The Kaduna State Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Commission,
Mr. Francis Udoma, said the accident occurred about 57 kilometres away
from Kaduna.
Udoma confirmed that the minister and the son died on the spot, adding
that some aides to the late minister also sustained injuries.
The news of the minister’s death was first broken by his counterpart for Aviation, Hadi Sirika.
He said on his twitter handle, “It is too heavy for me to bear the loss
of my dear friend, Minister of State, James Ocholi, SAN. We departed on
Friday to meet no more.”
The Head, Media Relations and Strategy, FRSC, Bisi Kazeem, also confirmed the sad incident.
He said, “There was a road traffic crash along Abuja-Kaduna Expressway
involving an SUV which somersaulted after one of its tyres burst. Sadly,
the Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi, lost his life in the
crash.”
Tears flowed uncontrollably among friends, lawyers, chieftains of the
All Progressives Congress and relatives as the corpses of Ocholi,
Blessing and Joshua were brought to the National Hospital, Abuja, by
officials of the FRSC.
That of his wife was brought in about one hour, thirty minutes later.
Senior government officials, who were on the ground at the Hospital when
the vehicles arrived, were seen discussing the incident in hushed
tones.
Two FRSC vehicles, an ambulance with number plate A01 0637RS, and an
escort pick-up van, marked A01 736RS, brought the corpses to the
hospital.
Scores of sympathisers wailed uncontrollably as the bodies of the deceased were being removed from the ambulance.
President Muhammadu Buhari expressed shock and sadness at the death of Ocholi, his wife and son.
In a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity,
Garba Shehu, on Sunday, Buhari described the death of the minister’s as
untimely, regretting that Nigeria had lost a key component of the change
agenda.
“Barrister Ocholi was an accomplished and patriotic Nigerian, who was
keen to accept the call to service at a time his country needed him,”
Buhari said.
He added that in the few months he had been in office, the late minister
of state had already begun to distinguish himself through his
commitment and dedication to his portfolio.
The late Ocholi had a long record of political association with Buhari.
Buhari also condoled with the government and people of Kogi State, which
he described as having lost a distinguished and irreplaceable son.
He prayed that God would comfort them and grant them the grace to bear the loss.
“The entire country mourns the loss of this great man, who has sadly left us when we need him most,” he said.
Buhari also sent the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Mr.
David Babachir, to formally convey the news to members of the deceased
family as well as parishioners in his place of worship.
Speaking with journalists at the National Hospital premises, Babachir
stated that the three family members were killed in the crash at about
3pm.
He said, “I will like to confirm that at about 3pm today (Sunday), the
Minister of State for Labour, James Ocholi (SAN), was involved in a
motor accident along the Kaduna-Abuja road. In this accident, the
minister lost his life, his son also lost his life, and the wife also
lost her life.
“It is a very sad day indeed for Nigeria as this has never happened and
President Muhammadu Buhari is in shock; all members of the Federal
Executive Council are in shock and indeed all Nigerians are in shock.
“The President wants us to extend his condolence to Nigerians, the
people of Kogi State and the immediate family of James Ocholi.
“Personally, I have known Ocholi for more than 20 years; we have been
friends, both in politics and in Christian service. I am indeed
personally saddened by this and cannot begin to express the grief that
we all face.
“Now the bodies have been recovered and deposited in the mortuary and we
are waiting for the immediate family and the government for the next
line of action. May God comfort all of us Nigerians”.
Other dignitaries, who were at the National Hospital to receive the
corpses of the Ocholis included the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige;
Minister of Health, Prof. Isaac Adewole; Minister of State for Health,
Dr. Osagie Ehanire; Chief Medical Director of National Hospital, and Dr.
Jafaru Momoh.
Others are Minister of Power, Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola
(SAN); Minister of Environment, Aisha Mohammed; legal practitioner,
Festus Keyamo; and Commissioner of Police in the FCT, Wilson Inalegwu.
The National Secretariat of the APC, in a statement on Sunday, expressed
shock over the news of the death of Ocholi, his wife and son.
The National Secretary of the party, Mai Mala Buni, in a condolence
message on behalf of the party in Abuja, described the deaths as “a
monumental loss.”
Buni said the late Ocholi, who, until his appointment as minister,
served as the party’s Deputy National Legal Adviser, would be remembered
for his selfless service to the legal profession, the party, his home
state of Kogi and Nigeria as a whole.
He prayed for the recovery of other occupants of the vehicle involved in the accident.
The Nigerian Bar Association on Sunday expressed shock over the death of Ocholi.
Speaking through its President, Mr. Augustine Alegeh (SAN), the NBA
described Ocholi’s death as unbelievable and a painful loss to the
association.
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