News
A federal high court in Abuja has stopped the federal government from deducting $418 million from the bank accounts of the 36 states of the federation.
The court, in a ruling delivered by Inyang Ekwo, the judge, ordered FG to suspend the planned action, pending the determination of a suit brought before it by governments of the 36 states.
Last week, Kayode Fayemi, governor of Ekiti, said state governments will not accept arbitrary deductions of funds by the federal government.
Jibrin Okutepa, who led the legal team of the states, told Ekwo that the 36 states would be completely crippled if the FG deduct the huge amount from the bank accounts of the states.
Okutepa said the FG had revealed the plan to deduct the $418 million from the accounts of states every month as part of debts for contracts allegedly executed for the states.
He, however, said that the 36 states’ attorneys-general have read the purported judgment displayed by the FG and found that the states were not parties to the court action which resulted in the judgment debt.
After listening to the arguments of the 36 states, Ekwo retrained the FG from deducting from the states in respect of the purported court judgment until all issues relating to it were fully determined.
Defendants in the matter include attorney general of the federation, minister of finance, accountant general of the federation and all banks in Nigeria.
While adjourning the matter till November 30, Ekwo ordered the plaintiffs to serve all the relevant court processes on the defendants.
The controversial payment of $418 million to consultants over the Paris Club refund had become a contending issue between the three tiers of government.
Consultants had claimed the amount as a percentage for the payment of services rendered to the states and local government councils. But the amount did not go down well with the governors who requested a forensic audit over the claim made by consultants.
The Cable
Some bandits in separate attacks invaded two villages of Yagbak and Ungwan Ruhugo in the Ayap Chiefdom of the Zango- Kataf Local Government Area of Kaduna State on Friday.
A statement from the state government simply indicated that lives were lost, but it was gathered that no fewer than 10 persons were killed during the attack on one of the villages.
According to the state Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, some people were killed while houses were razed in attacks on two locations of Yagbak and Ungwan Ruhugo in Zango-Kataf.
He also said the governor had directed the State Emergency Management Agency to carry out an assessment and provide relief materials to the affected communities.
The statement titled, ‘Lives lost, houses burnt in attack in Zangon Kataf LGA’, read, “The military and police authorities have informed the Kaduna State Government of attacks in two locations, Yagbak and Ungwan Ruhugo, in Zangon Kataf LGA.”
When contacted, Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Mohammad Jalige, could not be reached as his telephone rang out while there was no response to a text message by our correspondent.
A source, who craved for anonymity, said the gunmen took the villagers unaware, shot indiscriminately and razed houses.
Punch
Bank of Industry has said the country’s entrepreneurs don’t have the habit of repaying loans, saying its non-performing loan portfolio awarded to entrepreneurs ranges between 80 and 100 per cent.
The bank’s managing director, Olukayode Pitan, disclosed this recently at the first edition of the community engagement development workshop organised by the Arthur Mbanefo Digital Research Centre (AMDRC) of the University of Lagos (UNILAG), Akoka.
The workshop, with the theme; “Building the Nigeria’s Economy for the Immediate Future: The Role of Innovation and Entrepreneurship and Startups Creation,” featured scholars and industry leaders including the director of the university’s Institute of China Development Studies, Olufemi Saibu; head of programme- migration for development at the German Agency for International Cooperation, Sarah Alonge, and director, entrepreneurship and skills development centre at UNILAG, Sunday Adebisi, among others.
BOI’s lamentation
Pitan, in his presentation, listed some of the conditions it is difficult for Nigerian start-ups to access loans from the bank. He said if proper steps are taken start-ups can get loans of up to N10m to expand their business initiatives.
“You can get the loans without bringing your house as security. All we require are two guarantors and I can tell you, most Nigerians have problems getting two guarantors because they know them. We require the BVNs of those guarantors and a few things but they will not give it because they know the people. So we are saying if people that know you do not want to guarantee you, why should we believe in you?” he said.
He said another thing the bank tried was the introduction of matching grants which he noted that about 20 states are a part of.
Pitan said; “We go to your state and tell the governor that any amount you give us, we will match it. We will lend the money in your state but I can tell you that the non-performing loan ratio so far is on the average between 80-100 per cent.
“People believe that any money from the Bank of Industry that is owned by the government is part of the national cake. All we ask of you is pay back that money so that we can give you another loan.”
