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Lawmakers accuse Shaibu of leaking govt secrets

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Lawmakers accuse Shaibu of leaking govt secrets

The Edo House of Assembly, on Wednesday, commenced impeachment proceedings against the state Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu.

The Assembly accused the deputy governor of perjury and leaking the government’s secrets.

The impeachment notice is believed to be the latest development in the rift between Shaibu and his principal, Governor Godwin Obaseki.

There had been an uneasy calm between the deputy governor and the governor since last year when Shaibu declared his interest to join this year’s Edo governorship race.

Obaseki is believed to be supporting a former Chairman of Sterling Bank, Asue Ighodalo, who has now emerged as the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party for the September 21, 2024 poll.

Ighodalo defeated Shaibu and nine other aspirants at the governorship primary conducted on February 22 at the Samuel Ogbemudia Stadium in Benin.

Though Shaibu boycotted the primary and was declared the winner at a parallel primary, the PDP national leadership failed to recognise him and has since issued Ighodalo a Certificate of Return as the valid winner of the primary.

Last week, Shaibu went to the PDP national secretariat in Abuja to demand a Certificate of Return, threatening to go to court, amid reconciliatory efforts by the party.

On Wednesday, the Edo State House of Assembly announced the commencement of impeachment proceedings against Shaibu.

The Majority Leader of the House, Charity Aiguobarueghian, who announced the impeachment notice during plenary, said it was based on a petition dated March 5, 2024, signed by 21 out of the 24 members of the House.

“The petition against the deputy governor came in on March 5 and was signed by 21 out of the 24 members. The number of members who signed the petition was more than the two-thirds requirement stipulated in the constitution,” Aiguobarueghian said.

The Majority Leader said the allegations in the petition bordered on perjury and revealing of government secrets.

The Speaker of the House, Blessing Agbebaku, who acknowledged receipt of the petition, directed the Clerk of the House, Yahaya Omogbai, to serve the impeachment notice on the deputy governor.

Agbebaku gave the deputy governor seven days to respond to the notice of impeachment.

Efforts to get Shaibu’s reaction were unsuccessful. When contacted his media aide, Musa Ebhomiana, told our correspondent to give him time to respond. But he could no longer be reached on the phone later as of the time of filing this report.

However, the Conference of Registered Political Parties in Edo State faulted the impeachment proceedings against Shaibu.

In a statement by its Chairman, Dr. Samson Isibor, and Secretary, John Isidhaome, called on Obaseki to rein in the Assembly.

 “As far as we are concerned, the Deputy Governor has not committed any impeachable offence or breached his oath of office.

“Edo people have the exclusive right to call for his impeachment if he commits any grievous offence like corruption, misappropriation of public funds, among others,” the association said.

Ogun monarch orders demolition of shops, traders kick

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Ogun monarch orders demolition of shops, traders kick

Some traders at the Isheri market in the Isheri-Mole area of Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State are at loggerheads with the monarch of the community, Oba Sulaiman Bamgbade, over the demolition of some shops and warehouses in the market on Wednesday.

According Metro gathered from some of the traders that the monarch had ordered the demolition because he claimed that the government, through an SDG programme, wanted to situate a general hospital, community hall and a police station in the community which the demolished area had been earmarked for.

Our correspondent, who visited the scene of the demolition on Wednesday, observed that as the demolition was going on, some of the traders struggled to pack what was left of their goods while some scavengers were seen packing the debris of the demolished building. Also, operatives of the Ogun State Security and Safety Corps codenamed So-Safe were seen with arms monitoring the demolition to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

A trader in the community, Muhammed Musa, lamented that he had lost property and goods worth millions of naira to the demolition which came as a shock to him. He alleged that the monarch was just being mean to non-indigenous traders within the market which was why most of the shops demolished were belonged to the non-indigenes.

Musa said, “We are not contesting the ownership of the land with the community. The land was leased to us for a 70-year period which we have only spent 20 years here. At the time that we came here, this land was a swampy area and now, we have invested a lot of money to make it a better place like this with the hope of recuperating our investment.

“I have two shops in this market which were leased to me. We got a notice of the demolition some days ago and we were given seven days to evacuate the shops. The seven days were supposed to elapse tomorrow (Thursday) but very early this morning, we saw a bulldozer and some miscreants who invaded the market and they began the demolition.

