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Tag: lagos

  • Buhari To Commission Airport Terminal In Lagos On Tuesday

    Buhari To Commission Airport Terminal In Lagos On Tuesday

    President Muhammadu Buhari will on Tuesday be commissioning the newly built international terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos.

    The terminal has the capacity to process 14million passengers per annum and was built on a landmass of approximately 56,000 square metres and has 66 check-in counters.

    A statement by the acting general manager, corporate affairs, Faithful Hope-Ivbaze, says that there will also be a signing of a memorandum of understanding with the Lagos State Government on the 9km Airport-Shasha-Alimosho link Road to be constructed by the State Government.
    The terminal was built also in Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kano, and Enugu, in a bilateral arrangement between the Federal Government of Nigeria, and the People’s Republic of China.

    The ones in Abuja and Port Harcourt have been completed and commissioned already, while that of Kano has been completed and will soon be commissioned.

    “Other facilities in the terminal include 5 baggage collection carousels, 16 Immigration desks at arrival, 28 Immigration desks at departure, 8 security screening points, 6 passenger boarding bridges (out of which 2 has already been installed), 2 food courts, 4 premium lounges, 22 guest rooms and spa, 16 airline ticketing offices, visa on arrival and port health facility, as well as praying area, more than 3,000 square metres of duty-free space, approximately 5,000 square metres of lettable utility space, amongst others”, the statement read in parts.

    The Acting GM further noted that the new terminal is expected to generate about three thousand direct and indirect employment for Nigerians, as well as enhance passenger facilitation and comfort at the Lagos airport.

  • Man, 43, allegedly defiles own 3 daughters in Lagos

    Man, 43, allegedly defiles own 3 daughters in Lagos

    By Becky Adi

    An Ikeja Magistrates’ Court on Monday, ordered the remand of a 43-year-old Ademola Oladimeji in Kirikiri Correctional Centre for allegedly defiling his three daughters and assaulting their mother.

    The Magistrate, A.O. Ajibade, who did not take Oladimeji’s plea, directed the police to send the case file to the state Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) for advice.

    She adjourned the case until March 2 for DPP’s advice.

    The police arraigned Oladimeji, who resides at Fadeyi, Lagos State, on a two-count charge of defilement and assault.

    The Prosecution Counsel, DSP Kehinde Ajayi, told the court that Oladimeji committed the offence sometime in 2021, in his residence at Fadeyi.

    She said that the mother of the girls had reported that the accused had been defiling their daughters aged nine, seven and five by allegedly inserting his finger into their private part.

    She said that when the mother of the girls got to know, she confronted her husband and was angry, leading to the accused beaten and inflicted injuries on her body.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that defilement attracts life imprisonment according to the provisions of Section 137 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2005.

    Assault attracts a one-year jail term, according to the provisions of Section 172 of the law.

  • Workers Trapped As Building Collapses In Lagos

    Workers Trapped As Building Collapses In Lagos

    A building under construction collapsed in the Yaba area of Lagos on Saturday with some workers reportedly trapped under the rubble.

    The number of casualties is not yet known but officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency have arrived at the scene.

    At least two workers have been rescued, according to LASEMA Director-General, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.

    Rescue equipment have also been mobilised to the scene to aid the recovery of other workers.

    Building collapse is not uncommon in Lagos due to lax regulatory oversight and sharp practices by developers.

    In November a high-rise block of luxury flats under construction collapsed in the Ikoyi area of the state, killing at least 40 people.

  • BREAKING: Gunshots as two NURTW factions clash in Agbado, Lagos

    BREAKING: Gunshots as two NURTW factions clash in Agbado, Lagos

    By Isaac Kertyo

    There was pandemonium in the Agbado area of the Alimosho Local Government Area in Lagos State on Friday morning when two factions of the National Union of Road Transport Workers clashed in the area.

    Eyewitnesses told The PUNCH that road users and passersby scampered for safety when the two warring factions violently engaged each other.

    Gunshots were also heard during the conflict over ticket collection at the parks.

    The spokesman for the Lagos State Police Command, Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed the development.

    He, however, said policemen have been deployed in the affected areas.

    Ajisebutu said, “It was a brewing conflict over ticketing that would have led to a violent confrontation/crisis between two factions of NURTW in Kola Bus Stop area and its environs.

    “Police patrol teams from Alakuko, Agbado, Ijaiye- Ojokoro and reinforcements from the headquarters have been deployed to the area on the order of the Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi.

    Oluomo, says he’s our candidate
    “The place is calm. No threat to lives and property currently as the police are still maintaining their presence in the area.”

