Category: South West

Ahead of July 16th Osun governorship election, the candidate of Labour Party and former Deputy Speaker House of Representatives, Lasun Yussuf on Friday alleged threat to his life by hoodlums.

Addressing newsmen at his campaign office situated at Oroki Estate, Osogbo, capital of Osun State alleged that since he clinched the gubernatorial ticket of Labour Party he has been receiving several threats and attacks sponsored by political opponents.

According to him, “Since I have secured Labour Party ticket, there has been some unusual behaviours by certain individuals and groups towards me and my campaign team. Last week some group of Political thugs abruptly stopped my convoy threatening and warning me of several planned attacks if we refuse to back down and stop our gubernatorial campaign.

“They warned me that my life is in danger and that they will continue to trail me to attack me and also disrupt all my campaign activities and events anywhere in Osun State. My life is in danger.”

He added that, “yesterday, at exactly 11 PM some political thugs numbering about eight stormed my campaign office at Oroki Estate barely thirty minutes after we all left for the day. They came with cutlasses, guns and other weapons and descended on my billboards, signposts and windows of the gate house destroying everything in sight. The guard prevented them from gaining entrance to the Campaign Office.”

Yussuff urged security agencies to intervene over the brazen attack on him and the party ahead of the guber poll.

The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) said it has begun investigations into the discovery of a mutilated body found at the runway of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport ( MMIA), Lagos.

Acting General Manager , Corporate Affairs, Mrs Faithful Hope – Ivbaze said FAAN and relevant security agencies are seeking information that would reveal the identity of the dead man.

She said a motorized cleaner that was cleared to carry out a duberization and sweeping of the runway discovered the remains at about 0106hours, and escalated the situation to relevant departments. She said : “ As a result, between 0110 and 0343 hours, she said the  runway was temporarily closed to allow for immediate evacuation of the remains. Flight operations resumed at 0343 hours.

‘’Investigations are ongoing, and a report will be issued accordingly.’’

Recall that the  international wing of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos, was temporarily shut in the early hours of Thursday after the mangled body of a dead man was found on Runway 18R of the nation’s flagship airport.

The identity of the corpse could not be ascertained as of press time. Also, it could not be established whether the dead man was knocked down by an aircraft taking off or landing on the runway.

However, airport officials told our correspondent that the runway was temporarily shut down while a team of officials from the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and the Nigeria Police Force evacuated the corpse from the runway.

During the temporary shutdown of the runway, international flights were prevented from landing and taking off from the airport’s international terminal.

Among the flights that could not land due to the shutdown was Ethiopian Airlines flight 3907, a Boeing 77F aircraft with registration number ETAVN, which was coming from Lome, Togo to Lagos, Nigeria.

The flight was later diverted back to Lome after holding for a while.

Airport officials said the corpse was suddenly found on Runway 18R during a routine runway inspection by FAAN personnel.

The officials were said to have reported a corpse on the runway around the cargo area.

According to him, the police are still investigating the identity of the dead man and how he got to the security area of the international airport.

Youths went on rampage in Ilorin, Kwara state capital over the death of one Abdullahi Lokoolowo allegedly killed by a suspected thug.

The incident occurred around 1pm in Okoolowo/Oloje area of the metropolis.

Abdullahi was said to have been killed by one Azeez aka Olongbo, a cannabis sativa (Indian hemp) seller.

Angered by the incident, irate youths armed with dangerous weapons attacked the police division in Oloje area and smashed window glasses.

Policemen on duty, it was gathered ran for cover.

Spokesperson of the state police command Ajayi Okasanmi, in  a statement confirmed the incident.

He said that “the near lawlessness that happened in Alapa/Okolowo/Oloje axis of Ilorin this morning, following the death of one individual whose identity and actual cause of death are still sketchy is uncalled for.and must not to be encouraged.

“Full-scale investigation into the matter has been ordered by the Commissioner of police Tuesday Assayomo.

“Policemen are already dispatched to the affected areas to restore calm. Detailed investigation report would be made available to  members of the public as soon as it is ready.

“Meanwhile, members of the public,  especially residents of the affected areas are advised to be cautious as they go about their lawful businesses, and should report any  untoward activities in their area to the police as sanity is gradually returning to the areas.”,

The monarch of Tigbo-Ilu in Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State, Oba Olabode Fagbayi on Friday appealed to Governor Dapo Abiodun to save the community from land grabbers.

The monarch said the land grabbers had invaded the community and parading affidavits which they claimed were court judgments with certificate of occupancy from Ogun State Bureau of Land, to claim ownership of landed property.

According to the monarch, ‘’some impostors from Ojusango town in Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun state who parade themselves as custodians of three communities of Ijako, Isorosi and Ajibode under Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area, meanwhile their court documents stipulated names of places like Ifo, and Pakoto towns which were communities along Abeokuta expressway under Ifo local government areas.

‘’The Ojusango team came with hired thugs and many strange faces to Ajibode town with malicious intention of measuring and allocating lands with the surveyor instrument accompanied by two vehicles of security agencies comprising operatives of the Nigerian Police Force and Ogun So-safe corps under the direction of State Commissioner of police with a letter indicating their mission was to maintain law and order.’’

