Deputy Editor-in-Chief of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), Chief Ike Mbonu, the Udemba of Nibo in Awka South Local Govern-ment Area Anambra, died on Tuesday in a motor accident on the Enugu-Awka express-way.

Two other passengers died on the spot, while Mbonu died at Unity Hospital, Udi, near Enugu .Mbonu arrived in Enugu by air from Abuja and boarded a bus heading to his hometown, Nibo, to attend the funeral of a late uncle when the incident occurred.

He was traveling in a com-mercial vehicle, a Toyota Hiace bus with registration Number XT 46 AAA, when the vehicle had a burst tyre at about 8 p.m. Two officials of the FRSC, V. O. Sani and Obinna Ubani, who assisted in the evacuation of victims of the acci-dent, said that Mbonu apparently sustained internal injuries. Mr Bassey Ewah, Divisional Police Officer at Udi police station, told NAN that the vehicle, which was towed away by unknown persons yesterday, would be recovered. Commenting on the incident, the Minister of Information and Communi-cations, Mr John Odey, said, "This is very sad. My sympathies go to the family and the entire staff of the News Agency of Nigeria."

In her reaction, the Managing Director of NAN, Mrs. Oluremi Oyo, said that the NAN family was shocked and devastated by news of the death of Mbonu.

"We accept that God knows best and condole with his wife, children and the entire Mbonu family. He will surely be missed. May his soul rest in peace," Oyo added.

Born on April 30, 1952, Mbonu hailed from Nibo. He joined NAN as a Reporter on Aug. 6, 1979 after completing his NYSC primary assignment in the Agency, and rose to the position of Deputy Editor-in-Chief on Jan. 1, 2005. Mbonu is survived by a wife, Chinazo, and five children. A condolence register would be opened on Thursday at NAN headquarters in Abuja to enable sympathisers to register their condolence.

(NAN)