The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Normalcy returns to Isolo after gang war

    Normalcy has returned to Oke-Afa Isolo, Lagos, after commercial activities were paralysed following a clash between commercial motorcyclists and hoodlums.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the fracas started on Monday when a tout assaulted a commercial motorcyclist, popularly known as “Okada rider’’.

    The tout claimed that the rider did not pay his levy. The rider went to tell his colleagues and they reinforced to fight back.

    Some shops were destroyed while hoodlums looted and harassed passersby.

    The situation was brought under control on Monday evening by the police, but trouble ensued again yesterday.

    An eyewitness said some people were made to trek because of the non-availability of tricycles and motorcycles.ý

    Another eyewitness said the quick intervention of policemen minimised the destruction.

    “If not for the intervention of the police, more property and maybe lives would have been lost,’’ she said.

    Lagos Police Command spokesman Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent (DSP), said the clash was as a result of increase in the riders’ levy.

    “The fallout was due to the increase in the Okada riders’ levy but calm has since returned to the place as our men had been deployed to put the situation under control,’’ he said.

    Nwosu advised Lagosians to go about their daily businesses peacefully.

  • Court remands man for ‘murder’

    An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos yesterday ordered Rotimi Abolarin to be remanded in Ikoyi Prisons for alleged murder. He was accused of killing an unidentified person.

    Chief Magistrate Olatunbosun Abolarinwa ordered that Abolarin be kept in Ikoyi Prisons for 30 days, pending the advice of the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP).

    The court declined to take the plea of the accused because it lacks jurisdiction to try the case.

    Abolarinwa adjourned the case to June 18.

    Earlier, prosecuting Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) Etim Nkankuk told the court that Abolarin committed the offence with others at large.

    He said the accused committed the offence on January 23 at the Nigeria Railway Corporation Line, opposite Mainland Hotel, Oyingbo in Ebute Meta, Lagos.

    The prosecutor said the death of the yet-to-be-identified person was caused by blows to a delicate part of his body by the accused and his fellow conspirators.

    He said as at the time of the arraignment of the accused, the deceased’s identity was yet to be ascertained.

    “The murder suspect had allegedly killed another person by beating him to death,’’ he said.

     

  • Shop assistant faces N4m fraud charge

    A 40-year-old shop assistant, Sunday Agbalugbo was yesterday arraigned before an Ikeja Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos for allegedly stealing electronic equipment worth N4 million.

    The accused, who resides at Ade Street in Ipaja, Lagos pleaded not guilty.

    But the prosecutor, Eranus Nnamonu, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), said the offence was committed between May 2014 and January 2015 as an employee of Kenwood Communications Ltd in Ikeja.

    He said the accused stole the items that were in his care.

    “Agbalugbo conspired with others still at large to steal portable radio sets, fans, phones and other electronic gadgets and sold same, property of his employer, Mrs Ifeyinwa Dibia. He sold the goods and converted the proceeds to personal use,” he said.

    Magistrate Abimbola Komolafe granted the accused N500, 000 bail with two sureties in the like sum.

    She said the sureties should show evidence of three years’ tax payment as part of the bail conditions.

    In addition, she ordered that the sureties should deposit N50, 000 with the Deputy Registrar.

    The case was adjourned to June 7 for trial.

     

  • Panic as motorcyclists, hoodlums clash

    Panic as motorcyclists, hoodlums clash

    Ejigbo, the oil depot town in Lagos, and environs were a no-go area yesterday as hoodlums and commercial motorcyclists/triyclists clashed.

    Guns, machetes, bottles, disused tyres and sticks were used in the free-for-all.

    Now fewer than 16 people have been injured and properties worth millions of naira destroyed in the fight which started in Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos last Saturday and spread to Ejigbo, Canoe and Ajao Estate.

    Although the fight was said to be between motorcyclists/tricyclists and area boys over the latter’s alleged extortion of the former, members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) were said to have joined in the fight yesterday when one of them was attacked after a hoodlum was chased into their premises.

    Eyewitnesses said trouble started when a hoodlum attacked a motorcyclist for refusing to pay more than the N500 daily ticketing fee.

    Following last Saturday’s scuffle, it was gathered that the police intervened and directed the hoodlums to stop extorting money from the motor cyclists/tricyclists, who usually part with N2, 000 daily.

    But yesterday, hoodlums around filling station were said to have beat up and impounded the motorcycle of a rider who insisted on paying the stipulated N500 fee.

    A hoodlum, who gave his name simply as Sunday, said: “But the okada rider refused and showed the man his ticket. The area boy was so furious that he started boxing the rider.

    “It was around 8am. As they were fighting, more bike riders parked to defend their own. When the hoodlum saw that he had been overpowered, he started running, but the angry mob pursued him.

    “They were shouting Ole! Ole … and pursuing him as he ran towards the NNPC depot in Ejigbo. Before we knew what was happening, bottles started flying everywhere.

    “So many men with guns, cutlasses, planks, fuel and lighter started beating people. They attacked every okada and keke rider on the road. They freely used bottles and knives on them, while they burnt their cycles.