‘Nigeria’s brand of entrepreneurship will lead to increased poverty’
Meanwhile, in his own presentation, Saibu said the way Nigeria is pursuing its entrepreneurship programme will only lead to an increased number of people living in poverty in the country.
He said an entrepreneur is expected to identify a problem, look critically at the problem, and come up with a solution that is treatable and can be exchanged with a buyer but that what Nigerian entrepreneurs are doing was merely to create applications for Nigerians to access products overseas.
“If you create a product that nobody can buy, that is not a solution,” he said.
According to him, an entrepreneur does three things including bringing up a completely new product or facilitating product getting to the buyer or creating access to that product.
“Our focus so far has been creating platforms for people to have access to products and that has been creating problems for our supply side. We are not creating entrepreneurs who are creating products, we only create entrepreneurs who facilitate the trading of a product produced in other countries,” he said.
He said creating platforms and apps that make people buy oversea only adds problems to Nigeria’s foreign exchange.
“The start-ups may earn billions of dollars but they are adding to the problem of our country because the products and apps they created are promoting businesses overseas.
“They make it easier for people to buy in Amazon and China but they have not made people buy from Nigeria. Therefore, we need to have a rethink that the entrepreneurs that we want to produce will be people who create products that we can sell outside Nigeria,” he said.
Saibu also said the recently introduced Central Bank of Nigeria’s Tertiary Institution Entrepreneur Scheme (TIES) identifies agricultural businesses, creative industry and science and technology, saying they are all about software application development.
He said; “The scheme is supposed to assist entrepreneurs and innovators but it will only create demand access, making Nigerians build websites and apps that can make it easy for people to buy overseas.
“They are not looking for people who can go into engineering, develop a prototype of a phone that can be accessible to all Nigerians and produce locally for people to buy Nigeria-made phones.
“They are not looking at entrepreneurs who can design vehicles that are not using electricity and solar but our oil and be able to make it available. So, until we begin to redirect our creativity, innovations and entrepreneurship towards expanding the domestic economy, we may continue to have increasing entrepreneurship and at the same time increasing unemployment.”
Continuing, he said Nigeria needs to understand that it cannot teach entrepreneurs but develop the talent in people that they become entrepreneurs. “It is not the training that produced Ronaldo but the talent of a footballer that is in him. He was only given the opportunity to develop that potential.”
“We need to promote IT and my own take is that we should change information technology to industrial technology. It is when we build our industry that we can compete globally, not agriculture,” he said.
‘Africa cannot stay in the past’
On his part, Adebisi said that Africa has missed some developmental processes, saying; “We had the first, second and third revolutions, but we did not do anything about it, we are still living in the first industrial revolution and the world will not wait for us so we have missed it and this is the fourth industrial revolution, so because the world is not going to wait for us, we have to be integrated into the world so that at the end of the day Africa will not lose it all.”
He said start ups have to be encouraged to go into what drives the fourth revolution. “We must be connected to the world and Fintech is what we must key into. We need to combine the fourth revolution with what Saibu said because if we lock down our economy we will lose it all.”Energy crisis
Adebisi said local production is the best thing to boost local economy but he decried Nigeria’s poor electricity, saying; “If I produce here, nobody will buy at my cost of production per unit, therefore, if as a Nigerian country I take my idea to china to create it into product, I know that I have exported jobs but by the time I bring the products back to Nigeria, I will contribute to the GDP.”
“We need to start from there whether we like it or not because if we wait for the government to give us energy, we will not do anything,” he said.
Opportunities for start-ups
On her part, Alonge said there is a mismatch of opportunities and skills in Nigeria, noting that her organisation provides additional skills for people to increase their livelihood.
She said the existing skill mismatch within the Nigerian labour market contributes significantly to the unemployment rate.
“This has to do with lack of information on the labour market’s needs but also the discourse together with the need for direction of where the labour market is supposed to go which is what we are talking about when we talk about industrialisation, industrial development and others.”
In her welcome remark, director of the centre, Taiwo Ipaye, said the programme was introduced to bring both the town and gown together to address the needs of the labour market and provide the required skills for the tertiary institutions’ products.
Ipaye, a former registrar of the university, said the centre is committed to creating a middle ground between the town and the gown for the socio-economic prosperity of the country.
PT
Ondo State governor, Rotimi Akeredolu, has declared that grazing routes would not work in Nigeria because the country can no longer continue to live in the past.
