The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Sagamu

  • Police uncovers fresh plot to attack Ogun community

    Police uncovers fresh plot to attack Ogun community

    Armed policemen have taken over the whole of Sagamu, Ogun State, blocking both remote and strategic entrances to the boisterous town, following plans by suspected cultists to wreck further violence on residents.

    Rampaging cultists are said to have perfected plans to visit Sagamu and neigbouring villages with sustained violence in a cult – war – driven reprisal attack, the Police hinted, but assured that they would be tackled.

    It was learnt that the cultists had planned to storm Sagamu from Ago – Iwoye between Friday or Saturday.

    The spokesman of Ogun Police Command, Mr.Muyiwa Adejobi, who made this known to reporters, hinted that the Command have also got information that some prominent chiefs in Emuren in Sagamu Local Government Area  of the state were harbouring and promoting the cult groups.

    Adejobi, a Superintendent of Police blamed the incident on a cult group which went to Emuren and killed the goat a rival group had planned to slaughter in celebration of its anniversary leading to a reprisal attack.

    According to him, 17 suspected cultists have been arrested in Ago – Iwoye while 23 others were arrested in connection with violence in Emuren and two other communities.

    It should be recalled that on Thursday, the cultists unleashed mayhem in Igbosoro, an Ogun community, allegedly killing at least eight persons, including a pregnant woman.

    The pregnant woman was said to be married to a cultist who disappeared when the hoodlums came looking for him his Igbosoro residence.

    Earlier, some suspected hoodlums had also struck at Fakale, Emuren and Igbosoro communities, leaving no fewer than seven persons dead in the aftermath of the raids.

    It was gathered that among the victims of the latest attack was the son of the Baale (community leader) of Fakale.

    The cultists, suspected to be members of the Black Axe confraternity, who were said to be celebrating their annual orientation known as 7/7 (July 7) shot and injured residents.

    Adejobi said:”On Wednesday, the cult group went to Emuren and killed the goat of other rival group for celebration and they went angrily to attack them back but they have their target. The command did not have the record of those killed, they are hurting themselves and they have their targets and at least to an extent we thank God they have not been killing.

    “But today (Friday) we have information that some of them are from that community, they are been invited into Emuren community. We have allegation that some traditional chiefs are harbouring and promoting them.We are going to spread the scope of our investigation to unravel this and if it is true, any community leader that is involved in promoting cultism will be dealt with accordingly or face the wrath of the law.

    He added: “We have 12 suspects from that angle. In Emuren alone we have arrested  three suspects, they said one of them is a son to a Chief, we are still investigating, we have another one arrested in other community, we went on all round operation, we have additional 12 just for today(Friday), making 17 suspects. In Emuren specifically which is the conflict theatre, we have three persons. We are working on them and we are going to subdue them, is not only in this place, all together in the State now we have 40.

    “In Ago-Iwoye we have 17 persons arrested and as I speak with you we have information that they are coming again with their new boss to attack Sagamu, the Divisional Police Officer of Sagamu is on the express now.They (the Police) have block all the entrances into Sagamu. They want to cause problem and unrest for us in Ogun State and we are going to tackle them and we are going to puncture their tyres.”

  • Sagamu: The Police and a people’s revolt

    Sagamu: The Police and a people’s revolt

    In the past few days, Sagamu town in Ogun State has been rocked by protest against alleged extortion by the police with the alleged complicity of a senior officer, Dare Odufowokan, Assistant Editor, reports

    Last Tuesday, the rustic town of Sagamu in Ogun State erupted from its sleepy nature as residents took to the streets to protest against what many of them described as the unbearable alleged criminal extortion of innocent citizens by men and officers of the Sagamu Police Station, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) CSP John Mark.

    The event of Tuesday was the culmination of what The Nation discovered to be months of perseverance by the people in the face of what our sources described as unimaginable high-handedness and brutality on the part of CSP Mark and his colleagues.

