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Building collapse: Lagos government affirms there were no fatalities, intensifies its investigation

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No fatalities were reported in the seven-story building fall on Banana Island, Ikoyi, according to the Lagos State Government.

Gbenga Omotoso, the commissioner for information and strategy, revealed that 25 individuals had been recovered from the scene at the time of the report, with no one still trapped beneath the rubble.

Omotoso added that the site has been divided into quadrants, and that search operations have been finished in quadrants two and three, which have already been flattened to ground zero.

He added that nine more persons with minor injuries were treated and released on-site by Lagos State Ambulance Services, while 16 people with moderate injuries were admitted for treatment and care to General Hospital, Odan, Lagos Island, and Police Hospital Falomo.

Omotoso added that preliminary investigations suggest the incident happened during concrete casting and that Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu has ordered the suspension of all construction on Banana Island pending the completion of a thorough audit by representatives of the Lagos State Building Control Agency.

Under the condition of anonymity, eyewitnesses stated that the building fell after a concrete mixer truck struck some load-bearing columns.

Lagos Election Petition Tribunal Starts Hearing Applications From Angry Petitioners

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Governor SanwoOlu has set up his legal team comprising of four Senior Advocates of Nigeria and several other lawyers.

Today, the Lagos State National and State Houses of Assembly Election Petition Tribunal convened to hear eight petitions concerning the 2023 elections, which were held on February 25 and March 11.

According to Shola Soyele, the judiciary correspondent, who visited the Rosaline Omotoso Courthouse’s secretariat in the Ikeja neighborhood, of the 8 applications, 3 were for INEC material inspection, 3 were for substituted service, and 3 were for petitions being withdrawn for being filed late.

Read Also: Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello names auditor general Ahmed Ododo as his successor

However, the tribunal that was supposed to hear petitions regarding the state’s governorship elections never met. The various petitions filed, according to our correspondent, have not been served on the governor’s attorneys.

It would be recalled that 4 petitions have been filed to challenge the return of Gov. Babajide SanwoOlu and his deputy, Obafemi Hamzat. Those who filed are the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and it’s candidate, Abdul-Azeez Adediran, as well as the Labour Party (LP) governorship candidate, Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour who filed as the sole petitioner. Others are the Allied People’s Movement (APM) and the Action People’s Party (APP). Already, Gov. SanwoOlu has set up his legal team comprising of 4 Senior Advocates of Nigeria and several other lawyers. The Governor’s legal team is led by Abiodun Owonikoko (SAN). Others are Adesegun Ajibola (SAN), Norrison Quakers (SAN) and Babatunde Ogala (SAN).

 

Kogi Gov. Yahaya Bello names auditor general Ahmed Ododo as his successor

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Before today’s All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election, Kogi State Governor Yahaya Bello appointed Ahmed Ododo, the state auditor-general, as his replacement.

This was disclosed during the party’s Thursday meeting of APC stakeholders in Lokoja.

Edward Onoja, the deputy governor, and Mohammed Asuku, the governor’s chief of staff, both withdrew from the race in response to the development.
Bello, who hosted the event and introduced his preferred candidate as the state’s auditor general, hosted it at the party’s secretariat.

Shortly after the meeting in Lokoja, Onoja and Asuku made their withdrawals from the governorship race public via their respective verified Facebook pages.
The deputy governor, Onoja, whom many had thought will naturally succeed Governor Bello before now, posted a cryptic message on Facebook.

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He wrote: “To God be the glory for life and divine health. My appreciation to my leader, Alhaji Yahaya Bello, and all my supporters for your love and prayers.

“Let love, patience and perseverance lead. I am forever grateful.”

On his part, the governor’s Chief of Staff, Asuku, who was also seen as a frontrunner because of his closeness to the governor, posted: “Alhamdulillah! Alhamdulillah!! Alhamdulillah!!!

“All praises and adoration are due to the most high God the Creator of the entire universe and the sustainer of same who have safeguarded my life and that of my immediate family and well wishers to witness this moment in my life.

“I sincerely appreciate His Excellency, my benefactor, for all that Allah have been using him to do in my life.

“As a result, I hereby publicly submit myself to the decision made today and I will always live to remain loyal and dedicated to the decision of my party as I enjoin all my well wishers to work with us for our great party APC to win the November 11 general election,” the statement reads.