He stressed that the country needs a multi-levelled policing with special attention to state police to effectively secure the lives and property of the citizens.
The governor said many states in the country have signed the anti-open grazing laws to protect the people and their means of livelihood. Akeredolu declared that the Western Nigeria Security Network Agency, codenamed Amotekun Corps was effectively filling the vacuum created by the overstretched conventional security agencies, particularly the police in the state.
Akeredolu noted that Amotekun Corps was a product of circumstance, essentially created to fill the obvious security gap in the state for the security of all.
The governor stressed that Amotekun’s efforts with the help of other security agencies have brought relative peace to the state.
He spoke at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s office while playing host to the participants of Course 30 of the National Defence College (NDC), Abuja, led by the Commandant, Oladele Daji, a Navy Rear Admiral.
Akeredolu, who particularly commended the military for ensuring peace and security in the country, disclosed that his administration had enjoyed necessary support and cooperation from all heads of security agencies in the state including the Nigerian Army, the Police, the NSCDC, the DSS, the NIA and others.
The governor insisted that no genuine herder would graze his herd of cow with AK-47, just as he said any herder who destroys any farmland in the state would be made to pay compensation to the affected farmer.
He also added that Amotekun Corps now engage in road patrol to further ensure the security of lives and property of all residents across the state.
Earlier, Commandant, National Defence College, Abuja, Daji, who lauded the governor for the security and industrial strides recorded so far, expressed confidence that the products of the participants’ research would go a long way in assisting policy inputs towards delivery of good governance and ensure security of the state.
Sun
There was pandemonium on Command Road, Meiran, Lagos State, as a clash between men of the state police command and tricycle operators in the area left no fewer than three persons dead.
Trouble started when a yet-to-be-identified traffic warden allegedly stabbed a tricycle operator, identified only as Eleyele, to death for refusing his demand for N100.
Angered by the development, the victim’s colleagues ran after the policeman, who fled the scene.
After the cop escaped, the protesting crowd carried the victim’s remains to the front of the Meiran Police Division, where it was deposited.
The tricycle operators were said to be protesting the death when they attacked the police station with bottles and stones.
The mob reportedly attempted to set the police station ablaze, but the policemen allegedly dispersed them with bullets and tear gas canisters.
A resident, who gave his name only as Yusuf, said the traffic policeman stabbed the victim in the chest, adding that the attack was unprovoked.
He said, “The incident happened around 9am. The tricyclist was going to a destination when the traffic policeman stopped him and demanded N100. He told the policeman that he just started work and did not have the money. We don’t know if they had an argument, but the policeman suddenly brought out a knife and stabbed the operator in the chest. The man died on the spot.
“Immediately, we attempted to apprehend the policeman, but it was the same knife he used in attacking us till he escaped.
“So, we carried the victim’s corpse to the police station, but the policemen fired bullets and tear gas at us.
“Two months ago, a tricycle operator was killed, but we will not accept this one. The police have arrested a lot of us protesting Eleyele’s death. They put some of the arrested victims in Black Maria and patrol vehicles. The tricycle leader in our area, known as Istijaba, intervened and told us to settle the matter and we agreed. But the police suddenly opened fire on us again.”
Another eyewitness, who identified himself only as Segun, said a roadside vulcaniser was hit by a stray bullet.
He said, “The vulcaniser should be about 17 years old; it was when the policemen were trying to disperse us that he was killed by a stray bullet. The bullet hit him in the back and all his intestines came out of his stomach.
“The boy’s mother is blind, and two months ago, she lost one of her children. Now, her son is dead again. We also took his corpse to the Meiran Police Station, but the police kept firing tear gas and live bullets at us and other victims suffered bullet wounds. In all, three people were killed and some others are in hospitals getting treatment.”
Our correspondent observed as the police fired tear gas at the mob, who were armed with bottles and stones.
The mob, while protesting the circumstances surrounding the deaths of the victims, paralysed business activities in the area.
Motorists, motorcyclists and tricyclists were prevented from operating in the area.
Bonfires were also set on the Command Road, as broken bottles littered some sections of the expressway.
Residents and business owners in the area were seen running helter-skelter to escape being caught in the unrest that enveloped the community.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, said, “The Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, has dispatched adequate police patrol teams to maintain law and order there. No cause for alarm.”