    On the fateful day, thousands of youths, men, women and children alike, defied an earlier order by the same Police, and converged at the popular Ita Oba roundabout as early as 6a.m to be part of what had for days been publicized as the ‘mother of all rallies’ against the Police.

    They came from different quarters of the town for the protest. Some participants even came from the neighbouring towns of Ogijo, Ode Remo, Iperu, Ikenne and Aiyepe, just to lend their voices to the agitation against the activities of the men of the Nigerian Police Force.

    There have been face-offs between the police command in the state and the lawmaker representing Sagamu constituency, Adeyinka Mafe over alleged extortion against the DPO.

    From Ita Oba, the protesters moved round town, chanting, singing and dancing, as they called on relevant authorities to save them from the brutality of the Police officers. The Police, which had earlier allegedly threatened to clampdown on the protesters, were seen keeping vigil at strategic locations in the town.

    The voice of the people

    Many speakers addressed the rally everywhere they went. They all appeared united in the call for the removal of CSP Mark from his duty post in the town. “The people are passing a vote of no confidence on the DPO and we expect his employers to move him elsewhere. There shouldn’t be any debate about this. We are simply tired of him,” Omolola Oduyebo, one of the conveners of the rally, said.

     At the Sabo area of the town, the protesters were addressed by the Area Commander of the Police in the zone. The police boss pleaded with them to maintain peace and order and not to take laws into their hands. He stated that all their grievances would be relayed to the appropriate quartets for necessary actions.

    The protest rendered all commercial activities impossible for the day as markets, offices, banks and malls were all closed. Commercial drivers and motorcycle operators all joined in the protest which lasted till late in the evening.

    Speaking on the reasons for the protest, the leader of the National Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), Sagamu local chapter, Comrade Ademola Adesanya, said the people are tired of CSP Mark and his men. According to him, the DPO unilaterally imposed a curfew on the people contrary to the laws of the land.

    “Aside the daily extortion of commercial transport operators which is responsible for the incessant hike in fares around here, the DPO instructed all citizens to be behind closed door by 9p.m or face arrest. The situation is such that once you are found outside by that time, you are promptly arrested.”

    Sadly, this curfew is not meant to serve any security purpose but to fill up the pockets of these security agents with ill-gotten wealth. According to residents, despite the fact that bail is free, arrested people are bailed with money ranging from N50, 000 to N100, 000. Even housewives have been arrested and bailed in such manners.

    “We made several pleas to Mark and even the Commissioner of Police on this matter to no avail. Those who dare to question the DPO and his men are beaten up mercilessly and thrown into cell for days unending. Nobody has been charged to court since these illegalities started. But they have made a lot of money from it all,” Adesanya alleged.

    Shedding more light on the matter, the Majority Leader of the Ogun State House of Assembly, Yinka Mafe, who is from the town, described the activities of the DPO and his men as “callous and grossly inhuman.”

    “Our take is to show the whole world what these fellows are doing with the uniforms and guns purchased for them with the tax-payers money. We are out to tell the DPO and his men that we have had enough of their bitter pills,” he said.

    Strange twist

    Few hours after the protest, a new twist was introduced into the matter when the Ogun State Police Command said that it is investigating 15 criminal cases allegedly involving the Majority leader of the state House of Assembly, Yinka Mafe who represents Sagamu I state constituency.

    Mafe is one of the conveners of the rally against CSP Mark. The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Muyiwa Adejobi told newsmen that the lawmaker might be arrested and prosecuted after the completion of the investigation. Adejobi was reacting to the call by the State Assembly which ordered the immediate probe of the Divisional Police Officer of Sagamu Division, John Mark over allegation of extortion of the people in Sagamu by the majority leader.

    According to the Command, the majority leader is being investigated for cases involving sponsorship of cultism and other criminal activities. “The allegation is unknown to the command, because the DPO; CSP Mark, is one of the best Divisional Police Officers in this command. He was actually posted to Sagamu to uproot the evil and evil doers in Sagamu.”

