The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • Woman held for girl’s murder, missing son

    A woman has been arrested for the murder of a four-year-old girl in Lagos.

    She was arrested by operatives attached to the Orile Police Station, following the death of Nosifat Mubo who was recovered after she was declared missing with her seven-year-old brother, Lateef, on October 3.

    Their father, Moshood Mubo of 305, Church Street, Lagos Island, reported at Adeniji Adele Police Station that two of his children left home around 6pm to buy biscuits on the street but did not return.

    On October 9, Lateef was recovered from a woman, Aminat Akanni of 20, Mosallashi Street, Alakara bus stop, Orile, who allegedly stole the siblings.

    When detectives at Orile Police Station, where the case was earlier reported, interrogated her, she confessed to stealing the siblings and taking them to where she “murdered” Nosifat.

    Further investigations revealed that Aminat is the step-mother of the children she stole, “owing to a misunderstanding she had with her husband and his first wife.”

    The woman was said to have confessed to drowning the child and dropping her dead body at Orile where she was discovered by the police.

    The command’s spokesman Kenneth Nwosu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), confirmed the incident, saying that the case had been transferred to Orile Police Station for further action.

  • Women living with HIV/AIDS seek help

    Women living with HIV/AIDS seek help

    Some women living with Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) under the aegis of Coalition of Women Living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria (COWHAN) have urged the government to come to their aid.

    The women, through their National Coordinator, Mrs Lucy Attah, made the appeal at a media briefing in Lagos.  Mrs Attah, who has remained infected for 17 years, with none of her three children infected, said the condition of the women living with HIV/AIDS is pathetic since there is no support from any quarter of the society.

    “We live with stigmatisation and discrimination and at the stage of child giving we are mostly rejected and abandoned; this is a serious case because the doctors and nurses are not ready to carry out their duties. Some of us lack proper counselling at clinics on infant feeding and this boosts HIV/AIDS among the young ones.

    “The government is not doing enough to see to our plights. We have been subjected to neglect and stigmatisation, hence we are appealing that the government to do something about this to curb further spread of the disease,” she said.

    Mrs Attah, who admonished every HIV/AIDS-positive patient to use his drugs, take his dose completely as instructed, warned that some of the drugs administered on patients by doctors have negative effects that could cause mental disorder and miscarriage among other dangers.

    The National Secretary of the COWHAN, Mrs Priscilla Ingbian, lamented the inhuman treatment meted out to them at hospitals. She said the Viral Loads Machine which are meant for tests are not available, adding that less than eight centres in the whole world have the machines.

    The group’s National Treasurer, Mrs. Blessing Obius, said: “For a long time now, patients do not have access doctors owing to their strike. On September 27, I lost a patient that I referred to the hospital for TB check; owing to their lack of dedication to the profession, the patient died. They told me there was no light for screening sputum and he gave up”.

  • Fear grips community over cultists’ clashes

    Residents of the Toll Gate area of Mushin, Lagos State, moved about with measured steps and bated breath yesterday. Obviously, they were unsure of when next they would hear sporadic shootings by their enemies within – cultists of various nomenclatures that had for long locked horns in supremacy tussle.

    The tranquility of the area was rudely terminated again last Tuesday when during the clash by the rival cults from Fadeyi and Mushin areas, a youth was shot dead on the neighbouring Railway Line.

    The day before, a 32-year-old young man, who was simply identified as Tunde, was reportedly beheaded by some cultists who stormed the place in large numbers. They were said to have taken away the victim’s head.

    A resident who spoke with this reporter early yesterday on Okanlawon Lane, said. “We no longer enjoy sound sleep here. Even during the day, everyone is in fear because these cultists have become terrorists here. We don’t know where to run to because the presence of policemen at the Toll Gate near us here means nothing to them.

    “The killing of last Tuesday was the fourth in three days. The cultists came in large numbers. We were told that they were joined by others from Somolu, Bariga and Ebute Metta. They came in at night when everyone was in deep sleep and got the boy (Tunde). I hid myself and my only son under my bed.”