Punch
Kingsley Kanu, younger brother of leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), Nnamdi Kanu, yesterday, alleged that the defence filed by Government of Kenya to his earlier suit in the country on behalf of his brother, has confirmed that Kanu’s rendition did not follow the extradition proceedings.
Following the IPOB leader’s extraordinary rendition in June this year, the Kenyan Government had publicly issued series of statements, denying its complicity in the illegal act.
According to Kanu, Kenya in its defense filed in Court on November 2, not only persisted in its denials, but “it went further to confirm that my brother was denied the benefit of the due process of extradition in Kenya or even a lawful arrest.
“In particular, the defense the Kenyan Government filed in court stated in major part “That there are no extradition proceedings to justify that the Government of Kenya is responsible for the subject’s extradition.”
It further stated: “That there is no OB record from any of the Police station within the Country to indicate that the subject in issue was lawfully arrested and detained for purposes of commencing extradition proceedings.”
He emphasized that the above admissions has officially confirmed their long-held position that Nnamdi Kanu’s transfer from Kenya to Nigeria was unlawful, that is not lawful as was claimed by the Nigerian government.
“This latest revelation, officially made in open Court by Kenya, further solidifies our abiding position that the Nigerian Government cannot benefit from its own wrong by subjecting my brother to trial.
“As the next hearing date unfolds to 7th December 2021, more legal processes will be in view. Our immediate goal is to secure the unconditional release of Nnamdi Kanu from detention,” he stated.
Sun
Lauretta Fagbohun, Ogun
The chairman of Ijebu East Local Government Area, Wale Adedayo on Thursday flawed the demolition of structures and enclaves erected in forest reserves in the Council area by the Ministry of Forestry headed by Tunji Akinosi, describing the exercise as "arson and destructions" against his people.
Nigerian Newstrack learnt that the state government had commenced what it called, the demolition of “illegal structures and enclaves” erected in its forest reserves.
While Akinosi insisted that the demolition was meant to remove illegal shanties and enclaves in the forest reserves, Adedayo described the exercise as “arson and destructions” by the state government.
Akinosi explained that the demolition started last week in Area J1 Forest Reserve and that similar exercise was also carried out in Area J3 both in Ijebu East Local Government Area of the state.
He said the exercise would be continuous, stressing that it was aimed at ridding the forest reserves of illegal occupants and loggers, as it was not peculiar to Ijebu East J3 alone.
In his words, he said “we were at J1 reserve on Thursday last week and it will be continuous as the government is desirous of cleaning up all our reserves.”
But Adedayo faulted the exercise saying, “Government has schools in these so-called shanties. We went there to campaign for votes in the last election. They pay land rent to the ministry. And, those shanties house majority of our cocoa farmers. It’s just giving them a bad name to nail them".
"We confirmed the ministry was at work, and we felt such a level of horrendous destruction of properties should not happen. We were not informed. And, we are being besieged by these people right now, for things we were never part of.”
“We cannot continue like this in Ijebu East Local Government. These are the poorest of the poor being dehumanised by destroying their farms and houses. Great Awo will never allow some of us to rest if we allow this to continue.”
On his Facebook page, the Chairman condemned those behind the demolition, raining curses on them.
The Chairman revealed that “arson and other destructions have been happening in J3, near Ogbere, since four days ago.”
Sharing photos of structures demolished, Adedayo added in Yoruba language that, “Sugbon, ki awon eeyan wa pada sile. Omo Oba kankan ko gbodo ja ogun bi eru. Isese ni ki e pada si o! Ti won o ba pada, e je ki a be awon aye lowe won. “Ki Omo won saisi. Ki awon paapa beere si ri irikuri. Ile ni ki e pada si o! E je ki a pada so odo awon Baba wa! Ile ya o!!!
Meaning, “But, let our people go back home. A prince doesn’t fight like a slave. Go back to tradition. If they don’t return, let’s seek spiritual intervention. May their children die. May they themselves begin to see bad things. Go back home. Let’s return to our fathers. It’s time to go home.”
Reacting, Hon. Akinosi described Adedayo’s comment as dramatic, saying “This is a drama.”
He asked the local government boss to contact the ministry if he has any question or needs any clarification.
Lauretta Fagbohun, Ogun
Miners and dredgers operating in Ogun State, have been cautioned to be responsible in their activities to avert incidences of flood and other dangers usually caused by gully erosion.
