THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE MAY 18, 2018
We don’t sell human parts — Oko Oba butchers (Vanguard)
Butchers at the Oko Oba Abattoir in Agege, Lagos, have denied insinuations of alleged sale of human parts and child prostitution by members in the market, pleading with members of the public to discountenance such. Various associations of butchers in the market insisted the report published by a national daily was a handiwork of mischief makers doing everything to take over the management of the market. It will be recalled that a national daily reported that the Lagos State governor might soon shut down the Oko Oba abattoir indefinitely following alleged discovery by government officials of illegal activities of child prostitution, sale of human parts and other vices within the market. Read more
‘All is well in Lagos’ (Punch)
The Chairman, Christian Association of Nigeria, Lagos State chapter, Apostle Alexander Bamgbola, has said all is well in Lagos State. Bamgbola stated this at a bi-annual public lecture in Ikeja on Thursday, with the theme, ‘Matter Arising in Political Landscape of Nigeria: The Church Response,’ organised by Christian Conscience Group. The state CAN chairman explained that the state had been enjoying relative peace since the state Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, introduced strategy that aided religious harmony in Lagos. “All is well in Lagos. While some experience religious issues, we have been enjoying harmonious relationship among the faiths in the state. Read more
‘How Land Use Charge’ll scuttle Lagos rent-to-own housing policy’ (SUN)
Nigerians who see the Land Use Charge (LUC) introduced by Lagos State government as ploy to increase their suffering have risen to discredit the state’s rent-to-own policy, saying won’t change anything. One of those who spoke to Daily Sun, Mr. Adeboye Edun, said that even after owning the house, the LUC, the tenement rate, plus all other charges introduced by this current government will make nonsense of the policy as they will use it to increase the authentic number of landlords in their list. Another respondent, Mrs. Tigerus Ananias, a dealer in hospital equipment, said the Lagos State government is thinking that people are accepting all the policies it is introducing. She said these policies are introduced without human face. Read more
Ambode, Obasa preach love at Ramadan (Punch)
The Lagos State Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, and the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly, Mudashiru Obasa, have urged Muslims to extend love to others and imbibe the act of selfless service to humanity during and after Ramadan. Ambode, who spoke at a Ramadan Tafsir at the Lagos House, Ikeja, to mark the commencement of the Muslim fasting month, said those who had in excess must help others. “What is in the 30 days of Ramadan is to show love to ourselves and also show love to our neighbours. When we have in excess, we must give to others because somebody else has provided for us,” the governor said. Read more
Otedola denies rumours of governorship ambition (Guardian)
The chairman of Forte Oil, Femi Otedola, has denied claims that he is seeking to contest for Lagos State governorship seat in 2019. Reports started making the rounds that the oil mogul will join politics after posting a video of himself on a popular Molue bus in Lagos. The rumours grew following a tweet from a parody account on Twitter stating the Forte Oil boss will seek to dislodge Akinwunmi Ambode from the Lagos House next year. “My attention has been drawn to a news piece where false information from a parody account was posted,” Otedola tweeted in the early hours of Friday. Read more
‘Afikuyomi not interested in Lagos APC Chairmanship’ (ThisDay)
Despite media reports that former Senate Minority Leader, Senator Tokunbo Afikuyomi, is gunning for the chairmanship of the Lagos State chapter of the All Progressives Congress, a source close to the senator said he was not keen on vying for the post. Some of the prominent members of the party whose names had been mentioned in media reports on the chairmanship race were Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (aka GOS), Alhaji Mutiu Are and Senator Afikuyomi. But a source close to Afikuyomi said the senator was not interested in the Lagos APC chairmanship race. Read more
Ambode urges supporters to obtain voters card (Guardian)
Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged his supporters particularly members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) to get their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to boost his second term election. Ambode, who was represented by the Special Adviser on Religious Matter, Verrals Kolawole at a forum where he was endorsed for reelection, said the solidarity gathering and second term endorsement and continuous praise singing his return in 2019 without necessarily following up by obtaining voter cards, which qualifies individuals to vote in the next election, are not enough. Read more
