The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) unit of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested a notorious currency counterfeiter who specialized in duping unsuspecting members of the public within Computer Village in Ikeja area of Lagos metropolis.
The suspect, Haruna Garba ‘m’ 38 years old was arrested after a victim he had duped in August, 2022, raised alarm after unexpectedly sighting him again dubiously engaging a customer, close to the same place he had been swindled.
Preliminary investigation indicates that Haruna Garba, who was found with fake seven hundred Dollars, has been in the fraudulent business of fake currencies for over three years after he was tutored by his late master.
The Commander RRS, CSP Saheed Olayinka Egbeyemi, has in line with the directive of the commissioner of police Lagos state, CP Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, transferred the suspect and exhibits to State Headquarters for further investigation and eventual prosecution.
Two persons narrowly escaped death when a waste compactor truck plunged into the Lagos lagoon.
The incident, according to an eyewitness, happened at about 7.45 pm on Monday, October 17, 2022.
It was gathered that the truck belonging to one of the Private Sector Participant, PSP, operators, had a burst tyre as a result veered off the bridge and subsequently plunged into the Lagos lagoon.
Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, Dr. Femi Oke-Osanyitolu, who confirmed the incident, said the two rescued persons were taken to hospital for treatment.
“The agency responded to distress calls at the above scene and discovered that a waste compactor truck, registration unknown, while in high motion had a burst tyre as a result veered off the bridge and subsequently plunged into the Lagos lagoon,” said Oke-Osanyitolu.
“Fortunately the two occupants of the truck (driver and motor boy) were rescued alive by the agency marine team (divers ).
“They have been provided with first aid medical treatment.” he added. Meanwhile, recovery operation of the ill-fated truck as of press time 8.15 am, Tuesday, was ongoing.
Some parts of the country including Lagos and Abuja have been thrown into total blackout as the national grid collapsed again today September 26.
This will be the 6th time it will be collapsing this year The last national system collapse was recorded on the 13th of June 2022.
In a notice to its customers, the Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC, EEDC, said
“The Enugu Electricity Distribution Company PLC (EEDC) wishes to inform her esteemed customers of a system collapse which occurred at 10:51am today, 26th September,2022.
This has resulted to the loss of supply currently being perienced across the network.Due to this development, all our interface TCN stations are out of supply, and we are unable to provide service to our customers in Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu and Imo States.
We are on standby awaiting detailed information of the collapse and restoration of supply from the National Control Centre (NCC), Osogbo”, the statement by Emeka Ezeh, Head, Corporate Communications, stated.
The Transmission Company of Nigeria, TCN, which manages the grid is yet to give reasons for the latest collapse as at the time of filing in this report.
Two persons died in a stampede at the Comfort Life Mission International Church located on Ewenla streets, off Ikotun-Idimu Road in Lagos.
The incident happened on Thursday, August 18, during a prayer service hosted by Pastor Odekunle Epaphras Prayer Ministries, also known as Olorun Ojiji.
The service which holds on the third Thursday of every month usually attracts a massive crowd of worshippers.
According to a witness, trouble started after the crowd waiting for the second service scrambled to enter the venue immediately after the first service ended without allowing the first set of worshippers to exit the venue, leading to a stampede.
Spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the incident to News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday, August 19. He said that incident occurred at about 11.00 a.m. on Thursday, at the church, located on 13/15, Ewenla Street, Pab Bus stop, Ikotun, Lagos.
“The police received a report that there was stamped during their congregational service at the church on Thursday. As a result of the stampede, five persons slumped and were rushed to Isolo General Hospital, for treatment,” the PPRO stated.
“A woman of about 45-years-old and a 5-year-old girl, whose identities and address are unknown, died
“The scene has been visited, corpses deposited at Mainland General Hospital mortuary, Yaba, for preservation, investigation in progress,” he added.
Steve and Fortune Nwankwo have been sentenced to 16 years combined imprisonment for the manslaughter of their maid, Joy Adole.
An agent had taken the late teenager, an indigene of Benue State, to Lagos State for domestic work.
DAILY POST reported the incident which occurred in April 2020 at 18, Ogundola Street, Bariga.