    When asked about why they were at war, the resident said: “What we learnt was that they came on a reprisal over the arrest of a leader of one of their gangs called Toba following a violent class that rocked the area over three months ago. As things are, we can only appeal to Governor Babatunde Fashola to work with the police to secure this area because we are in deep trouble.”

    A pepper seller on the rail line was asked why she was yet to display it by 10.45 am yesterday. Palpable fear was all over her as she replied: “My son, one has to look well here now since these bad boys won’t stop fighting. Did you not hear that they beheaded two young men last week? Since we are not sure of when next they will come with their trouble, we must be watchful. In fact, I’m contemplating staying at home for some time now because I cherish my life.”

    A suspected worker at the Toll Gate who spoke with The Nation said human traffic across the rail line to and from Mushin had thinned down because of the notoriety of the area.

    “You can observe that the whole place appears desolate. If you were familiar with this area, it used to be busy with various activities. Even beggars are afraid to do their “business” here now as they too don’t want to die,” she said.

    Though she said policemen attached to nearby Alakara Police Station had joined hands with those at the Toll Gate to keep watch over the neighbourhood, she maintained that more must be done by the authorities to protect lives and property in the area because of the dangerous weapons being used by the hoodlums.

    Sources from the state police command hinted yesterday that the incessant clashes in the area were being seriously investigated as efforts were being made to secure the area as well as other parts of the state.

  • Muslim youths condemn insecurity

    Muslim youths condemn insecurity

    The Youth Wing of the Nasrullahi-li-Fathi Society of Nigeria (NASFAT) has urged government to improve the security situation in the country.

    It also urged Nigerians to be more security-conscious.

    The Zonal Head of Da’wah of the society, Nurudeen Balogun, said: “Security is not for the leaders alone; the various communities and people need to be up and doing in terms of the protection of their lives and property.

    “Security is essential at this time of insurgency; we should be mindful and watchful of those around us. This is vital  for us to be able to reduce insecurity.”

  • Hand-wash campaign moves to barracks

    Regular hand washing will contribute to the attainment of the Millennium Development Goal (MDG) on health and nutrition, a group, the Healthy Living and Women Empowerment Initiative (HELWEI), has said.

    At an enlightenment campaign named “Kick dirt, hug life” to mark the Global Hand-washing Day at the Okota police barracks, it said most diseases could be prevented through simple hygiene.

    Addressing police officers and members of the Police Officers Wives Association (POWA), the group’s Executive Director, Ebere Okey-Onyema, said hand washing is “a veritable behavioural tool essential for prevention of communicable diseases.”

    According to her, more awareness on sanitation and hygiene for improved health is needed in communities.

    “The common ailments we suffer such as malaria, diarrhoea and very recently Ebola are connected to ‘dirt’. To bridge the gap on knowledge, we sensitise communities, women and children through our campaign.

    She said:  “It is imperative, therefore, for us all to understand that we are products of our environment as well as our attitude, thoughts and actions. If we could imbibe the culture of keeping our environment tidy and regular hand washing becomes our lifestyle; it would lead to improved health status of the community members.”

    The HELWEI’s team engaged in cleaning of the barracks and donated shovels, brooms, rakes and waste baskets among others, to it.

    Okey-Onyema said they would return in six weeks to check how far the barracks’ condition has improved.

    “We want to work beyond Ebola. Today it’s Ebola, tomorrow it could be lassa fever. When you imbibe this culture of environmental cleanliness and hand-washing, it becomes a part of you,” she added.

    The group has also paid advocacy visits to the Nigerian Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and the Meat Sellers Association.

    Deputy Director in the Federal Ministry of Health, Dr David Akinola urged the barracks’ management to set up a first aid centre.

  • Residents flee as police arrest traditional ruler

    A team of policemen last Saturday stormed Oko-Olomi village in Elemoro area of Ibeju-lekki Local Government area of Lagos State and arrested its traditional ruler, forcing residents to flee the community.