“Now that this place has become a booming market, the king thought it was appropriate to demolish our shops. We are just being cautious of not undermining the peace of the community because if we had resisted the demolition, it might have led to anarchy and we do not want to be labelled as disrupting the peace of the community.”

A warehouse owner in the market, Abayomi Elu, lamented that he had lost property and equipment worth hundreds of millions as he had only got the notice of the demolition some days ago. He said all his efforts to reach out to the monarch for a possible way of resolving the matter were not yielded by the monarch only for him to wake up this morning to the scene of the demolition.

He stressed that every property owner within the demolished part of the market is a legal occupant who keyed into the development plan of a late monarch of the community to develop the once swampy area into the modern market that it has become.

Elu added, “I am seriously affected and I see this as a slap on the law and my fundamental rights to own a property. This land was leased to us some 20 years ago for a sixty-year period which has not elapsed. If there is a need for development, it should not be at the expense of the legitimate traders who are also contributing to the development of the community.”

He noted that a legal action would be instituted against the monarch over what he termed ‘highhandedness and abuse of power’.

“The next line of action is that I will seek legal redress in court. The king cannot take laws into his own hands. I have briefed my lawyer,” Elu concluded.

Meanwhile, a trader whose shop was also demolished but did not want his name on print alleged that the nonchalant attitude of the property owners in the market to quickly address the situation before the demolition was carried out put some of the traders who were third-party shopowners into the situation. He noted that though there was no official notice before the notice given to them some days ago, there had been insinuations concerning the demolition for some months.

Another trader whose shop was not affected said the demolition was a welcome development because the proposed hospital, police post and town hall would also aid the development of the community.

The trader said, “It is a good thing because what we heard that the government wants to construct there will also aid the development of the community.”

When contacted, Oba Bamgbade noted that he was acting in the interest of the community and that those who were raising issues were people who did not want the development of the community. He stressed that there were no documents to prove that the late monarch had leased the place to the traders.

“The matter is already in court. What happened was that the late monarch that they were referring to set up a committee to see to the community’s development at that time but someone among the committee members was the one who took advantage to perpetrate the leasing. We have instituted a case against the person to which the traders are also a party. They are illegal occupants.

“I aim to see to the development of the community by facilitating access to basic needs for my people. Those who do not want the development are the ones raising concerns and they are mostly non-indigenes,” Bamgbade concluded.

Edo court jails five Internet fraudsters

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Edo court jails five Internet fraudsters

The Edo State High Court in Benin City, presided over by Justice Efe Ikponmwonba, has found five Internet fraudsters guilty and sentenced them to different prison terms.

A statement made available to According Metro on Wednesday said the convicts are Jacob Sunday,  Olarenwaju Adewale, Emmanuel Tomiwa Ajayi, Adewale Elufadejin Festus and Seyi Olumeko Sunday, noting that Adewale had earlier been jailed on March 5 while Ajayi Festus and Olumeko had been jailed on February 29.

They were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charge bordering on possession of fraudulent documents upon arraignment by the Benin Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission.

 All the defendants pleaded guilty to their respective charges when they were read to them, prompting prosecution counsel, I.K Agwai, K. Y. Bello, A. A. Ibrahim, to pray to the court to convict and sentence them accordingly.

However, counsel for the defendants pleaded with the court to temper justice with mercy as they had become remorseful for their actions.

Justice Ikponmwonba convicted and sentenced Sunday, Adewale, Olumeko and Festus to three years imprisonment or a fine of N100,000.00 each.

While Ajayi bagged three years imprisonment or a fine of N200,000.

The judge ordered that the convicts should forfeit their phones, and balances in their various bank accounts being proceeds of crime to the Federal Government of Nigeria.

All the convicts are to undertake in writing to be of good behaviour afterwards.

The convicts’ road to the correctional centre began following their arrest by operatives of the Benin Zonal Command of the commission based on actionable intelligence regarding their involvement in fraudulent activities.

According Metro reported on Tuesday that the EFCC, Ibadan Zonal Command, had secured the conviction and sentencing of seven Internet fraudsters to various jail terms.

