The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ebute-Meta

  • Lagos empowers 3000 women with free skills, startup equipment

    Lagos State government has empowered over 3000 women and youths with skills and startup equipment in four different locations namely: Victoria Island, Ebute-Meta, Apapa and Ojo local government areas in the state courtesy of the Ministry of Women and Poverty Alleviation.

    Speaking at the closing ceremony of the four-weeks short term skills acquisition training for faith based women and cultural organisations held at Imo Liason Office, Victoria Island and Answar-Ur-Deen, Ebute Meta respectively, the Commissioner for Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Hon. Mrs. Cecilia Bolaji Dada, pointed out that the objective of the empowerment programme is to train women, girls and men alike in various skills and vocations for the purpose of economic empowerment and lifting their status from the state of dependency to self-reliance.

    “There is dearth of ‘white collar’ jobs, it is in realisation of this economic reality that the Lagos State government established 17 functional skills acquisition centres around the state,” she said.

    “The present administration under the able leadership of Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has taken women empowerment as one of its focal policies in order to mitigate the effects of poverty prevalent amongst women, we realise that when women are economically empowered, there is less tension in the home front and obvious reduction in domestic violence,” she said.

    In his goodwill message, the Liaison Officer, Imo State, Hon. Anthony Abili while commending Lagos State for empowering Imo women who resides in the state, enjoined the beneficiaries to maximise the opportunity.

    While addressing the beneficiaries at Ansar-Ur-Deen, Ebute-Meta Centre, Chief Imam, Abdul-Jamiu urged them to put the training learnt into practice.

  • Two jailed for cocaine, cannabis trafficking

    The Federal High Court in Lagos on Thursday sentenced a 27-year-old man, Nurudeen Olalekan, to two years imprisonment for trafficking 17.1 grammes of cocaine.

    The court also sentenced an unemployed man, Taiwo Musibau, to 18 months imprisonment for trafficking in 550 grammes of cannabis sativa.

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) arraigned them for separate drug trafficking charges before Justice Saliu Saidu.

    Olalekan pleaded guilty to the charge and begged the court to temper justice with mercy, saying that he would not commit crime again.

    After his plea, the prosecutor, Mr Jeremiah Aernan, reviewed the facts of the case and tendered some exhibits, including the convict’s written statement.

    Justice Saidu found the accused guilty of the offence as charged and convicted him.

    In his sentence, the judge noted the negative effects of drug trafficking in the society and warned the convict to desist from crime.

    “The convict is hereby sentenced to a term of two years imprisonment which will begin to run from the date of his arrest,” he said

    The court also ordered the drug exhibits to be disposed of by the prosecution if there is no appeal.

    The convict allegedly committed the offence on April 28.

    The prosecutor said that the convict was arrested at Bonny way motor park in Oyingbo, Ebute Meta, Lagos, with quantities of the restricted narcotics, weighing 17.1 grammes.

    Read Also: Court convicts runaway doctor of cocaine trafficking

    The offence contravened the Sections 11 (a) of the NDLEA Act, Cap N30 Laws of the Federation 2004.

    NDLEA charged Musibau, 40, on a count charge of drug trafficking, to which he pleaded guilty.

    Justice Saidu found the accused guilty of the offence as charged and convicted him.

    He sentenced Musibau to a term of one and half year’s imprisonment, beginning from the date of his arrest.

    The prosecution had told the court that the convict was arrested on April 6 at Ipaja Road in Agege, near Lagos with 550 grammes of cannabis.

    According to the NDLEA, Indian hemp is a restricted narcotic, similar to cocaine and heroin, which are all restricted by the provisions of the law.

    The offence contravenes the provisions of Sections 11 (c) of the NDLEA Act, Cap. N30, Laws of the Federation, 2004.

    Before his sentence, the convict pleaded with the judge to temper justice with mercy.

  • Evangelist in court over alleged N4.6m fraud

    An evangelist, who allegedly obtained N4.6 million under false pretext, was on Wednesday granted N500,000 bail by an Ebute Meta Chief magistrates’ Court in Lagos.