    The traditional ruler, Baale Tunde Olowu, his younger brother, Lukmon Olowu and another resident, whose name was given as Wasiu, were also allegedly arrested.

    The community’s lawyer, Mr Paul Bamidele Ogundele, accused the police of over-zealousness and wrongful usage of their position as law-enforcement agents to take side in what he described as a minor family problem.

    Ogundele alleged that a woman, Toyin Awawu Eleku-Bakare invited the police on false allegation of malicious damage, attempted murder and threat to her life, “because she was losing grip of her hold to power in the village.”

    He alleged that the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Elemoro Police Station allowed himself to be used by deploying policemen who came and chased the villagers away.

    However, a senior police officer at the station said all the suspects arrested had been transferred to the Special Anti-Robbery Squad, Ikeja.

    Ogundele has petitioned  the Assistant Inspector-General of Police (AIG), Zone 2, the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), the Executive Director, Civil Liberty Organization (CLO), Amnesty International and the Chairman of the Police Service Commissions (PSC), alleging abuse of Human Rights.

    It was gathered yesterday that police authorities at Zone 2 have ordered that the matter be transferred to the zone’s X-Squad for proper investigation.

  • Murder of member: Lagos APC warns against witch hunt

    Murder of member: Lagos APC warns against witch hunt

    The Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress has alerted Nigerians a plan by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its enforcers to use the police to clamp down on APC members.

    The party said the killing of an APC Leader, Alhaji Azeez Asake by a notorious thug group known as Abija has become a weapon with which the PDP is turning around and hunting APC members on Lagos Island.

    The Party urged the police to restrain their men from being used to foment trouble in Lagos.

    In a statement yesterday, Lagos APC spokesman  Joe Igbokwe, said that the police, in a curious manner, released the main suspect in the gruesome murder, one Rafiu Bashorun a.k.a Abija and instead declared wanted three APC members; Mustapha Adekunle, Fatai Ali and Fatai Olori.

    The party warned that nothing should be done to further provoke the members of APC in Lagos because of the implication of such provocation in the face of the impunity and lawlessness the PDP is perpetrating.

     “It is on record that we demanded for justice for the murder of Asake by thugs who work with Minister of State for Defence Musliu Obanikoro. We are demanding that the well-known real perpetrators of the crime against our member be brought to justice. We were under the impression that having arrested the perpetrator of the murder of Asake, the Police was determined to do a good job and bring the sponsors of that cruel act to justice.

     “We were alarmed that the Police in a curious way not only mocks justice, released the prime suspect and escorted him home. In a bizarre twist, it rather declared wanted three members of our party in a move that we suspect is dictated by the very people that ordered the killing of Asake.

    “This is a rehash of the cruel ear of military despotism when our patriots who were fighting for democracy and justice were attacked and blamed as the real perpetrators of these attacks. We are shocked that the police did not even care to be guided by little decency in freeing the suspect but using the same act as excuse to hunt and frame up his political associates.

    “Lagos APC is saying that this is unacceptable even as we have been inundated by gory spectacles of PDP’s lawlessness, brigandage  and impunity in seeking to overwhelm and conquer the badly governed country in 2015. We warn that we will never tolerate such act of brazen intimidation by a party that should be apologizing to Nigerians for taking it from a medium height to the very nadirs of development in sixteen bizarre years of corruption and rudderless gangsterism.

    “We want to warn the police that it should not continue rubbing in on its not so good image. We warn that the Police risks being seen as the enemies of Lagosians should it allow itself to be used by desperate political way farers to perpetrate and cover crimes against Lagosians. We warn the police to restrain itself against the rampaging political greed of the PDP and fish out both the perpetrators and sponsors of the killing of Alhaji Asake as that remains the only path of truth and justice in this case.