Justice Oyindamola Ogala of the Lagos State High Court, Ikeja, found the Nwankwos guilty of conspiracy and manslaughter.
The judge delivered judgment in police suit no ID/13178C/20 against the husband and wife.
Justice Ogala held that the prosecution proved the charges of manslaughter, conspiracy and attempt to pervert justice and misconduct beyond doubt.
The judge said the testimonies of the prosecution witnesses were strong and corroborated the fact that the maid died due to the beating by Fortune.
The first defendant, according to Justice Ogala, assaulted Joy which caused her death as she had not been feeling well before that day.
The court deplored that the convicts did not inform or call the family of the deceased from 5am when they found out she had died.
It was until noon that Steve called Joy’s sister to request her full name and other personal information before her embalming in the morgue.
Justice Ogala said Steve, having found out that his wife “had killed the deceased due to the beating, assisted her in perverting the course of justice by hanging the body”.
“The hanging was staged, the deceased was hanged by a rope and the position the police found her body did not depict suicide as her feet were on the floor”, she noted.
The defendants tampered with evidence when they embalmed the body, which made it difficult for the toxicologist to carry out an autopsy”, the judge added.
Fortune was sentenced to 14 years in prison, while Steve bagged two years imprisonment.
The Lagos State Government through the Ministry of Health has unveiled a policy document on safe termination of pregnancy.
The 40-page policy document, tagged “Lagos State Guidelines on Safe Termination of Pregnancy for Legal Indications”, sets out guidelines for safe termination of pregnancy within the ambit of the criminal law of Lagos State.
Presenting and launching the document at a stakeholders’ engagement, the Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Ministry of Health, Dr. Olusegun Ogboye, explained that while therapeutic termination of pregnancy is permissible under the law in Lagos State.
He noted that the policy document was borne out of the need to provide evidence-based data and information for health workers in public and private sectors who have the requisite skills and training necessary to provide safe terminations to reduce preventable deaths.
A statement from the Lagos State Ministry of Health quoted Ogboye as saying, “In 2011, the Lagos State House of Assembly updated the criminal code, providing for abortion to save the life and protect the physical health of the woman. While physical health is covered under the Lagos legal framework, services conforming to the law have not been available in Lagos State health sector.
“This document provides information on relevant laws applicable in Lagos State while providing standards and best practices with regards to legal indications, pre and post procedure care, methods and monitoring. I must state here that this document has undergone wide consultation with relevant technical stakeholders within the legal and health service context in the State.”
Ogboye explained that the process to develop the guidelines commenced in 2018 with the Safe Engage project led by the Lagos Ministry of Health and hosted by the Society for Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Nigeria, with support from Population Reference Bureau.
He added that stakeholders in the Stater health sector worked with key opinion leaders in Lagos and the South-West region to develop a tailored advocacy tool for terminations within the legal context.
He pointed out that the advocacy messages on the Safe Engage project focused on two immediate outcomes including ensuring that safe abortion services were available within legal indications in Lagos and domesticating the Violence Against Persons Prohibition Act, supporting women to terminate a pregnancy caused by rape or incest.
He said, “To guide the implementation, one of the follow up recommendations of the project was the adaptation of the National Standards and Guidelines for Safe Termination of Pregnancy within Legal Indications within the Lagos State context. The Federal Ministry of Health had developed and disseminated the national guidelines on safe termination of pregnancy which highlights the compendium of conditions and circumstances under which termination of pregnancy could be instituted.
“The guideline was intended to build the capacity of health professionals to identify pregnancies for which legal termination could be instituted. Marie Stopes International in Nigeria in collaboration with the Population Reference Bureau proposed to support the State government to adapt the document.”
The Permanent Secretary explained that the process for National guidelines adaptation included technical meetings to discuss sections of the law supporting safe abortion and conditions permitted within the legal framework to save the lives and the physical health of mothers; and validation meeting with the broader stakeholders to review the document.
“All that hand work has culminated in today’s dissemination of the guidelines. We hope this dissemination today will help guide health providers to provide this service within the ambit of the law,” Ogboye added.