Special Adviser to the Governor on Environment , Ola Oresanya who gave this warning during a visit to gully erosion sites in Sango-Ota in Ado Odo local government area of the state, said miners and dredgers who engage in arbitrary and irresponsible activities would now face sanctions.
According to him, the state government has found out that a lot of irresponsible extractions have been done in several parts of the state especially in the southern part which has sedimentary basins thus leading to gully erosion.
"Gully erosion will continue if we continue to have irresponsible mining and dredging.The state government will no longer tolerate it, whether they are lincensed by the federal government or not since mining and dredging are on the exlusive list.Ours is to protect the lives and property of our people in Ogun State and make sure our people are not expose to danger through irresponsible mining"
"They cannot extract almost at vertical strip and have people's houses falling into gouge.We will not tolerate it" Oresanya warned.
He therefore directed the miners and the dredgers to do Environmental Impact Assessment before operations and register with the Ministry of Environment for proper monitoring of their activities.
The Special Adviser also directed them to have dust-control devices-especially for those sculping seriously and maintain the roads they destroy while they operate adding that the cost of restoring the degradation they do to the environment is more than the money they pay to the federal government for their licenses.
While stating that the federal government did not give them lincenses to destroy the state, Oresanya said the state government is ready to work with the central government to ensure total compliance with mining standards and ensure strict adherence to environmental regulations and standards.
..33 males, 3 females brought out dead from the rubbles after over 72 hours
After over 72 hours under the rubble of the collapsed 21-storey building in Lagos, rescue workers have finally exhumed the body of the developer, Femi Osibona.
The highrise building was reportedly owned and constructed by the late Osibona’s company Fourscore Heights Limited.
Nigerian Newstrack confirmed from sources at the site that Osibona’s body was exhumed this evening and taken to a morgue in Yaba.
Some people are still believed to be trapped in the rubble, including a pastor of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, Ola Ogunfuwa, and 22 of his workers.
The pastor, who is in charge of the Living Water Parish in Ibafo, Ogun State, was allegedly working as a contractor on the project but has not been heard from or been identified among those rescued or brought out dead.
The South-West Coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency, Ibrahim Farinloye, today confirmed that 33 males and three females have been brought out dead from the rubble.
Farinloye added that nine people which included one female and eight males were rescued alive.
Meanwhile, a vehicle belonging to one of the trapped victims was removed from the scene on Thursday evening by rescue team.
The details of the vehicle that was removed from the scene is YAB655AZ, Toyota Highlander, dark colour.
The owner of the vehicle was said to be one of the sub contractors who owned an aluminium fabrication company working on the site. He was said to have come to the building site with some of his workers.
Nigerian Bulk Electricity Trading (NBET) says the country sells electricity to neighbouring countries for strategic reasons.
Nnaemeka Ewelukwa, managing director, NBET, spoke on Tuesday when he appeared before the house of representatives committee on finance.
Ewelukwa was responding to questions of why Nigeria sells electricity to other nations when the country does not have enough for its populace.
“Nigeria sells electricity to Niger Republic and Benin Republic. Those transactions of recent have been more driven by specific generation companies like NDPHC,” he said.
“At the heart of the transactions is the issue of the damming of the river. We have dammed the river and if we don’t provide electricity to countries that are upstream on the river, they can also build their dams which will create a major crisis for the country.
“So there is a strategic reason. If they are able to dam the river upstream, we are in trouble.”
Ewelukwa said about six percent of the electricity generated in the country is sold to neighbouring countries.
He said the federal government is working on structures that will enhance power distribution in the country.
“Most of the power generation companies are located within the south-south and south-west largely because of gas with one in the south-east, of course, we have the hydros in Niger state,” he said.
“The issue of evacuation is something that is at the heart of the priority of the government. At the moment, the contracted capacity is about 14,000 megawatts; out of that 14,000 megawatts, what is available in terms of what the generation companies are capable of producing is around 7,600 megawatts.
“Because of the different constraints within the system at either transmission or distribution level, that 7,600 is not fully available. What you have available on a given day is about 4,000 to 5,000 megawatts.
“To address this gap between what is available and what the system can currently carry; there are a number of intervention projects that the government is currently pursuing, that include the presidential power initiatives in partnership with Siemens.
“Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) is currently supporting the funding of interface projects between transmission and distribution companies.
“To increase power generation, what we need is to increase the corridor for the power to move. There are a number of interface issues between the Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) and distribution companies that are critical to enhancing power distribution and CBN are currently providing funding to address those interface bottleneck.