In a related development, other candidates for governor including Mr. David Adebanji Jimoh, a former commissioner for finance named Asiwaju Ashiru Idris, Okala Yakubu, and Momoh Jubril withdrew as well.

Read Also: 7 Burnt, 18 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in auto crash

However, all other candidates who haven’t dropped out of the race are welcome to take part in Friday’s primary, which will be held all over the state, according to Mohammed Matawale, the governor of Zamfara state.

Lagos building collapses continued because there were no building reforms, says Rhodes Vivour,

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Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, a candidate for governor from the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, claims that the lack of political will to enact comprehensive building control reforms is to blame for the persistence of impunity surrounding building collapses in the state.

 

According to The Guardian, yesterday in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State, seven-story building collapsed, trapping an unknown number of workers inside.

In a statement released in response to the incident on Thursday, Rhodes Vivour offered his condolences to the families of the deceased and noted that the collapse had once again brought attention to the problem of building and development control in Lagos State.

It is instructive that no one has been held accountable for the apparent impunity surrounding these incidents because building collapses have occurred frequently in Lagos State, especially in recent years. This is intolerable and requires immediate action, according to Rhodes Vivour.

According to Rhodes Vivour, corruption and a lack of accountability have made it difficult for regulatory organizations and subpar building projects to fulfill their obligations.

He said it is unacceptable that those in charge of making sure buildings are built in accordance with predetermined standards have fallen short of their obligations.

Read Also: 7 Burnt, 18 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in auto crash

“The government needs to act swiftly to resolve this issue, and soon. The need for is at the core of the issue.

Gbadebo Rhodes Vivour, a candidate for governor from the Labour Party (LP) in Lagos State, claims that the lack of political will to enact comprehensive building control reforms is to blame for the persistence of impunity surrounding building collapses in the state.

 

According to The Guardian, yesterday in Banana Island, Ikoyi, Lagos State, seven-story building collapsed, trapping an unknown number of workers inside.

In a statement released in response to the incident on Thursday, Rhodes Vivour offered his condolences to the families of the deceased and noted that the collapse had once again brought attention to the problem of building and development control in Lagos State.

 

7 Burnt, 18 injured in Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in auto crash

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In a car accident on Thursday on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway corridor in Ogun State, seven people were burned beyond recognition.

18 additional people suffered various degrees of injuries as a result of the collision.

A Toyota Sienna bus with the license plate BWR762PV and a Mazda bus with the license plate BDN18 LG were both involved in the collision.

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This was confirmed to reporters in a statement on Wednesday in Abeokuta by Florence Okpe, spokesperson for the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun Command.

The Mazda bus collided with the Sienna bus, which was traveling at an excessive rate of speed and in violation of the route, starting a fire, according to Okpe, the accident’s cause.

She said that 27 persons (25 males and two females) were involved in the auto crash, of which 18 persons (17 males and one female) sustained varying degrees of injuries, while seven persons died and were burnt beyond recognition.

The Superintendent Route Commander said that the injured victims had been taken to Victory Hospital, Ogere for medical attention and others to Idera Hospital, Sagamu, Ogun State.

She added that the dead bodies had been deposited at FOS Morgue, Ipara.

The Sector Commander, FRSC Ogun, Ahmed Umar, cautions motorists on the dangers of route violation and excessive speed, advising motorists to drive cautiously and consider other road users.

Read Also: 18 tertiary institutions to receive billions from TETFund, FULL LIST

He, therefore, commiserated with the family of the victims and advised them to contact FRSC, Ogere for more information about the crash.

18 tertiary institutions to receive billions from TETFund, FULL LIST

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TETFUND

Six public universities will receive a total of N18 billion from the Tertiary Education Trust Fund (TETFund), according to Executive Secretary Arc. Sonny Echono. This is part of the fund’s Special High Impact Intervention.

Echono provided a breakdown of the N320 billion 2023 Intervention Budget, which President Muhammadu Buhari recently approved, during a briefing on Thursday in Abuja.

Over 95% of the N320 billion total TETFund disbursement of 2023, according to him, would go directly to beneficiary tertiary institutions. He said N3 billion would be given to six selected universities, N1 billion to six polytechnics, and N1 billion to six colleges of education across the nation.

