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Tag: Ogun River

  • Ogun River dredging: FG more concerned about averting flood, saving life than aquaculture –  Ashiru

    Ogun River dredging: FG more concerned about averting flood, saving life than aquaculture –  Ashiru

    The Federal Government is more interested in taking proactive measures to chart pathways for easy flow of excess water from the Oyan Dam in Ogun State to prevent loss of lives and destruction of property due to flooding than the aquatic culture or activities going on in the river, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of the Ogun Osun River Basin Development Authority (OORBDA),  Deji Ashiru, has said.

    Read Also: Ibadan Circular Road: Oyo orders officials to stop marking, demolition of buildings

    Ashiru made the remarks at commencement of the dredging of 10km stretch of the Ogun River downstream to prevent the perennial flooding of Isheri area and others parts connecting to Ikorodu in Lagos State.

    Describing the yearly flooding of Isheri as a “matter of great concern” to the FG, Ashiru said the government through the Ministry of Water Resources and OORBDA does not want in Ogun and Lagos communities, the recent Maiduguri – like catastrophic experience due to failed Borno dam hence the attention being paid to Oyan Dam.

  • JUST IN: Visitor from Lagos drowns in Ogun river

    JUST IN: Visitor from Lagos drowns in Ogun river

    •  …as police, local divers comb water shores for corpse

    A young man identified as Sunday Ogah has drowned in Eyinwa River in Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun state after joining friends to swim in the river.

    Sunday Ogah, who is of Igede ethnic extraction in Benue state but residing in Ikorodu area of Lagos state, had followed his friend, Otusanya Abayomi of Igbe Ilara Ikorodu to Eyinwa community in Odogbolu.

    The incident occurred on Saturday afternoon, March 30.

    Ogun state police command public relations officer, SP Omolola Odutola who confirmed the incident on Sunday morning on behalf of the Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alamutu, said operatives and local divers had combed the river shores for the corpse without success yet.

    “It was a disheartening afternoon for people of Eyinwa Community in Odogbolu Local government area of Ogun State where one Otusanya Abayomi ‘m’ of Igbe Ilara Ikorodu, Lagos State reported at Odogbolu Divisional Police Station that at about 1200hrs today 30/03/2024 that he came with his friend one Sunday Ogah ‘m’ an Igede man from Benue State to his Community.

    Read Also: Dredging Ogun river would curb flooding at Isheri – Abiodun

    “He stated further that his deceased friend left him and others to an unknown destination without notifying anyone.

    “Information later got to him that the said Sunday Ogah ‘m’ had gone to swim at Eyinwa River where his friend got drown.

    “Upon the receipt of the information, the DPO Odogbolu detailed surveillance police officers in collaboration with some local divers to locate the corpse, but their efforts proved abortive.

    “Meanwhile, effort is still ongoing to recover the corpse and further reach out to the family, to inform them of the sad occurrence.

    “Additionally, the Commissioner of Police Ogun State Police Command, CP Alamutu Abiodun, while extending his deepest condolences to the family and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time, assured that the Command remain committed to promoting public safety and preventing such tragedies in the future.

    “He further warned restive young persons to steer clear of Rivers whose depth they cannot predict,” SP Odutola stated.

  • Two fun seekers from Lagos drowned in Ogun river

    Two fun seekers from Lagos drowned in Ogun river

    Two fun seekers from Lagos state have drowned in a river at Itori area of Ogun while swimming after a church programme in the state.

    The two persons identified as Femi Akinola “m” aged 32years of Odo Eran, Itire in Lagos state and Tunde Falade “m” aged 35years of Kola Alagbado, also in Lagos, were swept away on Monday evening by a heavy tidal wave.

    The two victims who were members of Cherubim and Seraphim Church Onikoko via Itori had attended the inauguration of the church in Itori area on Sunday, August 27.

    They, however, they left the church premises on the evening of Monday, August 28, for a nearby river to swim but got drowned in the process.

    It was gathered that although divers moved in to rescue them from the heavy tides and rushed the two to a health center in Itori where they were confirmed dead by a medical doctor on duty.

    A grieving member of the Church, one Adebayo Adeosun, reported the incident to the police at about 18:30pm that some boys numbering about seven who came from Lagos on Sunday for his Church inauguration were drowned in a river.

    The police spokesperson in Ogun state, SP Omolola Odutola, who confirmed the incident, said that a Divisional Police Officer (DPO), CSP Olayemi Jacob, detailed his team to the scene where the remains of the two were evacuated.

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    SP Odutola noted that preliminary investigation revealed no marks of violence on them and no foul play suspected, stressing that their remains have been evacuated to Ifo general hospital for autopsy reports and later deposited in the same morgue.

