The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Mile 12 market

  • One dead, three injured as trailer shoves car into ditch

    One dead, three injured as trailer shoves car into ditch

    An early morning accident on Lagos – Ibadan expressway, has left one person dead and three others injured when a long truck swept their vehicle off the road from the rear and pushed it into a ditch.

    The accident which occurred near the proposed Mile 12 market in Ogere stretch of the expressway, involved a Toyota car marked AGL 743 EM and a trailer.

    The Public Relations Officer of the state’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, confirmed the accident, said reckless driving caused the accident.

    Akinbiyi added that a trailer hit the rear of the Toyota car and pushed it into a ditch.

    “Four  people were  on board, two males and one female were rescued to Skylark Hospital near the area while one female is presumed dead. The presumed dead has  been taken to a mortuary in Ipara community,” Akinbiyi said.

  • Lagos places embargo on approval for filling stations

    …Insists On Relocating Ikeja Computer Village, Okobaba Sawmill, Mile 12 Market

    The Lagos State Government has placed embargo on approval for construction of filling stations in all parts of the State till further notice, while a definite action will soon be taken on indiscriminate construction of event centres across the State, Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Wasiu Anifowose has said.

    Anifowose, who said this on Tuesday at the ongoing Ministerial Press briefing in Alausa as part of activities marking the second-year anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration, said government had already resolved not to grant construction permit for filling stations pending the inventory of existing ones.

    Responding to issue of oil spillage in Alimosho, Anifowose said the decision of government was necessary in view of the need to take proper inventory of the existing filling stations with the view to determining those that should be removed, all in a bid to ensure public safety.

    According to him, “What happened in Alimosho was because of pipeline vandalism. If people have not been greedy to vandalize pipeline, we will not be seeing what is happening. But be rest assured that no permit for filling station in Lagos State till further notice. I have told the General Manager of the concerned agency; the management team of the agency has taken a decision and we will not grant any approval until we take inventory and see what we have.”

    He said the State Government was also working with the Federal Government to relocate Tank Farms in residential areas in Apapa, adding that a definite pronouncement would be made in that in regard in due course.

    The Commissioner also warned owners of structures under high tension cables to relocate in their best interest as government would spare no effort in removing such illegal structures, adding that Event Centres illegally located would also be demolished.

    He said: “When this government came on board, what we did was that we set up a Committee and they are going round the State to take inventory of Event Centres. I like to state categorically that any development that does not comply with the Master Plan of the area of location will be removed. So, our agency is already working on it and they should be able to give us report in the next three to four weeks.”

    Speaking on activities of the Ministry in the last one year, Anifowose said due to proactive steps and reforms initiated, the State Government, in the period under review, achieved considerable reduction in building collapse, and reiterated that it was still an offence in the State for any physical developments including renovation, fencing, demolition and so on to be embarked upon without approval.

    “I must urge all Lagosians to partner with the State Government in reporting illegal developments and developers or owners of buildings who cut corners and use substandard materials in construction work. Furthermore, it is considered a necessity that prospective buyers or tenants should demand for the Planning Permit or Layout Approval of a building or estate respectively before down payments are made, to deter developers or owners from circumventing the law,” Anifowose said.

    Besides, Anifowose said during the period under review, a total of 5,499 structures were served with Contravention and Stop Work Notices, while between May 2016 and February 2017, a total of 2,340 plans were submitted and out of which 1,078 were granted Planning Permits. Also, 242 applications for Planning Information were received; 174 approved, while others were being processed.

    In the last 23 months, the Commissioner said 30 provisional layout approvals were granted and 28 final layouts, while government embarked on preparation of development guide plans in Igborosun Excised village in Badagry, Ikola-Odunsi in Alimosho and 13 Excised villages were granted Approval-in-Principle within Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki and Eti-Osa.

    He said aside the fact that government has paid compensation on properties demolished for right of way for major projects, efforts are also ongoing to relocate Computer Village in Ikeja to world class ICT Park, Katangowa in Agbado/Oke-Odo, while efforts are in top gear to relocate Mile 12 Market to Imota and Okobaba Sawmill to Agbowa.

  • Kwankwaso begs Ambode over Mile 12 market

    Kwankwaso begs Ambode over Mile 12 market

    Senator Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso has appealed to Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to reconsider his stand on the planned relocation of Mile 12 Market to Imota, on the outskirts of the metropolis.

    He spoke yesterday at the Mile 12 Market while addressing the affected traders and their leaders, stressing they must be law abiding and peaceful.

    The Mile 12 Market was shut for days in March following a riot. After it was reopened, the government unveiled its plan to relocate the market to Imota.

