A CIvil Defence officer has died after crashing an escort motorbike in Abuja on Tuesday night, Peoples Gazette heard from officials familiar.

The deceased, who went only by Dickson, was on official duty leading the convoy of Civil Defence chief Abubakar Audi when he rode into a culvert and died on the spot, an official said. Mr Audi had just closed from work on Tuesday evening and was heading home when the tragedy struck at an intersection near his official residence in Abuja.

The Civil Defence did not immediately announce the development, but its spokesperson Sola Odumosu informed The Gazette that members of the law enforcement unit have been mourning their colleague.

“It was an unfortunate incident that occurred this evening,” Mr Odumosu said, adding that the matter was entirely an accident and no other motive was suspected.

Dickson, whose rank was not immediately clear, was said to have attempted a stunt near a major intersection before his boss’ residence in Asokoro Extension, Abuja. After overshooting the intersection and attempting a U-turn to face the rest of the convoy, he missed the brakes and rammed into a concrete culvert at high speed, an official asserted presence at the scene told The Gazette.

Mr Audi could not immediately provide comments to The Gazette as he was preoccupied with condolences over the deceased orderly, who left behind his wife and children.