Tag: Iju

  • ‘Lagos Ibadan standard gauge ready in Feb’

    A test run of the 45km Lagos Abeokuta standard gauge from in Iju, Lagos and terminate in Abeokuta will begin by February, the Managing Director of the Nigerian Railway Corporation Mr Fidet Okhiria said on Wednesday.

    Speaking at Ijoko, Ogun State during the routine inspection of the $1.7 billion project, Okhiria who represented the Minister of Transportation Mr Rotimi Amaechi, said by February 6, the corporation will begin a test run of the tracks.

    He said the first phase of the project, which is to link Lagos with Abeokuta by rail, is on course, adding the federal government will first deliver on it while work progresses on linking Abeokuta with Ibadan, thereby completing the Lot II of the Lagos to Kano standard gauge project.

    He said the contractor – China Civil Engineering Construction Corporation- has fully laid 38 kilometers of tracks from Kajola (km 41 to Abeokuta, km 79) while efforts to get the project from Kajola to Iju, is on course and would be achieved by February.

    According to him: “The contractors have said their equipment could lay 1.5 kilometres of tracks per day. That means that they could achieve the 10km distance between Kajola and Iju within seven days and we can start the test run of the tracks latest February 7.”

    He expressed satisfaction at the speed of the contractor, adding with the civil works between Kajola and Iju completed, work could go on unhindered on the laying of tracks.

    Okhiria, who led the media and other members of the project monitoring committee to ride on first class train coaches on the tracks between Kajola and Abeokuta, expressed satisfaction on the pace of the project.

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    He said two first class full air-conditioned coaches have been drawn from the Itakpe-Warri standard gauge corridor to service the new rail line.

    According to him, with a speed of 150 km/h, Lagos-Ibadan could be achieved within one hour, adding that such would have a tremendous impact on housing stock and congestion witnessed in the nation’s urban centres.

    Okhiria said the federal government has placed order for 30 locomotives and coaches and wagons to further boost modernisation of the fixed and rolling stocks of the railway corporation.

    He also praised the transparency of the compensation plans of the government which according to him has ensured the peaceful environment within which the contractor has been operating.

  • Two docked for allegedly assaulting motorist

    Two docked for allegedly assaulting motorist

    Two brothers, Gabriel Sanya,  28, and Michael Sanya, 30, were on Monday brought before an Ikeja Magistrates’ Court in Lagos for allegedly assaulting a motorist.

    The accused, residing at Iju-Ishaga in Agege, near Lagos, are facing a two-count charge of assault and conspiracy.

    The Prosecutor, Sgt. Samuel Ishola, told court that the accused committed the offences on January 8 at Iju Bus Stop in Agege.

    Read also: Motorists groan as fuel queues return to Lagos

    lshola said the accused assaulted one Sunday Akanni, a driver, working with LagBus over a misunderstanding on collecting balance of transport fare.

    “Akanni sustained an eye injury, following a head-butt as well as several punches from the brothers during an argument,” the prosecutor said.

    The offence contravened Section 172 and 411 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The duo, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges.

    The Magistrate, Mrs A.R. Onilogbo, granted them bail in the sum of N50, 000 with two sureties in like sum.

    She said that the sureties should be gainfully employed and must show evidence of a two-year tax payment to the Lagos State Government as part of the bail conditions.

    Onilogbo adjourned the case until February 17 for mention.

    NAN

  • NSCDC arrests 60 suspects, convicts 10 in 3 months

    NSCDC arrests 60 suspects, convicts 10 in 3 months

    The Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps ( NSCDC ) Ondo State Command, said it arrested more than 60 suspects and secured the conviction of 10 people for various crimes within 100 days in the state.

    Mr Awili Pedro, the State Commandant of NSCDC, announced this on Friday during the commissioning of the divisional headquarters, ‘B’ Division of NSCDC in Iju, Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

    Reports say  that the building is donated to NSCDC by the Iju Community in Akure North area.

    “Since my assumption of duty 100 days today, the command has held four press briefings and paraded over 60 suspects for various crimes, including vandalism, petroleum products adulteration and diversion.

    “Others are destruction of farm products by herdsmen, robbery, child abuse and trafficking, obtaining money under false pretence (419) and operation of private guard company without valid licence, to mention a few.

    “Within this period, we have recovered vandalised petroleum products, telecommunications and power equipment such as high tension cables, solar batteries and transformer accessories, including vehicles recovered from robbery suspects.

    Read also: NSCDC deploys personnel to filling stations

    “Most of these suspects are now facing trials and about 10 convictions have been secured within three months,” he said.

    Pedro said the command established quick response units of the corps on Ondo road in Akure and Uso and Emure-Ile communities which would be commissioned soon with the approval of the state government.

    He appreciated the state government and leaders of other sister agencies such as Brigade Commander, Director of DSS and Commissioner of Police for their positive interventions towards dislodging kidnapping and terrorist elements in Ondo North Senatorial districts and other parts of the state.

    “We enjoyed this synergy and unity of purpose in these operations that we are also a part of. It is our determination to continue to work in tandem with these sister agencies in making Ondo State a safe haven.

    “It is equally important to stress to this community, the need to collaborate with our personnel posted to work in this facility and indeed in the state.

    “We need timely information to enhance our effective service delivery,” he said.

    In his speech, Gov. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State, called on individuals to support government and security agencies in the state to eradicate crime in its 18 local government areas

    Akeredolu, who was represented by Mr Ifedayo Abegunde, Secretary to the State Government ( SSG ), appealed to NSCDC to fulfill its core mandate of protecting and securing both the civil population and government infrastructure and assets.

    “The commissioning of a divisional headquarters ‘B’ Division of NSCDC in Iju will go a long way in facilitating the peace, tranquility and security of the state as a whole and Akure North local government area in particular.

    “Since the entrenchment of peace and security is germane to the prosperity of a people, all hands must truly be on deck in supporting the extension of government security apparatus and services to the ancient town of Iju and its environs.

    “To this end, I deem it appropriate to admonish the ‘B’ division of the NSCDC to hit the ground running, by carrying out the duties effectively.

    NAN

  • Man, 29, in court for stealing stepmother’s money

    An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court, Lagos, on Tuesday granted N 40,000 bail to a 29-year-old security guard, Tajudeen Rasaki, accused of burgling his stepmother’s room and stealing N58,000.

    Rasaki, who resides at Agbado Road, Iju, Lagos, is facing charges of burglary and theft, to which he pleaded not guilty.

    The Magistrate, Mrs E. Kubeinje, who granted the accused bail, ordered him to produce two sureties in the like sum.

    She said that the sureties must be gainfully employed and should show evidence of two years’ tax payment to the Lagos State Government.

    Kubeinje adjourned the case till April 24 for mention.

    Earlier, the prosecutor, Insp. Essien Ndarake, told the court that the accused committed the offences on Sept. 12, 2016 at his residence.

    He said that the accused burgled the apartment of his stepmother, Mrs Bose Rasaki to steal N58, 000.

    Ndarake said that the complainant came back from work to discover that the burglar proof at the entrance of her apartment had been destroyed and her room ransacked.

    “What surprised her was that her room door was intact, but when she opened the door with her key, she discovered that the room had been ransacked.

    “She discovered that the money she kept inside her bag in her wardrobe was missing.

    “ A search was conducted and a duplicated key to the complainant’s apartment was found in the accused’s room,’’ he said.

    The offences contravened Sections 285 and 307 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the accused could bag seven years in prison if found guilty of stealing, based on provisions of Section 307.