Ebonyi Fire Service says it recorded about 106 incidences of inferno in the state between January and December 2022.

Director of the agency, Ralph Ibiam, stated this in an interview in Abakaliki on Friday.

Mr Ibiam said that some of the fire incidents that occurred within the period under review were caused by electricity faults, while the causes of other fire outbreaks could not be ascertained.

He listed the items lost to the inferno to include: household property, documents and timbers, among others.

Mr Ibiam said that the fire outbreaks happened at residential areas, university campuses, timber plantations and markets.The director, who said that no casualties were recorded during the fire outbreaks, however, added that the cost of damage could not be ascertained.

“In 2022, we recorded 106 fire outbreaks with no casualties.“Also, from January till date, we have received only 14 emergency calls for fire incidents,” he said.

Mr Ibiam called for construction of more fire stations across the state as well as recruitment of more personnel to beef up the operations of the agency.

He further requested for more fire-fighting equipment, coupled with training and retraining of the personnel.

Justice Mohammed Garba of the Federal High Court in Kaduna State has sentenced a 38-year-old woman, Felicia Raymond, to three years imprisonment for dealing in 4.5kg of marijuana.

Raymond was sentenced on Friday, March 31, 2023, following her guilty plea to illegal possession of a substance filed against her by the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDELA).

Justice Garba, in his judgment, sentenced the convict with an option of N100,000 fine.

The NDLEA prosecuting counsel, T. J. Atserhegh, had earlier told the court that the convict was arrested with the substance in the Ungwan Rimi area of Kaduna on Feb.13, based on information received on the convict’s activities in the area.

Atserhegh said that the convict was arrested with 4.5kg of marijuana. He said the offence is punishable under Section 19 of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, LFN, 2004 (As Amended).

Based on her guilty plea, the prosecutor reviewed the facts of the case and also urged the court to convict and sentence her according to the prescribed law under which she was charged.

But the defence lawyer, Mr Francis Dauda, pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as his client was now remorseful.

Dauda also informed the judge that the convict was a first-time offender and urged the court to consider an option of a fine instead of a custodial sentence.

Police have arrested the traditional ruler of Umucheke in Umuobom in the Ideato South Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Ekene Obinali.

Obinali was arrested by the operatives of the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the state police command for allegedly sharing a write-up on WhatsApp that was said to be very critical of the state Governor, Hope Uzodimma.

The embattled traditional ruler had on March 20 reposted the write-up on a WhatsApp group platform called Ideato Voice.

The publication, titled “Gov Hope Uzodimma in a fresh scandal”, addressed the role of the late Ahmed Gulak during the 2018 All Progressives Congress governorship primary election in Imo State.

Dr Vitus Ezenwa, the publisher of Ideato Voice newspapers, was arrested by police for the publication but was granted bail after the police apprehended the traditional ruler, Eze Ekene Obinali.

The traditional ruler is currently at the Anti Kidnapping Unit, Tiger Base, Owerri.

Chairman of the Lagos State Parks and Garages Association, Musiliu Akinsaya, popularly known as Mc Oluomo, has banned collections of illegal taxes levied by agberos in some parts of the state following a protest by commercial bus drivers days ago.

It was reported that it was part of his intervention in the conflict involving commercial drivers and highway tax collectors who target transporters in the state.

A driver told the publication;

“Mc Oluomo told us Thursday afternoon when we held a meeting with him at the state council that no driver from Oshodi to Tollgate must be compelled to pay illegal agbero taxes anymore.“We are only to buy two tickets in a day, after which we will not pay anything aside from loading fees.

“The normal ticket sold and approved by the Lagos State Park Management is just N800.

“He said those extra taxes imposed at Iyana Ipaja and Agbado Ijaiye were no longer valid. We can either buy our daily tickets in Oshodi or Tollgate, and either will be recognised.

“Afterwards, we will buy the council ticket and booking for security, which is about N500.”

The driver added that MC Oluomo has said he and his colleagues will no longer pay for tickets on Saturdays and Sundays.

He said; “For weekend jobs, Mc Oluomo has mandated that no driver should be made to buy tickets on Saturdays and Sundays.

“The union should only compel us to buy tickets from Monday to Friday. We should be given the chance to take something home to our families.”

The driver who also revealed that MC Oluomo donated N1 million to those who were injured during the attack on protesting drivers, said they are happy they’ll be resuming their job “with minimal agbero disturbances.”

