The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Unilag postpones exams after unrest

    Unilag postpones exams after unrest

    THE University of Lagos (UNILAG) has postponed its forthcoming examinations slated for October 12 to 19 following Monday’s students’ protest.

    Deputy Registrar (Information) Mr Olagoke Oke told The Nation yesterday that the institution would change the bed bug infested mattresses and furniture, which led to the protest and fumigate the hostels.

    He said: “We cannot fumigate when students are on campus so we would wait for them to go on break before that. But plans are at an advanced stage to procure new mattresses for all the hostels. It is not just one mattress we are buying, but many, so it would take some processes and negotiations. The university is giving the students a one-week postponement of their examinations also.”

    Students Union President Abiodun Martins urged management to go beyond yearly fumigation after procuring the mattresses.

    Clerk of parliament, Adeonipekun Adeyanju said: “Management has agreed to buy new mattresses and change the bunks in the hostels and also buy a covering for the mattresses to prevent them from easy harm and dirt. However, I would advise them to fumigate every week once they start. Those things can hide anywhere and they have already laid eggs in hidden corners. So they can fumigate every week for a period of one month or even more to be sure they are all gone.”

    A tour yesterday showed that the halls of residence are in good shape.

     

  • Father cries out for justice over son’s death

    Father cries out for justice over son’s death

    A FATHER is crying out for justice over the killing of his son.

    Mutiu Adefuye, an artican, is asking the government to bring to book the killers of his son, Sunday, 25.

    Sunday, he said, was killed by hoodlums at Ijoko Ota in Ogun State, on August 5. He named the suspected killers as Mohammed, Muibi, Wale, Ibrahim, Gbenga, Sodiq, Nurudeen, Kalinga, Aloma and others at large.

    They were said to have attacked the late Sunday, his friend, Lekan Oladitan and a motorcyclist, Sunday Ajayi, around 3pm.

    Adefuye said the gang leader was arrested with his driver on September 12 around 10pm in Oko-Oba in Lagos and was transferred to the Ogun State Police Headquarters at Eleweran in Abeokuta before he was released on bail on September 16 without recourse to court.

    He said: “Mohammed said there is nothing money cannot do including his connection and that is why I am calling on the Federal Government, Ministry of Justice and Inspector-General of Police to come to my rescue and let justice prevail.

    “He (Mohammed) is bragging that he knows the police and he won’t be questioned. Sunday works with me where I repair refrigerator; he is an easy going boy, he associates with good people and he is very hardworking.”

  • Woman held for attempt to use Uche twins for fraud

    Woman held for attempt to use Uche twins for fraud

    •’She told us she wanted to put them on a film’

    The police have arrested a woman for allegedly attempting to use the four-month old twins of Mrs Ruth Uche, whose husband fled after she gave birth to them, to defraud a retired police chief.

    The woman was caught at College Road Estate, when she took the babies to the retired police officer’s house, claiming that they were his grandchildren.

    It was learnt that the suspect, a mother of two, identified as Victoria, was introduced to the Uches by a neighbour.

    She was said to have told the twins parents that she wanted the babies to appear in a film.

    Although Mrs Uche’s husband, Emeka was said to have initially declined, he later conceded on the condition that his wife must go with the children.

    Rather than taking them to location, she was said to have carried the babies to the house of the wealthy man, who was said to be happy to see his ‘grandchildren’.

    But, the suspect could not say the sex and age of the babies when she was asked.

    The suspect, had earlier taken the twins’pictures and sent to the man, claiming that they were boys and two months old.

    When the retired officer saw the babies, he realised that they were a boy and a girl, and looked much older than two months.

    It was then Mrs Uche suspected something was amiss and told the man the age and sex of her babies.

    “I did not understand what was going on. I do not even know the place we went to. She has been pleading with us that she wanted to use the twins (youngest set) in a film.

    “My husband initially denied but later since she said it was to act film; I begged my husband and he agreed on the condition that I go with the woman.

    “So, around 11:30am on Sunday, we all left the house and came to Agege. She took us to one big man’s house, I do not know the place and she told me to sit down that it is she and the kids that will act the film.

    “But when I sat down, I heard the man asking her whether my children are two boys and how old they are.

    “She said two months and that they are boys but I told the man that they are a boy and a girl, and that they are four months old.

    “The man asked whose children they were and I told him they are my children and that the woman said she wanted to act film with them.