EFCC reviews tactics as A’Court stops Orji Kalu’s fraud trial

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EFCC reviews tactics as A’Court stops Orji Kalu’s fraud trial

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has said it will fix the loopholes in its tactics as the Court of Appeal, on Wednesday, rejected the attempt to reopen the N6.7bn fraud case against a former Abia State governor, Orji Uzor Kalu.

The appellate court, in a pronouncement by Justice Joseph Oyewole, held that the records brought forward by the EFCC were unreliable to grant the request for Kalu’s fresh trial.

Speaking to journalists after the judgment, EFCC lawyer,  Oluwaleke Atolagbe said the commission would fix the loopholes the court pointed out.

 “The court did not go into the merit of the appeal.  The court did not go into whether Kalu and Slok cannot be tried.

“The merit of the matter has not been resolved.  We have the opportunity to come back appropriately.  As it is,  we can still come back to the court of appeal for the merit of the case to be determined after putting in place what the court noted,” Atolagbe said.

The Federal High Court in Lagos had on December 5, 2019, convicted Kalu, his company, Slok Nigeria Limited, and a former Abia State Government House Director of Finance and Accounts, Jones Udeogu of the N6.7bn charges.

The court, in a judgment by Justice Idris Mohammed (now a Justice of the Supreme Court), sentenced Kalu to 12 years imprisonment; Udeogu, 10 years imprisonment, while it ordered the winding up of  Slok Nigeria Limited and the forfeiture of its assets to the Federal Government.

However, displeased with the judgment, Udeogu filed an appeal, contending that as of the time Justice Idris concluded the 12-year-long trial and pronounced his judgment he had already been elevated from the high court to the Court of Appeal.

In a May 8, 2020 judgment, the Supreme Court agreed with Udeogu and nullified his conviction by Justice Idris, holding that the constitution does not permit a judge elevated to a higher court to return to a lower court to conclude a part-heard case.

Justice Ejembi Eko, who delivered the lead judgment of the panel led by Justice Olabode Rhodes-Vivour (retd.), also declared as unconstitutional the provision of Section 396(7) of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act, 2015, which the then President of the Court of Appeal, Justice Zainab Bulkachuwa (retd), relied on to authorise Justice Idris to return from the Court of Appeal to the high court to conclude the trial.

The panel unanimously directed the Chief Judge of the Federal High Court to assign the case to another judge of the court for the trial to commence afresh.

In June 2020, riding on the Supreme Court’s judgment in favour of Udeogu, Kalu approached the Federal High Court in Lagos to demand  his freedom from prison.

The prosecuting counsel for the EFCC, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), said he would not oppose Kalu’s application to be freed but prayed Justice Mohammed Liman to ensure that the order of the Supreme Court for a fresh trial should be complied with.

Following his release from prison, Kalu, however, filed another suit to stop the EFCC from trying him afresh.

He contended that the retrial order was only applicable to Udeogu and not him, adding that trying him afresh would amount to double jeopardy.

In a September 29, 2021 judgment, Justice Inyang Ekwo of the Federal High Court in Abuja agreed with Kalu and stopped the EFCC from trying him afresh.

Displeased, the EFCC proceeded to the Court of Appeal, which, however, on Wednesday, dismissed the appeal on the grounds that the EFCC did not produce sufficient records to sustain the appeal.

Delivering judgment on Wednesday, Justice Oyewole said,  “The record of appeal brought by the Federal Government was incompetent and unreliable for any court to use to grant the request of the government.

“The name of the person who compiled signed, and certified the record was not reflected as required by law.”

Motorists trapped in gridlock as Lagos closes Third Mainland Bridge

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Motorists trapped in gridlock as Lagos closes Third Mainland Bridge

Lagos road users on Wednesday expressed their frustration over the closure of the Third Mainland Bridge after being trapped in traffic for hours.

The Lagos State Government had on Tuesday said the Island-Iyana Oworo bound lane of the Third Mainland Bridge would be shut for 36 hours for maintenance work.

The state Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi, in a statement, said the closure of the Island-Iyana Oworo bound lane would take effect from 12.00 am on Wednesday till 12.00 noon on Thursday, March 7, 2024.

Osiyemi said consequently, motorists plying this route were advised to use the alternative routes previously provided during this period.

He further noted that the initial traffic diversion arrangements on the bridge would return after this 36 hour closure.

