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Tag: lagos

  • Ethiopian Air opens condolence registers in Lagos, Abuja, Kano, Enugu

    ETHIOPIAN Airlines, owners of the ill-fated Boeing 737 Max – 8 that crashed on Sunday, have opened condolence registers in Abuja, Lagos, Kano and Enugu.

    There were 157 passengers aboard the plane which was flying from Addis Ababa to Nairobi, Kenya.

    The airline opened the registers at its offices in the four cities for the victims of ET Flight 302.

    The development came in the wake of the global outrage triggered by the crash.

    Two Nigerians –  Ambassador Abiodun Bashau and Prof Pius Adesanmi  – were among the victims.

    The General Manager of Ethiopian Airlines in Nigeria, Mrs. Firihiewot Mekonnen, yesterday received the first set of visitors at the airline’s Lagos Office.

    At the Abuja Airport, the Managing Director of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Saleh Dunomah, was received by Ethiopian Airlines Sales Manager  Tilahun Tadesse.

    Mrs. Mekonnen thanked Nigerians for standing by her organisation “in this moment of grief”.

    “We thank the Nigerian President and the good people of Nigeria for the condolence message from the Government of Nigeria.

    “We have always counted on Nigeria as an African partner and brother and this sad occasion once again proves the bond. We commiserate with Nigeria over the loss to humanity of the two great Nigerians on that flight. We have since reached out to the families involved. Ethiopian Airlines will not abandon its responsibilities to them.”

    Ethiopian Airlines has grounded all B737-8Max airplanes in its fleet. The airline was not flying the B737 Max-8 on its Nigerian routes. The B777, B787 Dreamliner and the Airbus A350 are the aircraft deployed daily to Nigeria.

    The crash has raised questions about the safety of the aircraft type.

    The two crashes involving Ethiopian Airlines and Lion Air has further put a question mark on the safety integrity of Boeing 737 Max-8.

    Investigations have been launched into the circumstances leading to the crash but there heightened anxiety among global passengers booked on airline flight for carriers that have Boeing 737- Max 8 on their fleet.

    Britain yesterday led other nations, including Malaysia, Oman, Australia, China and Singapore to temporarily ban the aircraft model in their airspaces.

    A local operator,  Air Peace, which had ordered for 10 units of the aircraft type, said it was not suspending its order.

    It, however, promised to watch ongoing investigations before taking a decisive step.

    Industry regulator Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) gave assurance on the state of aircraft flying in Nigeria’s airspace.

    The NCAA said there was no cause for worry, as no Boeing 737 Max-8 was being operateed in the country.

    Its spokesman, Sam Adurogboye, assured the flying public of their safety, stating that there is no cause for alarm.

    He said in a statement: “Presently, the accident aircraft type, Boeing 737 Max-8 is not in operation in the country. However, the authority, in line with its Safety Oversight mandate enshrined in the Civil Aviation Act 2006, is consciously monitoring the development (s) with a view to take the necessary steps that will enhance the safety of all aircraft in operation within the Nigerian airspace.”

    “This is to assure the public that NCAA will continue to ensure that safety regulations are strictly adhered to for the safety of all in Nigeria. Our heart is with the Airline and families of the victims of the accident.”

    Also yesterday, United States (U.S.) regulators ordered Boeing to make urgent improvements to the model and insisted that they would take action if safety issues are detected.

    But the U.S. demand was not enough to reassure aviation authorities in Britain and four other countries — Singapore, Australia, Malaysia and Oman — who temporarily banned all 737 MAX planes from their airspace.

    China, an important market for Boeing, had already ordered domestic airlines to suspend operations of the plane Monday, same step taken by Indonesia.

    The UK Civil Aviation Authority said in a statement headlined “Boeing 737 MAX Aircraft” that “as a precautionary measure” it had decided “to stop any commercial passenger flights from any operator arriving, departing or overflying UK airspace”.

    Aviation regulators in Singapore, a global air travel hub and popular transit point for long-haul travellers, said they would work with the country’s main airport and “the affected airlines to minimise any impact to travelling passengers”.

    One Singaporean airline, SilkAir, uses 737 MAX aircraft while a handful of foreign airlines operate the planes in the city-state.