Earlier in his remarks, the Country Director of a leading reproductive health organization, Marie Stopes International Organization Nigeria (MSION), Mr. Emmanuel Ajah stated that abortion in Nigeria is not illegal but restrictive.
Ajah said significant numbers of health providers are unaware of the legal indications for safe termination of pregnancy.
“The domestication of this policy provides that needed guidance to healthcare providers on medical conditions in pregnancy that pose a high risk to the woman’s life and health if the pregnancy progresses to term, and on the standard management of abortion within the extent of the law in Lagos state. This policy is a demonstration of the commitment of the Lagos state government to improving maternal health, especially mitigating the impact of unsafe abortion practices in the State,” he stated.
Vice Chancellor of the University of Medical Sciences, Otukpo, Prof. Innocent Ujah, who was one of the Consultants who developed the document averred that the enunciation, deployment and use of this guidelines will preserve the lives of pregnant women and women whose physical or mental health would be compromised with the continuation of their pregnancies.
Justice Abiola Soladoye of the Lagos State Domestic Violence and Sexual Offences Court on Wednesday sentenced a man, Ayokunle Bailey, to life imprisonment for defiling a 15-year-old girl.
According to the state prosecution team, Olusola Soneye and Olufunke Adegoke, the convict committed the offence on December 18, 2017, in an uncompleted building around the Alaka area of Mushin, Lagos State.
The defendant was charged with sexual defilement, an offence which contravenes Section 137 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State, 2015.
According to the prosecution team, the victim visited her grandmother on the fateful day.
While playing with other children outside the house, the convict lured her into an uncompleted building and forcefully had sex with her.
The prosecution said the convict was later arrested after the survivor walked home with blood dripping from her private parts and the defendant was identified by the survivor, who informed her aunt about the incident.
Justice Soladoye said the prosecution proved the charge of defilement against the convict.
She explained that the convict was crude and unkind, adding that he messed up the survivor’s purity and innocence.
She said, “The defendant is rough and selfish and the survivor gave her testimony truthfully, cogently, positively and brilliantly. She was brave.
“The story of the defendant is dishonest and full of lies. He is a reckless and ruthless person.
“The defendant, having been found guilty as charged is sentenced to life imprisonment without the option of fine.”
In a related development, an Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti division, has sentenced a 50-year-old man, Usman Tajudeen, to life imprisonment for raping a four-year-old girl.
The defendant was tried before the court on one count of rape and found guilty.
The charge read, “That you, Usman Tajudeen, on August 21, 2020, at Ikere Ekiti, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, did rape a four-year-old girl.”
The prosecutor, K.S. Adeyemo, said the offence was contrary to Section 31(2) of the Child’s Right Law, Cap.C7 Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.
In her statement to the police, the victim said, “Daddy Latifat (the defendant), who is living at our house, took me to his sitting room. He said I should sit on his lap; he removed my pants and put his something (penis) where I urinate. He used to call me to his sitting room to do it.”
Also, in her testimony before the court, the victim’s mother said, “I was where I was making cassava flour and my daughter went to excrete. When I went to pack the faeces, I noticed blood in the faeces.
“Thereafter, I checked her anus and saw blood coming out of her private parts. I was afraid. When I inquired from her, she said it was Daddy Latifat that put his organ (penis) in her private parts.”
The convict, who spoke in his defence through his counsel, Tope Salam, prayed the court to temper justice with mercy.
In the court judgment, Justice Lekan Ogunmoye said, “The prosecutor has established before the court that the defendant had sexual intercourse with the minor without her consent and therefore committed the offence of rape as charged.
“In all, the prosecution has proved this case beyond reasonable doubt against the defendant. The sentence for the offence of rape under the Child Rights Law is mandatory; he is sentenced to life imprisonment.”
Fuel queues hit major cities of Lagos, Abuja and Ogun on Monday, forcing motorists to spend hours at filling stations.
In Lagos and Ogun states, The PUNCH witnessed long queues at several filling stations such as Mobil, Capital, Fatgbems, Enyo, TotalEnergies and NNPC.
Though there were products at these filling stations, which also sold at N165/litre, motorists struggled to get gasoline with which to run their economic lives.