Motorists heading back to the Mainland on Wednesday however had a hectic time connecting back to their destination due to the traffic congestion along the alternative routes.

According Metro learnt that the motorists spent over four hours in the traffic stretching from Lekki, through Victoria Island all the way through to Eko Bridge and Carter Bridge

@madikevictor who lamented over the development via his X handle said,  “I left Island at 4:20pm, climbed third mainland bridge at 9:13pm. I’m losing my mind mehn. Lagos. Why did they even close the bridge initially sef?” In what was seen trending on the X platform other users also narrated their experiences about the gridlock.

Another road user who spoke to our correspondent said she had spent close to five hours in the traffic.

“I have spent nothing less than five hours in this traffic since I left the Island before evening,” she said.

Our correspondent gathered that the bridge was later reopened for the road users due to the outrage caused by the congestion.

A user @Riddwane, who disclosed this on the X platform wrote, “Due to the traffic congestion on Eko Bridge and Western Avenue this evening, Third Mainland Bridge has just been re-opened for motorists leaving the Island for Mainland. So, the vehicle can now ply 3MB from Adeniji to Iyana Oworo.”

The Lagos State government had announced Wednesday night that the bridge would be opened for motorists commuting from the Mainland to the Island while it will be closed all day for commuters moving from the Island to the mainland.

It noted that the previous arrangement will return on Thursday from 1pm to 12 am from the Island to the Mainland.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos State, Olukorede Keisha, on October 2023 revealed plans for a comprehensive overhaul of the bridge’s asphalt layers.

30 killed in Benue fresh attack, Senate to meet Tinubu

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30 killed in Benue fresh attack, Senate to meet Tinubu

The Senate, on Wednesday, said it would meet with President Bola Tinubu over the insecurity in Benue State and Nigeria at large.

The resolution of the Senate followed the report of a militia clash in Benue State, which left no fewer than 30 dead on Tuesday.

The Senate resolution followed a motion titled: “Motion On the Continuing Killings by Suspected Terrorists Parading as Herdsmen and Increasing Insecurity in Kwande, Ukum, Logo And Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas in the Benue North-East Senatorial District Of Benue State.”

The motion was brought by Senator Emmanuel Udende, representing Benue North-East, under “Matters Of Urgent Public Importance Pursuant To Orders 41 And 51 of  the Senate Standing Orders 2023 (As Amended).”

Udende, in his lead debate, said that over 50 residents of the Logo and Katsina-Ala area of the state were killed by men who disguised as herders to unleash havoc on the communities.

The According learnt that a militia clash in the Ukum Local Government Area of Benue State on  Tuesday claimed no fewer than 30 lives, including a family of seven.

 The attack was said to have been perpetrated by rival militias led by the dreaded duo simply identified as ‘Full Fire’ and ‘Chain.’

One of the terrorist gang leaders was said to have hired the services of external bandits, invaded the Gbagir community in the Ukum LGA and engaged in a fight to oust another militia gang leader in the area.

It was gathered that most of the dead were members of the rival militia gangs, while about 12 innocent farmers were caught in the crossfire, which also left over 30 persons injured and many others declared missing.

A traditional ruler in the area, who spoke with our correspondent on Wednesday on the condition of anonymity, for fear of being a target, said the bloody fight started Tuesday morning after a Tiv militia leader in Ukum kidnapped another Fulani militia leader, identified as Alhaji Gana.

The monarch said, Gana was kidnapped alongside his family members, who were known for banditry and kidnappings by the rival gang from neighbouring Chinkai community in Wukari LGA of Taraba State.

He said, “After kidnapping them, he asked for N100m ransom but he was given N5m. After collecting the money, he killed the hostages.

“The murder of the hostages sparked outrage among his gang members in Taraba State. This happened over the weekend.

“What followed was that another militia gang leader in Ukum now went and joined forces with the Fulani militia gang in Taraba to help them eliminate the rival gang in Ukum that killed their leader, Alhaji Gana.

“From what we gathered, over 40 persons who were mainly bandits have been killed, though we have a record of about 12 farmers who were caught in the crossfire. Over 30 others were injured while some are also missing.

“Sadly caught in the crossfire was a family of seven in Tse Adzandeh Mbasaa, Mbajiga, Ityuluv, Torov. They were all members of the Adzandeh family,” the monarch said.