    In its statement announcing the 737 MAX ban, Malaysia’s aviation regulator noted the two recent fatal accidents involving the model.

    Britain joined four other countries in banning Boeing 737 MAX planes from their airspace as a growing number of airlines around the world grounded the jets following a second deadly accident in just five months.

    Low-cost airline Norwegian Air Shuttle said Tuesday it would suspend flights of its Boeing 737 MAX aircraft until further notice.

    Norwegian, which operates 18 of the planes, will keep them grounded pending advice from aviation authorities, Operations Chief Tomas Hesthammer said.

     

  • Multi-million naira Lagos community project under threat

    In this report, Assistant Editor (Arts) OZOLUA UHAKHEME writes that serial burglaries at the Prince Claus fund sponsored multi-million naira workstation at Iwaya, Yaba, Lagos, Mainland are threatening the project.

    •Facility looted four times since August

    A multi-million naira Workstation of Communal Re-Imagination, Iwaya, Lagos, a project funded by Prince Claus Fund, is under threat. The multipurpose space that provides alternative art school for the youth of Iwaya community has been burgled  four times since its inception last August.

    The first two burglaries occured last October 24 and 25. Some people allegedly broke into the workstation through the window and ceiling and carted away valuable items, such as bead works by participants, materials for bead workshop and paints bought for the space. Bulks of the books destroyed were donated to the library by an artist Abraham Ogbobase who relocated to Canada last year. Some of the books and artworks destroyed and stolen include InterInvention by Wole Soyinka,  Lagos Street Maps Unifying Africa by Uche James Iroha,  The Contemporary Art Book by David Hodge And Charlotte Bonham- Carter  Lagos: A City At Work by Kunle Tejuosho (Glendora Books),  We Face Forward ( Art Form),  Techniques Of Photography by Available Light by Colin Glanfield,  Limbus- Saara Estrom by Kiasama, Between Man And Nature by Sunmi Smart Cole,  Time Frames (The Story Of Photography) by Ian Jeffrey and Element of Philosophy by B. E Nwigwe.

    The project is worth about 20,000 Euro and will last for one year.

    Executive Director, Workstation of Communal Re-Imagination, Aderemi Adegbite, who raised the alarm, said in a statement that the latest attack on the facility was on January 29, when almost all the books were destroyed and thrown outside the workstation.

    He said going by the spate of attacks and vandalisation of the workstation, it was clear that those behind the attacks were on a mission. Their intent, he added, is to stop ‘’us from using the space for the purpose for which it was built, which is education. They know that without the books and materials, we will not be able to do anything and thereby get frustrated’’.

    Communal Re-Imagination was conceived and proposed by Mr. Aderemi Adegbite, for the Next Generation Project of Prince Claus Fund, to  help engage the minds and hands of youths in the community. The workstation was built as part of the project as a meeting point for participants and other youths in the community, who are creative and talented.

    Adegbite, an interdisciplinary artist, who works with media photography, is very depressed about the losses. He said his main reason for creating the project was to show youths that there are other means of making life meaningful.

    He recalled that his challenges started when he reported last October’s attacks to the traditional head of Iwaya community, who summoned other chiefs for explanation. He noted that the traditional ruler advised him not to report to the police because a “formal report at the police station will not solve the problem, because the workstation is built in a volatile section of the community, where the police will not even bother themselves to go to.”

    “Two Baales who attended the meeting said to the king that before they could reckon with the project, I must pay N500,000 to them as bribe. My response was that the project was conceived and created for the community to complement what the community leaders are doing in the community by re-channelling the untamed youth energy in the community through art. They all said they understood the motive behind the project, but I still must make the payment for them to fully endorse the project. I made them realise that the funding received from Prince Claus Fund has been used to build the space, so it could be useful for the project and as well the community. But they were adamant,” he said.

    On the third break-in, Adegbite recalled:”When we arrived at the workstation on November 13, 2018, we realised that some of the books in our library were missing. Project manager of Communal Re-Imagination, Taiwo Ayeidogbon, asked participants if they took some of the books home for research and they all said no. So, we were disturbed by the number of books that were missing on the book shelves. We searched every corner of the workstation and saw some book covers in the dustbin. It was appalling the number of books that had been destroyed overnight. The contents of the books were taken away and the covers were dumped in the dustbin.”