    In absolving Mark of any blame the Command observed, “It takes a tough man to control security arrangement in Sagamu. He is there doing what he should do and we expect people to make noise especially criminals and sponsors of criminals concerning what the DPO is doing because he is there doing what he should do.”

    It didn’t stop there, in fact, the command pointedly accused Mafe, a lawmaker of being a suspect, According to it, “If the allegation had come from another person who has clean hands, the matter would have been taken more seriously by the command, but we are surprised, this is coming from Hon. Mafe who is also one of the suspects we are investigating in many criminal cases in Sagamu; talking about sponsorship of cultism and many other criminal activities, he doesn’t have the moral justification to raise such an allegation against the Sagamu DPO.”

    Who’s blaming who?

    But Mafe dismissed the allegations against him as mere after thoughts and accused the state police command of trying to blackmail him with false allegations. The lawmaker said he was ready for prosecution but alleged that he was being blackmailed for raising corruption allegations against a senior police officer in the command.

    Mafe, who few days ago while raising a matter on the Assembly floor, had accused the Divisional Police Officer in charge of Sagamu, John Mark, of extorting residents, and called for his probe, he cautioned the Police against aiding and abetting the officer in any way.

    “I have in my possession series of petitions from victims of extortion, criminal extortions I called them, because these are innocent people that would be arrested unlawfully and money would be demanded from them and until they pay those monies they wouldn’t be allowed to go home,” Mafe said.

    The majority leader queried the police command for waiting until he accused a senior police officer before it came up with allegations against him.

    “It baffles me that the PPRO and CP himself will wait until now that I am accusing one of the unprofessional policemen that I have ever met in my life, CSP John Mark, before coming out with this allegation of 15 criminal cases they claimed to be investigating.

    “I want to urge and challenge them to speed up the investigation, so that they can take me to court. I am a lawyer and I am ready to meet them in court. I am not shy about going to court. I will be very happy to defend myself if the need be but I want to assure you and the people of my constituency that the PPRO is just a shameless liar.

    “As I speak, we have over 50 petitions and these people are ready to come out. In fact, the Honourable from Sagamu constituency II was informing the Speaker that the DPO has a PoS machine with which he collects bribe and I am putting this on record quoting Hon. Soyebo because he’s from Sagamu as myself and I think that is grievous,” Mafe added.

    Mark redeployed, under investigation

    Meanwhile, in a move that portrays the Police Command as bowing to the wishes of the people of the town, the embattled DPO John Mark, has been redeployed to the Command Headquarters, Eleweran in Abeokuta.

    The Nation gathered that Mark’s redeployment came a day after the protest. The Commissioner of Police in charge of Ogun State Police Command, Abdulmajid Ali, reportedly ordered his immediate redeployment in response to the allegations against him which the Command said it was not insensitive to.

    He said that the redeployment of the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) would allow the Nigeria Police Force investigate the allegations against him and other counter allegations against certain individuals.

    It was also learnt that the Commissioner of Police has constituted a six-man committee, led by the Deputy Commissioner of Police, Department of Finance & Administration, Celestine Okoye, to investigate the allegations against the DPO and others, including Yinka Mafe, and forward its report within one week. The Committee is expected to carefully consider the allegations and counter allegations in the said matter so as to set the record straight.

  • ‘Why there’s peace in Sagamu’

    The Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adeniyi Sonariwo, has ascribed the peace in Sagamu in the past five years to his success in ridding the town of “cultism and other vices among some carpenters and bricklayers.”

    Sonariwo said business operators in Sagamu and surrounding communities also go about their businesses without fear of harm to their lives and investments while residents also sleep with their two eyes closed.

    The monarch, who spoke through the Asiwaju of Remoland and Chairman, 25th Coronation Anniversary Committee, Solomon Onafowokan, added that banks now open on week days without disruption by bandits.

    He recalled that prior to 2011, the town experienced a situation where, aside the students, some bricklayers and carpenters were dabbling into cultism and causing security breaches in Sagamu until they were checked.