The lawmaker representing Ukum State Constituency in the House of Assembly, Nyiyongo Ezra, said about 20 people were killed.

He said, “For now, I cannot tell you the cause of the attack but the information I got was that about 20 people were killed.”

The Force Commander, Operation Whirl Stroke, Maj. Gen. Sunday Igbinomwanhia, confirmed that 30 people were killed in the clash.

Fielding questions from journalists during a press conference held at the old Banquet Hall, Government House, Makurdi, the force commander said, “It was a clash between two militia groups resulting in deaths. We went there and for whatever reason they had the clash, I don’t know.

“But our initial visit revealed that 30 people were killed.”

On his part, the state Commissioner of Police, Emmanuel Adesina, said, “So far, we have recovered five corpses but a search for people is ongoing.”

 At the Senate, the lawmaker representing Benue North-East lamented that the attack on the communities had gone unabated since Tuesday.

He said, “No fewer than 50 persons have been killed in fresh attacks on several communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State by terrorist parading as herdsmen;

 “The affected communities some of which were attacked as recently as yesterday, 5th March 2024 include Tyuluv, Borikyo, Kundav, Ugbaam, Uyam, Udedeku, Yaaiwa, Nyihemba, Tomatar, Menakwagh , Yiase and  Agura all in the Benue North-East Senatorial district of Benue State.

“Residents of the villages and communities now find themselves targeted daily by heavily-armed terrorist-herdsmen, and the toll continues to be staggering as they bear the brunt, with reports of marauders butchering several villagers, leaving many homes completely burnt down and numerous residents still missing while the perpetrators, however, remain elusive and have not been apprehended.”

The Senate, in its resolution, decided that its leadership will  “visit Mr president Bola Ahmed Tinubu with all the resolutions on the motion towards ending the continued killings of farmers by armed herdsmen in Benue North-East and Nigeria at large.”

The resolution further read: “Convey condolence of the season to the people of Benue North-East Senatorial District. To lead a delegation to the Governor of Benue State to find out his efforts on the and challenges.”

The Red Chamber also added that “The Chief of Defence Staff,  Chief of Army Staff, Chief of Air Staff, the Inspector General of Police and heads of other security agencies to as a matter of urgency.

“Deploy security personnel to address the continuing and ongoing attacks by armed terrorists parading as herdsmen on communities in Kwande, Ukum, Logo and Katsina-Ala Local Government Areas of Benue State to flush out the herdsmen, stop the killings, and restore normalcy to the affected communities.

“Heighten surveillance and invest in surveillance technology and equipment to detect and prevent future attacks; review the security architecture in the area to forestall the continuous attacks.”

Zamfara to prosecute suspected killers of Islamic scholar

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Zamfara to prosecute suspected killers of Islamic scholar

The Zamfara State Government has vowed to prosecute the 10 suspects arrested by police operatives over their alleged involvement in the killing of an Islamic scholar, Abubakar Mada, in Mada town, Gusau Local Government Area of Zamfara State.

The spokesperson for the state governor, Sulaiman Idris, disclosed this in a statement obtained by According Metro on Wednesday.

According to Idris, the arrested suspects were members of the outlawed vigilante group who did not belong to the state’s Community Protection Guards as speculated in the public.

He noted that the killing of the monarch was an unfortunate incident which could have been prevented and that the government would ensure that justice was served on the matter.

Idris stated, “Zamfara State Government received the heart-wrenching news of the extrajudicial murder of Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Mada in Mada town. It is indeed an unfortunate incident that could have been prevented.

 “The arrested vigilantes were not authorised by the state government to carry out any form of security operations as they are not part of the Community Protection Guards. The security operatives have successfully apprehended all suspected vigilantes behind this heinous crime.

“The Zamfara State Government has taken this matter seriously and is committed to ensuring that all the culprits behind this unfortunate murder are brought to book. “Every effort will be put in place to ensure justice is served without compromise.”

He added that while the CPG was established to protect the residents of the state, it had a responsibility to operate within the directives and guidance of authorised security operatives.

Idris stated that the government needed to clarify the confusion that had trailed the identity of the arrested suspects over the killing of Mada.