    Odutola quoted the commissioner of police Ogun state police command, Abiodun Alamutu, as extending the police deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the deceased during this difficult time, assuring that the command remains committed to promoting public safety and preventing such tragedies in the future.

    She, however, warned restive youths to steer clear of Rivers whose depth or tides they cannot be ascertained.

  • Day-old baby dumped in Ogun river

    Residents of Ijaiye in Abeokuta, Ogun State were shocked last Wednesday, when the body of a day-old- baby was seen floating on a stream in the community.

    The baby was allegedly dumped in the stream  by   a woman suspected to be its mother a few hours after delivery  near a popular market in the area.

    A passer-by had spotted the baby floating on the river and raised the alarm that attracted residents to the scene near a white garment church.

    Sympathisers were said to have made futile attempts to evacuate the body from the river.

    The stick used to draw the body to the shore only succeeded in pushing  it further inside the river.

    A resident identified as Ajiun said: ‘’We were shocked to discover the body of the baby floating on the river. It was a day old baby as revealed by his curly hair and umbilical cord which was still intact.

    ‘’It is sad that a child which is a divine gift from God could be so treated by a heartless mother this way. Such woman deserves curses and that was what residents did; we cursed mother of the baby.’’

  • Schoolgirl drowns in Ogun river, four survive

    Tragedy struck at Obada Oko area of Abeokuta, Ogun State penultimate Monday after a schoolgirl identified as Muyibat Akanbi  drowned in a river in the community.

    The 16-year-old deceased had joined her four other schoolmates at Adeoye Lambo Grammar School to swim in Owiwi Dam, shortly after they finished their end-of-term examination.

    The names of the Senior Secondary 1 pupils who went to swim in the river are: Muyibat Akanbi,16; Saubana Kehinde,17; Amidat Yusuf, 16; Ibrahim Akanbi, 16 and Anita Godwin.

    It was said that Akanbi and another pupil, Anita Godwin initially refused to swim with others in the river, but were persuaded by their colleagues.

    The fun however took a fatal dimension shortly after they jumped into the river, when Muyibat and Anita started drowning.

    Read also: Two students drown in River Benue found

    Sources said that other members of the group, who survived the incident raised the alarm that attracted villagers and operattives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to the scene.

    It was said that Muyibat died before she could be rescued while Anita and three others survived the incident.

    It was learnt that the pupils had ignored a message on a signpost placed near the river warning people not to swim in the river.

    It was gathered that the remains of Muyibat have since been buried near the river by one of her uncles.

    A source said: ‘’Authorities of the school have also warned pupils to desist from going to Owiwi River to swim. It is therefore unfortunate the pupils in question defied the warning by swimming in the river which resulted in the death of one of them.’’

    Contacted, the spokesman of Ogun State Police Command, Mr Abimbola Oyeyemi promised to revert to our correspondent. He however did not do so at press time.

  • Woman dies, daughter injured as vehicle plunges into Ogun river

    A WOMAN conveying her daughter to school in Ogun State drowned yesterday when the private vehicle she was driving skidded off the dual carriage bridge between Ososa and Odogbolu stretch of the Sagamu-Ore expressway and plunged into the river beneath.

    Her daughter, a student of Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, was, however, rescued from the water.

    The Public Relations Officer, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE), Babatunde Akinbiyi, told The Nation that the vehicle was coming from Lekki in Lagos and going to Ijebu-Ode, when the accident occurred.

    Akinbiyi said mother and daughter were the only occupants of the vehicle.

    Read also: 19 killed, 38 injured in Katsina road accident

    The woman was conveying her daughter, who is a student of TASUED to school. She lost control of the vehicle and plunged into the river.

    According to Akinbiyi, the vehicle has been evacuated from the river and moved to the Motor Traffic Division (MTD) of Odogbolu Divisional Police Headquarters, Odogbolu.

  • 11 killed as boat capsizes in Ogun

    No fewer than eleven people are said to have died in a river when  a boat carrying  29 passengers capsized on Tafa River, Maun 2 in Ipokia local government area of Ogun State. The boat emptied the passengers into the water.

    The boat was ferrying passengers and  goods from Badagry in Lagos to  Maun  in Ipokia when the engine suddenly malfunctioned mid-way on the river, with the passengers crying for help before it went down.

    A source said the passengers, majority of them traders, were taking their goods to a market in Badagry area of Lagos, before the boat tumbled into the water, leaving 11 people dead, while 10 others were rescued alive by local divers.

    According to the source, search is still on – going for others believed to be missing.  The incident happened on Friday night.

    The Ogun Police Command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, who confirmed the boat mishap, attributed the cause to overload.

