The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • ActionAid backs ban on use plastic in Lagos

    ActionAid backs ban on use plastic in Lagos

    ActionAid Nigeria has thrown its weight behind the ban of single -use plastics in Lagos.

    Meanwhile, ActionAid Country Director, Andrew Mamedu, also urged Nigeria to tap into the billion dollar plastic waste economy.

    He spoke yesterday at the “Beat Plastic Pollution Innovation Day” in commemoration of World Environment Day in Abuja.

    Mamedu, who was represented by Favour Ikpe, Chair of ActionAid Nigeria young people’s forum, described Lagos state government action as a bold step.

    He also challenged other states to follow suit.

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    “This is why Lagos’ decision to ban single-use plastics from July 1 is bold and necessary — and we’re calling on other states, and the National Assembly, to follow that lead.”

    Mamedu also pointed out the need to take the opportunities the waste provided.

    He said 2.5 million tonnes of plastic waste is generated annually in Nigeria.

  • Suspected drug baron killed in Ondo

    Suspected drug baron killed in Ondo

    Bode Akinsiku, a suspected drug baron, was on Tuesday shot dead by gunmen in Ondo town, the headquarters of Ondo West Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Akinsiku, it was gathered, was killed at a popular joint located around Loro Street, Odosida area of Ondo.

    Eyewitnesses told The Nation yesterday that his assailants came into the densely area in a motorcycle and shot him at a close range before they flee the scene.

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    “The deceased (Akinsiku) had arrived at the joint early in the morning and was seen chatting with some people before he was attacked and killed,” a witness said.

    He further explained that policemen from the Enuowa Divisional Police Station arrived at the scene and evacuated the body to the morgue.

  • Vigilante arrests police Inspector for vandalising transformer

    Vigilante arrests police Inspector for vandalising transformer

    A serving Police inspector by name Innocent Ishakyu, has been arrested by vigilante group in Ankpa Quarters Area of Makurdi for allegedly vandalizing an electricity transformer.

    A member of the vigilante group who pleaded anonymity, said responded to an emergency call about a vandalization of cables of electricity network.

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    The vigilante group in the community apprehended one of the suspects allegedly a serving officer of the Nigeria Police Force,

    The suspect, identified as Inspector Innocent Ishaku (Force No. 309976), apprehended alongside other suspects believed to be the brain behind stealing in the community.

    The suspects were handed over to the DPO, D Division Makurdi, for further investigations.

  • How I dismembered Kwara Final-Year student, by suspect

    How I dismembered Kwara Final-Year student, by suspect

    Abdulrahman Bello, the prime suspect in the murder of a final year female student of the Kwara state College of Education, Hafsoh Lawal, told the court on Wednesday that he single-handedly carried out the cutting of the deceased into parts after taking alcohol.

    Testifying before Justice Hannah Ajayi of the State High Court, while opening his defence, the suspect said that his co-defendants did not have a hand in the incident.

    Bello also told the court that he used the knife and cutlass found by police detectives in his two-room apartment at Olunlade area of Ilorin, the state capital, to dismember the body of the deceased.

    The suspect, who denied killing the deceased, said that Hafsoh died when she gasped during sexual intercourse due to an asthma attack.

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    “I went out to get an inhaler for her when I noticed that she was gasping because she had asthma. By the time I came back into the room, she had died. So, I left my place to take alcohol and returned to cut the body parts into pieces,” he told the court.

    During cross examination by the Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), the prime suspect also confirmed to the court that he did not call any of his neighbours to the incident, nor did he report the matter at the police station or took the body of the deceased to hospital, “because I was afraid of her father”.

    The DPP put it to the suspect that the drained blood and human parts of the deceased found in his place had not decomposed after five days of the incident, because they were immersed in alcohol for preservation.

    The suspect, however, denied keeping the blood and the hand, purposely, for money-making rituals.

    He said he regretted all the actions he took over the incident, adding that he was deeply sad.