    The Paramount Ruler said the menace of cultists and other criminals were addressed when the town’s Security Council met and re-invigorated the Vigilance security system; making them more proactive and effective at restoring peace and sanity in the town.

    According to him, cultists and miscreants have since been driven away to places such as Ikorodu and other regions of Ogun State; hence the relative peace being savoured in Remoland.

    Onafowokan, who revealed this while answering questions from some reporters ahead of the coronation anniversary of the Akarigbo, said the grand finale of the event and award ceremony slated for July 25 at the Akarigbo Complex Sagamu, would be chaired by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo.

    He also revealed that the feat would not have been possible for him and his people without the determination of Governor Ibikunle Amosun who, upon assumption of office in 2011, pledged adequate security in the state and followed it up with practical steps.

     

  • Four killed, others injured in oil tanker accident

    Four killed, others injured in oil tanker accident

    Four persons, including a commercial motorcycle operator, were killed and others injured in a multiple vehicle accidents at Sagamu stretch of the Lagos – Ore expressway.

    The accident which occurred at 8pm on Monday at the steep and sharp bend near the Sagamu junction – old toll gate, involved a cyclist, a truck bearing diesel, another carrying Dangote cement, a commercial bus and lorry carrying flour.

    The Nation gathered that the accident was caused by the truck carrying diesel (black oil) which fell on the lane of the travelers going in the direction of Lagos, and emptied its content onto the adjacent lane.

    Motorists travelling in the direction of Ore, Benin who ran into the heavily oil – filled lane were swept off the road with some crashing into the concrete median and tumbling afterward while others plunged uncontrollably into a valley nearby.

    Abubakar Umar, the driver of the truck laden with Dangote Cement, told The Nation that it was a sheer miracle and divine intervention that ensured his escape from hurt when he lost control of the wheel following the slippery road surface made possible by spilled oil.

    According to him, he ran into the slippery road unaware like other victims before him, his truck lost balance, skidded off its track before plunging into a valley by the roadside, with the truck rolling many times over and hauling the bags of cement on the valley.

    The operatives of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Police and the state’s traffic management agency – TRACE, were sighted controlling the traffic even as some labourers were also seen carrying sand to cover the oil – filled road surface.

     

  • Large turnout in Ijebu Ode, as Sagamu record ballot snatching

    The presidential and national assembly elections recorded a large turn-out in Ijebu Ode yesterday.

    The elections was  also held under a peaceful and harmonious atmosphere.

    As early as 7.30 a.m., prospective voters started trooping to various voting units and centres for accreditation which was peaceful all through.

    Voting started  as from 1.30 p.m. in most centres except in a few centres where accreditation was not concluded as at the scheduled time owing to network issues recorded by card readers’ machine.

    Consequently, separation of ballot papers and counting stretched till late in the evening yesterday

    Meanwhile a case of ballot snatching was reported in Shagamu, Ogun State, the hometown of former Ogun State Governor Gbenga Daniel.

    It took the intervention of soldiers on ground to retrieve the box.

    The thugs who snatched the ballot dropped it when they were pursued and threatened by the soldiers.

    Sagamu Local Government Chairman Mrs. Funmilayo Efuape, thanked the soldiers for their quick intervention.

    Voting was still ongoing as 9.32pm.

    However, aside the open lobbying of voters with cash, Ogun East Senatorial District candidate Chief Kashamu Buruji was allegedly seen moving around the district in a convoy.

  • Regaining Sagamu’s glory

    Regaining Sagamu’s glory

    Sagamu, a once-beautiful city, is fast relapsing into slum-like community. The smooth, sleekly administrative headquarters of Sagamu Local Government Area lacks roads and other amenities that enhance the well-being of the residents. ERNEST NWOKOLO reports that the government is working hard to fix the roads and other infrastructural facilities to make the city regain its lost glory.