    The decision did not go down well with the Hausa traders, who felt it would affect their economic interest because, according to them “Imota is remote”.

    Kwankwaso, who noted that the Hausa and the other tribes, had co-existed in different parts of the country over the years, called for continued unity of purpose among the people in the market.

    He recalled his relationship with former governors Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Babatunde Fashola, whom he described as brothers and urged Ambode to follow their steps by rescinding his decision to relocate the market.

    While promising to further hold talks with Ambode on the issue, he was of the opinion that having existed for about 40 years, maintaining the status quo would only be in consonance with fairness and justice.

    He also underscored the contributions of the affected traders in the victory of the All Progressive Party (APC) during the last election, stating that such collaboration should not be undermined by any action of the government which could be misinterpreted as lack of gratitude.

  • Ambode moves Mile 12 market to Imota

    Ambode moves Mile 12 market to Imota

    MILE 12 Market traders will be relocated to a new site in Imota in Ikosi Ejirin Local Government Area of Lagos State in six months, Governor Akinwunmi Ambode said yesterday.

    Ambode, who inspected the new site alongside other projects, such as Imota Rice Mill and Okobaba Sawmill in Agbowa, directed the Ministry of Physical Planning to begin work on the site in one week.

    “We are all aware that we had a little crisis at Mile 12 Market in Ketu recently and right here now is the new site that we are relocating Mile 12 Market to. So, our new commodities market would take off from here and so I like to give the Ministry of Physical Planning the directive to commence activities here within the next one week”, he said.

    The governor said the market’s relocation is in the public interest, adding that the road network would be expanded to accommodate the development.

    Ambode said: “We are committed to doing this. We know it is in the interest of all Lagosians that we relocate Mile 12 Market here. The marketers themselves have agreed; the onus is now on us to ensure that we deliver this new market within the next six months.

    “I want to appeal to people in Imota that you will be having new set of investors; new set of traders and then new set of tenants. You should be very accommodating because we are bringing a whole lot here.

    “We are on our way to Agbowa now. We intend to relocate Oko Baba Market in Ebute Meta to Agbowa and so this axis will be a big axis for commerce, for employment and then for prosperity and that is what we want for the rest of Lagos.”

    The governor commended the contractors on the extent of work so far at the new site for the saw miller in Agbowa, stressing that soon the eyesore created by the saw miller along the waterways will be over.

    “We all can see that the work is going on steady. Our intention is to clean up the whole of Oko- Baba and relocate the entire sawmill to this place.  By extension meaning that you would not see any logging being done on our water along Ebute Meta axis in the area again, because all the logging in the axis has to stop and be done here.

    “And by so doing, we would have cleaned up that axis up to Third Mainland Bridge. I am assured that before the end of September, we would have commenced operation in this place.”

    Ambode said the Imota Rice Mill would be overhauled and start running in six months.

    His administration’s intention, he said, was to upgrade the facility to achieve 10,000 metric tonnes per hour production of rice and also invite private investors to complement that with an additional 10,000 metric tonnes per hour.

    “That is the only way we can be clearly said to have intervened seriously and that is the only platform we can use to allow the inflow of rice paddy from Kebbi State. You will all recall that we just signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Kebbi State and the intention is that we want a consistent flow of raw materials to come so that the era of importing rice from abroad would become a thing of the past”, the governor said.

    He said Lagos was also looking at possible partnership with other states, adding that on the long run, such collaboration will ensure that residents consume locally processed rice within six months.

    The governor promised to make the mill private sector driven, saying he would build a vibrant infrastructure to attract professionals and experts to manage the facility.

    “This is a major investment and we cannot allow it to rot away. So in the next three to six months, when we come back here, we must be eating Eko Rice,” he said.

    A member of the House of Assembly, Nurudeen Saka-Solaja, representing Ikorodu Constituency II, thanked the governor for Mile 12 market’s relocation to Imota.

    The Ranodu of Imota, Oba Adeniyi Agoro, thanked Ambode for considering the area for such laudable projects, saying his subjects would ensure their success.

     

     

     

  • Ambode re-opens Mile 12 market

    Ambode re-opens Mile 12 market

    Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State on Thursday ordered the re-opening of the Mile 12 Market following the satisfactory meeting and agreement reached with all the stakeholders involved in the operation of the market.

    This is contained in a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Mr Steve Ayorinde.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Mile 12 Market was shut by Ambode on March 3 after a clash erupted in the area.

    NAN reports that the leaders of the communities affected in the crisis agreed with the Lagos State Government on Wednesday on the need to relocate the market.