    “That was when the man started shouting and saying that she told him that my children are his grandchildren. That she has sent their picture before and that she told him his son impregnated her before travelling abroad.

    “The man now said that we were in it together and that I knew about it. I told him I do not know anything that the only thing she told us was that she wanted to act film with my babies.

    “Before she did not want to talk, but when people threatened her, she now told them that I am innocent. That she wanted to get money from the man. That woman is a criminal,” Mrs Uche said.

    The suspect said she wanted to use the twins to get money from the retired officer for her children’s school fees.

    She claimed that she did not plan to sell them; nor was she planning to steal them from their parents.

    “Please I am sorry, have mercy on me. I am a poor widow and I have two children. I begged their parents that I wanted to act film with the twins and the twins’ father told his wife to follow me.

    “I wanted to use them to collect money from the man because I used to date his son after I lost my husband.

    “Before he travelled abroad last year, I got pregnant for him but I aborted the baby. So, because I needed money, I decided to use the twins and show his father so that I can get money from him and pay my children’s school fees.

    “I did not plan to sell them and I did not know that things will turn out this way,” cried Victoria.

    Contacted, the command spokesman, Joseph Offor, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the woman’s arrest.

    He said the twins’ mother would have been detained too but for the children.

    Offor said investigations were ongoing to be sure the parents did not conspire with the suspect.

  • Bed bugs protest at Unilag

    Bed bugs protest at Unilag

    The gates of the University of Lagos (UNILAG) in Akoka, Yaba were shut until about 10am yesterday, following a students’ protest.

    The students, it was learnt, were protesting bed bug infestation of their halls of residence.

    A student said the protest started from Mariere Hall and spread to other halls of residence, before day break.

    He said the students embarked on the action when a colleague woke up screaming in the middle of the night because of “the bed bugs on his body at about 3am yesterday.”

    Residents of other halls soon joined the protest, with residents of Sodeinde, Eni Njoku, Makama Bida, Madam Tinubu and Fagunwa Halls trooping out in that order.

    The source claimed that the female residents were prevented from joining the protest; their gates were not opened.

    He said the bed bugs had become resistant to their commonly used insecticide, ‘Sniper’, adding that the students wondered the effect of the last fumigation the institution embarked upon during the last holidays.

    The Students Union President, Mr Abiodun Martins, gave the university authorities a seven-day ultimatum to replace all mattresses in the halls of residence, to avert crisis.

    Martins made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos.

    According to Martins, the students protested because the bugs and mosquitoes were making life unbearable for them. Many of them, he said, could hardly sleep after the day’s activities.

    “We want this management to be proactive in responding to the demands of the students. The authorities must not always wait for a crisis or protest to erupt before they react,” he said.

    He said the issue had been raised with the authorities before now, adding that nothing was done.

    “There is a limit to what students can bear and I feel what they were protesting against is not out of place, because they paid for it,” he said.

    According to him, the whole place was recently fumigated, but it seemed that the bugs have developed resistance to the chemical.

    He said: “So, what we are asking for now is for the authorities to look for a lasting solution to this challenge. We hereby give them a seven-day ultimatum, beginning from today, to replace all the old mattresses. We want them to burn all the old mattresses, fumigate the hostels, do away with all the fittings, and then bring in new mattresses.”

    The students’ leader said  no matter the challenges facing the institution, students interests must always be given top priority.

    Deputy Registrar (Information) of the institution Mr Olagoke Oke said the bed bugs were the result of the unkept state of the hostels.

    Speaking with The Nation in his office at the Senate Building, Oke said: “Are we supposed to be telling university students to wash their clothes and clean their rooms? We did not have this problem last year or two years ago, so why now? The students need to take care of themselves, otherwise, no amount of fumigation would eradicate the bed bugs.”

    But, a worker at the university’s health centre said the mattresses in the hostels are in bad state and must be replaced.

    “The mattresses in the hostels are in a very bad state, so of course they are a breeding ground for bed bugs. Fumigation would not solve the problem, because if they fumigate, the bugs would be back in one month, if the beds are not changed,” she said.

    In a statement yesterday, the university condemned what it called the unruly act of the students, despite management’s efforts to ensure peace and order in the institution.

    It said: “It needs to be highlighted that plans are at advanced stage to replace the mattresses after fumigating the hostel at the end of the second semester examinations scheduled to commence in two weeks. It is, therefore, surprising that a group of students will embark on this unruly act (the protest).”