There were also queues in states bordering the FCT, including Nasarawa and Niger.
In the Federal Capital Territory, there were long queues at various filling stations such as the NNPC, Mobil, A.A. Rano, AYA Ashafa, Enyo, among others.
Hundreds of motorists besieged the few filling stations that dispensed petrol at various states, spending hours on queues in a bid to buy PMS.
Oil marketers blamed the development on the drop in supply, stating that the demand for petrol was currently higher than what was being provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.
NNPC is the sole importer of petrol into Nigeria, shouldering this responsibility for more then four years.
Speaking on the development, the President, Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria, PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, said, “Lagos is having queues today, Kaduna is almost not having any PMS in its retail outlets.
“So, it is simply a situation of demand overwhelming supply. The supply process is not efficient to be able to meet the demands for products.”
Asked to explain whether there was not enough product, Gillis-Harry replied, “Well, clearly, if there is product, it should be delivered. However, I know the authorities are doing their best to make sure that everyone is monitored and encouraged to sell products at the approved pump price.
“But there are no products in the retail outlets, which is why there will be queues. So, it clearly shows that demand has overwhelmed supply.”
But lastThursday, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority had stated that there were over 32 days sufficiency of petrol by the NNPC.
Also, The PUNCH learnt that the NNPC intentionally cut down supply of products to fuel marketers.
A source familiar with the matter told The PUNCH that marketers, two weeks ago, had a meeting with the marketing arm of the NNPC and the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company, PPMC, where they were quizzed on diversion of petroleum products to neighbouring countries.
According to the source, the supply of products to oil marketers was subsequently reduced due to issues around product diversion.
“We had a meeting with PPMC two weeks ago where we were told that the volume of product we load is too high. So, the NNPC has reduced the volume they give to us,” the source said.
Nigeria consumes an estimated 60 million litres of fuel per day. However, findings showed that by PPMC’s record, marketers loaded as much as 106 million litres per day as of April.
“So, PPMC kept lamenting and asking us where the extra products go. Of course, we all know that they go to neighbouring countries where they are being sold at higher prices. Apart from the fact that diesel price for transporting products is on the high side, fuel is a product highly subsidised by Nigeria, and Nigerians are not allowed to enjoy the benefits,” our source disclosed.
Diesel is a deregulated product. Checks on Monday showed that the product was sold between N780-N820/litre.
“That’s why marketers find it difficult to take products to the North. I don’t know why Lagos is experiencing scarcity. Already, buying and transporting the product to my station is at N170 per litre. So, how much will I sell? That means price has increased itself. If you go to states like Ibadan, Ekiti, Akure, it’s impossible to see the price at N165 because cost of transporting one litre is already N20. So, by the time you take it to states like Ekiti, you already have it at N182,” our source added.
A former chairman, Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria and Chairman/CEO, 11 Plc, Tunji Oyebanji, told The PUNCH that the scarcity was temporary.
“As of last week, there were some talks about low stock and suppliers not giving products, but I think it’s a temporary glitch because NNPC told us they have sufficient stock of fuel,” he said.
Fuel sold at N165/ltr in places like Ikorodu, Anthony, Surulere, Ikeja, Festac, Ago and VI in Lagos on Monday, but prices were higher at Isheri and its neighbouring towns.
In a telephone interview with The PUNCH, the National Operations Controller, IPMAN, Mike Osatuyi, said the scarcity was no fault of oil marketers.
Meanwhile, the Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Akeem Balogun, in a statement on Monday, said that considering the current price, it is impossible for the product to be sold at N180 per litre.
Balogun advised members to sell at a sustainable price within their environment adding that they should ensure that the price is on their pump.
“Distinguish marketers, the Chairman and executives in conjunction with some senior members of our unit, organised a press conference where we explained our predicament with the current price of PMS at private depot. We explained that with the current price, there is no way we can sell less than N180 per litre”
According to him, “On this note, members are hereby advised to sell at a sustainable price within their environment. Just make sure that the price is on your pump. Kindly contact the Secretariat should you have any authority challenging your operations”
The sound of gunshots rent the air yesterday, in Idi-Araba, Mushin, Lagos when commercial motorcyclists, popularly known as Okada riders clashed with officials of Lagos State Task Force over enforcement of the state’s ban on their operations.