    NURTW members in Lagos led by Musiliu Akinsanya aka MC Oluomo, have been involved in deadly clashes of late.

    The PUNCH had reported that the Lagos Government last month suspended NURTW operations in the Idumota area of Lagos Island following the violent clash recorded in the area.

  • Sanwo-Olu Signs Bill Regulating Real Estate Transactions in Lagos

    Sanwo-Olu Signs Bill Regulating Real Estate Transactions in Lagos

    Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, has signed a bill regulating real estate transactions in the state.

    The governor signed the bill at the Executive Chamber at the Lagos House in the Ikeja area on Monday.

    Present at the signing were the Commissioner for Housing, Moruf Akinderu-Fatai; the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Moyosore Onigbanjo; the governor’s Special Adviser on Housing, Toke Awoyinka-Benson; amongst others.

    Sanwo-Olu said the law to regulate the real estate transactions in Lagos State will help to protect the citizens; the unsuspecting Lagosians who fall prey to many real estate professionals, adding that the law will also help players in the real estate sector to know what is expected of them and for government to be able to track who is doing what in the sector.

    “It is really around ease of doing business and ensuring that we can continue to attract private sector investments into the real estate space. We believe this law will be the very first in the country that has taken a deep dive into what is happening in that space and it further strengthens our intervention in housing through the Ministry of Housing,” Sanwo-Olu said.

    The governor also signed two other bills into law to provide for the registration of Cooperative Societies in Lagos State; and law to regulate ownership, licensing and sales of pets and to prohibit and restrict people from having in custody dangerous animals in public places.

    Sanwo-Olu said the new bills he assented to would strengthen government and citizens’ engagement and relationships and for residents of the State to continue to live in an atmosphere where the rule of law is enshrined for people and to know what is expected of them.

    The governor commended the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, and the state lawmakers for seeing the need to pass the bills into laws.

    He said the law to provide for the registration of cooperative societies in Lagos State would make it easy to regulate the operations of thousands of cooperative societies in the State for harmonious cooperation.

    The governor also noted that the law regulating the ownership, licensing and sales of pets, prohibiting and restricting people from having in custody dangerous animals in public places, would further strengthen all the deliverables in the Ministry of Agriculture, especially issues that have to do with pets and animals.

  • NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has seized over 22,160 kilograms of Codeine syrup, Methamphetamine and Skunk at the Apapa seaport and a notorious drug den in Mushin, Lagos State in two separate operations.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.

    According to the statement, a total of 14,080kg codeine syrup (8,080 litres) and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40ft container imported from India, were intercepted on Wednesday, February 2 at the Apapa port, while Cannabis and other drugs imported from Ghana including Methamphetamine weighing 3,727.72kg, were seized in an early morning raid at Akala, Mushin.

    17 suspects including five females were arrested in connection to the Mushin raid.
    The seizure at the Lagos seaport followed intelligence from foreign partners and the cooperation of other port stakeholders.
    At Akala, NDLEA Strike Force operatives in their numbers with support from the military stormed warehouses in the drug den and evacuated bags and bottles of cannabis, ‘loud’, ‘skunk’, ‘skuchies’ and Methamphetamine as well as the 17 suspects for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, a female drug kingpin, Jemilat Seriki, who is one of the owners of 12,385 pellets of ‘loud’ imported from Ghana and intercepted at Eko Atlantic beach, Victoria Island Lagos on Saturday, November 27, 2021, has been arrested by narcotics officers after weeks of manhunt.
    Seriki admitted to being one the owners of the consignments seized, adding that her bags of drugs had ‘Jah Bless’ written on them.

    Meanwhile, in Niger State, a 64-year-old former Divisional Police Officer of Idanre Police station, Ondo state, who was dismissed from service for drug-related offences, Mr. Monday George Chika, has again been arrested with an accomplice, Emmanuel Eniola, with 280 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 168kg.
    They were arrested on Sunday, January 30, in Mokwa, Niger State, after their Toyota Avalon car marked EKY 429 BZ (Lagos) loaded with the substance was intercepted at Idanre, enroute Kanji, Borgu area of the state.

    At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, attempts by some traffickers to export different quantities of Methamphetamine to Brazil and United Kingdom were scuttled by narcotics officers.
    The first bid was made on Friday, January 28, through the SAHCO export shed where operatives intercepted 0.80kg of Meth concealed in relaxer plastic containers for tranmission to the UK.