The Commissioner of Police, Lagos State Command, Abiodun Alabi, on Friday said that no fewer than 35 motorcyclists have been arrested and 195 motorcycles seized during the ongoing enforcement of the state government ban on motorcycle operations in the state.

Alabi said the command had commenced preparations to tackle motorcyclists who may want to move to other areas of the state to continue their operation.

Alibi said the command was only after foreigners operating as kada commercial motorcyclists in the state.

He said that the command was aware of some foreigners operating as motorcyclists in the state and that they were after them.

The CP spoke while parading 13 suspects allegedly involved in various crimes at the Lagos police command headquarters in Ikeja.

Many of the commercial motorcyclists operating in Lagos and some neighbouring states are Nigeriens, Togolese, Beninise and Chadians.

“We are aware that many commercial motorcyclists operating in Lagos are foreigners and we have commenced routine checks with the aim of profiling them.

“When we finish the profiling, we will hand them over to the Nigeria Immigration Service for further investigation and possible repatriation.

“We are going to carry out the old strategy by ensuring that no motorcycle comes into the state. We will seize any motorcycle found in any vehicle coming into Lagos,” he said.

The police commissioner had on Thursday, advised that people should stop giving out motorcycles as means of empowerment, but adopt other meaningful venture.

He noted that the ban was in phases, adding that strategic measures were being developed to subdue any challenge that could arise from the implementation of the ban.

Speaking on the clash along the Lagos Badagry Expressway on Thursday, Alabi said, “During the operation, they (motorcyclists) were accosted when they became violent and mobilised their other colleagues to attack our police officers.

“When we got this information, we had to mobilise our tactical and operational commanders to reinforce our policemen on the ground and they (motorcyclists) were subdued. In the course of doing that, we arrested 35 suspects and impounded 195 motorcycles. Normalcy was restored immediately.”

”On the ban of the state government that will take effect from June 1 and as to people (motorcyclists) migrating from that side to other areas, all the area commanders and DPOs were there when the government met with us. All of us are aware of the backlash that could happen because of this ban but we are prepared for it.

“Any security challenges that could arise because of this ban in the local government areas, we are ready to contend with it. We have told them to put in place strategic measures on how to confront this holistically. We are envisaging that some people (motorcyclists) will migrate from those areas but this ban is in phases, and we are prepared for that and will confront the challenge if it arises.”

Operatives of Ogun Area 1 Command of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), have intercepted contraband worth over N100 million.

The unlawful items including 19 boat engines and eight trailer loads of foreign rice were seized during anti-smuggling operations carried out in April in Ogun State.

Briefing newsmen at the command’s Idiroko headquarters on Tuesday, the Customs Area Controller, Comptroller Bamidele Makinde said the boat engines – five new and 14 used pieces worth N17.322million were intercepted from fleeing smugglers in a bush path in the border area.

Bamidele also said that the command generated N6,048,500.00  from auction sales of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol, seized at different entry and exit points to the neighbouring Republic of Benin.

Bamidele reiterated that the land border reopening only allows the import and export of legitimate goods.

The customs Controller disclosed that among others ‘’we are able to record a total of 4,603 bags/50kg each of foreign parboiled rice (the equivalent of 8 trailer loads), 37,450 litres of PMS(1,498 kegs of 25 litres each ), 300 cartons of frozen poultry products, 900 pieces of machetes…’’

He added: ‘’ The cumulative Duty Paid Value (DPV) of all the seizures in the month of April, amounts to N100,132,756.’’

The Lagos State Safety Commission (LSSC) has held a one-day training on construction site safety, health and hygiene for artisans in the construction industry and other workers.

This is part of its commitment to ensure a safe and healthy work environment, Director-General of the agency, Lanre Mojola, said.

He noted that the construction sector was risk-prone, and so the training was part of the agency’s three-prong approach of enlightenment, engagement and enforcement.

Mojola, who was represented by the Technical Adviser to the Commission, Seun Awojobi, urged participants to share the knowledge with their colleagues.

Director of Safety Training Education, Skill and Development Mrs. Esther George said the training was part of the commission’s zero accident campaign aimed at reducing accidents that could result in injury, fatalities, and property damage that might lead to lawsuits, reputational damage and compensation.

She said through collaboration with stakeholders and continuous sensitisation, Lagos intends to reduce building collapse.

The Lagos State Real Estate Regulatory Authority (LASRERA) has begun sensitisation and advocacy campaigns to regulate, sanitise and effectively monitor the sector.

The campaign started in Ikeja yesterday, and will be replicated in other divisions of the state.

Special Adviser to the Governor on Housing Mrs. Toke Benson-Awoyinka said it was important to notify the public of LASRERA’s mandate. She restated that it is an offence to practice real estate in any of its forms, including displaying ‘To Let, To Lease, For Sale etc’ in offices or on properties without full registration with LASRERA.

The special adviser noted that the agency had written letters to over 1,000 real estate practitioners to honour the government’s call for regularisation, while also expanding the market confidence of those in Diaspora to invest in the sector.

She added: “Only a few of these practitioners responded to the letters, hence the need to embark on this enforcement and compliance exercise so that relevant stakeholders in the build sector and the public can attach importance to LASRERA’s call.”

Benson-Awoyinka assured residents that the enforcement drive will be continuous until all practitioners in the real estate sector are captured under LASRERA’s database in line with international best practices.