The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Bariga

  • Police uncover illegal blood bank at Bariga

    The police have uncovered an illegal blood bank allegedly operated by a 45-year-old man, Paul Achegbulu, in Bariga, Lagos Mainland.

    Police Commissioner Imohimi Edgal led his men to arrest the suspect in his 18 Kusa Bus Stop, Bariga one-room apartment where he operated form.

    He was said to have collected blood from children there for sale to some clinics.

    It was gathered that the police recovered seven pints of blood from his home.

    According to residents, the suspect got into trouble on June 10, after a 17-year-old boy, Ayomide Adesanya, he collected two pints of blood from, passed out.

    He was said to have earlier drawn two pints of blood from the same victim on June 4. The suspect reportedly gave the victim N2,000 on each occasion.

    Edgal, who visited Adesanya in hospital, told reporters that the suspect lured underage children with N2,000. The suspect, the police chief said, had confessed that he sold the blood for N7,000.

    He said: “Adesanya became weak after donating four pints of blood. He collapsed and is currently receiving treatment at the Bariga Hospital.

    “The mother told us that the daughter’s friend informed them of Adesanya’s condition after she saw him on a bike.”

    But the suspect said he did not know Adesanya was underage, adding that the victim told him that he was 20.

    “It was when his parents came to confront me that I knew he was 17. He told me he was 20. I am a lab scientist. I was trained five years ago at the Nigerian Institute of Laboratory Science Technology.

    “Lab technicians from hospitals used to come and buy blood from me. I used to sell the blood through my assistant, Alfa. He’s the one who knows the hospitals he sold to. I do not know where he is at the moment.”

    Condemning the action, a group, Child Protection Network (CPN), said the blood was collected with a cannula in a stuffy room, where the suspect lives with his nursing wife and their baby.

    A cannula is a thin tube inserted into the vein of other parts of a patient’s body for the collection of blood or consumption of medicine.

    The group’s coordinator, Ebenezer Omejalile, decried the use of the blood by hospitals, noting that they were neither screened for HIV, Hepatitis or other communicable diseases.

    “Adesanya is currently on blood transfusion at the hospital. He was moved to Somolu General Hospital by his parents and as of 5pm, he was receiving his second pint of blood.

    “We demand the investigation and arrest of all those who have been buying blood from Alfa. The suspect’s family has promised to go all out to pervert justice in this case. The matter was first reported to the Federal Special Anti-Robbery Squad (FSARS) men at Gbagada but they did nothing about it.”

  • Man charged with break-in, theft of property worth N450, 000

    A 20-year-old man, Segun Akorede, who allegedly broke into a shop and stole property worth N450,000, was on Thursday arraigned before a Yaba Chief Magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    The Police Prosecutor, Cpl. Ibijoke Akinpelu, told the court that the accused committed the offences on April 6 at No. 16 Olawale Lawal St., Bariga, Lagos.

    Akinpelu said that Akorede burgled a shop owned by Albert Sasu and stole 2 air conditioner compressors, 2 motor batteries, 2 grinding machines and one stabiliser, all valued at N450, 000.

    The prosecutor said the offences contravened Sections 285 (1) and 305 (a), (b), (c) of the Criminal Law of Lagos State 2011.

    Akorede, of no fixed residential address, however, pleaded not guilty to the two-count charge of burglary and stealing.

    The Magistrate, Mrs Albert Sasu, granted the accused N200,000 bail with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the case till May 11 for trial.

     

  • Seven suspects held over Bariga cult clash

    •Police sieze three power bikes, Keke Marwa

    The Lagos State Police Command has arrested seven suspected cultists following Saturday’s clash in Bariga which claimed a 65-year-old woman’s life.

    They are Afees Olaide Fagunwa, Nurudeen Lateef, Richard Ewa, Richard Abayomi, Mohammed Musa, Kayode Dada and Adams Adelakun.

    Mrs Adejoke Adefuye was burnt beyond recognition when her house on 19, Oshinfolarin Street in Bariga, was set ablaze by the feuding cult groups.

    On the fateful day, members of Eiye Confraternity led by Ibrahim Balogun, clashed with a rival cult group, Aiye Confraternity, led by a man simply identified as Gideon.

    The cultists, according to reports, vandalised some vehicles parked on the road side. Two members of the Aiye Confraternity, identified as Bobo and Abayomi Olubola, died in the fracas.

    Command spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed the cultists’ arrests and the recovery of some weapons, including one live and expended cartridges.

    Badmos said the second-in-command of one of the cult groups was among those arrested. Three power bikes and a tricycle, popularly known as Keke Marwa, were confiscated.

    She said the suspected cultists had been terrorising the area for days, adding that the police made some arrests because of their swift response to distress calls.

    Badmos said all the bodies had been deposited at the Gbagada General Hospital for autopsy.

  • Police arrest 22 in Bariga raid

    The police arrested 22 persons and recovered some dangerous weapons from them during a raid of a dark spot in Somolu, Bariga, Lagos.

    The raid followed complaints by residents that the Bollar area of Oke-Alo in Gbagada “is a notorious spot for robbery, rape and bandits hide-out”

    Six of the suspects have been arraigned before a Yaba Magistrates court in Lagos. The police alleged in charge A/27/2015 that Solomon David Okon and five others conspired with others at large to steal N65, 000 from a woman and also assaulted her.