The tear gas shots and sound of gunshots forced many shop owners to close as early as 1:30 p.m. while residents scampered to safety.
The Guardian learnt that the Okada riders had tried to resist the Task Force, who came in four-patrol vans from impounding their motorcycles around Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) the area of Idiaraba, but were outnumbered and tear-gassed.
It was said that the Okada riders resisted them and challenged the battle-ready officers, saying that Mushin was not part of the local councils mentioned by the governor in the ban.
Contacted, the spokesperson for the Task Force, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, denied that the men shot in the area, but insisted they were carrying out government’s directive to get Okada riders off the area.
Asked if Mushin Local Council was not part of the areas mentioned by the Lagos state governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the ban, he said: “There has been a law banning Okada operations in the state since 2018, so, the current ban did not invalidate the previous one. So, the law is still in force.
“We have increased our surveillance to checkmate the influx of Okada riders into the state from other African countries. Most of the Okada riders in Lagos are not Nigerians.
“We have seen the evil people accommodating them and what that can do to our country. They can run over our country, because these men know every nook and cranny.
“When these so-called Okada men hit a motorist from behind and he comes down to challenge them, they will call for their members and start destroying the vehicle.
“Nigerians have been so tolerant and now we have to discourage them from creating problems. They are no longer doing shoe shining; they just want to ride motorcycles. Before, we only arrested the Okada riders, but now we arrest both the Okada and their passengers to discourage them.”
Nollywood actress, Yvonne Jegede has taken to her Twitter platform to reveal that she recently escaped a robbery attack on Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos State on Thursday night.
The actress in her thread published on Friday morning mentioned that a certain man almost robbed her around 9 pm while in traffic on the bridge but she got lucky because vehicles started moving.
She urged the Lagos State Government to sanitise the environs under the bridge at Oworonshoki.
Her tweets read:
“Last night(Thursday) at about 9 pm, one guy almost robbed me on 3rdMB. I was lucky the traffic moved a bit so I moved my car and then he took off.
Under the bridge at Oworonsoki needs to be sanitized. This guy jumped out from under the bridge. They target people driving alone, be safe guys.”
Jegede warned ladies especially to be wary while driving alone at night, advising that they stay in between cars if they can’t wait till daytime to drive.
“If you’re driving alone in traffic, don’t drive on the fast lane (the last lane by your left), let your car be in between cars. Ladies especially, if you can, please stay wherever you are till you see daylight. There’s hunger in town
Last night at about 9pm, one guy almost robbed me on 3rdMB. I was lucky the traffic moved a bit so I moved my car and then he took off. Under the bridge at Oworonsoki needs to be sanitized. The guy jump out from under the bridge. They target people driving alone. Be safe guys
The All Progressives Congress (APC) National Leader, Bola Tinubu, on Friday endorsed the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu and his deputy, Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, for a second term in office.
At an APC stakeholders’ meeting in Ikeja, Tinubu endorsed Sanwo-Olu and Hamzat for another term of four years in office by raising the duo’s hands to the admiration of those present at the forum.
He said the governor and his deputy had established an unbreakable team to raise the bar of excellence in governance and service delivery in the state with tangible results and progress to show for it.
According to him, the duo’s accomplishments won them the chance to run for a second term, rather than a blanket endorsement that many politicians seek.
Tinubu, a presidential candidate on the APC platform, said Lagos had remained a source of pride for residents and other Nigerians who desired responsive administration and progress under Sanwo-Olu’s leadership.
He said: “We have a brilliant governor at the helm of affairs, who is supported by his deputy to build an unbreakable team that has raised the bar of excellence in governance in Lagos. I specially thank Dr. Hamzat, who has been a very good assistant and a pillar of support to the governor.
”Sanwo-Olu with Hamzat has raised an impenetrable team. I commend both of you and all members of the cabinet. You have all done wonderfully well and I must say that I am very proud of you.”