“NDPHC is also dealing with transmission and distribution projects. As these interface projects are addressed, there will be enhanced space for the megawatt to move. The government is keen to expedite the time within which this is made available.
“The sector regulator, Nigeria Electricity Regulatory Commission (NERC), has also concluded performance improvement plans for each of the distribution companies. This plan basically lays out the different infrastructure upgrade the distribution companies are supposed to implement in other to be able to provide more electricity to the citizens.
“The fact that we have the available capacity that is currently not being made fully available to the citizens is something that troubles us. But we are also confident that the different actions being performed by government agencies — NDPHC, TCN, MBET, the central bank in the mix — we are confident that we are heading in the right direction.”
Ewelukwa said the structure towards achieving a constant power distribution in the country will be achieved within the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Cable
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There was palpable tension in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, yesterday, after soldiers mounted security checkpoints on strategic locations following reports of planned invasion of the city by bandits and terrorists.
It was gathered that security reports obtained by the military, late Tuesday night, revealed that the attackers fleeing from the heavy military onslaught in the northwestern part of the country were planning to enter the FCT, through the Abuja-Keffi Expressway and other entry points.
Consequently, soldiers and the various security agencies have been placed on red alert to counter the invasion of criminals into the city.
Already the Guards Brigade Nigerian army has deployed its soldiers to strategic locations where they mounted security checkpoints to monitor and arrest the attackers. Similarly, the army headquarters garrisons have also deployed its soldiers to strategic spots to give the attackers the battle of their lives.
The operation, which started at midnight Tuesday, is said to have led to the arrest of some suspects who are now helping the security operatives with useful information.
Motorists, especially those who live along the Abuja-Keffi Expressway, including Kugbo, Karu, Jikwoyi, Orozo, Karshi, Nyanya, Mararaba, one man village and Masaka, among other satellite towns, are finding it difficult passing through the road as a result of the road block mounted by soldiers of Guards Brigade, who are responsible for the security of the president, his immediate family, Very Important Personalities (VIP), as well as the FCT and its environs.
A military source, who did not want to be mentioned in print, said similar checkpoints have been mounted around the Abaji, Zuba and Bwari areas to arrest the suspects before they gain access into the city.
The source further revealed that the joint task force had commenced the raid of all black spots in the FCT, and that some suspects have been arrested. The source said further that intelligence gathered in the last few days revealed the planned attack and an influx of motorcycle riders into the FCT, on a daily basis, a development said to be giving the military and other security agencies concerns as kidnapping and attacks on villages in the FCT become a daily affair.
The source said that the invasion of the university of Abuja, early Tuesday morning, by bandits who abducted some staff members and their families, may not be unconnected with the security alert even as soldiers are in hot pursuit to apprehend the criminals.
Sources alleged that some villagers may have connived with the criminals who attacked the university staff quarters as it took sometime before they could alert the police who, in turn, alerted soldiers of 176 Guards Battalion, located around Gwagwalada. Unfortunately, by the time they got there, the criminals had escaped. It was also gathered that the non fencing of the university premises and location of the staff quarters, said to be right inside the bush, made it very easy for the criminals to have easy access into the premises.
While the soldiers alongside operatives of the police anti kidnapping units were said to be in hot pursuit of the attackers, the kidnappers were yet to make contacts with families of the kidnapped victims.
When contacted the Commander, Guards Brigade, confirmed the security checkpoints by the soldiers. He, however, did not state why they mounted the security checkpoints even though soldiers have been in that particular spot for sometime now.
Meanwhile, barely 24 hours after the kidnap of members of staff of the University of Abuja, their abductors are demanding N300 million ransom for their release. This proves that reports of the release of the victims published yesterday were false.
Sun
Rescuers on Wednesday were racing to find survivors on the third day after a high-rise building under construction collapsed and trapped scores of people in the commercial capital Lagos, as the death toll rose to 22, officials said.
As hope turned to despair, anxious family members and large crowds gathered near the site of the incident hoping to hear news on the fate of those still trapped under chunks of masonry and mangled steel where the building once stood.
One man, choking with tears, said a relative of his travelled from United States for a wedding in Abuja and had then been invited to Lagos by the developer to look at the building project. He has not been heard from since Monday.
Phone numbers for the project owner, main contractor, project manager, structural engineers and architects listed near the collapsed building, were switched off when Reuters called on Wednesday, suggesting some of them may have gone underground.