    A suspect, Akuta Chioma Lucy who presented the consignment for search, was arrested for further investigation.
    The second attempt was on Friday, February 4, during the outward clearance of passengers at Gate ‘C’ Departure hall of the airport when an intending male passenger on an Ethiopian Airline going to Brazil, Onyeaghala Chidi was intercepted with 500 grams of Meth concealed inside three plastic hair relaxer containers.

    Also at the airport, a male passenger, Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, coming from Kampala, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya was intercepted by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank, during the inward clearance of passengers on the flight on Sunday, January 30.

    In Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, February 4, stormed the Igbogiri forest, Orhionwon LGA and destroyed four dry season Cannabis farms measuring 3.067718 hectares, following the evacuation of 20 bags of compressed blocks of Cannabis weighing 269.5kg stored in a bush at Uzebba, Owan West LGA, the previous day and the arrest of Afadama James, 42, with 348kg cannabis at Owan, Ovia North East LGA on Wednesday, February 2.

    While operatives in Delta State arrested a 21-year-old student of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Kate Osagie over a 17.6grams designer drug she ordered from Onitsha, Anambra state, their colleagues in Borno State on Thursday, February 3 nabbed one Fatima Musa, 30, for attempting to smuggle pentazocine injections into the camp of surrendered insurgents.

    In Plateau State, operatives intercepted a truck marked LSD857XB coming from Ekpoma, Edo State with 885 blocks of Cannabis Sativa that weighed 736kg.
    The sun of N400,000 paid to bribe the arresting officers has also been warehoused as part of exhibits for prosecution, just as two suspects; Ebunoluwa Babalola, 40, and Sulyman Sheu, 30, were arrested at Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State with 90kg of Cannabis.
    In the same vein, 2kg of Methamphetamine being brought to Abuja by a 29-year-old Charity Omuche from Anambra state was intercepted on Friday, February 4, by operatives at Gwagwalada area of the FCT, while officers of the Kaduna Command of the Agency also arrested a suspect, Buhari Isah Umar with 300 shisha pens and 999 portions of synthetic cannabinoids with a gross weight of 9.690kg.

    Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended officers and men of the Strike Force, Apapa seaport, MMIA, Lagos, Niger, Edo, Borno, Plateau, Kwara, FCT and Delta Commands of the Agency for the successful interdiction operations that led to the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs from across the country in the past week. He charged them and their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.

  • NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Worth Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    NDLEA Seizes 22,160 KG Worth Of Illicit Drugs In Lagos

    The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), has seized over 22,160 kilograms of Codeine syrup, Methamphetamine and Skunk at the Apapa seaport and a notorious drug den in Mushin, Lagos State in two separate operations.

    This was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by Femi Babafemi, the Director, Media & Advocacy, NDLEA Headquarters, Abuja.

    According to the statement, a total of 14,080kg codeine syrup (8,080 litres) and 4,352.43kg cold caps used to conceal the former in a 40ft container imported from India, were intercepted on Wednesday, February 2 at the Apapa port, while Cannabis and other drugs imported from Ghana including Methamphetamine weighing 3,727.72kg, were seized in an early morning raid at Akala, Mushin.

    17 suspects including five females were arrested in connection to the Mushin raid.

    The seizure at the Lagos seaport followed intelligence from foreign partners and the cooperation of other port stakeholders.

    At Akala, NDLEA Strike Force operatives in their numbers with support from the military stormed warehouses in the drug den and evacuated bags and bottles of cannabis, ‘loud’, ‘skunk’, ‘skuchies’ and Methamphetamine as well as the 17 suspects for further investigation.

    Meanwhile, a female drug kingpin, Jemilat Seriki, who is one of the owners of 12,385 pellets of ‘loud’ imported from Ghana and intercepted at Eko Atlantic beach, Victoria Island Lagos on Saturday, November 27, 2021, has been arrested by narcotics officers after weeks of manhunt.

    Seriki admitted to being one the owners of the consignments seized, adding that her bags of drugs had ‘Jah Bless’ written on them.

    Meanwhile, in Niger State, a 64-year-old former Divisional Police Officer of Idanre Police station, Ondo state, who was dismissed from service for drug-related offences, Mr. Monday George Chika, has again been arrested with an accomplice, Emmanuel Eniola, with 280 blocks of compressed cannabis weighing 168kg.

    They were arrested on Sunday, January 30, in Mokwa, Niger State, after their Toyota Avalon car marked EKY 429 BZ (Lagos) loaded with the substance was intercepted at Idanre, enroute Kanji, Borgu area of the state.

    At the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos, attempts by some traffickers to export different quantities of Methamphetamine to Brazil and United Kingdom were scuttled by narcotics officers.