In what appeared like a thinly veiled jibe at the former state governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, who is reportedly eyeing a return to the seat he vacated in 2019, the APC leader said the party would not prevent any aspirant from vying for any position or testing their strength at the primaries in the state.
He said that all candidates that would be fielded by the party across must go through a delegate electoral system.
Tinubu added: “Aspirants who are showing interest in positions from House of Assembly to the governorship, go and get your forms; you are going to contest primaries. There will not be any favouritism in the primaries.
“We want you to contest and test your popularity. Nobody will ask you to step down for another aspirant. Let all aspirants mobilise their supporters; if you win, you win. If you lose, there will not be a refund of the nomination form.”
At least six members of the Deeper Life Bible Church in the Iragbo community, Badagry area of Lagos State, sustained serious injuries when the church building collapsed on Sunday.
One of the church members, Topohozin Tunde, who confirmed the incident to journalists, said the building collapsed while service was in progress on Sunday morning.
He said: “I also sustained a serious knee injury, but thank God no life was lost.
At 9:30 this morning, during the church service, there was a heavy storm which hit the church building, and before we knew what was happening, the whole church building collapsed.
Some were able to escape, while about six of us sustained injuries.
“Those with serious injuries were taken to the General Hospital in Badagry for proper attention.
“Since my injury is not much, I decided to take care of myself.”
An official of the Lagos State Traffiic Management Authority (LASTMA) identified as Jamiu Issa has been crushed to death by an unknown driver in Lekki-Ajah area of the state.
Olumide Filade, the spokesperson for the agency, confirmed the development to journalists on Wednesday.
According to him, the driver flouted traffic regulations and rammed into Issa who wanted to apprehend him for the offence.
He noted that the victim was rushed to the hospital where he later gave us the ghost.
“It was reported that Issa was knocked down and run over by the traffic law offender. Issa’s colleague at the scene of the event quickly put a call through to the zonal head while some good Samaritans/eyewitnesses pursued the escaping Sienna driver to the Chevron Waterfront area where he was eventually apprehended and taken first to Ilasan police station, and eventually to Ajiwe police station, under which jurisdiction the event happened for proper investigation.
“The driver of a green Toyota Sienna vehicle, with number plate, FST 901 AR, knocked down and ran over a LASTMA official, Jamiu Issa, who was later confirmed dead, on April 19, 2022.
“The late Issa was said to have approached and accosted the Sienna vehicle driver who was driving against the direction of flow of traffic, facing oncoming vehicles from Chevron towards the Conservation Toll Plaza.
“Also, according to other eyewitnesses’ accounts, the Sienna driver also knocked down another person while trying to escape from the scene before the driver was apprehended.
“At the same time that the above scenario was going on, the fatally injured Issa was rushed to the Lagos Island General Hospital where it was confirmed that he was brought in dead. His remains have been deposited at the morgue of same hospital”, the statement read.
The General Manager, LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, commiserated with the family of the deceased, stressing that drivers found flouting traffic rules would be seriously dealt with according to the law.
An Oyo-based fan of Brymo has cried out over the singer’s alleged neglect of his fans in Ibadan despite having a large fanbase in the state.
The young man identified as Engr Adeboye wrote an open letter to the Ara crooner via his Twitter account and appealed to him to consider organising a show in Ibadan.
He asked Brymo if his fans in the region have offended him in anyway as he is yet to understand why he has not hosted a show.
Adeboye further said that Lagos is not the only state that should feel the former Chocolate City artiste’s footprint.
He wrote; ”Dear @BrymOlawale I’m writing this to you and I hope u put it into consideration, Did we offend u in Ibadan, why haven’t u host a show in ibadan?
Ur fan base in Ibadan is so strong like heavens gate and I think we deserve to watch you perform live, it’s shouldn’t be Lagos always?”
Dear @BrymOlawale I'm writing this to you and I hope u put it into consideration, Did we offend u in Ibadan, why haven't u host a show in ibadan? Ur fan base in Ibadan is so strong like heavens gate nd I think we deserve to watch you perform live, it's shouldn't be Lagos always😓
The Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Wednesday March 23, 2022 secured the conviction of one Emmanuel Adekeye Adekola before Justice Sherifat Solebo of a Special Offences Court sitting in Ikeja, Lagos for offence bordering on impersonation.