Lagos Ohanaeze backs parent body on Igbo summit (Vanguard)
The Lagos State chapter of the Ohanaeze Ndigbo has thrown its weight behind the Chief John Nnia Nwodo-led National Executive Committee, NEC, on restructuring and the May 21 Igbo Summit. On May 21, Ndigbo, a host of Southern Nigeria and Middle-Belt leaders will assemble at Dr Alex Ekwueme Square, Akwa for the Igbo Summit on restructuring. Rising from the state executive committee meeting, the President of Ohanaeze Lagos State, Chief Solomon Ogbonna said there is no better solution to Nigeria’ problems than restructuring. Read more
Health workers relax strike in Lagos, Kano, Yobe (ThisDay)
The Joint Health Sector Union (JOHESU) thursday called on health workers in Lagos, Kano and Yobe States to relax the ongoing indefinite strike in their domain following the cooperation of the governors from the above states. The move to relax the strike in Lagos, Kano and Yobe States was as a fallout of the positive responses from the state governments in addressing several demands made by JOHESU. Speaking with journalists last night, JOHESU Chairman, Biobelemoye Josiah, explained: “It is paramount we seize this discourse to specially convey deep appreciation to state governments which have gone ahead to meet the various clamours and terms of settlement in agreements with government. This include Yobe and Lagos State which have now adjusted the CONHESS scale as demanded. Read more
Lagos spends N1.04BN on LAKE rice subsidy (Vanguard)
Lagos State Government on Thursday said it has subsidized LAKE Rice to the tune of N1.049billion from December 2016 till date, as part of efforts aimed at sustaining food sufficiency and food security in the State. Speaking at the ongoing annual Ministerial Press Briefing to mark the third anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode’s administration held at Bagauda Kaltho Press Centre in Alausa, Commissioner for Agriculture, Mr. Oluwatoyin Suarau said that LAKE Rice, which is being sold at a highly subsidized rate of N12,000 per bag of 50kg, has helped crashed the skyrocketing price of rice in the country. Read more
UNILAG-SSANU threatens pullout from national over alleged fraud (Vanguard)
University of Lagos (UNILAG), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), has threatened to pullout from the national body for what it described as connivance with the UNILAG chapter executive officer to defraud the institution. This is just as the institution has also suspended the chairman, secretary and its treasurer of the union for alleged misappropriation of N19 million meant for the union. Speaking to journalists during their congress slated for Thursday which was eventually postponed, the acting chairman UNILAG/SSANU, Comrade Gbenga Adenaiya said: “We will be forced to pullout of the national body of SSANU for their failure to addressing the petition on fraud which its executives submitted since November last year.” Read more
At LASU, first class is not cheap, says vice chancellor (Guardian)
Vice chancellor, Lagos State University (LASU), Ojo, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagbohun has stated that having first class in the university is not a child’s play.Addressing reporters at a briefing to announce activities lined up for the 22nd convocation of the institution where about 26,637 students are set to graduate, Fagbohun said the assessment process of the university is thorough, hence can only award first class to individuals that met the requirements irrespective of the number of the graduating class. “We are not in any way working to produce a certain number of first class, we simply use our basis of assessment regularly and consistently, which is very thorough, we have different processes of quality assurance, it is what comes out of it that we present to the world. From all indications our students are qualified in character and learning and can compete on the global scale because we have succeeded in offering world class training and deepening career progression,” he said. Read more
Ambode should stop illegal oro curfew (Punch)
Ingrained traditional religious practices are undermining the avowed vision of Lagos, Nigeria’s economic hub, from elevating itself to a modern, smart and economically advanced state. Tension, which had been building up, reached fever pitch during the observance of the May 2018 annual oro (traditional Yoruba religious) festival in Ikorodu. An extensively circulated notice from the monarchy in Ikorodu, which imposed a curfew (on movement of women) on May 8 in respect of the festival, caused pervasive anxiety among residents. Although the traditional authorities in Ikorodu later disclaimed the ban, too much damage had already been done, leading to severe disruption of movement and economic activities. Read more