    The university urged the students to engage in dialogue in the bid to resolve conflicts, adding that it would no longer condone such acts of unruly behaviour from its students.

    “Management has always responded positively to issues affecting welfare of staff and students and would no longer tolerate any situation that will lead to break down of law and order. Management urges students to always engage in dialogue as it is the most fruitful means of conflict resolution,” it said.

     

  • Nasfat celebrates Sallah with IDPs, less-privileged

    Nasfat celebrates Sallah with IDPs, less-privileged

    The Nasrul-Lahi-li-Faith Society (NASFAT) on Sallah day donated Over 1500 packs of food and drinks to the less privilege and displaced people at the Lagos state Rehabilitation Centre, in Owutu, Ikorodu.

    Its Vice President Muhammad Abdullah said their coming was majorly to touch lives and to show case to the world that there are other segments of the society who lack various amenities to live a blissful life.

    Abdullahi said: “We felt that by staying at our various homes merry- making with our friends, families and loved ones, we might not be touching lives as compared to this and wouldn’t attract enough rewards from Allah. Also this is our own way of reminding people out there that there so many people who don’t have access to food and other things to live a pleasant life’’.

    Responding to the inmates’ demands for an Arabic school, and an Asalatu group among others, Muhammad promised to discuss with the Nasfat Zone 1 chairman in Ikorodu to come up with a formidable blueprint on how this could be achieved.

    ‘’Nasfat doesn’t believe belief in doing things half way, we don’t want to start what we can’t finish, I will liaise with the Zone 1 chairman on how this can be achieved. Hopefully next year when we will come here the school would have been established,” he said. NASFAT Women Affairs Secretary, Alhaja samiat Mumuni said the gesture would bridge the gap between the haves and the have-nots, saying that she has no regret not celebrating the festival with her family.

    She enjoined well meaning Nigerians not to leave the care of the inmates in the hands of government alone.

    “I want Muslims, organisations, industries and well meaning Nigerians to contribute their own quota towards the well beings of the inmates. They are just unfortunate to be here. I want them to come to a place like this at least once in a while to extend their hands of generosity to people here as this would help impact their lives positively; government alone cannot do this,” she said.

  • Lagos to enforce rules for boat operators

    The Lagos State Government will embark on aggressive campaign and enforcement of guidelines for commercial boat operators to stem boat accidents.

    A statement by Lagos State Waterways Authority (LASWA) Managing Director Mrs Abisola Kamson said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode would ensure that water transportation, remained the most efficient and cost effective mode of transportation.

    Kamson, who spoke on the backdrop of last weekend’s boat mishap at Oke-Ira Nla, Ajah-Bayeku in Ikorodu, said LASWA was notified of the accident involving a Bayeku Ferry Association commercial boat carrying 20 passengers and two crew members.

    She said upon receiving the notification, the Authority’s Water Guards were immediately deployed to assist in rescue operations.

    Kamson said she later led a delegation of state officials and the Baale of Baiyeku, Chief Saheed Aleje Ajibode to visit the site of the incident.

    She confirmed that all passengers onboard were wearing life jackets, revealing that 17 of them were rescued alive while five who were earlier rushed to the nearest General Hospital, died afterwards.

    The LASWA boss said preliminary investigation by the Authority revealed that aside the mechanical fault that developed when the steering cable connected to the engine propeller cut, the captain of the boat was possibly also over-speeding, adding that he is presently being questioned by the Marine Police.

    She said: “The Lagos State Government in its drive to promote a multi-modal transport system, especially the movement of passengers, goods and services on its waterways, will under no circumstances compromise safety standards and the protection of lives and property. As such we restate our commitment to the promotion of all safety measures and ensure that all operators comply with all safety standards in line with global best practices.

    “You will recall that on Wednesday September 23, at Sabokoji Jetty in Amuwo Odofin local government, the Lagos State Waterways Authority commenced the distribution of 2,400 life jackets to students of riverine areas.”

  • How to develop, by Perm Sec

    The Permanent Secretary, Lagos State Local Government Service Commission, Mr Jamiu Adewale Ashimi, has recommended three key strategies for Nigeria to fight under development and achieve economic growth.

    Ashimi, in his keynote address during the Investiture of the 10th President of Rotary Club of Akute, Rotarian Musiliu Animashaun, held at Alausa, Ikeja, said that if the Federal Government could deregulate the energy sector, construct five trunk roads with rail facility in the medians and improve industrialisation, Nigeria within a short time, would become economic independent and a better place for all.