    Some of the major agreements reached by consensus among the various stakeholders include relocation of the market to another suitable location and ban on the use of commercial motorcycles in the area.

    They also agreed on peaceful co-existence among all the ethnic groups in the market and environs, removal of all shanties and illegal attachments within the market area, among others.

    Ayorinde said that the stakeholders agreed that it was only in an atmosphere of peace that their various businesses and trades could thrive.

    He assured that Lagos was home for all, and that the State Government would continue to provide the enabling environment for every investor to thrive.

  • Mile 12 fracas: Lagos Assembly calls for relocation of market

    Mile 12 fracas: Lagos Assembly calls for relocation of market

    Lagos State House of Assembly at plenary on Monday  called for the relocation of Mile 12 Market along Ikorodu-Ketu expressway from its current location to a more conducive place.

    Reacting to the crisis that occurred in the market last week, where some people lost their lives and properties destroyed, the House said, under matter of urgent public importance moved by Hon. Jude Idimogu, that the incident was unfortunate and should be avoided.

    The Assembly consequently called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to relocate Mile 12 and Owode Onirin Markets to another location after conducting necessary feasibility studies and when accompanying infrastructures must have been provided.

    While commiserating with the family of those, who lost their lives in the incident, the House condemned the killings and the attitude of soldiers stationed at the market, but who could not prevent the crisis.

    The House then called on Governor Akinwunmi Ambode to constitute a high-powered enquiry into the crisis and punish the perpetrators.

    The Speaker of the House, Hon. Mudashiru Obasa had earlier said that the incident was a result of disagreement amongst brothers, adding that the state government should summon courage and come up with a political will on the issue.

    “Soldiers have been stationed at the market since 1999, yet they have not been able to solve the problem. There is a police station there, what did the DPO do, when the incident occurred.

    “It is a market without structure, we can move the market to another place if we can provide an alternative. We should look at a new planning, we cannot have such a market at the centre of a megacity,” he said.

    He emphasised that the matter should be investigated and that the culprits should be brought to book, and that the military men stationed at the market should be investigated since they could not do anything about the matter before it got out of hand, while also suggesting provisions of CCTV in our markets.

    Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu suggested that the matter should be properly investigated to avoid a -re-occurrence rather than just relocating the market.

    The Deputy Speaker of the House, Hon. Wasiu Sanni Eshinlokun stressed that the market was not well organised and that a visit to the place would revealed that it is not a conventional market.

  • Mile 12 clash: Resident pleads adequate security to bury dead

    Mile 12 clash: Resident pleads adequate security to bury dead

    A resident of Agiliti Street in Mile 12, near Lagos, Mr Danjuma Jubril, on Friday pleaded with the police authorities to provide adequate security for the burial of people killed in the bloody clash in the area on Thursday.

    Jubril told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) that the tense security in the area was not conducive for proper interment of the dead.

    ”Some of the corpses are inside Agiliti River. We cannot bury or retrieve the bodies in the river because of the security situation.

    ”The burial ground we use is at Agiliti. We have sent message to the DPO in charge of this area that we need police escort to bury them.”

    Jubril, who said he was born at Mile 12 more than 30 years ago, blamed the deadly clash on hoodlums extorting money from commercial motorcyclists and trucks carrying food items.

    He advised that armed security men should be stationed permanently in the area in view of the incessant clashes.

    ”Security agents did not respond quickly when we called them. If they had responded immediately, the crisis would have been contained in time,” Jubril said.

    NAN reports that a detachment of armed policemen, soldiers and civil defence corps had been patrolling the areas, where ethnic Yoruba and Hausa-Fulani people engaged in hand-to-hand clashes resulting to many deaths.

  • Five killed in Lagos market crisis

    Five killed in Lagos market crisis

    At least five persons were on Thursday killed in an apparent ethnic tussle at the popular Mile 12 Market in Lagos.

    The clash which grounded business activities and hampered traffic flow for over three hours reportedly started on Wednesday night.

    Several persons including police officers were also injured, just as buildings were razed.

    The Nation gathered that trouble started on Thursday morning after members of the Hausa community in the market stormed the Agiliti area to avenge the death of a motorcyclist.

    Our correspondent learnt that the unnamed motorcyclist was assaulted with a cutlass by a Yoruba man and he died on Thursday morning.

    The deceased Hausa man reportedly had an altercation with hoodlums and as he tried to drive off, he unknowingly hit the woman.

    And following his refusal to part with ‘ticket money’, he was allegedly beaten up by the hoodlums who saw the accident as an opportunity to strike.

