• Two people in critical condition airlifted to nearby trauma centre and one child taken by ambulance to hospital

A plane carrying 80 people crash landed at Toronto Pearson airport yesterday, flipping upside down and leaving at least 18 people injured.

Video from the scene showed a Delta Air Lines plane belly-up on snow-covered tarmac and people walking away.

Two people in a critical condition were airlifted to a nearby trauma centre and one child was taken by ambulance to a hospital in downtown Toronto. Twelve others sustained minor injuries.

Flight 4819 – operated by the Delta subsidiary Endeavor Air – crashed while landing in Toronto about 2.45pm local time, having flown from Minneapolis in the US state of Minnesota.

The US Federal Aviation Authority said all 80 people onboard had been evacuated.

Video footage posted on Instagram showed passengers being helped by cabin crew to leave the upturned plane, with firefighters hosing the fuselage.

A Facebook user who said he was a passenger on the flight, John Nelson, posted a video showing the crashed plane and wrote: “Our plane crashed. It’s upside down. Most people appear to be OK. We’re all getting off.”

Nelson later told CNN there was no indication of anything unusual before landing. “We hit the ground, and we were sideways, and then we were upside down.

“I was able to just unbuckle and sort of fall and push myself to the ground. And then some people were kind of hanging and needed some help being helped down, and others were able to get down on their own.”

Todd Aitken, the airport’s fire chief, said: “It’s very early on. It’s really important that we do not speculate. What we can say is the runway was dry and there was no crosswind conditions.”

Deborah Flint, Toronto airport authority chief executive, said the crash did not involve any other planes.

The Ontario premier, Doug Ford, said he was “relieved there are no casualties”.

All departures and arrivals at the airport resumed at 5pm local time, having been paused minutes after the crash.

A massive snowstorm hit eastern Canada on Sunday, and strong winds and bone-chilling temperatures could still be felt in Toronto yesterday. Before the crash, dozens of departures and arrivals had been delayed.

The Transportation Safety Board of Canada (TSB) said it was “deploying a team to investigate” the accident, which came weeks after two fatal crashes in the US.

The US National Transportation Safety Board said a team of investigators would assist Canada’s TSB.

The family of a National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operative has refuted media reports alleging that they criticized the agency following the tragic death of their loved one, Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics 1, Aliyu Imran.

PRNigeria reports that Imran, who got married in December 2024, was brutally lynched by a mob in the Gadan-Gayan area of Igabi Local Government, Kaduna State, while on duty.

The incident occurred after Imran and his colleagues pursued a suspected drug dealer. In an attempt to evade arrest, the suspect reversed his vehicle, causing an accident that claimed the lives of at least three people on the spot.

When Imran attempted to calm the ensuing chaos, an enraged mob attacked him, stabbing him multiple times.

A police officer managed to transport him to a nearby hospital, but the mob followed, dragged him out, and set him on fire. He succumbed to his injuries shortly after.

Some media outlets reported that the deceased officer’s family accused the NDLEA of failing to issue a statement or offer condolences. However, the family has strongly denied these claims.

In a statement obtained by PRNigeria, the Head of the Family, Alhaji Hassan Idris Funtua, clarified their position:

“We, the family of Assistant Superintendent of Narcotics Aliyu Imran, wish to address the recent media reports regarding the tragic death of our beloved son. These reports falsely claim that we accused the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) of neglect. We categorically deny this allegation.

“In reality, the NDLEA has been supportive and proactive in their response to this tragedy. The Chairman/CEO, General Muhammadu Buba Marwa, personally reached out to us within hours of the incident, offering condolences and assurances of his commitment to addressing the issue.

“Furthermore, officials from the NDLEA Kaduna State Command attended Aliyu’s burial and informed us of the suspension of the Commander involved. A delegation from NDLEA Headquarters in Abuja also visited us on Sunday, February 16, 2025, to express their solidarity.

“We urge the general public to disregard the misleading reports, as they lack merit and do not reflect our family’s position. We request that media houses respect our grief and refrain from diverting attention from the main issue – the gruesome murder of Aliyu Imran, a promising young man who was brutally taken from us just 48 days after his wedding.

“Our focus now is on coming to terms with this senseless tragedy and seeking justice. We have faith that the law will take its course, and those responsible will be held accountable.”

The NDLEA has yet to issue an official statement on the incident, but sources indicate that an internal investigation is underway. Meanwhile, authorities have vowed to bring those responsible for the mob action to justice.

Suspected armed herders have killed about 19 people in renewed attacks on some communities in Kwande Local Government Area of Benue State.

In the first attack, which was reported to have happened on Saturday, 16 farmers who were returning to their village were killed along Kashimbila Road and their bodies were thrown into River Katsina-Ala.

According to a resident from Mbanduwa who did not want to be named, “The farmers were returning to their community in Mbanduwa ward when they were ambushed along Kashimbila road and killed.

“Their bodies were dropped in River Katsina-Ala.”

The second attack, which occurred on Monday afternoon at Boaguwa in Kumakua council ward in the same local government, was said to have claimed three lives.

It was gathered that residents of communities within the area have fled to Jato Acka for safety.

The President General of Mzough U Tiv Worldwide and leader of the three socio-cultural groups (Mzough U Tiv, OchiitaK’idoma, and Om’Ngede), Comptroller of Prison, Iorbee Ihagh (retd), confirmed the killings.

He added that all six council wards in Turan within the local government have been deserted.

Ihagh, who was at Jato Acka when he spoke to our correspondent on the phone on Monday evening, said that 16 farmers were killed on Saturday and their bodies thrown into River Katsina-Ala.

He said, “I am right now in Jato Acka. I was told that 16 farmers were killed along Kashimbila Road at the weekend and their bodies thrown into River Katsina-Ala.

“As I am talking to you now, armed herders have attacked Boaguwa in Kumakua council ward, and three dead bodies have been recovered.

“People have fled their communities and taken refuge in Jato Acka. I doubt if this place (Jato Acka) is safe right now.”

Ihagh, who claimed that all the six council wards in Turan in Kwande LGA, have been overrun by suspected armed herders, appealed to President Bola Tinubu to deploy more troops to the local government.

When contacted, the Special Adviser to the Governor on Internal Security, Joseph Har, directed our correspondent to the Director General of Internal Security, Israel Gbawuam, for confirmation.

However, Gbawuam’s telephone number was out of reach when our correspondent tried to call him.

Similarly, efforts to get the Police Public Relations Officer, Benue Command, Catherine Anene, were not successful as she dropped the call made to her cell phone. (Nigerian Tribune)