The Nation Newspaper

Tag: 27

  • Court sentences two to death by hanging

    An Ado Ekiti High Court has sentenced two persons, Adedayo Oluwayemi, 27, and Daramola Seyi, 23, to death for robbing a night club in Ado-Ekiti.

    Justice John Adeyeye, who delivered the judgment, held that the duo were guilty of the two-count charge of armed robbery and conspiracy preferred against them.

    The judge found them guilty of violating Section 516 of the Criminal Code Cap C16 Laws of Ekiti State 2012 and Section 1(2) (b) of Robbery and Firearms (Special Provision) Act Laws of the Federation 2014.

    Justice Adeyeye, however, discharged and acquitted the third accused person, Ogunleye Ige, on the grounds that evidence before the court showed that there was no nexus between him and the incident.

    The court heard that the accused persons reportedly invaded Club 15 Dynamic Lounge, Irewumi, opposite Bawa Estate, Ado Ekiti on August 4, 2018 with guns and robbed victims of their belongings at gunpoint.

    Some of the stolen items include laptops, phones and cash.

    The accused were arrested at the point of selling the items, particularly the laptops and phones, as they could not provide the passwords.

    The accused persons were first arraigned on October 16, 2017 when the charges were read to them, to which they pleaded not guilty.

    Prosecution counsel Felix Awoniyi called six witnesses and tendered exhibits, including the two laptops.

    Defence counsel Toyin Oluwole did not call any witness.

     

  • EFCC finds $43m, N23m, £27,000 cash in Lagos home

    EFCC finds $43m, N23m, £27,000 cash in Lagos home

    ACTING on a tip-off, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) yesterday found $43.4 million (about N13.237 billion), N23 million and £27,000 cash at House 16, Osborne Road in Ikoyi, Lagos Island.

    The anti-graft agency suspected that the cash might have been proceeds of crime kept at the residence to prevent any bank alert.

    But the identity of the owner of the cash was kept under wraps pending the conclusion of investigations.

    It was, however, suspected that the cash might have been laundered by politically-exposed persons and former political office holders through fronts.

    A reliable source, who spoke in confidence, said: “We acted on intelligence report that huge cash in an apartment in Osborne Towers, Ikoyi, Lagos.

    “A whistle blower who had insider knowledge of how the funds were kept in some locked up rooms in the house alerted the EFCC.

    “As at the last count, we have recovered about $43.4 million (N13.237 billion at N305 per dollar) N23 million and £27,000. The figures could be higher than what we have counted.

    “But we engaged the Central Bank of Nigeria to mobilise counting machines to assist in determining the total haul. Certainly, we are acting on some clues on how the money came about. We have a lot of intelligence we are analysing.”

    A source within the EFCC said: “This is a major breakthrough for this commission. We will not relent in recovering slush funds.

    “The whistle blowing policy has added value to the anti- graft war. Some of those who looted public funds have been avoiding banks. They kept the cash at home and we are on their trail. Imagine what over N11 billion can do in the life of this nation, while the amount traced to private accounts sums up to N4 billion.

    About N16 billion has been uncovered by the EFCC in the last few days in Lagos, including the N12,360,814,000 recovered and about N4 billion traced to private accounts.

    The Federal Government had on December 22 last year, launched a whistle blowing policy to expose fraud and other related crimes in the public and the private sectors.

    The EFCC is on the trail of a woman who is said to have been bringing in the money in “Ghana-must-go” sacks.

  • Lagos eyes 27,500 jobs in new environmental policy

    Lagos eyes 27,500 jobs in new environmental policy

    Barring the unforeseen, the implementation of the harmonised environmental law will start. BUNMI OGUNMODEDE writes on the dos and don’ts of the new environmental policy 

    WITH the Environmental Management and Protection Bill signed into Law by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode, the stage is set for the implementation of a new policy on the environment in the State of Aquatic Splendour.

    The relevant ministries and agencies are bracing for the implementation of the law signed by the governor on March 1.

    A source at the Ministry of the Environment told The Nation yesterday that the take-off date will soon be announced by the government.

    After appending his signature, the governor expressed optimism that the law would go a long in securing the public health safety of residents, especially children. Ambode recalled how his administration, in its early days,  decided to overhaul the state’s environmental, waste management and handling practices and also to harmonise all existing environmental laws.

    The governor said the sanitation law, as bequeathed to his administration, needed to be reworked in line with Lagos’ mega city status.

    The law, when operational, will drive the adoption of innovative technology to tackle existing environmental problems in the state.

    According to him, since the provisions of the inherited environmental laws were outdated and no longer applicable to modern-day realities, the government swung into action and came up with a model that would have sanitation as its centerpiece.

    The governor said: “While charting a new direction, it became quickly apparent that the government on its own would struggle to bear the cost of wholesale changes while meeting its other obligations in other equally vital sectors.

    “It was necessary to make investor-friendly laws that attract the type of capital we need to advance  our development agenda and achieve our sustainability goals. We believe it is worth the risk involved in changing the legislative framework if the reward is a healthier and cleaner Lagos for our children – our future.”

