The Nation Newspaper

Author: The Nation

  • Five dead, 10 others injured as bus bursts into flame on expressway

    Five passengers were charred and 10 others suffered some degrees of burns on Friday when a bus conveying them burst into a flames, after it had somersaulted at the Onigari corridor of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    The lone crash occurred in the morning when a commercial bus coming from Sokoto stopped over briefly in Ibadan to pick Lagos bound passengers and shortly after taken off, the driver lost control of the wheel, smashed into the road median and tumbled many times over before balls fire erupted from the crash.

    The Route Commander and  Public Education Officer of Federal Road Safety Corps, Ogun State Command, quoted the Sector Commander, Clement Oladele, as saying five persons died in the accident while 10 others were injured.

    She stated:  “The lone crash involved a commercial bus that  travelled all the way from Sokoto State but stopped briefly in Ibadan to pick other passengers. The bus was heading towards Lagos State before it lost control, at Onigari due to excessive speed, and collided with the road median with  the bus upturning and  bursting into flames.

    Read Also: Two die in Port Harcourt, Asaba accidents

    “The crash involved 18 passengers comprising 17 male adults and 1 female adult .

    “A total of 10 male adults sustained injuries from the crash but five of the passengers unfortunately died from the crash comprising four male adults and a female adult.”

    The commuter bus was a white coloured Mazda bus with registration number WWD 302CB

    “The FRSC Ogun State Sector Commander , Clement Oladele commiserates  with the families of  the crash victims and advised members of the public whose relatives travelled, requiring more information about the crash, should contact the FRSC Command at KM27 Ibadan – Lagos Expressway at Ogunmakin or the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH) , Sagamu, where the injured victims were rescued to.”

    According to the Route Commander, the remains of those killed in the crash were also deposited at the OOUTH mortuary.

    She urged  motorists to drive cautiously on the Lagos – Ibadan Expressway as it is still undergoing rehabilitation, recommending 50km per hour as safe speed at construction area while  passengers should always  caution their drivers observed driving recklessly.

  • Oyo redeems pledge of N500,000 bursary to Law school students

    The government of Oyo State has redeemed its pledge of N500,000 bursary to indigenes of the State in the Nigerian Law School.

    A statement by the Special Assistant (Print Media) to the Governor, Moses Alao, indicated on Friday that the 2019/2020 Backlog Session of the Forum of Oyo State indigenes in the Nigerian Law School had confirmed the payment in an appreciation letter to the governor.

    Governor Seyi Makinde had on August 6, approved the payment of N500,000 to each indigene of the state in the  2019/2020 Backlog Session of the Law school, who are 120 in all.

    The letter signed by the chairman of the Students’ Forum, Olaniyi Ogunlade and the secretary, Akani Christiana, showed appreciation to Governor Makinde for releasing the N60 million bursary he approved for the Forum in July.

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    The Forum, in the letter dated 20 September, 2019, expressed appreciation to Governor Makinde following the issuance of cheques to the students by the Commissioner for Education, Professor Daud Sangodoyin.

    The Commissioner, who issued cheques to 107 of the beneficiaries, who had been cleared, stated that the determination of Governor Makinde to restore the glory of the State in the education sector made him approve the bursary award, noting that no stone would be left unturned in the administration’s effort to deliver quality education.

    He maintained that the State had rolled out different programmes to improve the standard of education in the State, including the free distribution of textbooks and exercise books to all secondary school students, the organisation of extra-mural classes for SS3 students and the general improvement of education infrastructure, noting that with the solid foundation being laid by the administration, there could be no doubt that the education sector would experience a huge turnaround in a short time.

    The statement recalls that the last time Oyo State indigenes in the Law School benefitted from a bursary award was in 2012, when they were paid N100,000 each.

  • Bolanle Awe, Osuntokun, Dosumu, others for Kiriji war anniversary lecture

    Yoruba leaders from all sectors of life are set to meet in Ibadan, the Oyo Sate capital, to participate in a public lecture themed Yoruba: Today, Yesterday and Tomorrow.

    The event is to mark the 126th anniversary of the Kiriji War, the civil war that engulfed Yoruba land from 1877 to 1893.

    Read Also: Nigeria may not celebrate 100th Independence anniversary – Bisi Akande

    The public lecture is slated to take place at the House of Chiefs on Monday 23rd of September will start at 10 AM.

    The event will be chaired by Historian, Prof Bolanle Awe while the keynote lecture will be delivered by Prof Banji Akintoye, the newly elected Yoruba Leader.

    The event which was organized by the Yoruba Heritage Group will witness discussants including Dr Kunle Olajide, Dr Kunle Olajide, Chief Segun Odegbami, Dr Tokunbo Awolowo Dosummu and Prof Jide Osuntokun.

  • Motorists, commuters stranded in Lagos as fuel tanker falls on Otedola bridge

    A diesel tanker fell on Otedola Bridge, Lagos, last night causing a massive gridlock at the Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    The brake of the tanker was said to have failed.

    Emergency workers rushed to the scene to prevent a fire outbreak.