He said;

“There are no more unbearable taxes. All we have to pay in a day is a little below N2,500 compared to the N20,000 we paid previously.”

On Thursday, the Ikeja Division of the Lagos High Court admitted four Chrisland School Ikeja staff members to bail for the involuntary manslaughter of 12-year-old student Whitney Adeniran.

The Lagos government charged Ademoye Adewale, Kuku Fatai, Belinda Amao, and Nwatu Victoria with involuntary manslaughter and reckless, negligent acts.The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

Justice Oyindamola Ogala admitted the defendants to bail after defence counsel moved the motion for bail dated March 28 and March 29, respectively.There were no objections from the prosecution, led by the Lagos attorney general Moyosore Onigbanjo.

Ms Ogala admitted the first and second defendants to N10 million bail, each with two sureties each in like sum; the third and the fourth defendants to N20 million bail, each with two sureties each in like sum.

The judge said all the sureties must be gainfully employed, have credible and verified evidence of their financial status and reside within the court’s jurisdiction.

“All the sureties must have two years’ tax payment to the Lagos state government and must submit their international passports with th Chief registrar of the state high court,” Ms Ogala said.

However, the court ordered the defence counsels to write an undertaking for the defendants to be released to them before the perfection of their bail.The defence counsels were Mrs Bimpe Ajegbomojon (first defendant), Richard Ahonarougho (second defendant), Olukayode Enitan (third defendant), Ademola Animashaun (fourth defendant) and Bolaji Ayorinde (fifth defendant).

Oluwatodimu Ige held a brief for the family of the deceased.The five defence counsels urged the court to grant bail to the defendants on self-recognisance.

According to the charge information signed by the director of public prosecutions (DPP), Babajide Martins, on March 24, the defendants allegedly committed the offence on February 9, at about 1:00 p.m. in Agege Sports Stadium, Agege, Lagos.

The prosecution said the defendants negligently killed the schoolgirl by not ensuring her safety.The state also submitted that the defendants recklessly and negligently endangered human life.

Mr Onigbanjo, while arraigning the defendants, informed the court that the state would present 17 witnesses against the defendants.“We shall be praying for a date to open trial,” he said.

The judge subsequently adjourned the case until May 25 for the commencement of trial.

A 10-year-old abducted from Enugu-Ezike community was rescued on Monday, March 27, by operatives of Enugu police command.

Police spokesperson in the state, Daniel Ndukwe, said the minor was rescued at about 11 p.m.

The abductors abandoned their victim in the community as a result of pressure mounted on them by police operatives.

Ndukwe said;

“Four masked and armed men operating in a black colour pickup truck abducted the minor from her home at Ukwuinyi Ogrute area of Enugu-Ezike community on Sunday. She has been reunited with her parents”

Two suspected kidnappers were on Tuesday, March 28 arrested by operatives of Ogun state Police Command and two kidnapped victims were rescued from them.

The suspects identified as Mohammed Bello and Mohammed Bashiru were arrested following a distress call received from Bisodun village at about 8 pm that kidnappers had invaded the community and that a couple Mr and Mrs. Ojo had been abducted by the hoodlums.

’Upon the distress call, the DPO Owode Egba division, CSP Olasunkanmi Popoola raced to the scene where he met the local hunters who have already mobilized in large number to confront the kidnappers. The policemen, together with the hunters stormed the forest in search of the kidnappers and the victims.

While combing the bush, the kidnappers suddenly opened fire on the rescue team which the security men responded to, but one of the hunters was unfortunately hit by the bullet. Having been overwhelmed by the firing from the police and the hunters, the kidnappers abandoned the victims and ran for cover.

The abducted victims and the injured hunter were quickly rushed to the hospital but the hunter, Adebare Ramoni, gave up the ghost while receiving treatment.” spokesperson of the command, SP Abimbola Oyeyemi, said.

The police spokesperson added that at about 10 am in the morning, there was information that the suspects were sighted somewhere in the bush. He said the Area commander Owode Egba, ACP Adeniyi Adedeji, led a team of policemen to the scene and together with the hunters, they stormed the bush and successfully apprehended two members of the kidnap syndicate.

He said the two arrested suspects have been identified by the victims as members of the gang that abducted them. Oyeyemi added that the state Commissioner of Police, CP Frank Mba, commended the local hunters for their support and ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the anti-kidnapping unit of the state Criminal Investigation Departments for discreet investigation.