    “It was the agberos (touts) that even destroyed peoples’ shops too and burnt down the kiosks of ordinary citizens who had no business in their fight.”

    Scores of motor cyclists/triyclists, who got wind of the incident,  were said to have stormed the NNPC depot.

    The motorists were said to have wounded some of the area boys and NUPENG members at the depot.

    It was gathered that police in Ajao Estate contained the crisis, but their counterparts in Ejigbo were reportedly overpowered by hoodlums. Their guns and tear gas canisters were allegedly seized.

    The remains of burnt motorcycles, tricycles shattered bottles and glasses littered the scene.

    It took about seven police patrol vans with no fewer than 50 armed personnel.

    Victims of circumstance

    He cut a pitiable sight as he lay on the floor groaning. Drenched in blood with wounds all over his body, Monday Silas, a commercial motorcyclists muttered to himself, with tears running down his cheeks.

    As he used his Tee-shirt to drive away flies, all Silas could say was “God why me? Why me?”

    Silas had run into the hoodlums and commercial motor cyclists/triyclists clash at Ejigbo.

    Silas, who was coming from nearby Ikotun where he picked up a passenger going to Ejigbo, said he was robbed.

    “I don’t know what I did. I don’t even know what was going on. I don’t know the people who attacked me, but they almost killed me. They burnt my bike, used cutlasses and bottles on me. I don’t even know how I got to this place. That is all I can tell you,” he said.

    When this reporter tried to find out why he was not taken to hospital, some hoodlums said they did not care if he died.

    They said they would not take him to hospital because he is a motorcyclist, adding that his colleagues injured about six of their men.

    It took the intervention of one of their leaders before the mob allowed one of the men who escorted this reporter to the scene to take Silas away.

    Sympathisers offered him water and milk; a police patrol stopped and rushed him to Isolo General Hospital, where this reporter deposited N4, 000 for his treatment.

    There were others like him at the hospital.

    A young man, who shared the same room with Silas said some motorcyclists broke his head.

    “The worst part is that I was just going to work when they attacked me. It was the motorbike riders that beat me to a pulp. They were just cutting my head with cutlass and bottles. My whole head has been stitched and bandaged,” he told one of his visitors.

    Others with injuries were on drips in the adjoining wards.

    NUPENG denies involvement

    Meawhile, officials of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) unit of National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) at Ejigbo have debunked claims that they took part in the duel. They said they only intervened to safeguard national assets.

    The chapter’s Secretary, Onifade Adesina, said their men stopped the motorcyclists from invading the NNPC depot.

    He confirmed that some of his men were injured and rushed to the hospital, adding that the association only chased the cyclists out to prevent lawlessness at the depot.

     

  • Lagos Assembly honours cleaner who returned N12m at MMIA

    Lagos State House of Assembly yesterday honoured Miss Josephine Ugwu, the cleaner who returned N12million she found at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Ikeja, in January.

    Deputy Speaker Kolawole Taiwo, who presided yesterday, presented commendation letter and an undisclosed sum to Ugwu.

    The letter hailed her “for her act of honesty and patriotism for returning the N12million on Friday 23 January, 2015”.

    It went on: “Your action is a great inspiration to many who believe in the future of Nigeria; your conduct has positively affected the image of Nigeria internationally. It is an act worthy of emulation, because of this, we decided to hold a special parliamentary session to celebrate your honesty, integrity, uprightness, sincerity, truthfulness and patriotism. We truly believe in you”.

    Earlier, Segun Olulade urged the House to employ Ugwu or recommend her to the governor for employment to encourage other Nigerians to emulate her.

    Rotimi Olowo urged the state to immortalise her by naming any institution or monument after her.

    Thanking the House for the gesture, Ugwu said: “I never expected to be honoured in this Assembly talk of being recognised and honoured by this institution.”

    According to her, she was just doing her duty and following the rules of the organisation she is working with and also living according to the training she received from her parents.

    “My family trained me not take anything that does not belong to me. I also want to prove to the world that Nigeria is a good country with people of integrity unlike the wrong impression they have about the country”, she said.

    She said it was the third time since December 2014 that she was returning money left behind by passengers to the Airport security. Ugwu was accompanied by the Managing Director of her company.

     

  • 2015 Afribaby emerges

    Afribaby, a company, which specialises in selling baby care items, has hosted a breast-feeding competition for exclusive mothers at the MRC Auditorium, Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH), Ikeja Lagos.

    Xavi Ugbana, a seven-month-old baby boy who was crowned the Afribaby of the Year as the grand winner went home with a lot of items including Vitafoam mattress, baby chair and baby mattress.

    Xavi’s mother, Mrs Uche Ugbana was grateful to Afribaby for the opportunity given to her and her baby to participate in this year’s award competition. She also praised the organisers of the programme, Chief Mrs Bintu-Fatima Tinubu, Iyalode of Lagos; Board of Trustees; founder and president of Afribaby, Dr Oscar Odiboh; Director of Afribaby, Mrs  Olayinka Odiboh and the editor, Mr Adet Udoh, among others.