    Adegbite stated that he reported the burglaries to two of the three Baales (chiefs, sectional community leaders) who are fully aware of the project from the inception and they promised to look into it. But, that after two days, three Baales were summoned to the palace and were acquainted with the theft case.

    “At the beginning of the project, I met with the Oba-in-Council (King-in-Council) to inform them about the grant and what the project was all about. I was asked series of questions by the king and the chiefs present at the meeting. I explained to them in details all about the project phases and payment procedures by the funding organisation – Prince Claus Fund. Their major concern at that time was about raising fund to build a proper space for the school project and the property that could be used. This was because there is no community owned property in Iwaya community.

    “In fact, some of them mentioned the fact that there is no community cultural centre and therefore it would stress the fund meant for the project because a lot of unforeseen payments have to be made. I assured them that I already have a space I started developing four years ago but couldn’t develop it beyond foundation level and it will be used for the workstation, which will be built as a multipurpose space where the alternative art school project will take place and other community events. And the workstation was built for that purpose. In September 2018, there was Iwaya Community Celebration, I was made the Chair-of-Art/Cultural events. The workstation was used for rehearsals and meetings for the Regatta that was part of Iwaya Community Day celebration. And all the chiefs visited The Workstation during this event in September 2018,” he added.

    On the latest attack, he said: “On 29th January, I received a call from the workstation Manager, Olufela Omokeko, that our library has been once again attacked and almost all the books destroyed this time and thrown outside the workstation.”

    It will be recalled that the image of the community changed from its infamous hoodlum ridden status in the recent time because of the community art projects. In 2015, Adegbite started his community art projects in Iwaya as an alternative engagement for the young people to see and choose alternative means of life through art. In 2016, he created a community-based international art festival to help the youth shun violence and embrace art.

    The international artists invited for Iwaya Community Art Festival, for one month, lived and carried out research in collaboration with the youth in the community. Between 2016 and last year, the festival hosted 13 international artists from Africa, Europe, South America and Middle East.

     

     

  • Technician charged with stealing

    A technician, Yemi Akinlaja, 54, was yesterday arraigned at an Ikeja Chief Magistrates’ Court for allegedly breaking into an office and stealing electrical fittings and apparatus worth N100, 000.

    Prosecuting Inspector Victor Eruada alleged that Akinlaja broke into Mr Bello Akeem ’s office at 43, Kudirat Abiola Way, Oregun, Lagos, on February 12.

    He said the defendant gained access through the aluminum door and stole electrical fittings and apparatus valued at N100, 000.

    “When the guard saw Akinlaja running away, he alerted others.

    “They pursued the defendant and he was apprehended,” Eruada said.

    The defendant pleaded not guilty.

    Magistrate M. I. Dan-Oni granted him N50, 000 bail with one surety in the like sum.

    Dan-Oni ordered that the surety must be employed, show evidence of three years tax payment to the Lagos State Government and have his address verified.

    The case was adjourned till March 18.

  • Businessmen arraigned for allegedly selling adulterated oil

    The Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) has arraigned four men at the Federal High Court in Lagos for allegedly producing and selling adulterated engine oil.

    Justice Oluremi Oguntoyinbo ordered that they be remanded in prison custody pending ruling on their bail application.

    The accused are Uche Johnson, Olaide Shittu, Kingsley Meteke and Abdulquadri Olayinka.

    They were alleged to have adulterated 128 drums and 9.45 litres of oil.

    The prosecution alleged that the defendants and others at large on January 2, at 2, Esugbayi Street, NPA Quarters, Marine Bridge, Apapa, produced adulterated/substandard engine oil for public consumption.

    They claimed that the products were genuine engine oil and sold them to unsuspecting motorists.

    SON said the engine oil did not comply with mandatory industrial standards, an offence that violated Section 26 of the SON Act 2015.

    The prosecution said the defendants, on the same day and place, “did indulge in dealing in and offering for sale adulterated/substandard engine oil.”