He continued, “We want to inform the public that the Zamfara Community Protection Guards has a modus operandi which prevents them from engaging in an operation without the guidance of relevant security operatives.

“Based on the preliminary investigation conducted by the police, it has been discovered that one of the vigilantes who was arrested was a former student of the murdered Sheikh. This information can help the authorities better understand the situation and take appropriate action.

“Zamfara State government will share the outcome of the police investigation with the public once it is concluded. During this trying time, we sympathise with Sheikh Abubakar Hassan Mada’s family and the entire community. May his soul rest in peace.”

According Metro reported on February 19 that bandits allegedly killed a Divisional Crime Officer in charge of Zurmi Local Government Area of Zamfara State and burnt the police station.

An indigene of the area, Mohammed Ibrahim, had told The According on the phone that the bandits, who were in large numbers and armed with sophisticated weapons, invaded Zurmi town, the headquarters of Zurmi LGA around 5 pm.

Ibrahim had said that immediately after the bandits arrived at Zurmi town, they went straight to the police station where they began to shoot sporadically,  killing the DCO and injuring other police officers in the process before setting the police station on fire.

According to Ibrahim, the bandits attacked the police station following the killing of three of their men by the vigilantes.

Driver in custody for killing Abia poly graduate

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Driver in custody for killing Abia poly graduate

A yet-to-be-identified truck driver is now in police custody for allegedly crushing an Abia State Polytechnic, Aba graduate, Miss Mary Ogechi, to death at the Aba-Owerri Road on Tuesday.

Our correspondent gathered that the deceased graduated from the polytechnic a few days and celebrated her graduation on social media for emerging the best accounting student in her department. She was said to have gone to her school on Tuesday to process her results so as to get ready for the National Youth Service Corps mobilisation when the accident occurred.

According Metro learnt that, in response to the new graduate’s passing, students of the school staged a protest and blocked the expressway.

An eyewitness who pleaded anonymity said the deceased suffered fractured legs and a dislocated hip after being pushed down by a commercial tricycle rider and was subsequently run over by a trailer with registration number XA-60 YEN.

“She was crossing the road when a reckless commercial tricycle driver hit her, which made her fall on the road. The truck driver who saw her suddenly tried to avoid her but couldn’t, instead rammed over her leg, leaving her in a pool of blood. The tricycle rider ran away, together with the truck driver who abandoned his vehicle to run into a nearby police station in the Aba North Local Government Area.

“People were scared of taking her away immediately. But a few others summoned the courage and rushed to the scene. They initially thought that she was dead, but when they felt some pulse, people who recognised her rushed her to the hospital for urgent medical attention. She later gave up the ghost.”

One of the deceased’s family members, Nelly Nazo, who mourned her passing in a Facebook post, claimed that the mother raised the deceased and her siblings alone and that it was a tragic event that she died in an accident.

She wrote, “Miss Ezekiel Mary Ogechi, it is unfortunate that your life was cut short by the terrible accident you had yesterday. I have not been myself since I got to know from your mum that it was you who was lying helpless in front of Abia poly yesterday. I pray that God will give your mum all that she will need,” she added.

Another relative, Vivian Onwumere, expressed her grief in a Facebook post, stating that the deceased was of high character adding that her death had left her devastated.

She wrote, “The news of the Abia poly accident got me speechless, not knowing it was my daughter. My tall glass is pretty, intelligent yet respectful, humble, and obedient. Seeing the video alone left me completely shattered. I am mute and reminiscing on all you told me years ago at the MIIT about what you would do when you got admission and after graduation. I kept asking and wondering why it must end this way after all the struggles, pains, and dedication. God knows better, keep resting, my beloved.”

Reacting to the tragedy, some Abia poly students protested their grievances, claiming they had informed the government to build a bump on the road as a safety measure against reckless drivers who had repeatedly run over staff and students at the school.

The students also threatened to set the trailer ablaze but a Rapid Response Squad intervened to calm the violence.

Some of the placards carried by the protesting students read, ‘No more trailers for daytime, ‘Abia students are not happy.”

When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, Chinaka Maureen, confirmed the incident to our correspondent, adding that the situation had been calmed down. She also explained that the car and its driver had been taken into custody.

