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Lagos issues four-day relocation deadline to squatters, illegal motor parks in Obalende

The Lagos State Government on Sunday gave a four days relocation notice to all squatters under the Obalende bridge as well as illegal motor parks operators and buses who have moved to the main road.

Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab in company of his Transportation counterpart, Oluwaseun Osiyemi issued the ultimatum.

Others on the entourage were the Special Adviser on Environment, Kunle Rotimi-Akodu and Transportation, Sola Giwa; Chairman of the Special Task Force on Restoration of Blue Line Corridor ACP Bayo Sulaiman and the Permanent Secretary, Office of Drainage Services, Engr Mahmood Adegbite and other heads of agencies.

They inspected Apongbon Underbridge, Obalende, Ijora Underbridge and Surulere opposite National Stadium.

Speaking with newsmen after the inspection, Wahab said all shanties and their dwellers, traders, squatters, cattle rearers and abandoned vehicles presently under Obalende bridge must vacate the area by Thursday afternoon as enforcement would commence in the early hours of Friday morning.

He added that all the commercial vehicles operators who have turned the main roads in Obalende into parking lots should relocate to the various parks provided for them because the government has had enough of the defacement of the aesthetics of Obalende by the operators and it must be restored.

Wahab said there is no going back on the matching order to the squatters and motorists in Obalende which informed the presence of the helmsmen from the transportation sector.

The commissioner who also inspected the level of work on the clean up of Apongbon Under Bridge also visited Ebute Ero and others areas, asking state officials monitoring the areas to ensure full compliance with the Governor’s directive that there should be no form of trading or habitation under the bridge and all adjoining areas.

“I will like to state that I am happy with the level of compliance at Ijora, Apongbon and Ebute Ero under bridge where the cleanup exercise commenced two weeks ago. The government is set to sustain the clean and safe environment adding that in a matter of months the space will be taken over by LASPARK,” he stated.

He said Lagos State Parks and Gardens Agency (LASPARK) would move in after the squatters have been removed to commence work on the beautification and landscaping of Obalende under bridge, Apongbon Under bridge, Ebute Ero under bridge, stressing that this clean up exercise would spread to everywhere bridges exist across the state.

“Most of the places cleaned up are notorious sites that harbour criminals thereby becoming threats to the Blue line rail project bridges that passes through Ijora and one that the state government has invested huge resources in” he said.

Earlier at the Ilubirin end of Lagos Island the Commissioner said Ilubirin is strategic because the government is set to regenerate Isale Eko and to do that there was need to get the outflow of water through Ilubirin path.

He recalled that the governor was at Isale Eko late last year with the promise of regeneration, adding that the contractor needs to speed up pace of work to ensure that the project was completed before the rain commences.

The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi while speaking said the Ministry of Transportation’s collaboration with the Environment and Water Resources had been beneficial to the State Government in delivering its mandate.

News

Police arrest 9 suspects over communal crisis in Kogi

The Police Command in Kogi State has arrested nine suspects in connection with a communal crisis in Itamah area of Kogi.

The crisis occurred after the assassination of the community traditional ruler, Onu Itamah Job Shagari.

The Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Bethrand Onuoha, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lokoja on Thursday.

The late Chief Job Shagari was on Aug. 12 assassinated by some gunmen who invaded the community.

The traditional ruler’s death had created rift between two families — the Okenyi Abu-Atika and Shagari-Ebijegor, resulting in communal crisis.

But the police said they had arrested nine suspects and they were trailing other suspects.

“What the police are calling for now is for peace to be allowed to reign in Itamah community.

“The destruction done in that community is very unfortunate and uncalled for.

“We want a situation where the aggrieved families should come to round table for dialogue toward finding a lasting solution.

A situation where the community members are involved in an eye for an eye, the whole community will be blind and there won’t be peace there at all,” he said.

Onuoha denied the allegation that the command did not respond to petitions brought before it on arson and hostilities that left some houses and other property razed destroyed.

Mr Akoh Jonah, spokesman of the Okenyi Abu-Atika, claimed that more than 40 houses were burnt during the crisis, alleging that the police arrested 11 members of his family

News

Police arrest two suspects with AK-47 rifle in Bauchi

The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested two suspects with a fabricated AK-47 rifle and ammunition in the Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of the state.

Spokesperson of the command, SP Ahmed Mohammed Wakil, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday, September 12, 2024. He said the suspects were nabbed by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Unit while trying to sell the rifle for N580,000.

“The Bauchi State Police Command is unwavering in its efforts to combat the proliferation of small and light arms within the state. In furtherance of this commitment, the Taskforce operatives, led by the Anti-Kidnapping Unit attached to the Command, have successfully apprehended two suspects in possession of a fabricated AK47 rifle and ammunition at Boto Market in Tafawa Balewa Local Government Area of Bauchi state,” the statement read.

“Preliminary investigations indicate that the suspects, who travelled from Plateau State to Boto market, negotiated the sale of the rifle for N580,000.

“The apprehended suspects are: Abdulgafar Mohammed, male, 18 years old, from Barkin Ladi, Plateau State and Yusuf Isa, male, 25 years old, from the same address.

“A discreet investigation is ongoing, after which the suspect will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.

Under the stewardship of the Commissioner of Police, CP Auwal Musa Mohammad, psc, Anipr, the Command has escalated efforts to locate and apprehend the manufacturers of such weapons, irrespective of their location. Ultimately, the Command aims to assure the public of its dedication to eliminating illegal firearms in the state and urges the citizens to understand that.

“Mankind must put an end to organised crime, or organized crime will put an end to mankind”, and on the “ keyboard of life, let us as citizens always keep a finger on the escape key to survive.”

News

Police arrest 19 year old undergraduate for kidnapping, killing of a female student in Kogi

The Kogi State Police Command has arrested Paul Jeremiah, 20, for the alleged murder of Damilola, a 19-year-old first-year student at the Federal University, Lafia, Kogi State.

SP William Ovie Aya, the Police Public Relations Officer, confirmed Jeremiah’s arrest on Thursday in Lokoja.

According to him, investigation is underway to determine the details surrounding the incident.

Damilola was reported missing on September 4, 2024.

Reports indicate that Jeremiah and his accomplices initially demanded a ransom of N10 million for her release.

However, after receiving N400,000 from Damilola’s family, Jeremiah, said to be a Kaduna State indigene, was dissatisfied with the amount and subsequently killed Damilola and mutilated her body.

The Police spokesman did not disclose how Jeremiah was apprehended but confirmed that he is currently in custody.