THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE JULY 28, 2018
Lagos mulls Water Transportation to ease Traffic Congestion (ThisDay)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State yesterday expressed the commitment of his administration to provide critical infrastructure and enabling environment for investors to participate in water transportation, which he said was critical to solving the traffic congestion in the state. Speaking at a Roundtable on Water Transportation organised by the state government, and held at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, the governor said though the sector had been left unattended to over the years, that the state government was nonetheless now committed more than before to fully harness the potentials of the water transportation to the benefit of the people and economic prosperity of the state. Read more
Onitiri joins race for Lagos senatorial seat (Nation)
A Lagos-based politician and General Secretary of Lagos Elders Council, Chief Adesunbo Onitiri has joined the race for Lagos Central Senatorial seat ahead of the 2019 elections, under the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). Onitiri said he has decided to join the race so as to change many obsolete legislations still in nation’s statute books for good governance. According Onitiri, the 1999 constitution as amended, did not give room for true democracy to survive in the country. He therefore appealed to credible Nigerians to show interest in politics because the more hourable people in politics less violence and the better governance. Read more
Lagos government alerts public of unauthorised enforcement officers (Guardian)
The Lagos State Government has urged members of the public to be wary of the activities of unauthorised law enforcement officers. The Commissioner for Environment, Mr Babatunde Durosinmi-Etti, said in a statement on Friday, that the officers go about defrauding people, in the guise of environmental law enforcement. Durosinmi-Etti said that the government was perturbed by activities of some bad eggs among public servants, who sometimes abuse the enforcement process to defraud Lagosians. He said that nemesis had caught up with six officers, who were out on the mission to defraud some hotels in the state, namely JCB Hotel in Omole and Roneks Hotel in Akowonjo. Read more
FAAN conducts mock emergency exercise at Lagos airport (Nation)
The Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) on Friday night conducted a mock emergency exercise at the Murtala Muhammed Airport in Lagos. Mrs Henrietta Yakubu, General Manager, Corporate Affairs, FAAN, who confirmed the development, said the exercise was in conformity with the Standards and Recommended Practices on Safety. Yakubu said the drill, which began at 8.20 p.m., was aimed at evaluating and ascertaining the airport’s level of preparedness, in case of emergencies. “Consequently, the authority will like to appeal to the public, especially those residing around the airport not to entertain any fear, as the exercise is only a mock,” she said. Read more
RCCG partners Emzor, Pharmatex on medical outreach (Punch)
The Redeemed Christian Church of God, the Calvary Area headquarters, is partnering Emzor Pharmaceutical Industries and Pharmatex Industries to organise a medical outreach for residents of Oshodi and environs on Saturday. The Pastor in Charge of the Calvary Area, Jeff Aganbi, said the medical outreach, aimed at providing free drugs, medical tests and free medical consultations to community members, was part of the church’s Corporate Social Responsibility programme organised to mark its 21st anniversary. Aganbi said giving back to the society through the CSR initiative was in fulfilment of one of the visions of the General Overseer, RCCG, Pastor Enoch Adejare. Read more
Lagos blood thirsty cultists defy police (SUN)
Barely a week after the police in Lagos paraded suspected cultists arrested in parts of the state, the battle for the control of territories by the bloodthirsty young men and women appears unabated as four persons were again killed on Tuesday and another four fatally wounded in a fresh gang war in Ajeromi Ifelodun area of the state. The entire Ajeromi Ifelodun Local Government Area and Ifelodun Local Council Development Area were thrown into chaos by members of Eiye confraternity on Tuesday when the cultists numbering 50 invaded communities in the area at 3 am with arms, cut lasses and other dangerous weapons, killing four and injuring five others. Read more
How ‘gallant’ policemen make money saving lives on Third Mainland Bridge (Tribune)
Third Mainland Bridge, conceived and built by the regime of General Ibrahim Babangida, is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland, the other two being the Eko and Carter bridges. Measuring about 11.8km in length, nearly all the residents and visitors to the state would have possibly made one contact or another with the N1 billion project by the construction giant, Julius Berger, since it was opened by the former military ruler more than 28 years ago. Read more
Finally, Police arrest owner of truck that ignited Lagos tanker fire (NewTelegraph)
Detectives from the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department (SCIID), Panti Yaba, assigned to investigate the fatal accident which occurred on the popular Otedola Bridge on June 28, have arrested the truck owner, Hassan Yusuf Maiwake. The arrest emerged on a day the Lagos State Government said it had released the result of the DNA forensic examination conducted on the unidentified victims who were burnt beyond recognition in the tanker explosion close to the Lagos end of the sprawling Lagos-Ibadan expressway. An update released by the Lagos State Police Command signed by the command’s spokesperson, CSP Chike Oti, said: “The owner of the truck, Hassan Maikwe of No.16 Hotoro Limawa, Kano State, was arrested yesterday (July 26, 2018). Read more
We’ve lost our benefactors, say families of Lagos boat accident victims (Punch)
It was a whirlpool of grief on Thursday as families of victims who lost their lives to the boat accident along Oworonshoki waterways stormed Ikorodu General Hospital to collect their corpses. Many sympathisers, who came to the hospital on hearing the sad news, were inconsolable as they broke down in tears. Two of the deceased were a Senior Accountant, Lagos State Judiciary, who worked at the state High Court in Igbosere, Mrs. Temitope Edema, and a filling station owner, Alhaji Lukman Smith – both said to be in their 50s. A 20-passenger boat en route from Lagos Island to Ipakodo, Ikorodu, had on Wednesday crashed in the middle of the water, killing five persons – four females and a male – while 15 others escaped with injuries. Read more
Herbalist abducts 17-year-old seeking protection against enemy (Punch)
The police in Lagos have arrested an herbalist, James Johnson, for the alleged abduction of a 17-year-old girl in the Ajah area of Lagos State under false pretences of fortifying her against enemies. Johnson, 22, was apprehended along with his accomplice, 28-year-old Emmanuel Emmana, at a hotel they reportedly used as their hideout in the neighborhood. Saturday PUNCH learnt that Johnson had approached the girl, Bilkis, at her mother’s shop in Akinyemi Market, Ajah, while he was hawking herbs. He was said to have told Bilkis that he had a vision that some enemies were going after her and that she needed prayers to fortify herself against any spiritual attacks. Read more
Lagos to begin Transformation of Maracana Stadium to Multi-purpose Centre (ThisDay)
Lagos State Governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, has said that plans are on to transform the popular Maracana Football Stadium in Ajegunle to a world-class multi-purpose sports complex, that would help teeming youths harness their natural talents in a positive way. The governor made the assurance after visiting the stadium on Thursday evening, said work would commence soon. Ambode, who spoke to scores of residents, said though his administration had planned to embark on the transformation of the arena before now, the design was now ready while the contractor was set to move to the site. Read more