    Read Also: Video: Tanker falls, spills fuel on Otedola bridge

    The Lagos State Traffic Management said the tanker was evacuated at 9:40 PM yesterday about   five hours after the incident occurred.

    Thousands of motorists and commuters were stranded on the route for as long as the gridlock caused by the accident lasted.

    Many commuters were seen walking to get to their destination.

  • Oshodi miscreants devise plot to escape police raid

    Suspected miscreants in Oshodi, who escaped police raid by the whiskers may have devised new plan to beat further arrest by law enforcement agents.

    No fewer than 71 suspected miscreants were arrested by personnel of the Lagos State Task Force on Environmental and Special Offences on Wednesday.

    When our reporter visited the area on Thursday evening, a number of the boys were sighted loitering around the railway line.

    Sources said the boys now come around in the evening when personnel of the Lagos Task Force are not around to apprehend them.

    Read Also: Task force nabs 71 miscreants in early morning raid at Oshodi

    It was said that a number of them who escaped the recent police raid still sleep in shacks along the railway line.

    ‘’The boys no longer come out in the morning. They would go to other parts of the state and return in the evening from 7 PM when Task Force operative are no longer around.

    ‘’They still come around to smoke Indian hemp and indulge in pick pocketing as usual. Operatives of the Lagos Task Force would need to step up their surveillance in order to discourage the boys from regrouping to further their nefarious activities like snatching people’s bags and valuables here,’’ said a source who asked not to be named.

  • Two dead after falling off moving train

    Two unidentified men died penultimate Friday morning after they fell off a moving train at the PWD area of Ikeja, Lagos.

    The deceased persons according to sources were hanging on the train when they fell down when the train was on top speed.

    Sources said the accident occurred after an excavator parked close to the railway line hit the people who hung on the train, while others were said to have jumped off to avoid being hit by the construction equipment.

    It was said that most of those involved in the accident were among those who usually hang on the train to avoid buying tickets for their journey.

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    The deceased persons were among those who fell down died on the spot while others were injured.

    One of the victims died on the spot while the other person died on the way to a nearby public hospital.

    The incident triggered some youths to protest against the indiscriminate arrangement of equipment along the rail corridor.

    Normalcy was however restored following the intervention of officials of the construction firm and law enforcement agents.

  • Woman arrested for allegedly killing three-day-old stepson

    The Police have arrested a 22-year-old woman for allegedly poisoning her three-day-old stepson with a local insecticide called otapiapia in Shakodna village, Shiroro local government area of Niger state.

    The suspect, Harela Uba, who is the first wife of one Mallam Una Saidu gave the poisonous substance to her seven- year- old daughter to administer on her step-brother.

    The mother of the deceased baby,  Fa’iza Uba had left for bathroom leaving her baby in her room only to return to meet the baby foaming in his mouth, when she returned to the room.

    Read Also: Woman arrested for killing ‘hubby’ over daughter’s birthday party

    Fa’iza raised the alarm and the baby was rushed him to General Hospital, Kuta where he was confirmed dead by a doctor who said the baby was poisoned.

    The incident was reported to the Shiroro Police Division and several people were interrogated regarding the incident.

    Hurela confessed during interrogation that she gave her daughter the insecticide to administer on the baby.

    The suspect, an expectant mother, claimed she did not know what pushed her to kill the baby.

    The Police Public Relations Officer, Abubakar Muhammad, said the case had been charged to court.

  • Woman raises the alarm over son’s safety

    A trader, Mrs Oluyemisi Adeyemi has raised the alarm over alleged harassment of her son by suspected traditionalists.

    She appealed to security operatives to save his son, Adekunle Adeyemi and his family from the clutch of suspected traditionalists.

    According to Oluyemisi, who resides in Bariga area of Lagos, some traditionalists in Omojoda (Odo Ayan) village had continued to threaten her son over his refusal to ascend a chieftaincy stool in the community.

    She said Adekunle, a computer engineer and pastor of a Pentecostal church and his family now lives in palpable fear of further attacks by the traditionalists.

    She noted that the problem started in 2010 after her son was asked to accept the chieftaincy stool, following the unfortunate occurrences that have characterised the reign of the current occupant of the stool.

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    “When traditionalists in the village consulted their oracles, it was learnt that the bad development in the town was because the current occupant was wrongfully installed as the traditional ruler of the community; hence their search for my son Adekunle whose reign they believed would improve the situation in the village.

    “My son rejected the offer because of his Christian faith that goes against anything that has to do with tradition and the fact that his late father Lawrence Adeyemi had, before his demise in 1989 cautioned his children against the occupation of the chieftaincy stool of Omojoda because of the controversies that trailed the stool in the past, even as he warned of serious consequences against any erring child.

    ”The level of threat to the lives of my son, Adekunle, and members of his family and futile attempt by the suspected traditionalists to kidnap his wife and only daughter in 2018, forced them to relocate from their last residence in Ogun State to an unknown place. My worry is that despite their relocation, strange faces, and movements, continued to be noticeable at their former residence, heightening my fear that some people are still after them.”