Echono said the remaining five per cent of the allocation would be used for staff salaries and allowances, project monitoring and zonal capital projects.

He stated that 62% of the total disbursement—or N198 billion—represented the institutions’ annual direct disbursement, and the remaining 20%—or N64.2 billion—would be used for special disbursements.
The decision to make a Special Intervention usually rests with the Board of Trustees, whose decisions are codified in the enabling Act. Allocations are typically made on a zonal basis and are done fairly.

According to Echono, the Special High Impact Intervention aims to heavily fund-inject into a select group of tertiary institutions in order to achieve a significant turnaround through program upgrade and improvement in the teaching and learning environment.

According to Hr, among other factors, beneficiaries are chosen based on the age of the institution in relation to Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.

He said the special impact will be given to Ibrahim Babangida University Lapai, Federal University Wukali in Taraba state, Federal University Birnin Kebbi, Imo state university of agriculture and environmental sciences, Edo state university and Federal university of technology Akure, Ondo state. The beneficiary polytechnics are; “Federal Polytechnics Offa, Federal Polytechnic Gombe, Federal Polytechnic Kabo, Kano state, Anambra State Polytechnic, Federal Polytechnic of Oil and Gas, Bonny and Oyo State College of Agriculture and Technology, Igboora. And for CoEs , they include Plateau State COE, Federal COE,Yola, Federal COE, Zaria, Enugu State COE, Delta State COE and Taiye Solarin COE He said the other area of intervention for the special intervention is students hostels. “Many of you have seeing deplorable accommodations our students live in. For a number of years now we commence these interventions and we will encourage schools because we believe the hostels are one of the areas where private sector funding can be attracted,” he said. “Last year we released intervention in 20 institutions and the hostels have been completed. Another 20 institutions are ready this year, that is one of the importance of the special impact project.” He said there was need to implement projects in institutions within security prone areas to enhance the security of the students and teachers. Speaking on other intervention lines, Echono also noted that N500 million had been allocated to some selected COE from the six geopolitical zones for micro teaching laboratory.

 

Tinubu appears on TIME Magazine’s list of 100 most influential people

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Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the incoming president of Nigeria, is one of the 100 most influential people in the world according to TIME magazine.

According to TIME, Tinubu has long served as a political power broker and helped Nigeria reestablish democracy in 1999 after battling military rule.

The American news publication listed the top 100 figures in the world according to six categories: artists, icons, leaders, pioneers, titans, and innovators.

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Among the 19 leaders listed by TIME were Tinubu and Joe Biden, the vice president of the United States.
“Winning an election in Africa’s most populous country is no easy feat,” the magazine wrote about Tinubu. Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the recently elected president of Nigeria, has had almost 20 years to prepare. The 71-year-old, known to his supporters as Jagaban, or “leader of the warriors,” ran in a presidential election for the first time this March. The catchphrase of his campaign, “It’s my turn,” alluded to his longtime position as a political power broker. After fighting against military rule, Tinubu assisted in the restoration of democracy in the nation in 1999. He later held the office of Lagos governor for two terms in a row.

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“But Tinubu’s win with the ruling All Progressives Congress Party came in a fraught election and by a slim margin over Atiku Abubakar and Peter Obi. It was the first time Nigerian voters contended with a third-party candidate, and many discontented young Nigerians yearning for change pinned their hopes on Obi. Marred by allegations of intimidation and vote rigging, the outcome of the ballot is being challenged in court.”

Buhari performs Umrah ritual in Makkah amidst heavy security

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When President Muhammadu Buhari arrived at the Grand Mosque in Makkah early on Thursday, he performed Umrah rituals under heavy security.

The General Presidency for the Affairs of the Grand Mosque and staff from the Nigerian Embassy were among the officials who welcomed the President, according to a statement made by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu.

A day earlier in the second Holy City of Madina, President Buhari had also visited and prayed at the Prophet’s Mosque.

He arrived in the Kingdom on an eight-day official visit on Tuesday.

No apology from British government over my detention – Peter Obi

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Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) candidate for president, has denied receiving a letter of apology from the British government for being detained by immigration officials at Heathrow Airport in London.

Obi responded by using Diran Onifade, Head of Media and Communications for the Obi-Datti Presidential Campaign Council.