    The Permanent Secretary said if the energy sector is deregulated, interested investors could target initially, the industrial zones in specific parts of the country for initial investments and expand in a matter of few years to non-industrial customers.

    He explained that the provision of rail facility in the median on the following roads- Lagos – Sokoto, Port-Harcourt – Kano, Uyo – Maiduguri, West – East South and West – East North, would not only boost transportation system but ensure interconnectivity within the country to attract investors, improve trade and create employment opportunities.

    Ashimi added that the road network would have divided the country into 12 key zones for investors to tap the natural resources. This, he said, could only be achieved if relevant laws and regulations are relaxed to promote industrial friendly environment’.

  • How I escaped assassination, by NURTW leader

    Odi-Olowo Ojuwoye Branch A chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) Ademola Taiwo has relived how he escaped being killed by unknown gunmen in Ilupeju, Lagos, last Sunday.

    “It was God that saved me from the assailants,” Taiwo, who was shot at close range, told The Nation. He ascribed the attack to the internal wrangling in the union, saying some people were after him.

    He alleged that some members had been plotting to remove the state NURTW chairman, Comrade Tajudeen Agbede, adding that he formed a coalition to oppose the move.

    Taiwo, who is popularly called “Siro” or “Emir of Ilupeju”, said he was returning from a friend’s party at 12:30am when the assailants, armed with locally-made guns stopped his car. He was with two of his aides.

    He said: “As I drove back home in the midnight, I spotted some boys at Ilupeju Junction. I initially thought they were street boys, who normally sit at the junction. After I dropped off one of the boys coming with me in his house, I was driving to my house when the two gunmen pounced on me.

    “One of them approached me, while the other one went to hold my boy. They ordered me to come down from the car. I initially thought they were armed robbers, but when one of them said, ‘Oya come down; you are the one defending Agbede, we shall kill you today’. This was when I knew they had a different mission.”

    As he attempted to come down from the car, Taiwo said the gunman shot him below the abdomen at close range.

    Taiwo added: “The force of the scattered bullets took me back to the seat. But, I mustered strength to get up again and hit the attacker. Then, I ran away from the scene. As I was running, I saw other three other members of the gang coming out from nowhere, shooting at me. They all left my boy and ran after me. I entered a building and scaled the fence. It was God that saved me.”

    The Nation learnt that the gunmen ran away when policemen attached to Ilupeju Division moved to the scene, following a distress call by the residents. The assailants destroyed Taiwo’s Honda car and made away with his two mobile phones and N200,000 cash.

    He was injured as some of the bullets penetrated his lower abdomen, hip and thigh. He was taken to Rally Hospital in Ilupeju by the policemen, where he was stabilised. Afterwards, Taiwo was taken to an undisclosed hospital, where the bullets were removed.

    The union leader said: “I suspect the attack may have come from the people that want to destroy the union, because I learnt some people were jubilating in some of the branches after they heard I was shot. I still don’t know my offence, but I know it could have a linkage with my opposition to removal of Comrade Agbede.”

    A police source said none of the assailants has been arrested but investigation has begun on the attack.

  • Aladelokun’s widow: i learnt a lot from him

    Aladelokun’s widow: i learnt a lot from him

    Widow of the late Dada Aladelokun, The Nation Assistant Editor,  Olaoluwayemisi yesterday said she learnt a lot from her late husband.

    The news of Aladelokun’s death hit many like a thunderbolt.

    Mrs Aladelokun told Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) President, Alhaji AbdulWaheed Odusile, who was on a condolence visit yesterday.

    Odusile was accompanied by The Nation chapel officials – Miss Kemi Ojobo, Chairman and Tajudeen Adebanjo, Treasurer.

    Dressed in brown and orange native attire, Mrs Aladelokun looked sad when the team entered the Aladelokuns’ Ilupeju residentce.

    She could barely utter words as residents; friends, family members and sympathisers flocked around her.

    She said her husband struggled to stay alive but destiny prevailed.

    She said: “I’ll really miss him. He loved to assist people. He was also a God-fearing man. He was not quarrelsome and he never got angry. He was contented with what he had. The years we spent together were a lesson for me. I have learnt a lot from him. He was too humble; always caring for others at the expense of himself.