    The accused, 52-year-old Michael Adebayo, is being tried on a three-count charge bordering on conspiracy, obtaining under false pretext and stealing.

    He, however, pleaded not guilty to the offences.

    The Magistrate, Mrs O. Kusanu, who granted the accused bail in the sum of N500,000, ordered him to produce two responsible sureties each in like sum and adjourned the case till June 7, for further hearing.

    Earlier, Insp. Jimah Iseghede, had told the court that the accused committed the alleged offences sometime in January, at Bogiye Ibeju-Lekki.

    He alleged that the accused had obtained N4.6 million from Mrs Amaka Aliegwu under the pretext of investing the money in wood business.

    The prosecutor told the court that the accused neither invested the money nor returned it to the complainant, but instead, started issuing threats to her life.

    Iseghede said the offences contravened Sections 270, 314 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

  • Four-storey building collapses in Ebute-Meta

    Four-storey building collapses in Ebute-Meta

    A four-storey building under construction on Herbert Macaulay Way, Ebute-Metta, Lagos Mainland has collapsed yesterday.

    Lagos Building Control Agency (LASBCA) General Manager Lekan Shodeinde said the building was under construction when it collapsed.

    According to him, all necessary notices had been served to the developer, including a stop work notice.

    The agency, he said, had taken all necessary steps within its limit, including sealing up of the construction site with a caution tape to stop further work at the site.

    He, however, said there was no casualty at the collapse site since it had been sealed for a while by the agency.

    Shodeinde reiterated government’s zero tolerance to building collapse and avoidable death.

    He said the agency would not rest till incidence of building collapse was at zero level.

    He appealed to Lagosians to take all necessary precautions and steps during building construction.

  • Herbal medicine dealer docked for defrauding blind man of N1.5m

    A herbal medicine dealer, Sanusi Mohammed, who allegedly defrauded a blind man of N1.5 million, was on Monday charged before an Ebute Meta Chief Magistrates’ Court, Lagos.

    The accused, 60, is facing a two-count charge of fraud and stealing.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Kehinde Omisakin, told the court that the accused committed the offences in 2015 at Okobaba Street, Ebute Meta in Lagos.

    He said that the accused fraudulently obtained the money from Lawal Aliyu, promising that he would introduce him into oil and gas business, a representation he knew was false.

    “When the accused failed to introduce him to the business, the complainant  asked for a refund of his money and the accused refused to give it to him,’’ he said.

    The offences contravened Sections 280 and 314 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The accused, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge.

    The Chief Magistrate A.T. Elias, granted the accused bail in the sum of N1 million with two responsible sureties in like sum.

    He said the sureties should show evidence of tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    The case was adjourned until June 1 for mention.

  • Jubilation in Ebute-Meta as ‘Terror’ dies in custody

    Jubilation in Ebute-Meta as ‘Terror’ dies in custody

    A man’ suspected to be a hoodlum died yesterday in police custody, sparking jubilation among some residents of Ebute-Meta, Lagos Mainland.

    Sunday Terror was arrested by the police around 11.20am on Ondo Street, following a tip-off.

    He had been on the police wanted list for over seven months. He escaped each time the police got close to getting him.

    Residents, who discovered his hideout, tipped off security operatives and the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) of Denton, Olarenwaju Quadri led a special squad to fish him out.

    On sighting the police, Terror, said to be with his gang members identified as Dagbe, Omosoku and Oshankele, were said to have opened fire.

    The police returned fire; Terror was caught, but the others escaped with gunshot wounds through the waterside.

    When the news of Terror’s arrest was broken, people rushed to Denton Police Station, demanding that he should not be released.

    He was said to have died around 1pm.

    It was learnt that the crowd, which blocked the express road, included market women and traditional rulers. They cursed the suspect and reportedly asked that he should not be taken to a hospital.

    Some eyewitnesses at the police station claimed that the suspect confessed before he died.

    One said: “He has made life difficult for a lot of people here. So many people are afraid of Terror and his gang. People celebrated his arrest and his death because if he was taken to hospital, his godfathers, who are politicians, would have found a way to free him.