Operatives of the EFCC had on January 11, 2022 arrested him when he came to the Lagos Command of the Commission posing as a lawyer to secure the bail of a suspected fraudster who was in the Commission’s custody.
Nemesis caught up with him, when investigators dug in further to verify the documents he tendered to secure the bail.
A search at his residence unearthed several forged documents dating back to 2005, including forged Lagos State University and Kwara State College of Education documents.
He had claimed to be the owner of “A.A. Emmanuel & Co. Chambers”, which he had been using to perpetrate fraud until his arrest.
Following conclusion of investigations, he was charged with an amended one count.
He chose not to waste the time of the Court as he pleaded “guilty” to the charge.
Thereafter, Justice Solebo sentenced him to 12 months in prison without an option of fine
He was also ordered to, upon completion of the jail-term, report to the EFCC where he should sign an undertaking to be of good behaviour and never to present himself as a lawyer again.
There was confusion in Lagos on Wednesday as fire gutted shops under the Apongbon section of the Eko Bridge.
The fire incident affected commercial activities around the Lagos Island area of the state.
It was gathered that goods worth millions of naira were destroyed by the inferno.
In a tweet by the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, it was reported that “traffic from Eko bridge has been re-routed to Ebute-Ero to link inner marina. Men of fire service and other security agencies are still on the ground. Therefore, CMS bridge and Eko bridge inward/outward Apongbon is close to traffic at the moment”.
Director of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye Margaret, in a statement on Wednesday, said: “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service is currently battling go an inferno at Eko bridge Apongbon, Lagos island.
The fire which was reported at 03:14 Wednesday wee hours to under the Eko bridge at Apongbon, where various stocks in trade are plied was met well alight by the first set of the crew of the agency on arrival.
“The intensity of the fire has badly affected the Eko bridge truncating movement along that corridor..
“The nature of the fire is disastrous as all Emergency responders are on top of the situation.
“There has been no reported case of injury or death while Fire fighting operations are still ongoing. Update to follow.”
It was still unclear what caused the fire as at the time of this report.
The Lagos State government has launched a smart multi-purpose identity card for residents of the state.
The General Manager of Resident Registration Agency (LASRRA), Ibilola Kasunmu, who disclosed this in a statement on Friday, said the identity card would be captured in its database.
She said the identity card would help residents to access services including pension and insurance, payment and access to public transport, among others.
Kasunmu added that the project, known as “LASRRA 2.0,” was introduced following an approval by the State Executive Council to reopen the resident registration within the first quarter of the year.
She said: ‘‘The impact of technology on the global identification landscape includes making it cheaper and easier to identify people accurately, as well as access services quicker.
“With the LAG ID card, our children can have easier access to educational services from primary to secondary to tertiary institutions in the state.
‘‘It will also make access to healthcare services a lot easier. Lagos residents are all encouraged to take this opportunity to facilitate quicker access to services from the state government.”
The Lagos State Government has pegged the daily levy being paid by commercial bus drivers at N800 daily from the current N3000, in a move to sanitise the transport seftor.
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday by the Commissioner for Finance, Dr Rabiu Olowo at an Inter-Ministerial press briefing in Alausa, Ikeja.
According to Olowo, this mandate would commence from February 1, 2022 in order to harmonise the informal transport sector while ensuring checks and balances on the part of the state government.
Dignitaries in attendance included Special Adviser to the State Governor on Transportation, Mr Toyin Fayinka, Chairman and Secretary of Conference of 57, Mr David Kolade and Mr Razaq Ajala respectively.
Others included Chairman Lagos State Internal Revenue Service, LIRS, Mr Ayodele Subair, MD Lagos State Waste Management Authority, LAWMA, Mr Ibrahim Odumboni, National Union of Road Transport Workers, NURTW, Musilihu Akinsanya alias MC Oluomo, among others.
The Commissioner further noted that the utmost priority of the government was the well-being of Lagosians.
