incident before the Senate. While condoling with Akpabio and the family of the deceased, Karimi revealed that Hussaini, who hailed from Kogi State, was due to retire in 2026 and had served in the Senate President’s convoy since Akpabio assumed office in 2023.
The session also took note of another bereavement. Karimi informed the chamber of the death of Ibrahim Tukur, a longtime driver to Senator Isah Jibrin (Kogi East), who passed away at home on Saturday.
Senator Jibrin paid tribute to Tukur, recalling their 25-year professional relationship dating back to their time at the defunct AfriBank. The Senate thereafter observed a minute of silence in honour of both deceased men.