    To some, it seems Sagamu, the administrative headquarters of Sagamu Local Government Area and the royal home of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adeniyi Sonarinwo, may relapse into a slum-like if the roads and other facilities are not improved upon. What they didn’t take into account is the efforts being made by the Senator Ibikunle Amosun’s administration to regain the seemingly lost glory of Sagamu as a city. It is not the fault of the government as most of the problems people are complaining about are as a result of actions of the residents.

    For instance, nowhere cuts this gloomy picture better than the seedy and boisterous Sabo and its surrounding.

    Aside the congestion and filth, the area is routinely flooded whenever it rains as a result of poor drainage.

    The roads leading to it, such as the Ode-Lemo, GRA; Sabo-Oja cow sellers’ roads respectively and the adjoining ones have remained in bad shape.

    To worsen the situation, roadside traders and hawkers make the roads get narrower, even as the trend makes vehicular and human traffic more challenging. Noise pollution emanating from grinders and blaring speakers of music sellers are also troubling to first time visitors.

    The fly-over constructed at Sabo as well as the Oba Akarigbo Road by Senator Ibikunle Amosun is the first modern road construction in the area in recent decades. Unfortunately, they are also being defaced with bizarre graffiti, dirt, fluttering junk banners and posters by the residents. Underneath it and even with the dirt, it serves as shelter for both the sane and insane.

    Our correspondent sited four lunatics-three males and a female—who had turned portions of it as their homes even as few others were roaming the area unkempt and scavenging for food.

    With regard to the economy of the state, the Igbo, Edo, Ibibio and Ishan, among other ethnic groups are making tangible contributions; but it seems the Yoruba and the Hausa are about the most active and commercially-inclined ethnic groups in Sabo.

    The nearly-a-century-old Oba Akarigbo Market in Sabo, which was founded by hunter-farmers (Agbekoyas) lacks water and toilets despite its size, economic importance and strategic location.

    A resident, Mr Sunday Adebayo described the market as one bustling and commercial nerve centre of Sagamu with admixture of the good and the ugly.

    Adebayo, who sells electrical materials, said the only driving principle in Sabo seemed to be business of “buying and selling” as people pay less attention to orderliness and cleanliness.

    He said: “Once you can get a foothold to display your wares; whether such a place is on the road or atop sewage system is secondary.”

    The Asiwaju of the market, Alhaja Falilat Awolaja (Omo Apelogun), who spoke to our correspondent on behalf of the Iyaloja, Bintu Sonnubi, said basic facilities are conspicuously lacking in the market.

    The market boasts a borehole facility for water provision. Mrs Awolaja, who sells in the market, said the facility functioned only for six months before it packed up.

    She said the Ode-Lemo Road, which traversed through the market requires urgent reconstruction as it leads to other places like Emuren (Sagamu), Agbowa and Imota in Lagos.

    Sabo’s peace and long years of ethnic harmony were ruptured in July, 1999 as the area erupted in violence. The mayhem was between the Yoruba and the Hausa over cultural issues.

    The violence, believed to have been caused by a young Hausa lady who came out during the observance of rituals of the Yoruba Oro traditional festival in the area. But the crisis was eventually resolved and normalcy returned.

    In 2012, Sabo-Sagamu was also the theatre of incessant robbery attacks and cult violence. The situation compelled commercial banks and other businesses to close down for weeks.

    Chief Olumuyiwa Sonuga, a civil engineer and President of the Sagamu Development Association (SDA), said the Sagamu people aren’t “crying wolves” over roads in the town “as the condition of the roads get worse by the day due to lack of maintenance.”

    Sonuga, who praised Governor Amosun for making Akarigbo Road a dual carriage way and the fly-over at the Sabo area of the town, urged him to also pay attention to internal road network. He also praised him for combating robbery and other vices in Sagamu with the provision armoured personnel carriers (APC) and other operational vehicles to assist police and other security agencies in carrying out their jobs.