    The prime suspect, who insisted that he did not kill the deceased, said that he loved her, “because I can’t ever meet her kind. She cared for my life. Even, I told the Police that she made me take the 2024 NABTEB examination. And that she made me take the JAMB form in preparation for the just concluded exam. She was exceptional in my life”.

    He said he was tortured by the police to say in the video evidence, presented in court, that he poisoned the food taken by the deceased and that he strangulated her to kill her.

    All four co-defendants in the matter denied knowledge of the killing of the deceased when testifying before the court.

  • Traders count losses as fire destroys popular Rivers market

    Traders count losses as fire destroys popular Rivers market

    The popular Rumuomasi Morning Market in Obio-Akpor Local Government Area in Rivers State has been destroyed by fire that occurred on Tuesday night.

    Some victims of the incident said the fire, which consumed goods and properties worth millions of naira started at about 7:30pm following a spark immediately power was restored in the area.

    Federal and Rivers State fire Fighters and others from oil firms were said to have put out the fire after surmounting some challenges.

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    The police in the state also deployed officials to guard the stores and stop miscreants from looting traders’ goods.

    A victim, Mr Anthony Chikere, said he was at home when he received many telephone calls informing him about the incident.

    Chikere, a wholesaler of lace materials said he lost goods of over N100 million to the fire and appealed to the state government to assist the victims.

  • CBEX $1bn fraud: Court fixes ruling for June 30 in operators’ bail request

    CBEX $1bn fraud: Court fixes ruling for June 30 in operators’ bail request

    A Federal High Court in Abuja has scheduled ruling for June 30 in a bail application filed by three detained promoters of Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX), standing trial for $1billion fraud.

    The three are Adefowora Olanipekun, Avwerosuo Otorudo and Chukwuebuka Ehirim.

    Justice Emeka Nwite chose the date on Wednesday after lawyers to the prosecution and defence adopted their processes and made final submissions in relation to the bail application.

    Justice Nwite had in an ex-parte ruling on April 24 issued an order for the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to arrest and detain six operators of CBEX over their alleged involvement in the fraud.

    The EFCC had identified the suspects to include Adefowora Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko, and Seyi Oloyede, Avwerosuo Otorudo and Chukwuebuka Ehirim.

    In compliance with the court’s order, the EFCC arrested Olanipekun, Otorudo and Ehirim and kept them in its custody on investigation, prompting the detainees to apply to the court for bail.

    EFCC’s lawyer, Fadila Yusuf, while opposing the bail application on Wednesday, said all the defendants are being charged for the offence of allegedly obtaining over $1b, more than some states’ budgets in the country.

    Yusuf said the EFCC was still receiving petitions from victims of the alleged fraud.

    The lawyer said though granting bail is at the discretion of the court, this should be done judiciously and judicially.

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    The EFCC, in an affidavit, said it received an intel bothering on an alleged investment scheme fraud against the suspects.

    It alleged that the six suspects and their company, ST Technologies International Limited, using another company, Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) perpetrated the alleged fraud and the case was received and assigned to its Cybercrimes Section for investigation.

    The agency said preliminary investigation into the intel revealed the following:

    “That Messrs Adefowora Abiodun Olanipekun, Adefowora Oluwanisola, Emmanuel Uko and Seyi Oloyede, using their company ST Technologies International Limited, promoted another company Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX) by making advert and lured unsuspecting members of public to invest crypto currencies on CBEX investment platform.”

    The EFCC stated that the defendants promised unrealistic return on investment of up to 100 per cent.

    It added that “the victims were made to convert their digital assets into a stable coin of USDT for onward deposit into the suspects’ crypto wallet.

    “The victims were initially given full access to the platform to monitor their investment.

    “Following deposits valued at over one billion dollars by the victims, the CBEX investment platform became inaccessible to them and they could no longer withdraw from the investment made.

    “The victims later discovered that the said scheme is a scam.

    “During the course of investigation, it was discovered that the said ST Technologies International Limited though registered with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), it was not registered with the security and Exchange Commission (SEC) for investment purposes.

