News

Court Adjourns Eko Atlantic City’s Dredging Suit

The Federal High Court in Lagos will on May 8 hear closing arguments in a case challenging the legality of Eko Atlantic City’s dredging.

The plaintiff, Mondinvest Limited, filed the suit over eight years ago.

The suit has M. V. Breughel, Master of the M. V. Breughel and Dredging Environmental Marine Engineering N. V. (Belgium), employed by Gilbert and Ronald Chagoury, as the defendants.

Mondinvest is praying the court to declare the dredging and land reclamation in the Kuramo Waters of Victoria Island as illegal.

The area has been designated by the Chagoury brothers as the Eko Atlantic Phases II-VI.

The plaintiff, in addition to seeking damages for alleged negligent dredging and devaluation of property, is also asking for a restoration of the Kuramo Waters to its original condition under the court’s supervision.

According to the plaintiff, the environmental part of the claim is based on the paramount importance of the Kuramo Waters as a natural overflow and drain to the Atlantic Ocean of Five Cowrie Creek and Victoria Island during the rainy season and when severe flooding occurs.

The ongoing dredging operations, Mondinvest claimed, are aimed at sealing up the Kuramo Waters in a bid to create more land for the Eko Atlantic project.

The plaintiff’s claim is that the consequences of the phases of land reclamation would eradicate the efficacy of the Kuramo Waters without which Victoria Island would become prone to heavy floods and gradually go underwater.

Expert evidence from an internationally renowned oceanographer in Washington DC in the United States of America (U.S.A) had been adduced to in the suit to the effect that the Kuramo Waters has existed as a natural body of water serving Victoria Island as long as Lagos has existed.

The plaintiff argued that the consequences of the ongoing dredging, which has been intensified by the Belgian dredger owners since June 2023 to date, is to destroy property values, investments, and livelihoods of citizens along the Kuramo waters shoreline and beyond.

The claimant is seeking damages for negligent, unlawful and illegal dredging by the defendants.

At the resumed hearing on February 20, the plaintiff’s counsel, Olumide Aju (SAN), concluded his cross-examination of the defence expert witness, Prof. Lucian Chukwu

News

Suspected Boko Haram kill two vigilantes, 10 firewood fetchers in Borno

Two vigilantes and ten firewood fetchers in Bokko Ghide community, Gwoza local government area of Borno state have been killed by suspected Boko Haram terrorists.

Alhaji Mohammed Shehu Timta, the Emir of Gwoza, confirmed the incident, explaining that the vigilantes (Civilian JTF) were ambushed and killed by the assailants along Kirawa road under Pulka District.

He also explained that the 10 other victims were those who went into the bush in search of firewood.

The Emir stated that they (firewood fetches) went to a nearby bush in search of firewood on Saturday when the boys (insurgents) ambushed them and killed ten and left 2 with life threatening injuries.

He said that they buried the 10 and evacuated the injured victims to Maiduguri for medical attention.

According to him, “It’s very sad that two of my Civilian JTF members, who sacrificed their lives for my people, were also killed on Friday.”

He prayed to God to reward their sacrifices and grant them Janatul Firdaus, and give their family and the community the fortitude to bear the loss.

While commending the state government and the military for their relentless effort in dealing with the Boko Haram insurgency, he added that they have been doing their best in managing the crisis for over a decade.

He, however, wants the military to deploy technological warfare like drones and other sophisticated weapons to end the crisis.

The Emir observed that the rainy season is about to set in and the people are now scared to visit their farmlands.

The attacks came barely 48 hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu sent the Minister of Defense, Badaru Abubakar, Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Christopher Musa, and other top military commanders to assess the security situation in Borno State.

The Minister of Defence, had assured that the Federal Government would provide more military support to deal with the security challenges in Borno and the northeast

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Father and son allegedly poisoned to death in Ebonyi

A middle-aged man, popularly known as Uncle Light, and his son, Miracle, were allegedly poisoned to death in Ebonyi State.

The incident happened at Ebebe Junction in Abakaliki on Wednesday, April 23, 2025.

It was gathered that the victims were living with a woman who reportedly moved in with the man after divorcing her husband earlier this year.

The woman is suspected of having poisoned the food they ate

Police operatives arrived at the compound with a man who identified himself as the brother of the woman in question.

He told police that his sister was ill and currently in custody.

Another resident, who also pleaded anonymity because he was not authorised to talk.

“I heard a loud voice in the middle of the night and I told my wife that something was happening in our neighbourhood. At a point, we thought it was noise from church people doing their programme. It was early in the morning that we saw the son struggling and writhing in pain and came outside the gate,” the source said.

“He was crying for water. A friend provided him with water before he suddenly d!ed. We are suspecting diarrhoea, but it’s for an autopsy to confirm what k!lled him.”

The bodies have been evacuated by the police. (Punch)

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‘We are with you’- Oyebanji assures Ekiti people after heavy rainstorm

The Governor of Ekiti State, Mr Biodun Oyebanji has sympathised with the people of the state over the havoc wreaked by rainstorm in some parts of the state on Saturday.

The storm affected many private and public buildings as well as facilities across the state. However, no life was lost.

Moved by the development, the Governor has directed the State Emergency Management Agency (SEMA) to immediately commence an assessment of properties that were affected with a view to assisting the victims.

While assuring the people of the state that they would not be left alone at this critical period, Governor Oyebanji urges the people of the state to remain calm and go about their daily activities without any fear, while Government takes inventory of the damaged properties and facilities with a view to responding appropriately.

“We are in it together”, the Governor assures the people in a statement signed by his Special Adviser on Media, Yinka Oyebode, and made available to newsmen in Ado-Ekiti on Saturday evening.

“The Biodun Oyebanji administration is committed to the welfare and wellbeing of the people of the state and will not leave any stone unturned in providing timely succor to the victims of the rainstorm”, the statement added.