    There is a ray of hope that palliative measures would soon begin on the roads as the rainy season subsides. The Secretary to the Sagamu Local Government Area (SSLG), Mr Isiaka Salami has promised that facilities that will improve people’s well-being will be rehabilitated, even as he blamed the deplorable condition of the roads on the residents.

    He said: “We are the problems behind the condition of the roads. Residents keep dumping refuse on the drainage which blocks them. When it rains, the water forces itself into the roads and washes them away.

    “That is why you see gullies and craters here and there. Although there has been shortfall in money that accrues to the local government from the Federation Account, we will do some palliative measures when the rains subside.”

    The Commissioner for Physical and Urban Planning, Olugbenga Otenuga, said what obtains in Sabo and some areas of Sagamu is a reflection of the state itself.

    Otenuga said Ogun State is an ancient state and residents had built in ancient way without making provisions for today’s challenges, resulting from development, increased human activities on the environment and population surge.

    The commissioner noted that some of the challenges such as poor road network, flooding, lack of drainage facilities in some places and inadequate space being experienced can’t be corrected immediately by the state government. He said steps are being taken to stop people from compounding the problem by discouraging them from building structures haphazardly.

    Otenuga further explained that the state government has designed programmes meant to “up-grade slum-like areas,” build pathways, gutters and toilets to enhance sanitary conditions as well as encourage residents to give their buildings face-lift.

    Governor Amosun had promised that Sagamu would be broken into two or three local governments in the planned creation of local council development areas (LCDA).

    Senator Amosun also said splitting Sagamu would not only bring governance and development closer to the people, but will be a thing necessitated by its land mass, size and population.

    The governor also assured that the Sabo-Emuren-Ode Lemo Road would be constructed once the rainy season subsides while the state’s proposed light rail project will also begin and will pass through Sagamu.

    But how far this can change the face of Sabo and its environs would be a matter of conjecture if the people do not abide by the physical planning regulations or take decency and cleanliness of the environment as a way of life.

  • Sagamu to Amosun: we’re grateful but give us more

    The people of Sagamu in Remo division of Ogun State have expressed gratitude to the state government for the facelift given to their community, but they are asking Governor Ibikunle Amosun for more developmental projects in their area. ERNEST NWOKOLO reports

    Sagamu, the royal home of the Akarigbo of Remoland, Oba Adeniyi Sonarinwo, and a melting pot of the nation’s major tribes has witnessed an unprecedented level of development in recent time courtesy of the Ogun State government and the residents are forever grateful.

    Strategically located mid-point between Lagos and Ibadan on the ever busy Lagos-Benin Expressway, the town is highly accessible to almost all tribes because of its central location and this has given it a sort of mini-Nigeria image.

    Also, after the industrial towns of Agbara and Ota, it is about the third industrial haven in Ogun State, hosting a plethora of big companies including Lafarge Cement, Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Mosinmi depot, International Cement Company that is just berthing there among others.

    But the residents have their worries. In spite of the ongoing infrastructural development of the area by the state government, they said this is not catching up with the speed of urbanisation and population upsurge in the ancient town that is equally fast assuming the status of a megacity.

    They are expressing the fear that Sagamu may soon slipped into the path of the seamy side of Aba, the commercial nerve centre of Abia State, notorious for filthiness, disorderliness, broken down roads and chaotic striving if federal, state and local governments do not embark upon strategic development there to reverse the creeping decadence.

    The chiefs and monarchs – Chief Olumuyiwa Sonuga, Oba Omobola Oduwaye, Oba Solomon Oyenuga among others who gathered recently in the town to deliberate on its 30th festival day, said accessibility within Sagamu township is poor, laborious and often takes the Israelis – like journey before one could connect point B or C from A following the deplorable state of roads.

    Citing Oba Awolesi Erinwole road, a major artery to the town which has remained deplorable in the last decade, they urged the federal and state governments to fix it because of its strategic importance to movement of goods and persons.