Lagos State commissioner for information, Gbenga Omotoso said a six member independent panel of engineers, architects and town planers had been appointed to "ascertain what went wrong and recommend measures to forestall further occurrence."
The panel has a month to present its findings.
The collapsed building, in the affluent neighbourhood of Ikoyi, was one of three blocks that had been planned to be high-end apartments.
At least 22 people have died while nine people have been found alive and treated at hospital, officials said.
Building collapses are frequent in Africa's most populous country, where regulations are poorly enforced and construction materials often substandard.
Lagos Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu said there was no manifest of who and how many were working when the building collapsed.
"Unfortunately it has also been difficult for us to identify anyone, or anyone to come forward as the project manager, or a staff of the developer or contractor," he said during a visit to the site.
Authorities have said there had been some building infractions during construction earlier this year but did not say whether these had been rectified.
Reuters
Business activities in some parts of the Computer Village, Ikeja, Lagos State, were grounded following a gas leakage in front of the Awolowo House, a complex in the area.
It was gathered that businessmen and women were operating around 7am on Wednesday when an underground gas pipeline was ruptured.
Gas fumes was said to have permeated the environment as people fled in panic.
Emergency responders were said to have arrived at the scene and sprayed chemicals to neutralise the gas which had pervaded the community.
It was reported that the company in charge of the pipeline, Gaslink, was contacted to shut down supply along the pipeline route.
A trader, who identified himself only as Segun, said task force officials in the market ordered all business persons to switch off their generators and close their shops.
He said, “When I got the information that gas was leaking, I observed that the place had been cordoned off as something like smoke was coming out of the ground. The market leaders told all shop owners to go home.
“We were told not to switch on our generators; even the commercial buses operating around the premises of the gas leakage were told to leave.”
Another trader, who identified himself only as Pastor, said the pipeline was mistakenly punctured by road construction workers in the area.
He said, “Due to the extension of the road and the bridge they are constructing, they have been demolishing buildings close to the bridge; the buildings affected are on Kodesho and Awolowo roads.
“It appears that some of the diggers who took part in the demolition punctured the pipeline. So, maybe the leakage worsened and we started smelling gas today. Emergency responders were alerted and when they came, they poured chemicals everywhere to quell the odour.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, said there was no cause for alarm, adding that the situation had been brought under control.
Director, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Magaret Adeseye, said the danger had been averted.
She said, “On arrival at the scene, it was discovered that a gas pipeline belonging to Gaslink was accidentally punctured and gas started gushing out. In a bid to forestall any secondary incident, the fumes emanating from the leakage were blanketed with a chemical foam compound, just as the area was swiftly cordoned off and traffic diverted, while inhabitants were sensitised not to make naked fire.”
Meanwhile, some shops were gutted by fire opposite Owode Onirin Market, on the Ikorodu Road, Lagos State.
Confirming the incident, Adeseye said while putting out the fire, officials of the fire service were attacked by yet-to-be-identified persons.
She, however, stated that the situation was eventually brought under control.
Punch
Lauretta Fagbohun, Ogun
A 24-year-old man, Mojiyagbe Olamilekan has been arrested by men of the Ogun State Police command for stabbing his wife, Seun Mojiyagbe to death with scissors.
The incident was said to have happened on Wednesday at the Oke-Ola Area of Ode Remo in Remo-North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi disclosed this in a statement received by the Nigerian Newstrack on Wednesday.
Oyeyemi said the suspect was arrested following a distress call received by the police in Ode-Remo Divisional Headquarters at about 3pm on Wednesday.
The PPRO said. “The suspect locked himself and his wife Seun Mojiyagbe up in their room and started beating her. It was the wailing of the wife that attracted the neighbours who tried all efforts to persuade the suspect to open the door but he refused.
According to the PPRO, “Upon the distress call, the DPO Ode-Remo Division, CSP Olayemi Fagbohun, quickly mobilised his men and moved to the scene where the door to the couple’s apartment was forced open.
“The victim was met lying down unconscious in the pool of her own blood.“
She was quickly rushed to the state hospital in Isara Remo where she was pronounced dead by the doctor on duty.
“The husband was promptly arrested and taken into custody, while the corpse of the victim has been deposited at the mortuary for autopsy.”
The PPRO, however, said the Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to the homicide section of the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation with the view to charging him to court as soon as possible.