Former acting Managing Director of the Niger Delta Development Commission, NDDC, Pastor Power Aginighan is dead.
Aginighan reportedly died in a fatal accident that involved his son, Tammy, and his police orderly along the Mbiama section of the East-West Road, Bayelsa State, on Friday.
The late former NDDC boss is also one of the leaders of the Delta State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress. He was the leader of the Delta Ijaw APC until his passage.
Many sources in the state including the State Treasurer of the APC, Ebiakpo Ezebiri, confirmed the development to our correspondent.
Our sources but could not, however, confirm the identity of the police escort, and the time the incident occurred.
It was learnt that the vehicle they were travelling in was crushed by a truck on their way to Port Harcourt, Rivers State, which burst into flames burning them beyond recognition.
Aginighan had returned to Delta State on Thursday to host one of the leading aspirants on the platform of the APC, Prof Pat Utomi, and was returning home when the incident took place.
Ezebiri, while confirming the unfortunate incident, said, “We were together on Thursday when we hosted Professor 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.”
An Ijaw leader who did not want his name in print also confirmed the incident, describing it as a big blow to the Ijaw Nation where he (Aginighan) had held several traditional positions.