    He said:  “Yes. There was a boat capsize. It was overloaded. The boat did not have light and travelled in the night. It had a head-on collision with a pillar in the river.

    “The passengers were coming from Badagry in Lagos to Ipokia. It was the last boat left and all the 29 traders boarded the boat. 16 rescued live, 10 died yesterday and one died Friday. No live jackets.

    “There were marines at the site. Two missing, Skipper arrested after he ran away.”

    Oyeyemi said the Commissioner of Police, Ahmed Iliyasu, has given directive that henceforth, the DPO should enforce that boat must have live jackets and not carry more than its capacity.

    It was learnt that the remains of the deceased have been deposited at a   morgue in Ipokia.

  • Govt urges residents on Ogun River to relocate

    Lagos State Government has advised residents living along the plains of Ogun River to be on the alert and take necessary precautions as the management of  Oyan Dam has commenced seasonal water releases from the dam.

    Commissioner for the Environment Babatunde Adejare explained that the controlled water releases from the dam was a pragmatic approach of the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Development Authority to prevent overflow and possible integrity failure of the Oyan Dam, which could spell doom for people around the catchment area of the river basin.

    Adejare stressed that the controlled release of water from the Oyan Dam was the outcome of the collaboration between the state and the Ogun-Oshun River Basin Authority to forestall possible collapse of the dam.

    “The controlled water releases have become expedient as a result of the weather forecast and the continuous heavy rainfall, which is likely to resume later in the month,” he said.

    He, therefore, advised those residing along plains of Ogun river in Lagos State such as Ajegunle, Owode-Onirin axis, Owode-Elede, Isheri North, Ogolonto, Irawo, etc., to be careful and take precautionary measures, which may include vacating their residences temporarily.

    He urged people in these areas not to hesitate moving to higher grounds once they notice gradual accumulation of rising water as the state is not ready to lose any life during the period. He stressed that the advice must be re-echoed before the rain begins to put those concerned on the alert.

    He emphasised that primary and secondary channels in the state are being maintained and dredged to contain flood related challenges that may occur.

    Adejare urged Lagosians to be safety conscious during this period and take safety measures such as avoiding going out during the rains except only when  necessary, and be conscious when driving and not to overspeed.

  • Ogun govt to residents: Vacate areas near Ogun River, others

    Ogun govt to residents: Vacate areas near Ogun River, others

    Ogun State government on Wednesday warned residents living near Ogun River and other flood planes to vacate immediately to safe locations to avoid loss of lives following imminent flooding in the state.

    The state government said the warning became necessary as a result of the prediction of the Nigerian Hydrological Services Agency (NIHSA), of likely occurrence of flood in Ogun State and 34 other states of the Federation.

    The Commissioner for Environment, Bolaji Oyeleye, who issued the warning in a statement, advised residents along the banks of River Ogun and other flood-prone areas to be prepared to move to safer areas.

    Commissioner for Environment explained that there would be flooding in eight major rivers across the country, including Ogun River.

    He noted that that the state is expected to witness above normal rainfall, which could lead to severe flooding.

    “It is in the best interest of residents living in flood prone areas, particularly along the Ogun River, to be ready to move to safer grounds to forestall loss of lives and property,’’ he said.

    According to him, cushion the effect of the predicted flooding, residents should imbibe good environmental practices, such as desisting from erecting buildings on flood plains, de-silting drainage channels and stop dumping refuse in waterways.

    Oyeleye reiterated the government’s commitment to ensuring that residents have an environment that is safe and conducive for living and for business to thrive.

     

  • Police, family bicker over artisan’s death in Ogun River

    Police, family bicker over artisan’s death in Ogun River

    An artisan, identified as Gafar Ajibola, has drowned in Ogun River, following panic reaction to a police raid on Oniyanrin community in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

    The incident occurred at the weekend when the 31-year-old Ajibola was washing his clothes at the river bank.

    The Nation gathered that a detachment of policemen in search of hoodlums hiding near the river shot sporadically.

    In ensuing confusion, the deceased was said to have jumped into the river in fear.

    His remains were retrieved about 17 hours later by local divers.

    Ajibola’s uncle, who pleaded for anonymity, called for thorough investigation and demanded justice for the deceased.

    He said: “This is an unfortunate situation. My nephew was not a criminal. He was at the river bank to wash his clothes. He jumped into the river out of fear.

    “We are demanding for justice in this case. We are going to take legal step against the police,” he said.

    But police spokesman Abimbola Oyeyemi absolved the police of any wrong doing.

    He said the policemen were in the vicinity to perform their duties.

    According to him, some people were arrested and released after investigation,  wondering why the deceased jumped into the river when no one was chasing him.

    “The case is under investigation, the police were in the place to ensure safety of lives and property,” Abimbola said.