    “While we urge our teeming supporters and members to remain calm in the face of the increasing provocation from the PDP and its masters in Lagos, we warn that nothing should be done to challenge the readiness and competence of Lagosians to defend themselves against the annoying petulance of the greedy, desperate political invaders and their masters. The police should call off this annoying siege to our members right now and move in to arrest and prosecute both the perpetrators and sponsors of the killing of Alhaji Asake.”

  • Coroner to synagogue: Release manifest to pathologist

    Coroner to synagogue: Release manifest to pathologist

    he Lagos State Coroner investigating the cause of the collapse of a six-storey building at the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN), Ikotun, yesterday directed the church to give the state’s pathologist a copy of the manifest of the people inside the building when it caved in.

    Coroner Oyetade Komolafe gave the directive at the church during a visit to the scene, following the inavailability of a list containing the names of victims and survivors of the September 12 mishap.

    No fewer than 115 bodies, mostly South Africans, were recovered from the debris of the building with 131 persons reportedly rescued alive.

    However, there was a disagreement as to whether or not the pathologist needs the list to do his job, with the church’s lawyer, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, stating that DNA samples had been taken over two weeks ago.

    He insisted that the church would obey the court’s request for manifest “when we get to the bridge”.

    But Komolafe insisted that the manifest must be handed over to the Chief Pathologist, Prof. John Obafunwa, without delay.

    The coroner said: “One of the things we will be asking for is the manifest of people occupying the building before the incident. We have read from the media that some of the artisans working on the building were from Togo. We need names of everybody that was in the premises, both residents and workers.

    “Without these names, bodies will not be released to their relatives and that will mean unclaimed or unknown bodies, hence, they will be given mass burial. Let us not go into all this (argument). Give the CMO the manifest.

    “They need it and it is something that should not be postponed. As I said before, see it as it is. Nobody is on trial or being persecuted. We have to know what happened to avert future occurrence.”

    While inspecting the collapse site as well as the CCTV cameras that captured the footages backing the church’s claim of “terrorist attack”, the Coroner requested to see the contractor, but was told he was not available.

    Consequently, he asked the church to make available the details of the contractor since it hired him, so that the court could reach him.

    Although the church tried to object to the directive, the Coroner insisted that no body would be released without proper identification.

    Fagbemi, arguing for the church, said: “With respect sir, I think the issue of identification will not need blood samples if the families can come and identify their relations.”

    He went on: “DNA samples have been submitted to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) over two weeks ago. I do not know what they have done with that.

    “The families involved submitted samples, which were handed over to the state. The manifest is not needed now, when we get to that bridge, we will cross it. Nobody is picking holes in what youý are doing but we are only saying that we submitted something a long time ago. With this directive which your Lordship has given, we will comply when we get to that bridge.”

    Explaining the need for the manifest, Obafunwa said the demand was to enable them match bodies with names for effective DNA result.

    He publicly delivered a request letter to the church, which was received and acknowledged by SCOAN’s Chief Security Officer (CSO), Sunday Okojie.

    The CSO, who took the delegation round the premises, disclosed that the CCTV cameras that got the footages were “cameras three and six”.

    He explained that the collapsed building did not affect any other structure.

  • EFCC withdraws fraud case against Ajudua

    EFCC withdraws fraud case against Ajudua

    Dressed in green kaftan, pale-looking Fred Ajudua felt elated yesterday after a Lagos High Court sitting in Ikeja discharged him of an alleged $1.69m fraud case instituted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

    However, his joy was shortlived. Reason: Though discharged, the embattled socialite was sent back into prison custody pending the verdict of the Court of Appeal regarding his bail denial by Justice Oluwatoyin Ipaye in an alleged $8.4m fraud charge involving a former Chief of Army Staff, Gen. Ishaya Bamaiyi.

    Justice Kudirat Jose discharged Ajudua of the $1.69m fraud case levelled against him 11 years ago by the EFCC, following the commission’s inability to provide key foreign witnesses to give evidence.