    “It was also discovered, during investigation, that the defendants had moved out of their last known address in Lagos and Ogun states.”

  • FG sets December 2025 deadline for full paperless civil service

    FG sets December 2025 deadline for full paperless civil service

    The Federal Government has announced plans for the Civil Service to go fully paperless by December 2025.

    The Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Dr. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, made this known during a briefing in Abuja on Wednesday as part of activities marking the 2025 African Public Service Day and Civil Service Week.

    According to Walson-Jack, the digital transition aligns with the Federal Civil Service Strategy and Implementation Plan (FCSSIP 2021–2025), which is scheduled to conclude by the end of the year.

    She said: “Even before I assumed office, the OHCSF had already gone paperless. We are now working to accelerate this transformation across all MDAs.

    “Just last week, I was at the Federal Ministry of Health to launch their Enterprise Content Management Systems making them the 11th ministry to go paperless. The rest are at varying stages of implementation.

    “We have engaged partners to help fund digital transitions in some of the ministries. The race to December 31, 2025, is on, and with hard work and God’s grace, the Nigerian Civil Service will be fully paperless by December 31, 2025.”

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    Walson-Jack also highlighted the lineup of activities planned to celebrate the 2025 African Public Service Day and Civil Service Week.

    She noted that a recent study tour to Singapore was among the preparatory efforts to enhance the efficiency of Nigeria’s civil service and draw international interest to the forthcoming events.

    “The study tour to Singapore was the first major activity we undertook under the collaboration between the Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation and the Heads of Service of the 36 states and the FCT,” she said.

    According to her, the visit, supported by the United Nations Development Programme, involved 20 State Heads of Service and was designed to benchmark best global practices and enhance Nigeria’s public service delivery.

    “The idea was born out of our ongoing collaboration, where we share ideas and knowledge across federal and state levels,” she added.

  • Tanker fire rocks Lagos filling station, another explosion injures two on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    Tanker fire rocks Lagos filling station, another explosion injures two on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    A major fire outbreak erupted at the Optima Filling Station in the Obawole area of Fagba, Lagos, on Wednesday evening, following an explosion involving a petroleum tanker. 

    The incident, which occurred around 5:00 p.m., was reportedly triggered by a 33,000-litre tanker discharging Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the station, located along Bola Ahmed Tinubu Road.

    According to the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the fire ignited during the offloading process and subsequently affected a second 33,000-litre tanker that was stationed nearby. 

    The blaze caused significant damage to the initial tanker, the station’s retail marts, and a one-storey residential building situated behind the filling station. Another structure on an adjacent street, sharing a fence with the station, was also affected.

    Fortunately, no casualties were recorded in the incident. The filling station is owned by two members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).

    Firefighters from the Agege and Ikeja fire stations responded promptly, supported by additional fire trucks deployed from the Alausa headquarters. The combined effort ensured the fire was successfully brought under control and prevented further escalation.

    In a separate incident earlier in the day, two persons sustained injuries following a tanker explosion on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

    The incident occurred at the NASFAT axis of the expressway when a petroleum-laden tanker fell and exploded, leading to massive traffic congestion in the area. Six vehicles were affected, including four trucks, a commercial bus, and a Toyota Camry.

    The Public Relations Officer of the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), Mr. Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the explosion, adding that the injured victims were taken to the Olabisi Onabanjo University Teaching Hospital (OOUTH), Shagamu.

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    TRACE and the Ogun State Sector Command of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) deployed rescue teams to the scene. 

    Sector spokesperson Florence Okpe confirmed that the explosion occurred on the outbound Lagos lane of the expressway.

    “A fallen laden tanker at NASFAT turning, outbound Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, exploded. Traffic is seriously affected. Fire services were contacted, and motorists coming from Lagos were diverted through Christ Embassy Camp,” the statement.

    Emergency responders, including TRACE, FRSC, the police, and the fire service, remained on ground to manage the situation and restore order.