     

  • Two men plead guilty to drug trafficking

    Two men – Ismaila Cole and Succeder Ogbonna – who pleaded guilty to trafficking in 3.1 kg of hemp, were yesterday brought before a Federal High Court in Lagos.

    The prosecutor, Mr Orji Kalu, a lawyer with the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), told the court that Ogbonna, 24, unlawfully dealt in 2.7 kg of hemp on March 23 at Gatan Kowa Market, Abule-Egba, a Lagos suburb.

    He said Cole, 27, unlawfully dealt in 400 grammes of hemp on March 17 at Mafoluku, Oshodi, Lagos.

    The prosecutor said the accused were caught during raids by the agency.

    According to him, the offence contravenes Section 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Laws of the Federation.

    He urged the court to remand the accused in prison custody and an adjournment to enable him review the facts of the case.

    The duo pleaded guilty.

    Justice Mohammed Idris said the accused should be kept behind bars and adjourned the case to May 27 for facts and sentence.

  • Monarch directs subjects to disregard water bills

    The traditional ruler of Onigbongbo in Ikeja, Lagos, Oba Munirudin Yusuf, yesterday directed households in his community to disregard water bills from the State Water Corporation.

    Munirudin told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos that the corporation had continued to bring outrageous bills to a community which has not benefited from its services.

    “I have ordered every household to disregard such bills while we manage our pipe borne water,’’ the monarch said.

    The community, he said, expected the government to have yielded to its clarion call long ago.

    According to him, the government has yet to fulfil its promises for pipe borne water for the community and the construction of a pedestrian bridge on the highway.

    He said: “As a way out, the community has independently dug boreholes because of the serious challenge encountered in getting water. We want the state government to fulfil its promises on the provision of pipe borne water to allay water problem at Onigbongbo.

    “Instead, the Water Corporation has continued to bombard the community which has not benefited from its services with outrageous bills. For this, I have ordered every household to disregard such bills while we manage our pipe borne water.”

    The monarch said the community had also urged the government to construct drainage around Onigbongbo to solve the problem of flooding during the rains.

    “Everyone usually got stuck in gridlock whenever it is raining as there are no drainage systems in the community. A lot of properties get damaged each time flood occurs,’’ he said.

     

  • Man charged with murder

    An Ebute Meta Chief Magistrate’s Court in Lagos yesterday remanded one Lucky Nnaeto, 33, in Ikoyi Prison for allegedly causing the death of 39-year-old Tunde Odutola.

    Magistrate Adefioye said the accused should be kept in prison pending receipt of legal advice from the Director of Public Prosecutions (DPPs).

    Adefioye adjourned the case to June 17.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Corporal Iyobosa Onaiwu, told the court that Nnaeto and others at large, beat Odutola to death.

    Onaiwu said the accused committed the offence on April 19 at Awe Crescent by Shipeolu Link in Onipanu, Lagos.

    The prosecutor said the offence contravened Sections 221 and 231 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State.

    Nnaeto pleaded not guilty.

     

  • Traders protest monarch’s planned demolition of market

    Traders protest monarch’s planned demolition of market

    Scores of traders yesterday stormed Lagos State House of Assembly, appealing for its intervention over alleged the planned demolition of Idi-Ose market in Apapa by a monarch, Oba Fatai Aromire Ojora.

    The traders said the royal father had given them up till Thursday to vacate the market or have their property destroyed.

    The protesters displayed various placards, with inscriptions such as: “Oba Ojora wants to become Baba Oja,” “Oba Fatai Ojora: stop harassing Idi-Ose market, your wahala too much;” “Lagos! Save our souls from Oba Ojora from selling Idi-Ose market to an hotelier,” “Oba Fatai Ojora, leave Idi-Ose market alone, don’t sell it to an hotelier” and “Oba Fatai Ojora, instead of selling Idi-Ose market to an hotelier better sell the palace,” among others.

    Speaking on behalf of the group, the Apapa-Iganmu Iyaloja-General, Alhaja Nike Owoseni, said she got the information about the proposed demolition last Thursday,  adding that no fewer than 16 markets under her, she has been making moves to resolve the impasse.

    “When they called me on Thursday that they wanted to pull down the market, we went to police station to complain and we tried also to see the monarch, but we were told that he was celebrating a festival. So I told my people to maintain peace.

    “This morning, I was called again that some youths numbering about 20 were in the market harassing the traders. Our people wanted to retaliate by fighting them but we had to appeal to them for calm,” she said.

    Also speaking, the secretary of Idi-Ose Market, Pastor M. A. Adeoye, said the oba was maltreating them like slaves, adding that they were asked to vacate the market since last year.

    Chairman House Committee on Information, Strategy and Security Segun Olulade promised that the House would intervene to resolve the issue.

    He said: “We have received your petition and I can assure you that within the next 24 hours, we shall invite all the necessary parties that are involved.”