    The defendants were accused of dealing in 128 drums and 9.45 litres of substandard engine oil, which they claimed to be of high quality and for optimum engine performance.

    In count four, they were alleged to have “failed to comply with SON’s Conformity Assessment Programme” by dealing in adulterated engine oil that did not have the requisite certification.

    They were charged with four counts of production, possession, dealing in and distribution of substandard engine oil.

    The defendants pleaded not guilty.

    After their arraignment, the prosecutor, Mr. J. A. Olofindare, from the Federal Ministry of Justice, urged the court for a trial date and for the prosecution to produce its witnesses to establish its case against the defendants.

    Defence counsel Mr. S. U. Nweze informed the court of a bail application filed on behalf of the defendants.

    Moving the application, he urged the court to grant them bail on liberal terms.

    Justice Oguntoyinbo adjourned till March 19 for ruling on the bail application.

    “They’re hereby remanded in prison pending determination of the bail application,” she ruled.

    She fixed May 2, 7 and 9 for trial.

     

  • Lagos signs 18% pension contribution rate into law

    The Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has signed into law the Amendment of the Lagos State Pension Reform Law which increased the contribution rates under the Contributory Pension Scheme (CPS) to 18 per cent, Commissioner for Establishments, Training and Pensions, Dr. Akintola Benson has said.

    The Commissioner spoke while representing the governor at the presentation of retirement benefit bond certificates to retirees at the LASPEC Complex, NECA House, Ikeja, Lagos.

    Benson stated that under the administration of Governor Ambode, the state government contributions have now been increased to 10 per cent from 7.5 per cent whilst the employees’ contribution is eight per cent from 7.5 per cent.

    He said this is to make life more comfortable for employees who retire from the state’s public service.

    He also said that the state has again presented retirement benefit bond certificates worth N1.01 billion to 177 Public Service retirees.

    He said: “The payment made into the Retirement Savings Account (RSA) of the retirees represents government’s obligations under the discontinued Pay as You Go Pension scheme. From April, 2007, the state had transited to the Contributory Pension Scheme and had consistently remitted contributions into employees Retirement Savings Account.

    “A total number of 10,601 retirees from the Mainstream Service, Local Government/State Universal Basic Education (SUBEB), Teachers Establishments Training & Pensions Office (TEPO) TEPO and Parastatals of government had received accrued Pension rights of N43.63 billion.”

    The Director-General, LASPEC, Mrs. Folashade Onanuga, in her welcome address, encouraged the retirees and advised them to be wary of business ventures that appear to have high risk.

    She informed them that the issue of Identification Cards which had been in the pipeline for some time has been concluded.

    She disclosed that the issuance of the cards will begin next month.

  • Passenger dies aboard Delta Airlines en route Lagos

    A passenger aboard Delta Airlines Flight DL54 on Monday died in the airplane during the about 12 hours flight between the carrier’s bade in Atlanta in the United States and Murtala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos.

    Sources closed to the airline said it is unprofessional to disclose the identity of the passenger without informing the family.

    In a statement, Delta Airline said local medical professionals met the plane upon arrival and confirmed the passenger had sadly passed away.

    Read also: Benue Rerun: We remain upbeat, sure of victory – APC candidate

    The statement reads: ” A passenger on Delta Flight DL54 traveling from Atlanta to Lagos today, March 11, 2019, was found unresponsive before landing. Local medical professionals met the plane upon arrival and confirmed the passenger had sadly passed away. Delta Airlines extends its deepest condolences to the family at this sad time. As a matter of passenger privacy, Delta Airline will not release additional information.”

  • Governorship: Sanwo-Olu, Abiodun, Abdulrazak lead

    The All Progressives Congress (APC) appeared to be heading for victory last night in the governorship election in Lagos, Ogun, Kwara, Kebbi, Sokoto and Bauchi States as results began coming in from the various polling booths.

    The opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was looking good in Adamawa, Enugu, Delta, Ebomyi and Akwa Ibom States.

    In Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu of the APC who was projected by The Nation as the candidate to beat yesterday, established a strong lead ahead of his closest rival, Jimi Agbaje of the PDP with the majority of the votes   cast in such areas as Ikorodu, Alimoso, Badagry and Lagos Island.