    The first bid was made on Friday, January 28, through the SAHCO export shed where operatives intercepted 0.80kg of Meth concealed in relaxer plastic containers for tranmission to the UK.

    A suspect, Akuta Chioma Lucy who presented the consignment for search, was arrested for further investigation.

    The second attempt was on Friday, February 4, during the outward clearance of passengers at Gate ‘C’ Departure hall of the airport when an intending male passenger on an Ethiopian Airline going to Brazil, Onyeaghala Chidi was intercepted with 500 grams of Meth concealed inside three plastic hair relaxer containers.

    Also at the airport, a male passenger, Iliyasu Yushau Yushau, coming from Kampala, Uganda via Nairobi, Kenya was intercepted by operatives with 268 debit cards belonging to Access Bank, GTBank and Zenith Bank, during the inward clearance of passengers on the flight on Sunday, January 30.

    In Edo State, NDLEA operatives on Friday, February 4, stormed the Igbogiri forest, Orhionwon LGA and destroyed four dry season Cannabis farms measuring 3.067718 hectares, following the evacuation of 20 bags of compressed blocks of Cannabis weighing 269.5kg stored in a bush at Uzebba, Owan West LGA, the previous day and the arrest of Afadama James, 42, with 348kg cannabis at Owan, Ovia North East LGA on Wednesday, February 2.

    While operatives in Delta State arrested a 21-year-old student of Federal Polytechnic, Auchi, Kate Osagie over a 17.6grams designer drug she ordered from Onitsha, Anambra state, their colleagues in Borno State on Thursday, February 3 nabbed one Fatima Musa, 30, for attempting to smuggle pentazocine injections into the camp of surrendered insurgents.

    In Plateau State, operatives intercepted a truck marked LSD857XB coming from Ekpoma, Edo State with 885 blocks of Cannabis Sativa that weighed 736kg.

    The sun of N400,000 paid to bribe the arresting officers has also been warehoused as part of exhibits for prosecution, just as two suspects; Ebunoluwa Babalola, 40, and Sulyman Sheu, 30, were arrested at Ganmo, Ilorin, Kwara State with 90kg of Cannabis.

    In the same vein, 2kg of Methamphetamine being brought to Abuja by a 29-year-old Charity Omuche from Anambra state was intercepted on Friday, February 4, by operatives at Gwagwalada area of the FCT, while officers of the Kaduna Command of the Agency also arrested a suspect, Buhari Isah Umar with 300 shisha pens and 999 portions of synthetic cannabinoids with a gross weight of 9.690kg.

    Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has commended officers and men of the Strike Force, Apapa seaport, MMIA, Lagos, Niger, Edo, Borno, Plateau, Kwara, FCT and Delta Commands of the Agency for the successful interdiction operations that led to the seizure of thousands of kilograms of illicit drugs from across the country in the past week. He charged them and their compatriots in other commands not to rest on their oars.

  • Southwest governors, ex-govs, others meet in Lagos over insecurity, 2023 polls

    Southwest governors, ex-govs, others meet in Lagos over insecurity, 2023 polls

    Political leaders comprising former and incumbent governors, ex-senators as well as business leaders met in a seminar in Lagos on Saturday to discuss issues bordering on the state of the nation.

    While the highlight of the seminar tagged ‘2022 Group of Eminent Nigerians on Way Forward’ held at Eko Hotel was not made public, It was believed that issues revolving around the prevailing insecurity in the country, 2023 general elections, national unity, among others topped the agenda.

    Top party stalwarts from both the ruling All Progressives Congress and the Peoples Democratic Party attended the event.

    Though Sunday PUNCH could not confirm the number of attendees as of the time of filing this report, information gathered by our correspondents indicated that governors across the geopolitical zones were in attendance.

    Some of those in attendance that Sunday PUNCH could confirm included a former Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, former Senate President and Secretary to the Federal Government of Nigeria, Anyim Pius Anyim, who is also a PDP presidential aspirant; former Governor of Imo State; Ikedi Ohakim , former Governor of Cross Rivers State, Donald Duke and former Deputy Governor of Osun State, Senator Iyiola Omisore.

    The country has been battling with terrorist attacks, banditry and kidnapping, which have led to thousands of killings and payment of millions of naira in ransom.

    Aside from insecurity, national unity has been threatened in recent times as some regional groups had expressed intention to secede from the country.

    The meeting, it was learnt, was meant to chart a course for a united Nigeria to calm frayed nerves as the race for the next year presidential election heats up.