“Mr Governor has made it a priority to put the interest of Lagosians first that is why we all the stakeholders are here today. Before we came out, we have fought, disagreed, and agreed on the need to have our consolidated informal transport sector levy.
The government of Babajide Sanwo-Olu has inspired that we all come together to have a consolidated levy that takes care of personal income taxes, dues on environment Local Government levy and others. We want to reduce the multiplicity of collection taxes, dues, and levies.”
“We want to harmonize, to have a single charge of N800. We want to moderate the fee payable to Government. This is a very insightful breakthrough for all those who do business within the informal transport sector in the state,” Olowo stated.
In his statement, the Special Adviser to the State Governor on Transportation, Mr Toyin Fayinka clarified that any levy paid at a particular Local Government Area takes care of the daily levies and charges.
A bus driver from Badagry having paid N800 to Badagry local government and going to Mile 2, won’t pay again to Ojo local government. The payment of point of departure takes care of the daily levy and other charges by the government,” Fayinka stated.
However, in an opposing view, the Lagos State Chairman of the NURTW, Musilihu Akinsanya alias MC Oluomo, noted that “the N800 only cover all the money collected by the MDAs and that it did not affect the NURTW ticket.”
The Lagos State government on Sunday announced the closure of the Marine Bridge and Dopemu Road in the Agege area of the state for three months to pave way for repair works on the two facilities.
The state’s Commissioner for Transportation, Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, who disclosed this in a statement, said the Marine Bridge would be shut from January 17 to April 2 for emergency repair works.
He added that the Dopemu road will be closed to the public from January 21 for rehabilitation and upgrade.
The commissioner said: “Temporary closure of the bridge will be in two sections, Apapa Outbound, which will be repaired between January 17, and March 9, 2022, and the Apapa Inbound section of the bridge scheduled between March 10 and April 2, 2022.
“Traffic outbound Apapa will be diverted to give way for the flow of traffic between Rapid Response Squad (RRS) point and Total Bridge. Motorists using lighter vehicles will be diverted to Marine Beach by a Mobil filling station to connect Ijora Bridge or make use of the service lane by Leventis to connect Naval Dockyard to link Total under bridge to further their journeys.
“For the inbound Apapa motorists during the second phase of the rehabilitation works, traffic will be diverted to allow the flow of traffic between Total Bridge and RRS point.
“Motorists using lighter vehicles will be allowed to descend towards Total Under Bridge and make use of Fire Service road to connect Marine Beach by Mobil filling station, while those heading towards Apapa will make a detour and connect Area B through NAGAFF using Mobil filling station service lane.
“For Dopemu Road, the repair works will be executed in three phases. The first phase will focus on Ipaja road to Adealu Street junction which will last three months.
“Alternative routes have been mapped by the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) to allow effective control of vehicular movement along the axis during the duration of the construction.”
Nollywood actress Kemi Afolabi has revealed on her Instagram page that she was assaulted and her car vandalized by armed robbers in Lagos State on Tuesday night.
The actress took to her official Instagram page during the early hours of today, Thursday, January 5 to publish photos and videos from the recent attack. She stated that she was heading home from a movie set when the armed robbers attacked her and her driver in traffic.
Posting photos of her injured hand and vandalized car, the thespian wrote;
”I am in a state of shock! Traumatized!! I haven’t closed my eyes to sleep since yesterday.
I also experienced the highly poor insecurity state in Nigeria which has become a norm. No matter how much we scream and cry it always falls on deaf ears of those who govern us even when death is involved.
My driver and I were attacked by armed robbers at Arepo where I went to film while in traffic on our way back home yesterday, They broke my windscreens, left my whole body with wounds and skin in pains because of the impact of the shattered glass which was forcefully broken while I was in the car, my arm was cut with cutlass, they took my phones, belongings and ran off! Sadly my driver also took a hit to his head.
Still I am thankful because it could be worse! However, this is nothing compared to what I’ve been through in recent times.
No matter what may come my way, I will forever be grateful to God for preserving my life.
PS: This message is typed via my daughter’s phone. If you are not able to reach me for now; you know why. IT IS WELL.
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