    Under the new dispensation – the Cleaner Lagos Initiative (CLI), the commercial sector would be serviced by licensed as waste managers. A consortium of environmental service providers, among them some globally-acclaimed waste management companies, will provide waste collection, processing and disposal services for residential properties under a long-term concession arrangement.

    The consortium will be expected to deploy a large multi-dimensional fleet of over 20 landfill and Transfer Loading Station (TLS) management vehicles, 590 rear-end loader compactors, 140 operational vehicles and about electronically-tracked 900,000-litre bins that would be monitored by Public Utilities Monitoring Assurance Unit (PUMAU) of the Environment Ministry.

    “I am delighted that our bill has been signed into law. Under this initiative, we have (referring to the public and private sector) worked collectively to make laws that will result in historic environmental victories,” Ambode said after signing the bill.

    New role for KAI brigades

    The new law mandates the Lagos State Waste Management Agency (LAWMA) to review and regulate all waste management activities within the state. It has also rebranded the sanitation police – Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI) – and gave a new identity – Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LASECORPS).

    According to the provision of the law, the agency will oversee the enforcement of ‘stringent’ penalties to be imposed on defaulters. The governor said that LASECORPS’s performance evaluations and remuneration will be tied to the number of actionable fines they issue for non-compliance with the law.

    The agency will be saddled with the responsibility of monitoring and maintaining surveillance on the highways, streets, public drainages, canals, markets and parks. It will also have the primary role of ensuring that citizens fulfil their civic duty by paying the Public Utilities Levy (PUL). The PUL is a property-based charge payable by tenements for the management of solid and liquid waste, waste water and environmental intervention for the state.

    It an annual charge that will take effect as the rollout commences will replace all service fees previously paid to the waste management authorities.

    Zero tolerance for street trading

    One of the highlights of the new law is the prohibition of street trading.  It stated: “It is an offence to engage in street trading on the major highways and streets of Lagos and sell in an unapproved market in Lagos while every owner, tenant and occupier of any shop, kiosks, space or stall in any market within the state shall, on a regular basis, ensure the cleanliness of his space.”

    To ensure sparkling streets and a dirt-free environment, commercial vehicles operating within the metropolis must carry litter bins to discourage indiscriminate dumping of waste from the vehicle.

    The law states: “If the driver fails to provide the litter bin, the driver will also be penalized alongside the passenger or the occupier of the vehicle who commits the offence.”

    War on illegal structures

    The law has further empowered relevant government agencies to clampdown on all illegal structures. House and kiosks built on sewage systems and drainage alignments would be demolished.

    The office of drainage services will henceforth approve boreholes and any other structure connected with water supply.

    According to the governor, there would be no compromise on the application and implementation of the new policy.

    He said: “Compliance is the key. The burden of the cost of providing these services will remain low if everyone does his or her part and pays the Public Utilities Levy (PUL).

    “With the repositioned LASECORPS, we will work within the community to enforce the new laws. The state will have a zero-tolerance policy for offenders because disregarding payment of your PUL or flouting the new regulations ultimately promotes activities that lead to the loss of lives.”

    “We have worked closely with the public in determining the rates and have succeeded in keeping this levy relatively low.”

    Trust Fund coming

    The PUL will be a major contribution to the state’s ongoing efforts at addressing severe challenges that are peculiar to Lagos because of its rising urbanisation. The money will be held in the Environmental Trust Fund (LSETF) being proposed and managed meticulously by a Board of independent Security Exchange Commission (SEC) regulated trustees.

    The Trust Fund, which will be chaired by the Commissioner for the Environment, is aimed at promoting the development and sustenance of the state’s performance in managing its environment.

    It will create a system that can attract funds from persons, organisations and authorities in tackling environmental issues. The trust fund will also promote the creation of job opportunities for the youth in waste management and waste recycling, among others

    LASECORPS’s performance evaluations and remuneration will also be tied directly to the number of actionable fines they issue for non-compliance. The sanitation Corps will be supported by the PUMAU.

    Defaulters of these laws will face stiff penalties, including payment of fines, ranging from N250, 000 to N5, 000,000 and/or imprisonment.

    Ambode said: “The primary driver of the new bill and the initiatives that we have undertaken is not just cosmetic but to save lives. Therefore, we will unapologetically prosecute offender to the full extent of the law.

    “We will make Chief Executive Officer (CEOs) accountable, from the very top to the bottom, and the law is very specific about the consequences of non-compliance.”

    Toxic waste, smoke-emitting vehicles, generators banned

    The harmonisation of the various environmental laws and the signing of the bill, the governor has secured the needed legal teeth to turn into reality his vision of ensuring that every resident’s access to a right to a clean, safe and healthy environment.

    In the newly promulgated law, no person or group of persons shall dump over any toxic waste capable of causing harm in the state and all emissions from vehicles, plants and equipment including generating plants in residential, commercial and industrial areas within the state must mandatorily meet air emission standard.