    This attracted the fury of his colleagues and kinsmen who engaged the hoodlums in a free for all.

    But the news of his death on Thursday morning allegedly reignited the fight with some mercenaries imported through the PSP truck.

    Our correspondent saw some young men carting away rams whose owners have fled to safety, while others armed with bottles, cutlasses and sticks took over the entire road.

    Vehicles were vandalised, shops looted as people rushed into moving vehicles just to leave the scene of the crisis.

    Firemen trying to put off an inferno were stopped by the hoodlums.

    It took the intervention of soldiers who came to the area in three vans before peace could be restored to the area.

     

  • Mile 12 market elects officers

    The Arewa Perishable Foodstuff Association at Mile 12 Market in Kosofe Local Government Area of Lagos State, yesterday, elected officers to pilot its affairs.

    The election was held 40 years after the market moved to Mile 12 from Iddo.

    Alhaji Haruna Mohammed polled 174 votes to beat Alhaji Tsoso Babangida with 15 votes to emerge chairman.

    Other officers were elected unopposed. They are  Alhaji Sahabi Sokoto – Vice chairman, Mohammed Abdul  – General Secretary, Shehu Usman Jibril – Financial Secretary, Abdulahi Namowa – Assistant General Secretary, Aminu Madobi – Auditor, Shuaibu Badamasi – Public Relations Officer, Adamu Danhegeja – Welfare Secretary, and Mohammed Guri – Treasurer.

    Alhaji Haruna thanked God, the government and security operatives for the peaceful election.

    “We also appreciate the love and support of our Iyaloja General, Alhaja Folashade Tinubu-Ojo. We assure them of our unalloyed cooperation. We have by this election, instituted democracy in the market and never again shall there be any leadership tussle among us. On behalf of this team, I want to assure our people that their welfare will be our priority.

    “We would intensify our efforts in making sure that the market is kept always clean and not relent on our efforts in riding the area of traffic. We therefore appeal to the state government to help us complete the pedestrian bridge as soon as possible and also provide micro credit scheme for our members to enhance their businesses.”

     

  • Mile 12 market fire: 4 confirmed dead, scores injured

    As at 5pm Friday, four persons were confirmed dead, while several others suffered different categories of fire injuries, sustained through an early Friday morning inferno, which took place at popular Lagos Mile 12 market.

    Eye witnessed account confirmed that thick cloud of smoke erupted at about 4.40am in the middle of the market, which immediately caused fear and panic among the traders and commuters in the area.

    Three hours later, three charred bodies were found after the officials of the Lagos Fire Service mobilized with water tankers to put out the fire with assistance from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) and the police.

    When The Nation visited the scene of the inferno, traders whose shops had been burned to ashes, stood at the distance mourning their losses, as they sorrowfully watched the smoke oozed out of the charred debris.

    One of the traders Paul Simeon, who claimed to be a wholesaler, lamented the loss of his N400, 000 worth of goods and a large sum of money which he had left behind in the shop.

    Such is the fate of many of the other traders who put their hands over their head in show of sorrow. The traders claimed that they have lost about a billion naira all together, in the 168 shops affected by the fire.

    Members and Officials of The Road Transport Workers Union whose office inside the market was completely razed down by the inferno, also stood around the burnt spots in the market, as they counted their heavy losses. Three buses, two trucks were burnt beyond recognition along with their numerous official documents.

    While there are conflicting reports as to what could have sparked off the fire, some of the traders said that it was a power surge which resulted after electricity light was restored to the area that early morning.

    But another report has it that illegal oil sale popularly known as black market sale of fuel inside the market, sparked off the early morning fire. This version was confirmed by a cross section of the traders who were led by one of the ‘line Chairman’ and was supported by the burnt evidence of 60 ton of oil tanker and another four 30 ton oil tankers inside the market that clogged together at a spot, along with a container where empty kegs of groundnut oil were kept.

    Reports confirmed that some kind of illegal oil/fuel sale was taking place there twenty four hours of the day, as those who died in the inferno, were those who normally slept in the container that was also used to service that particular business, and could not escape the flames.

    Speaking to The Nation, the Vice Chairman of The Road Transport Union, Alhaji Umaru Isah confirmed that the fourth dead body had just been removed from the fire scene and that many of the wounded victims had also been rushed to the Lagos State Teaching Hospital in Ikeja.

    He said that the traders and members of the union were cheered up when during the day, the Iyaloja General of markets, visited to console them and so also, the Chairman of Ikosi Local Council.

    He also confirmed that Lagos State APC Gubernatorial Candidate, Ambode Akinwunmi, had already sent word to them, that he would visit them on Saturday.