    Sanwo-Olu was the preferred candidate at Vice President Yemi Osinbajo’s polling unit in Victoria Garden City, Lekki.

    He got 223 votes there as against the 175 votes polled by Agbaje.

    The ruling party lost to the PDP by a wide margin during the presidential election two weeks ago.

    At PU 007, Anglican Primary School, Iworo, Badagry LGA the APC candidate got 207 while the PDP received 74 votes.

    Prince Dapo Abiodun of APC held firm in most parts of Ijebu, Remo , Egbaland and Otta.

    He also did well in Yewaland although Adekunle Akinlade of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM)   seemed to have an edge there, being an indigene.

    Alhaji AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq of the APC appeared to have confirmed the uprooting of the PDP in Kwara State with another emphatic win.

    AbdulRazaq won his polling unit at Idigba, Adewole ward with 592 votes as against PDP’s 80.

    He also got 201 votes at Ode Oba Onilu, Ilorin as against the 52 for PDP.

    At press time, there was a wide gap between his votes and what the PDP candidate Razaq Atunwa had garnered.

    It was also clear that Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State had won in most of the polling centres where INEC returning officers had announced results.

    Bagudu got 572 votes against the 7 received by Sen. Isa Galaudu of PDP at Iyan Gwandu polling unit 012, Marafa ward.

    In Nasarawa 2 polling units 002, Bagudu got 526 votes and Galaudi 98.

    At polling unit 008 at GRA Kindi Zauro, Nasarawa ward in Birnin Kebbi, Bagudu scored 354 while Galaudi, scored 87.

    In Garkar Mai-Alelu polling unit 006, where the governor cast his vote, the APC received 745 votes against 23 garnered by the PDP.

    The trend was similar in Sokoto and Bauchi State.

    Official results from polling stations in Adamawa, Enugu, Delta, Ebonyi and Akwa Ibom gave it to the PDP candidates.

    The PDP won the governorship election in former Vice President Atiku Abubakar’s polling Unit 012 of Ajiya Ward of Adamawa North Local Government Area.

    Announcing the results at the unit, the presiding officer declared that the APC polled 99 votes while the PDP scored 161 votes. The ADC candidate scored 51 votes while the SDP candidate got only one vote.

    Similarly, the PDP trounced the ruling APC with a 50 votes margin at the polling unit in front of Adamawa State deputy governor’s office

    According to the announced results, APC scored 63 votes, while PDP got 113 votes. The ADC got 78 votes.

    In the presidential elections of February 23, APC celebrated a victory over PDP at the same polling unit with 187 votes against 167 votes.

    As it was during last month’s presidential and national assembly elections, many top politicians failed to deliver even their polling units.

    President Muhammadu Buhari delivered his Unit 003 s in Sarkin Yara A Ward in Daura Local Government Area of the State for the APC governorship candidate Aminu Masari, with 370 votes.

    Senator Yakubu Lado-Danmarke of the PPD polled 42 votes.

    Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State lost his polling unit to the PDP in the gubernatorial election.

    The All Progressives Congress candidate, Adebayo Adelabu, scored 112 votes while the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, Seyi Makinde, scored 145 votes.

    A former Oyo State governor, Rasheed Ladoja won the governorship election in Polling Unit 13, Ward 10, Ibadan North Local Government Area for the PDP with 180 votes while APC received 34 votes.

    Dapo Abiodun ,the APC flag bearer in Ogun got 240 votes at his Ward 3 Unit 2, Ita Osanyin, Iperu, Ikenne Local Government Area to beat his closest rival, Adekunle Akinlade, of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM), who polled 71 votes.

    A factional governorship candidate of the PDP who went into an alliance with Akinlade against Abiodun was roundly beaten  at his polling unit at Ward 5 Unit 4 Wesley Nursery and Primary School, Iperu, Ikenne.

    At the end of voting APC scored 197 votes, while the APM polled 75 votes.

    The PDP and ADC polled 6 and 2 votes respectively.

    The APC also floored former governor Ayodele Fayose at his unit at Afao Ekiti in Irepodun Ifelodun local government area of the state.