    Similarly, the new law will ensure that no manufacturing of chemicals, lubricants, petroleum products, gases, quarry, cement (except for those used in construction), takes place in a residential premise. The law prescribed that any manufacturer of such items will procure an insurance policy from an approved insurance company.

    Also, under the law, every owner or occupier of a facility who uses, stores, keeps and maintains underground storage tanks and surface storage tanks shall register such tanks with the enforcing authority while a facility monitoring and inspection exercise shall be carried out on all sites with surface or underground tanks periodically to determine the integrity of the facility involved while the soil test of the immediate environment shall be carried out as required.

  • ‘New law on environment will create 27,000 jobs’

    ‘New law on environment will create 27,000 jobs’

    Contrary to the belief in some quarters that the newly harmonised bill on the environment passed by the Lagos State House of Assembly was targeted at PSP operators, a lawmaker in the assembly, Hon. Saka Fafunmi has said that the law would ensure best practises, and create over 27,000 jobs.

    Fafunmi, who is the Chairman, House Committee on the Environment stated further in an interview after the passage of the bill into law by the House that it is not just about PSP,  but that it is about a total and holistic issues concerning environment in the State.

    The bill is titled, ‘A Bill for a Law to Consolidate all Laws relating to the Environment for the Management, Protection and Sustainable Development of the Environment in Lagos State and for Connected Purposes.’

    The lawmaker explained that the law is targeted at consolidating and harmonising all laws as regards the environment, adding that the amendment that affects the area of solid waste is just about one or two percent of the whole bill.

    “The bill is set to revolutionalise environment in Lagos State. The state has a population of about 26 million people. The existing legal framework could not cope with the challenges and increase in the population of the state anymore.

    “So there is a need to review the entire law on the environment and that is what we have done. The bill is not targeted at anybody or a group of people. It is not targeted at any PSP. It is addressing the issue of overlap amongst the ministries.

    “It was when we consolidated the law that we discovered the overlap. It is not just a Bill for the PSP unless you are being sentimental. The intervention of the PSP is the making of LAWMA.

    “The responsibility of LAWMA is to maintain the environment as regards solid waste. We discovered that LAWMA cannot regulate the system as long as it is an operator. You cannot be an operator and a regulator. That made us to say that LAWMA should stop operating, they should regulate,” he said.

    According to the lawmaker, who is representing Ifako/Ijaiye Constituency 1 in the House, some of the PSP operators don’t have compactors, and that there have been several complaints about them from the people.

    He stressed that the government decided to provide an amendment to the existing law on the environment because the increase in population has overwhelmed the operators in terms of capacity.

    “LAWMA is saddled with managing the system and also operating. This is the only state in Nigeria that is doing well during recession, look at our roads, look at the environment, street lights, traffic lights and other infrastructure.

    “You can count a number of bridges that have been constructed and all these bother around attaining the megacity status of the state. For Lagos to attain the megacity status, it has to review its policy on waste management and waste disposal, and investors are willing to bring in over 600 trucks.

    “The law says concessionaires. The law even allows the PSP to compete if they want to if they have new compactors and comply with the dictates of the new law. It is mere sentiment when people say there would be job loss because of this.

    “The PSP operators are just about 350 and how many people did they employ? At best, they employ 10 staffs each, and that is just about 3,500, but with the new arrangement, the government would generate about 27,500 jobs.

    “So, what is the basis for comparison, and with this, the residents of the state would not pay more, they would even pay less. Your bill would be paid once in a year and they would have a standard bill. It would be like land use charge, and if you pay yearly, it would be about N12,000 per annum.”

     

  • Police rescues three abandoned babies in Festac

    Police rescues three abandoned babies in Festac

    Police operatives attached to Festac Division have rescued three abandoned babies.

    While two of the babies were successfully abandoned at different locations of Festac Town, the mother of the third was caught after dropping the about three-week-old child near a gas station on 21 Road.

    It was gathered that the woman identified as Bose Ojo, 27, went to the area at about 9:00 a.m On July 27, dropped the baby and left.

    Unfortunate for her, a resident in the area saw her from her apartment situated at the first floor of a high rise building.

    The resident, it was gathered raised alarm and the woman was chased, while policemen at Festac Division were notified.

    She was arrested and upon interrogation, the woman was said to have denied abandoning the baby.

    According to a police source, Ojo and her baby were examined at Mother and Child Hospital, First Avenue, afterwhich the child was admitted.

    “She claimed that she did not abandon the child. That she just dropped the baby to rest. The woman has no fixed address and she hawks sachet water.

    “She said the child’s father, a bus driver called Oduayo abandoned her after their home at Orile-Iganmu was demolished.

    “The woman cannot keep that child unless she gets support. She is not married. No visible means of sustenance. No accommodation. She has no skills and she’s n9t in good health too. The woman never attended antenatal and also had her baby in a neighbouring bush all by herself,” said the source.

    For the second child, a boy of about six weeks, he was found at Third Avenue, behind ‘H’ Close, the source said.

    “A Good Samaritan who lives in the close, picked him up at about 9:18 a.m. The child was taken to the same hospital and he was certified okay. There is urgent need for protection order for both children,” the source said.