    The road connect to the Lagos – Benin Expressway and leads to such places as the Asoludero home of ex – Governor Gbenga Daniel, Lafarge Cement factory, NNPC (Mosinmi depot), Odongunyan Military barrack and Ikorodu town in Lagos state among others.

    Sonuga, a civil engineer and President of the Sagamu Development Association (SDA), said the Sagamu people aren’t “crying wolves” over Oba Awolesi road “ as poor construction and maintenance” have ensured its steady sorry state.

    Describing Oba Awolesi road as impassable, he rued that gullies and craters have ruined it, and urged the federal government to reconstruct it while calling on the state government to, as matter of urgent intervention, build a fly – over bridge across it at the junction where the road connects with the Lagos – Benin Expressway as was done in Ijebu – Ode at  Mabolufon junction.

    Sonuga who lauded Governor Ibikunle Amosun for the dualisation of Akarigbo Road and the fly- over bridge at the Sabo area of the town, said another fly – over when constructed  at Lagos – Benin Expressway end of Oba Awolesi road, would not only make entry and exit easy at that busy junction, but also safe for motorists, pedestrians, commuters and Sagamu residents.

    According to him, accidents are frequent occurrences at that spot, recalling a fatal one that happened there three weeks ago as case in point.

    Also, Oba Oduwaye, who is the Onifojege of Fojege, appreciated the state governments for the “developmental projects being executed in the town and environs,” however also called on the Governor to build a fly – over bridge at the expressway junction of Oba Awolesi road for the safety of the people.

    But Amosun who visited Sagamu last week while on tour of the Local government pledged to build more access and safe roads in Sagamu.

    Also, the Secretary to the Sagamu Local government Council,(SSLG), Mr Isiaka Salami, who promised palliative measures would be carried out on the town’s roads when the rainy season subsides, blamed residents for their deplorable condition.

    “We are the problems behind the condition of the roads. Residents keep dumping refuse on the drainages and block them. When it rains, the water forces itself onto the roads and wash them away.

    “That is why you see gullies and craters here and there. Although, there has been shortfalls in money accruing to the local government from the federation account but we will do some palliative measures when the rains subside.”

  • ‘Sango-Ojodu road on course’

    ‘Sango-Ojodu road on course’

    Barely a month after work began on the Sango-Ijoko-Agbado-Ojodu road, Ogun State Governor Ibikunle Amosun has expressed satisfaction with the progress made so far.

    Speaking during an inspection of the project, Amosun said: “We are on course. We are ahead of schedule on the 32km-road and by January, next year, everything would have started taking shape. With the way we are going, we will reach an appreciable level by December, next year.”

    He debunked media reports that all road projects embarked upon by his administration would be ready by next May, saying: “For example, this road, which started a month ago, is a three-year project. I know that by the time we spend 12 to 18 months, we should be done. We pray we have the wherewithal to continue to fund the project. We have made some payments and will continue to give them more as they work.”

    Amosun said majority of projects in major towns, including Abeokuta, Ota, Sagamu, Ijebu-Ode and Ayetoro, would be ready next year.

    He said: “All our flyovers would be completed by the time we celebrate the third anniversary of our administration.”

    Thanking the people for their co-operation, the governor said: “We have demolished some houses because there is no other way to do it. If we want good roads, we have to create the right of way for those roads. I am happy that a significant percentage of our people, whose houses were demolished, have collected their compensation.

    “We are concerned about building shopping malls for displaced shop owners and houses for affected house owners at heavily subsidised rates.”

  • Police rescue two abducted Chinese in Ogun

    Two Chinese nationals, who were abducted on Monday near the Military Cantonment in Sagamu Local Government Area of Ogun State, had been rescued by the police.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Ikemefuna Okoye, told journalists in Abeokuta on Tuesday that the AIG Zone II, Mr. Mamman Tsafe, had earlier informed his command of the abduction.

    “I received the call just as we were rounding off our security meeting in Sagamu. I immediately ordered the Ogijo DPO to trace them because intelligence report had helped us know their direction.