She said, “The driver is in our custody and the vehicle has been recovered. We calmed the area, and an investigation is in progress. Although we are still in the preliminary stage of the investigation, as time goes on, we will communicate further developments on the story.”

According Metro had reported that a 69-year-old commercial bus driver, Waidi Saheed, was in police custody for allegedly crushing a 10-year-old, simply identified as Chukwudi, to death at the Iganmu-Mile 2 Expressway in Lagos State.

Refuse truck falls off Lagos bridge, kills tricycle rider

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Refuse truck falls off Lagos bridge, kills tricycle rider

A yet-to-be-identified tricycle rider has been crushed to death after the compactor of a refuse truck fell from a bridge in the Surulere area of Lagos State.

According Metro learnt that the incident happened on Tuesday evening.

The truck, owned by the Lagos Waste Management Authority, was said to be plying the Shitta bridge in the community when it developed a mechanical fault while in motion.

As a result, the truck lost control and crashed into a Kia Salon car on the bridge.

The impact of the crash was however said to have caused the compactor of the truck to detach and fall on a mini-commercial bus and the tricycle on the ground floor.

Our correspondent gathered that passengers numbering about seven in the bus survived the crash while the tricycle rider died on the spot.

While confirming the incident, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency said its response team arrived at the scene around 10:20 pm after receiving a distress call.

The Permanent Secretary of the agency, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, in a statement on Wednesday, said, “It was observed that a LAWMA PSP compactor truck was involved in a multiple accident when it reportedly suffered mechanical error (disengaged propeller), lost control and crashed into a Kia Rio Saloon car, registration number unknown, on Shitta bridge.

“Further information gathered at the incident scene was that the compactor thereafter crashed down the side of the bridge onto a seven-passenger mini-bus (korope) and a tricycle (Keke Marwa), killing the tricyclist instantly on impact.”

The LASEMA boss added that the remains of the deceased were recovered from the incident scene and taken to the Infectious Disease Hospital, Yaba for further processing.

According to him, all three vehicles involved in the multiple accidents were moved to the Iponri Police Station, while the LAWMA PSP compactor truck was taken to the agency’s yard at Ijora with the aid of its Heavy Duty Equipment (Elephant) at midnight.

“In attendance at the incident scene were the LASEMA Response Team, LASAMBUS, LASTMA, Divisional Police Officer, DPO of Surulere Divisional Office and Officers of the NPF from Iponri Police Station,” he added.

Woman kills self after dropping kids in Enugu police station

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Woman kills self after dropping kids in Enugu police station

A mother of three children has allegedly committed suicide in Enugu State over what some sources attributed to the unbearable economic hardship and rising cost of living in the country.

According Metro gathered that the incident happened on Saturday, March 2.

Our correspondent was informed that the woman, whose identity had yet to be ascertained, had gone to the Ogui Police Station in the Enugu North Local Government Area of the state and reportedly dropped her three kids, without leaving a word with anyone.

An eyewitness who refused to be mentioned told our correspondent that the middle-aged woman, who was said to have become depressed over the current high cost of living in the country, stripped herself naked, came out of the station situated along Ogui Road and ran into a moving vehicle. The vehicle instantly crushed her to death, leaving the children who are below six years motherless.

Speaking with our correspondent, a senior police officer, who witnessed the incident, said when the eldest of the children was asked about their father, she simply said, “Our father got lost.”

The police officer, who didn’t want his name in print, referred our correspondent to the command’s spokesperson, who said that the little girl could not give any other information about their family, their town or residential address.

When According Metro contacted the Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Daniel Ndukwe, on the telephone, he simply said, “Please call back, I am in a meeting.”

He did not return the call nor answer subsequent ones as of the time of filing this report.

Meanwhile, the wife of Enugu State governor, Mrs Nkechinyere Mbah, has undertaken to sponsor the children’s living and education.

Mbah’s wife announced the scholarship to be undertaken through her Custos Care Foundation when she paid an unscheduled visit to the Ogui Police Station, where the children were kept in custody.

She appealed to the people who are depressed to seek help and go for counselling to avoid taking drastic decisions.

She also urged the Commissioner for Ministry of Children, Gender and Social Development, Mrs Ngozi Enih, to intensify sensitisation and counselling of people, especially depressed persons to help them come out of the situation.

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