    The APC’s candidate in Irepodun/Ifelodun constituency 2, Alhaji Hakeem Jamiu, beat the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate, Sunday Omosilade by scoring 168 against PDP candidate’s 26 at St David’s Primary School polling unit in Afao Ekiti.

    Omosilade, who is  Fayose’s Personal Assistant, had earlier in a letter dated March 1 and addressed to the Independent National Electoral Commission, signified his intention to withdraw from the race.

    But the INEC said it was not aware of such withdrawal, saying he should have withdrawn 45 days to the poll.

    Also, at units 15 and 003, Igbemo ward, Jamiu recorded 171 and 335 votes respectively, while PDP polled 0 in the two units.

  • Polls: Army arrests 19 in Lagos, Ogun

    Operatives of the Nigerian Army yesterday arrested 19 persons for electoral offences in Lagos and Ogun States.

    They also recovered 111 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from a suspect at Oshodi, 10 cutlasses, an axe, iron rod and objects suspected to be mortals from hoodlums at Olayinka in Ajegunle, Lagos.

    Four of the suspects including a soldier who breached the movement restriction order, a man carrying charms and a thug were arrested by operatives of the 9 Brigade at Mushin, Oshodi and Ikeja areas of Lagos State respectively.

    It was gathered that the suspect held at Onigbongbo was fighting at a polling unit, while the soldier and a civilian were arrested at Mushin for breaching movement restriction order.

    Confirming the arrests, the Commander 9 Brigade Gen. Lagbaja Abiodun told our Correspondent that another suspect was apprehended with charms at a polling unit in Oshodi while trying to cause a fight.

    He said: “We made three arrests. One was at Onigbongbo involving a young man who was causing trouble. We arrested a soldier and a civilian around Mushin. The soldier was not on election duty and he was breaching the movement restriction order. Because he was with a civilian, it was believed they had intent to cause trouble.

    “Another man was arrested at Oshodi with charms and he was causing a fight. All the suspects are currently in out barrack and would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action,” he said.

    At Olayinka in Ajegunle where weapons were recovered, The Nation gathered that thugs had invaded the area in a bid to disrupt election but were confronted by soldiers stationed not far from a polling unit.

    While the suspects fled, the soldiers, according to spokesman for 81 Division, Laolu Daudu, a Lieutenant Colonel, apprehended one of them.

    Daudu said seven suspects were also arrested at Makinde area of Oshodi for attempting to snatch ballot boxes, three hoodlums held at Ogere in Ogun State and handed over to the police; a military impersonator at Abule Ogun and one false Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) official apprehended opposite Redemption camp, Owode.

    Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu on yesterday evening ordered the arrest of party officials and candidates found at ward or local government collation centres in the state.

    Muazu who described the election as peaceful, noted that the officials and candidates were violating the Electoral Act by being present at collation centres and their presence could spring violence.

    He gave the order while on tour of Ward collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area (LGA) after observing the presence of some party officials.

    The commissioner ordered them out of the centres, directing the Police officers leading security teams to arrest anyone found in 15 minutes.

    “Each party is supposed to send a representative to the collation centres. Only the party agents are to be at the collation centres. No candidates who have contested election should be here and no party chieftain.

    “Only electoral officers bringing in results and party agents are wanted here. Any candidate or party official found here has contravened the Electoral Act and would be arrested. Arrest them and bring them to my cell. I have food to give them.

    “I do not anticipate any post election violence. The whole exercise has been good thus far. We have seen from the polling units and now visited all collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area and the process is moving smoothly. No problems anywhere.

    “Collation has started in the four wards we have visited in Ikeja. We have seen adequate security in those areas and we have not received complaints from any of the officers over the collation exercises.

    “I have reports of few arrests made within Lagos but I cannot give you details because I am yet to receive full reports from the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs).”

  • Polls: Army arrests four in Lagos

    Operatives of the Nigerian Army on Saturday arrested four persons for electoral offences in Lagos.

    The suspects who were arrested at different locations within Ikeja, Mushin and Oshodi, were said to have conducted themselves in ways capable of disrupting the electoral process.