    The socialite and his co-defendant, Charles Orie were first arraigned before Justice Joseph Oyewole in 2003 for allegedly defrauding two German businessmen, Remy Cina and Pieere Vijgen of $1.69 but jumped bail in 2005 until his re-appearance in 2013 after a bench warrant for his arrest was issued by Oyewole.

    His bail was revoked by Oyewole following his antecedents and on February 5, this year, the defendants were re-arraigned before Justice Jose on a four-count charge of conspiracy, obtaining money and inducing payment by false pretence following Justice Oyewole’s elevation to the Court of Appeal.

    They were alleged to have conspired with Rasheed Adekunle, Abisola Fawehinmi, and Stephen Joiner – who are still at large – to commit the crime between 1999 and 2000.

    The defendants were alleged to have deceived their victims by claiming that the money was for sundry payments to various government officials, to help in facilitating the award of an $18 million contract for the Dutch men.

    But while Ajudua was denied bail by the court despite his ill health, the EFCC on its part, failed to produce key foreign witnesses in the matter, thus stalling the trial.

    At the resumed hearing yesterday, counsel to EFCC, Mrs. E.A. Sanusi told the court that the commission’s inability to provide key foreign witnesses was because some of them refused to come to Nigeria to give evidence.

    She told the court that some of the principal witnesses had cited the Ebola outbreak as reasons for their inability to come into the country to give evidence.

    In that circumstance, Sanusi said the commission was left with no other option than withdrawing the charges.

    Hence, the trial court, in light of the EFCC’s submission, dropped the charges against Ajudua and Orie.

    Reacting to the development, counsel to Ajudua, Olalekan Ojo, told The Nation that he was elated that one of the two criminal charges against his client was gone.

    “Yes, he will be returning to custody but one thing is clear; out of the two criminal cases against him, one is gone and so, we can now concentrate on one with the conviction that it is well,” he said.

  • Lagosians observe Horn-free Day

    Lagosians observe Horn-free Day

    Apart from commercial bus operators popularly called Danfo drivers and tricycle operators, Lagos residents yesterday complied with the state government directive on the global Horn-free Day.

    The government had set aside yesterday as Horn-free Day in which motorists plying routes in the metropolis were urged to refrain from using horns.

    This reporter observed that drivers moderately complied with the directive as many drove to their places of work without honking.

    In areas like Isolo, Oshodi, Oshodi, Iyana-Oworo, Yaba, Ikeja, Magodo, Ikorodu Road, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, among others, there was modest compliance as motorists sparingly blew horn while others did not make use of it at all.

    In Isolo, motorists hardly made use of their horns except a few who were used to horning. There was tranquility as motorists drove with patience.

    A private car owner, Leke Jimoh said: “I was very conscious and determined to observe the day. I drove through the Abule Egba intersection, through Abattoir to Agege without using the horn. I also observed it as I drove through Acme Road.

     “On getting to Agidingbi Road, at a traffic point, I inadvertently pressed the horn lightly before I realised that I had flouted the directive. I felt so bad and I knew it had spoilt my day already. When the traffic light turned green, the vehicle in my front did not move on time, I unconsciously pressed the horn but I immediately regretted it.”

    Taiwo Olapade, a journalist, said he drove through the Ikorodu Road with much quietness as many motorists did not use the horn, but noted that he pressed his horn twice, adding that in Aguda, Surulere, there was no much compliance.

    Emmanuel Odeyemi, who lives in the Mafoluku area of Oshodi, said he did not make use of the horn even when he drove through the densely populated Oshodi all through to Ikeja as he was conscious to observe the day.

    He said many motorists at Oshodi, Airport Road and other places rarely used horns.

     “Commercial bus drivers have high level of compliance more than private car owners. The noise level reduced. I could see banners made by the NURTW to sensitise their people not to use the horn.

    “This is good for Lagos State and if this can be done quarterly, things will be different. I have not used the horn today and I intend to continue it throughout the day,” he stated.

    In Lekki axis, there was high level of compliance as several motorists did not make use of the horns.

    However, okada riders and tricycle riders behaved differently as they blared their horns at will.