 

“We have been receiving inquiries with regards to a so-called apology, purportedly issued by the British Government or any of its agencies, to our Principal Mr. Peter Obi, in respect of a routine Immigration engagement with him, as he arrived London, for a brief visit, last Friday, the 7th of April,” reads a statement from Onifade.

“We would like to state emphatically that we are not aware of any such apology, and have not issued any statement whatsoever, in that regard.

“While we continue to look into any shady or political intent on the part of the identity thieves,

“We have complete faith in the British government’s ability to handle the situation until it is resolved.

Since the incident, Mr. Peter Obi and the LP/PCC have moved on and are still entirely present;

…on the legal proceedings before the Election Petition Tribunal to reclaim the mandate that, in our opinion, was overwhelmingly expressed by voters in the February 25th presidential election.

Read Also: Immigration officials detain Peter Obi in London for hours, suspicion impersonation

Recall that the British government apologised to Obi for his detention at Heathrow Airport, according to the campaign spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, Daniel Bwala.

Obi was, on Friday, accosted by an immigration official at the Heathrow Airport in London, and handed a detention note. The LP presidential candidate was later released after being questioned for identity duplication, which suggests that someone had been impersonating Obi in London. Taking to his Twitter account on Thursday, Bwala claimed that the British government has apologised to Obi for illegally serving him a detention note. He wrote, “British government apologised to Peter Obi for illegally serving him a detention note. “Can you now put a ‘respek’ on his name? We are now waiting for US government to apologise to Tinubu for illegally collecting the forfeited dollars. “Asiwaju fans oya start throwing the insults.”

 

Bandits kill eight in Kaduna community

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According to reports, eight people were killed by bandits during an attack on the Atak’Njei community in Kaduna State’s Zango Kataf Local Government Area.

According to reports, the attack, which happened on Wednesday at around 9pm, injured a number of additional people.

The palace of the Agom Atyap, the supreme leader of the Atyap people, is located in the neighborhood of Atak’Njei.

Francis Zimbo, the chairman of the Zangon Kataf Local Government Area, confirmed the incident and said those who were hurt had been taken to the hospital for care.

He criticized the region’s recent spate of attacks and urged security organizations to step up their efforts.
Also reacting to the incident, the National President, Atyap Community Development Association (ACDA), Sam Achie, condemned the attack, describing it as barbaric.

He called on the people saddled with the responsibility of securing the area to fish out those behind the frequent attacks and killings in Atyap land.

Read Also: Tinubu victory: My life in danger – Lagos ex-Deputy gov, Sinatu Ojikutu

In another development, troops of Operation Forest Sanity have intercepted a large quantity of ammunition being conveyed to bandits by courier around Polewire in Birnin Gwari Local Government Area of Kaduna State.

The Commissioner for Internal Security and Home Affairs, Samuel Aruwan, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday in Kaduna.

He said security reports made available to the state government indicated the ammunition were intercepted

following credible intelligence around the gunrunning activities.

“In another significant breakthrough, troops of Operation Forest Sanity have intercepted a large quantity of ammunition being conveyed to bandits by a courier around Polewire in Birnin Gwari LGA.

“According to a report forwarded to the Kaduna State Government, the troops followed up on credible intelligence around gunrunning activities, and in the course of diligent checks stopped a suspicious-looking vehicle within the location of interest.

“A search of the intercepted vehicle — a black Toyota Corolla — revealed more than 2,000 rounds of various grades of ammunition, concealed in different parts of the car.

“After a thorough search of the vehicle, the following precise quantities (of ammunition) were recovered: 1,079 rounds of 7.62mm, special ammunition, 886 rounds of 7.62mm belted ammunition, 139 rounds of 7.62mm tracer ammunition and five empty AK-47 magazines,” the statement said.

Aruwan said the driver of the vehicle, one Aminu Abdullahi, was arrested for further investigations.

He said Governor Nasir el-Rufai noted the report with satisfaction and thanked the troops for their proactiveness in denying bandits a major supply of ammunition meant to mete out more destruction and suffering.

“The governor warmly appreciated the leadership of the General Officer Commanding, One Division, Nigerian Army, Major General T.A. Lagbaja, for the latest notable breakthrough recorded.

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“Governor el-Rufai charged the security forces to proceed with a thorough investigation of the arrested suspect, and intensify efforts towards dismantling gunrunning networks across the state and beyond,” the statement said.