  • Three siblings, four others dead in Ibadan separate road accidents 

    Three siblings, four others dead in Ibadan separate road accidents 

    Three siblings and four other persons on Wednesday died in a separate road accidents in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

    The Nation gathered while the three siblings were crushed to death along Celica Kukumoda area of Ife/Ibadan expressway by a truck loaded with goods due to brake failure, the other four were confirmed dead in a road mishap that occurred at Idi-Ori end of Oyo expressway.

    The three siblings were said to be on their way to school when the incident occurred.

    Officials of Federal Road Safety Corps, (FRSC) have taken remains of the deceased to a nearby hospital.

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    Those injured in the second accident at Idi-Ori of Oyo express way are receiving treatnent at the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

    An eyewitness in the second accident said that two commercial vehicles were involved but what was responsible for the accident could not be ascertained as of the time of filing the report.

    But another witness Adekunle Adeleke said: “The accident involved two commercial vehicles. One Volve (Yellow colour) while the second vehicle is DAF truck.

    “The causes of the incident was obstruction. The accident involved six persons. Four confirmed dead immediately while two other persons who sustained varying degree of injuries were taking to the UCH for treatment.”

    While confirming the incident, the Sector Commander of the FRSC, Rosemary Alo, said  “The Police carried out the rescue as the crash happened close to their office. 

    “The corpses were taken to UCH by the Police while accident vehicles causing obstruction have been cleared off the road.

    “Men of RS11.39 Moniya are on ground controlling traffic at the scene.”

  • Police arrest blogger over alleged cyberstalking, blackmail of council boss

    Police arrest blogger over alleged cyberstalking, blackmail of council boss

    Operatives of the Force Criminal Investigation Department (FCID), Alagbon, have arrested a self-proclaimed blogger, Nurudeen Adegbenro, in Lagos for allegedly blackmailing the chairman of Agege local government, Alhaji Ganiyu Kola Egunjobi.

    Adegbenro was arrested on Wednesday morning in Agege shortly after leading early morning Muslim prayers as an Imam at a mosque on Oredapo Street, where he resides.

    The arrest followed a petition submitted on June 2, 2025, by T.C. Eze Chambers on behalf of Chief Egunjobi. 

    Speaking on the arrest, the Police Public Relations Officer at FCID Alagbon, Superintendent Mayegun Aminat, said the petition alleged cyberstalking, bullying, scandalous publications, threats to life, incitement of the public, and conduct likely to cause a breakdown of law and order.

    The petition accused Adegbenro and other unnamed individuals of operating multiple Facebook and Instagram accounts—either directly or through proxies—to malign, threaten, and defame the council chairman.

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    She wrote: “A detailed written petition was submitted to the AIG, FCID Annex, on the 2nd of June 2025 by T.C. Eze Chambers, acting on behalf of Chief Ganiu Kola Egunjobi. The petition concerns a case involving cyberstalking, bullying, scandalous publications, threats to life, incitement of the public, and conduct likely to cause a breakdown of law and order.

    “The allegations are made against Mr. Adegbenro Nurudeen and other unidentified individuals, who are said to be using various Facebook and Instagram accounts—as well as those operated by their proxies—to malign, scandalize, threaten, and bully Chief Egunjobi.

    “It is further stated in the petition that the cyberstalking began after Mr. Adegbenro allegedly approached Chief Egunjobi, seeking an appointment as his media assistant, which the Chief declined. Following the escalation of these incidents, the matter was referred to the Public Relations Office, and Mr. Adegbenro was subsequently invited for questioning.”

    Investigations revealed that the online attacks began after Adegbenro allegedly approached Egunjobi for a media assistant position, which the chairman declined. 

    Sources within the council disclosed that background checks by the local government’s information office found Adegbenro’s claims to be fraudulent. The website in question later published a disclaimer disowning him.

    “He used a letterhead from hotnewsnaija.ng to solicit funds, but verification showed he had no official link to the platform. In fact, there is now a disclaimer on the site exposing him,” one official said.

    Police said investigations are ongoing to identify other individuals potentially connected to the alleged blackmail and cyberstalking campaign.