    It was gathered that one of the suspect was held at Onigbongbo while fighting at a polling unit by operatives of the 9 Brigade, while a soldier and one civilian were arrested at Mushin for breaching movement restriction order.

    Confirming the arrests, the Commander 9 Brigade Gen. Lagbaja Abiodun told our Correspondent that another suspect was apprehended with charms at a polling unit in Oshodi while trying to cause a fight.

    He said: “We made three arrests. One was at Onigbongbo involving a young man who was causing trouble. We arrested a soldier and a civilian around Mushin. The soldier was not on election duty and he was breaching the movement restriction order. Because he was with a civilian, it was believed they had intent to cause trouble.

    “Another man was arrested at Oshodi with charms and he was causing a fight. All the suspects are currently in out barrack and would be handed over to the appropriate authorities for further action,” he said.

    Meanwhile, Police Commissioner Zubairu Muazu on Saturday evening ordered the arrest of party officials and candidates found at ward or local government collation centres in the state.

    Muazu who described the election as peaceful, noted that the officials and candidates were violating the Electoral Act by being present at collation centres and their presence could spring violence.

    He gave the order while on tour of Ward collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area (LGA) after observing the presence of some party officials.

    The commissioner ordered them out of the centres, directing the Police officers leading security teams to arrest anyone found in 15 minutes.

    “Each party is supposed to send a representative to the collation centres. Only the party agents are to be at the collation centres. No candidates who have contested election should be here and no party chieftain.

    “Only electoral officers bringing in results and party agents are wanted here. Any candidate or party official found here has contravened the Electoral Act and would be arrested. Arrest them and bring them to my cell. I have food to give them.

    “I do not anticipate any post-election violence. The whole exercise has been good thus far. We have seen from the polling units and now visited all collation centres in Ikeja Local Government Area and the process is moving smoothly. No problems anywhere.

    “Collation has started in the four wards we have visited in Ikeja. We have seen adequate security in those areas and we have not received complaints from any of the officers over the collation exercises.

    “I have reports of few arrests made within Lagos but I cannot give you details because I am yet to receive full reports from the Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs).”

  • NYSC corps members prevent voting in Lagos over unpaid allowance

    Voting in Iba Local Council Development Area of Lagos may not commence until 1pm as ad hoc workers insisted their feeding allowance must be paid before they go to the field.

    Those who spoke with The Nation said INEC has not paid the feeding allowance for the last Presidential and National Assembly election.

    “We have resolved that both the last election and today`s allowances be paid before we go to our polling units.

    “Our colleagues in other areas have been paid. We are to collect N10, 000,” said one of the workers.

    INEC, he said, through the RAC and SPO offered to pay N5, 000 to the workers and pay the remaining after the election.

    According to him, the workers did not agree to such arrangement.

    The Nation learnt that a top politician waded into the matter.

    Read also: PDP, APC can’t win elections in Anambra, APGA boasts

    “I was told the politician gave INEC money to offset the remaining N5, 000.

    ‘’As soon as we collect our money, we will move with the materials as you can see they are already in the bus,” he said.

    Another ad hoc worker said the money were being paid into wrong hands.

    “They said we should go to our polling units that our SPO will go round to disburse the money, but some of us don`t know the SPO that received our money.

    ‘’Our SPO said the money was paid to a wrong person. Can you imagine? We would rather wait here to collect our money,” she said.

    Meanwhile, voters are returning to their homes after waiting for over three hours at the polling units.

    Mrs. Lola Adetunji said she left home as early as 8am to vote.

    “I was disappointed that INEC officials have not turned up. This is 11:45am. I can wait any longer. I have other things to do with my precious time,” she said.

    Segun OIabode chided INEC for the shoddy preparation.

    He wondered how INEC would deny the ad hoc workers their rights after completing the first exercise.

    “Whoever is responsible for the non-payment of their money should be arrested immediately. This is sabotage.

    ‘’How can you deny the whole LCDA their right to commence voting like other areas because of your stupid selfish interest?

    ‘’That person is a criminal and must be treated as such. If other areas` ad hoc workers have been paid, why are the workers here yet to receive theirs?”