    “He confessed here that he was behind the death of four people at Evans Square in December. His gang killed four people and injured over 20. He also confessed that he was the one who beheaded one member of the Black Axe cult, as well as killed two people in Idumota.

    “He also told the police that Oshankele, his gang member who lives in Mushin was the one who keeps their weapons. Terror also said his gang members have killed many policemen and collected their rifles.”

    “Yes people are happy and I am also happy. We have been living in fear in Ebute-Meta because of Terror and his gang of criminals. They have done so many bad things. People even fear him in death. I wish the police will arrest members of his gang so that we can have peace,” the witness added.

    A security source told The Nation that Terror raped the daughters of some Baale (community heads) in the area.

    According to the source, six Baales visited the DPO to thank him for apprehending the suspect.

    “People helped us in arresting him. He ran into one house and when his colleagues saw us, they opened fire. When they saw that he would not make it, they shot him so that he won’t confess.

    “But we were able to get him to talk before he died. He confessed that they usually engaged in Bank and ATM robbery in Ebute-Meta.  That they usually operated on motorcycles and they killed any stubborn victim. He also said they usually terrorised sawmill operators and extorted money from them as well as traders.

    “The residents wrote several petitions to the Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations about Terror’s activities.

    “He also confessed that some of his colleagues live at Ijora Badia and Lagos Island. He said they usually attacked people going for morning prayers by laying ambush by their homes and forcing them to part with their valuables.

    “He also confessed that he raped many girls, including daughters of Baale, at gun point in their homes.

    “He was begging us to give him water but we did not because that would have killed him instantly. He bled and died around 1pm.

    “You needed to see the crowd that gathered here. They blocked everywhere, insisting that the police should let him die. They were shouting that he should not be taken to the hospital, that they were tired of his terror,” said the source.

    Police spokesperson Dolapo Badmos, a Superintendent of Police (SP), confirmed Terror’s death, adding that a locally-made pistol and an axe were recovered from him.

    She said a manhunt has begun for the fleeing suspects.

  • Ambode to make Ebute-Meta tourist haven

    Ambode to make Ebute-Meta tourist haven

    •‘We’ll turn Alimoso to VI’

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode yesterday unveiled plans to build a recreation park in Ebute-Meta in order to make it a tourist haven. The park will be built on a land overlooking the lagoon, adjacent to the Adekunle axis of the Third Mainland Bridge.

    Ambode, who spoke during the commissioning of Ipaja-Ayobo and Ikotun-Ejigbo Roads and tour of on-going projects across the state, lamented that the proposed park site was an eye sore from the bridge.

    He gave the auto mechanics under the bridge seven days to quit and remove all abandoned vehicles for the project to take off.

    The governor promised to complete the project before the end of May next year when the state will turn 50.

    He said: “Three months ago, you will all recall that we came to this particular road and we promised the people of Mosan-Okunola that we will deliver the Ipaja -Ayobo Road before Christmas, and it is on the strength of that promise that we are here today. Thank God, we have seen to the completion of this road; it has street lights beginning from Ipaja roundabout to the end.

    “As much as we have kept our promise and delivered even before the projected day, the residents should also maintain good use of this road and cooperate with the government as we extend development to this neighbourhood. I just want to assure the people of Alimoso axis that this government is right behind you and we would do everything possible to turn Alimosho to Victoria Island.”

    At the commissioning of Ejigbo Road, Ambode pledged that streetlight would be installed on the road from Ikotun roundabout to the Isolo campus of Lagos Polytechnic within three months.

    He said work on Brown Street in Oshodi, which began about six weeks ago, is now over 40 percent completed, expressing optimism that the residents would enjoy the new road when completed.

    After being briefed by Oshodi-Isolo Local Government Area Executive Secretary Dawood Olajobi on the challenges of the adjoining Igbehin-Adun and Inasa streets, the governor ordered the Public Works Corporation (PWC) to rehabilitate the streets within seven days.

    At the Oshodi Resettlement Market, Ambode also ordered the PWC to resurface its car park for the reopening.

    He urged the developer to consider a rent-to-own modality for shops’ acquisition, saying a monthly payment plan would prevent the shops from being hijacked by businessmen.