    She disclosed that she recently received anonymous telephone calls from people suspected to be kinsmen from Omojoda village, who during their conversations with her, vowed to deal with her son, should he refuse to accept the chieftaincy title.

    She added: “I am appealing to security outfits in the country to come to my son’s aid by warning those who are after his life, to please leave my son alone, as he could not accept the offer given him by his kinsmen.’’

  • UNDP releases $30m to Nigeria for humanitarian crisis in North East

    The UN Development Programme (UNDP), has released 30 million U.S. dollars to Nigeria from the regional stabilisation facility for the humanitarian crisis in the North East.

    UNDP Resident Representative in Nigeria, Mr Mohamed Yahyadisclosed this on Friday in Abuja at the first inaugural meeting convened by UNDP on the way forward in actualising the ‘Nigeria window’ of the Regional Stabilisation Facility.

    News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Regional Stabilisation Facility was launched in July in Niamey, Niger at the second Governors Forum to contribute support to the affected regions of Nigeria,

    NAN also reports that the project was expected to be implemented between Sept. 1, 2019, and Aug. 31, 2021.

    Governors from Nigeria, Niger, Cameroon, Chad, and regional stakeholders attended the meeting in Niamey under the auspices of the Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC).

    Those who pledged to deploy funds in Niamey to support the project, which will be monitored by the UNDP and the African Union (AU), include the governments of Sweden and Germany and the regional governors from Borno, Adamawa, Yobe (Nigeria), Lak, Hajder-Lamis (Chad), Diffa (Niger) and Far North and North regions in Cameroon.

    Read Also: UNDP begins reconstruction of northeast, seeks Buratai’s support

    NAN reports that the UNDP is expected to provide seed funds to run the facility yearly.

    He said the regional stabilisation facility is aimed at providing rapid response to support immediate stabilisation in the three states of Adamawa, Borno and Yobe affected by insurgency.

    He also said that the ‘Nigerian window’ was expected to receive over 30 million USD which would facilitate recovery and stabilisation interventions including; livelihood support for communities, massive civil engineering works and strengthening of local security structures.

    Yahya, said that the board had two years to provide work of stabilisation in the affected states.

    He said that the entire facility might not work if there was no local authorities such as the military and the police, adding that more work needed to be done in terms of coordination.

    Also speaking, Minister of Finance,Budget and National Planning, Hajiya Zainab Ahmed said that the government of Nigeria was optimistic that the facility would support in addressing the immediate stabilisation needs in the newly liberated areas.

    She said this would also sustain development in the region and allow the return of Internally Displaced Persons to their various permanent place abode.

    According to her, the facility will in no doubt assist the government to demonstrate its value to the citizens in providing resilience and stabilisation for the population affected by Boko Haram insurgency in the north east.

    She said that the Ministry would collaborate with UNDP, the three affected states and all relevant stakeholders to ensure accountable utilisation of the stabilisation facility fund.

    Similarly, the Executive Secretary, Lake Chad Basin Commission (LCBC), Amb. Mamman Nuhu expressed the Commission’s readiness to provide strategic regional guidance for the implementation of the regional stabilisation strategy at the national and state level through the facility.

    He said the commission would provide enabling environment by mobilising regional support to ensure coordinated approach yo the challenge.

    “Our transboundary mandate provide us the requisite platform to mobilise the political and strategic spaces available across the region for the success of the regional stabilisation strategy.

    ” Our objective is to ensure local, national and regional ownership in the implementation of the regional stabilisation strategy through the regional stabilisation facility.

    ” We urge all national partners to ensure consistent coordination with the Lake Chad Basin Commission through the Secretariat of the regional stabilisation strategy” Nuhu said.

    According to him, Nigeria is the worst hit country, with the biggest humanitarian and development needs of all the four affected countries.

    “It is therefore expected that Nigeria should demonstrate not only in the fight against boko Haram but also in ensuring that the thousands of people affected across the three front line states are supported to live a life of dignity” he said.

    The Governors expressed their readiness to ensure effective implementation of the regional stabilisation facility.

    (NAN)

  • CBN backs FG’s plan to increase VAT, says Nigeria has lowest

    Mr Godwin Emefiele, the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), says the plan to increase Value Added Tax (VAT) from five per cent to 7.5 per cent is in the right direction to raise country’s revenue.

    Emefiele stated this while fielding questions from journalists after the Monetary Policy Committee meeting held in Abuja.

    He said the government had responsibility to fend for every citizenry by providing basic infrastructure like roads, electricity and hospitals among others.

    He explained that the government had only two ways to fund such projects, which are by raising revenue and through loan collection.

    Read Also: VAT: What you need to know about ‘proposed increase’ from 5% – 7.5%

    According to him, the present government has been criticised by some people for high rate of debt incurred.

    “Government unfortunately has no option, if it does not borrow, it must raise revenue and you all agree with me that it has obligations to meet up with.

    ” The increase of VAT to 7.5 per cent is low compare to other countries, in fact, with this increase, Nigeria has the lowest in the world.

    “If the government can meet its obligation through this increment, it should be supported,” he said.

    He appealed to Nigerians to show understanding and support government’s policies.

     (NAN)