    “The seminar focussed on the state of the nation. It was a move by eminent Nigerians to discuss issues affecting the development of the country,” a source privy to the seminar tacitly told Sunday PUNCH.

    Asked if the issues bordered on insecurity, national unity and the 2023 elections, the source simply said, “they may not be unconnected with those things and other related issues.”

    Recall that the President Muhammadu Buhari had hosted the 2022 committee of business, political, media and civil society leaders to a dinner in Abuja last Sunday.

    The Publisher, ThisDay Newspapers, Nduka Obaigbena, who is the convener of the committee, had said the committee was aimed at defending Nigeria in a time of crisis and in a time of transition.

    The Ekiti State Governor, Kayode Fayemi, Dave Umahi of Ebonyi State and other leaders attended the dinner.

    Speaking at the event, Buhari said his administration would hand over an agriculture-led and diversified home-grown economy, stable democracy and revamped armed and security forces to the next administration.

    The President in a statement by his Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina, had said, “I am gradually entering my final year in office. It is a period I intend to spend not only on consolidating on the achievements of the past seven years but also to leave a legacy for a united, peaceful, and prosperous Nigeria.

    “I take this initiative to mean that you all intend to collaborate with this administration in that direction. For those among you who are politicians, you must look beyond gaining power to how you can leverage public positions in the process of societal change. To the businessmen and women among you, there is great glory in public service.

    “The question that should be uppermost always is: How do we leverage our business endowment for the greater good of our country? I am delighted that members of the Nigerian elite have woken up to the fact that the task of changing this society is a task for all of us, whether we are in the private or public sector. Knowing that, we have enormous challenges as a nation, but they are not beyond our capacity to overcome if we embrace a new approach.

    “We cannot retreat to our ethnic cocoons, nor can we continue to seek solace in our past. We must champion the idea of a Nigeria where every citizen would be proud to call their own. That is the charge before you.”

    Sunday PUNCH gathered that the Saturday meeting held in Lagos was an extension of the issues discussed at the dinner.

    Another reliable source, who participated in the Saturday meeting, likened the discussion to Buhari’s statement at the dinner, adding that the seminar deliberated on nation building.

    He said, “Discourse around the state of the nation is a continuum. Some of the matters the President spoke about at the dinner were also raised at the seminar. Everyone is interested in making sure the country works in all aspects be it political, economic and security-wise.”

  • Police thwarts lady’s suicide attempt in Lagos

    Police thwarts lady’s suicide attempt in Lagos

    Operatives of the Rapid Respond Squad have prevented a yet-to-be-identified lady from committing suicide in the Iyana Oworo area of Lagos State.

    PUNCH Metro gathered that the lady, who claimed to have been undergoing a series of torture at home, reportedly ran away to commit suicide on the Third Mainland Bridge.

    A dispatch rider, who saw the lady, walking suspiciously around the Iyana Oworo end of the bridge, alerted the operatives.

    A Facebook post made by the agency revealed that the officers restrained her after being alerted.

    The lady was said to have been taken to the police station as efforts were on to contact her family.

    The post read, “Officials of Rapid Response squad on patrol of Third Mainland Bridge this afternoon stopped a lady from committing suicide by jumping into the lagoon.

    “She was attempting to jump into the lagoon outward Iyana Oworo end of the bridge when the officers restrained her.

    “The lady in a light conversation revealed that ‘I was beaten at home, that is why I ran away to commit suicide’.

    “The officers’ attention was drawn to the lady by a dispatch rider before racing to the scene to restrain her from jumping into the lagoon.

    “She has been conveyed to Iyana Oworo police division, where efforts are in progress to contact family members.”

  • FIRS Staff Hacked To Death In Lagos

    FIRS Staff Hacked To Death In Lagos

    Gunmen at the weekend hacked to death a senior staff of the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) identified as Mrs Ibironke Oluremi Adefila.

    The deceased was said to have been killed by assailants suspected to be assassins in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

    It was learnt that the deceased was trailed while she was on her way to work in the early hours of Friday, January 28, 2022.

    A source said the assailants killed the victim opposite Awalu Group of Schools, Powerline Area in Laketu, Ikorodu.

    The deceased was said to have died before she could get to the hospital.

    The police said the deceased’s record at the hospital where she was taken to by some passersby showed that she was brought to the hospital already dead.

    Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the incident, said homicide detectives are currently on the trail of the killers.

    He said the state Commissioner of Police had ordered that the case be transferred to the homicide unit of the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID), Panti, Yaba.

    He, however, assured the family of the deceased that the killers would be brought to book.