    The defendants were said to have unlawfully assembled to carry out criminal activities, offences punishable with terms of imprisonment under contrary to Sections 409 of Lagos State Criminal Law.

    The traditional ruler of Gbagada, Oba Gbolahan Timson and residents commended the police for flushing out the suspected criminals and for bringing sanity and security back to the area.

    He confirmed that the bollar dumping site had been taken over by “Armed Robbers, cultists and rapists’’ and named some of the alleged criminals are souk, Babsilgonia, Hammed of Idi-aba and among others.

    He called on police to intensity their raid on the dump site and other notorious dark spots in the area.

  • Batonga makes its debuts in Bariga

    A new play Batonga produced as a means of giving back and influencing positive change in the society will make its debut today at the Bishop Howells Memorial Grammar School, St. Finbars Road, Akoka, Bariga Lagos. The play, which will be directed by Gbenga Yussuf will be performed for one hour starting from 4pm. It is targeted at children as a form of education and employment opportunity for the youth. Batonga is set to offer viewers the child trafficking business lesson and is expected to hold in 3 locations in Lagos. It will draw its casts from mostly unknown young actors and actresses in the creative sector.

    It is a project initiated by Terra Kulture with the support of Ford Foundation to promote theatre in public spaces intended to show that theatre can thrive even when there is no purpose built infrastructure.

    According to the Chief Executive Officer of Terra Kulture Mrs. Bolanle Austen-Peters ‘we believe talent and creativity should not be limited or held back by want of proper facilities, but that we can make do with what is available and by being innovative and creative we can use what we have to get what we want. We believe that success with this initiative will inspire the growth and proliferation of neighbourhood theatres, help develop talents, create employment and help get kids off the streets.’

    She said the project would enable them to take theatre to public schools, parks, play grounds and open spaces easily accessible to children and the youth. She noted that the project would focus on plays with social messages that are educative, informative and capable of instigating change.

    “We will invite public schools in the neighbouhoods to arrange for their students to attend.  We will also reach out to community associations to help spread word about the play coming to their neighbourhood,” she added.

    Ford Foundation Representative Mr Innocent Chuwuma said that the foundation’s involvement is part of coming back to its legacy-art and culture in West Africa noting that though it was down played few years ago. “A new management at Ford is bringing that back. We are also exploring new ideas on other things that could be done in that area. Art and culture is a barrier breaker and everybody has a message to take away from it. This is what we want to do more. Let’s take over public spaces with arts. Until now, the elites have been offered lots of cultural shows as against the low appearances in the suburb areas,” Chukwuma said. He observed that Terra Kulture has revolutionized theatre growth in Lagos

    The aims of the project include to use the platform to propagate social messages, create awareness about the potentials of careers in the theatre, create employment and economic benefits and get children off the streets, encourage investment in theatre and heater infrastructure, create a source of recreation and entertainment to families who ordinarily will not engage in recreational activities by taking it to their neighbourhood.

  • Akintola Williams visits alma mater, 77 years after

    Akintola Williams visits alma mater, 77 years after

    Accounting doyen and alumnus of CMS Grammar School, Bariga, Lagos, Pa Akintola Williams, has visited his alma mater. He graduated from the school in 1938 when the school was still on Broad Street.

    Pa Williams, who chairs the Board of Trustees, Old Grammarian Society (OGS), was conducted on a tour of facilities of the school by the Principal, Venerable Tunde Oduwole, and other alumni.

    The tour included the Modupe and Folorunsho Alakija Boys Hostel, an ultra modern facility donated by Mr and Mrs Modupe Alakija on September 18, 2012. Pa Williams said he was glad to be in the school and promised to make donations towards ensuring the school remains the best. He implored other alumni to do likewise.

    The Principal described Williams’ visit as timely, exciting and historic.

    “He attended the school when it was still on broad street in Lagos but that he come back here is particularly a great lesson that whatever we have to do, there must be the spirit of endurance, the spirit to follow up and remain dogged and committed to dreams and that it is not over until It is over”, he said.

    Ven Oduwole also thanked God for those that have impacted the school in one way or the other, particularly Mr and Mrs Alakija.  He said through the five-star hostel they endowed, the boys have learnt about the spirit of excellence and giving the best.

    “Each student has its own reading table and chair, compartment for wardrobe, book shelf, a chair, reading desk and the bed. The hostel has a reading room, laundry, kitchen, gym, television room and games room among other critical facilities that boys of their age would need,” he said.

    The Chairman, Board of Governors, Justice Olayinka Faji, said the school appreciates the role Pa Williams has played over the years in the school’s development.

    He said the school, with the help of OGS, and the sacrificial involvement of the Proprietor-Bishops has made tremendous progress since it was handed over by the state government in 2001.

    Former OGS president Ambassador Dapo Fafowora also spoke on the need to generate funds towards the welfare of workers and the school.

    OGS president, Toyin Abayomi Akin-Johnson, also spoke on the society’s contributions to the school.

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

     

  • Armed robbers shoot two YABATECH students

    Two students of Yaba College of Technology have been shot by suspected armed robbers during a robbery incident at their Bariga residence.

    The incident occurred on July 27.

    Residents said the masked gunmen were more than 14.

    The Nation gathered that the gunmen stormed Awofodu and Ajiun Streets in the Lady Lak area of Bariga, robbing and raping residents.

    Eyewitnesses disclosed that at Awofodu Street, the robbers carted away phones, two laptops and raped a lady.