    “He gave his last penny to strangers and stayed hungry. He kept telling me only God knows our journey in life. Ahh! My husband was a patient man. As long as I live, I will always miss him. I pray our children will follow his steps and I pray they excel in life.”

    Odusile described the deceased as humble and a committed journalist adding: “The news of his death was a shock. I got to know through the social media. I asked myself why? Because it is almost a year we lost the NUJ chapel chairman, Jude Isiguzo. He was a contributor to the news pages. Dada was very useful to me. He was hardworking and a dedicated journalist.

    “Death is a necessary end but his death saddens me. He was also a pillar in his family.”

    Odusile enjoined journalists to always plan ahead for families against situation like this by taking interest in the NUJ insurance scheme.

    He said: ”As we live, we should constantly plan ahead because we don’t know who’s next. People should always know destiny will always prevail.”

    The Nation Chapel Acting Chairman, Miss Ojobo, described Aladelokun as amiable.

    “He brought life and laughter to every situation. It is unfortunate that it happened. I pray God will uphold his wife and children. The union will stand by his family and I pray this will be the last kind of incident in this organisation.”

    The late Aladelokun, survived by wife and three children, was first admitted in a private hospital in Mushin from where he was referred to the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH), Idi-Araba in Lagos.

    He died last Friday at 48.

     

  • CDHR to tricyclists: we share your grief

    CDHR to tricyclists: we share your grief

    The leadership of Lagos State council of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) has visited members of the tricycle riders union at Ikotun in Alimosho area of Lagos State. The visit was in solidarity with them over the death of the wife of a member, Mr Godwin Ekpo.

    The late Mrs Idongesit Ekpo was shot dead penultimate Wednesday at Obalagbe bus stop at 10pm. by a member of an eight-man team from the Isheri-Oshun Police Station that mounted a roadblock.

    Ekpo, with his wife and their two-month-old baby was said to be returning from church when the incident occurred. He is critically ill at the Lagos University Teaching Hospital (LUTH) from gunshot wound. Their visit was also in solidarity with the Isheri-Oshun unit of the CDHR that challenged the police over the incident.

    Addressing members of the union, state chairman of CDHR, Comrade Buna Ishak said the group is tackling the matter with police authorities.

    Assuring the riders that justice would be done, Comrade Ishak stated that the human rights group has been discussing with police authorities to ensure t the victims get justice.

    “The state council of CDHR has met with the Commissioner of Police (CP) Mr Fatai Owoseni and he has given us the assurance that Ekpo is getting the best medical attention at LUTH. He also said the first surgery on him was very successful. The CP informed us that the police authorities have already spent over N500, 000 on Mr Ekpo’s treatment to ensure he lives,” Comrade Ishak said.

    He said the human rights group seems to be calm because of the humane character of the police boss.

    “The Commissioner and other senior officers have appealed to us for calm. The CP has given us the mandate to report any erring policeman direct to his office. We should not wait until things become worse before we react to any issue,” he said.

    Regretting the horrible activities of policemen against the masses, Comrade Ishak promised that his group would not relent in its fight against police brutality, intimidation, harassment and embarrassment of members of the public.

    He said: “We’ll stop at nothing in our struggle to ensure that unwholesome activities of some policemen against the masses are stopped. I assure you that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Isheri-Oshun will not return to that station; because the community and its environs have complained much about his ugly antecedents.

    “The CDHR is making frantic effort to ensure that the DPO is charged to court alongside the trigger-happy Corporal who killed the wife of your colleague and almost rendered your member useless. We are insisting that he and the leader of the team that mounted the roadblock should face murder charge as well as the policeman who shot at and killed Mrs Ekpo.

    “We also want to inform you that the killer policeman has been dismissed and is currently in detention. He is facing murder charge at Yaba Magistrate’s Court where he was arraigned. The matter was adjourned till October 19.”

    He said the CDHR is committed to seeking redress for those whose rights are infringed on and get justice for them. Comrade Ishak also revealed that his group has mapped out strategies on how to curb police excesses.

    “The DPO’s transfer is not enough. We want him disciplined. We are ready to work with the police to sanitise the society and to stop police from exploiting the masses. One cannot get one’s freedom by running away from the truth and failing to confront the oppressors head on,” he said.

    He urged the tricycle riders to go about their businesses and be law-abiding. He also advised them to join hands with the CDHR to ensure total emancipation of all oppressed people and to stop all forms of exploitation.