3,000 benefit from Lagos housing initiatives (Nation)
The Lagos State Ministry of Housing has handed over keys to another set of 150 winners in the state’s Rent-to-Own (RTO) housing scheme. This brings to 650 the number of beneficiaries since its introduction by Governor Akinwunmi Ambode. The RTO is an improvement on the former State Home Ownership Mortgage Scheme. Under the scheme, only a five per cent deposit is required by the allotees, while the balance is spread over a 10-year period. Hitherto, intending home owners were required to pay 30 per cent equity contribution on property allocated to them before taking delivery of same. Read more
Property Mart unveils Fairmont to cut housing deficit (BusinessDay)
Housing plays a special role in the social, political but more importantly economic dialogue in most societies with Nigeria not being an exception. Housing deficit in the country has been exacerbated by the failure to address the issue and waiting for government appears farfetched which most Nigerians have realized. Basking on the success of the roll-out of its medium housing model with Fairmont Estate, Arepo in 2017, Property Mart has introduced Fairmont Lekki, Lagos State in continuation of its mission to be the number one affordable housing solution provider in the country. Read more
LASEPA declares hospitals, libraries, courts noise-free zones (Nation)
The government has declared public institutions noise free, the General Manager, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) Anthonio Ayodele has said. Listed among such institutions are hospitals, libraries, court premises, and Government Reserved Areas (GRA), which noise/horn free signs would be installed. He disclosed this at the third stakeholders interactive session with the theme: ‘Noise pollution abatement evaluation in an emerging smart city, two years retrospect’. It was organised by the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) at Alausa. Ayodele said the move was to make citizens imbibe the culture of a serene environment. Read more
Passenger goes wild, destroys airline’s computer (Leadership)
An Air Peace passenger travelling from Lagos to Abuja went wild during check-in formalities and destroyed one of the computers of the airline at the departure hall, it was learnt yesterday. Our correspondent gathered that the passenger, who was on queue at the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Lagos, complained that the process was too slow. Though the identity of the passenger was not revealed, the airline confirmed yesterday that the unruly passenger was blacklisted in order to protect other passengers and its staff from harm.Spokesman of the airline, Mr. Christian Iwarah, said the incident happened during the Lagos-Abuja Flight P47128 at the General Aviation Terminal of the Murtala Muhammed Airport, Ikeja, Lagos on Tuesday. Read more
Lagos SARS operatives extort N5,000 from woman, friends, threaten to kill them (Punch)
A digital marketer, Ifeoluwa Adegoke, caused a stir on the social media on Thursday after sharing her encounter with some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State. Adegoke said she was forced to part with N5,000 to save her life and that of her colleagues, who were accosted by the policemen around 1.20pm while going for a photo shoot. The victim, who shared a snapshot evidence of the fund transfer and the photo of one of the policemen, alleged that the operatives threatened to kill them. “With my encounter today, it is safe to say SARS men are armed robbers. I was going for a photo shoot in Ikorodu today (Wednesday) and armed robbers SARS pulled us over and made us pay for no reason, threatening that they were gonna waste our lives. I made a transfer so they can be traced,” she wrote on her Twitter page. Read more
Save us from land grabbers, residents urge Ambode, Lagos CP (Vanguard)
Residents of Mowonla in Ikorodu area of Lagos State have appealed to Governor Akinwunmi Ambode of Lagos State and the State Commissioner of Police Edgal Imohimi, to rescue them from the hand of some suspected land grabbers, who have been terrorizing the town since 2013. The residents claimed the suspected land grabbers struck in 2013 leaving scores of people, including women and children, injured. The land grabers also allegedly demolished several structures while two Policemen were declared missing. The aftermath of the violence left the community deserted for few years until the youths of the community took the bull by the horn by brokering peace. Read more
NDLEA seizes 4 tonnes of Tramadol at Lagos Airport (ThisDay)
The fight against drugs addiction in Nigeria may be a hard task to accomplish as the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) yesterday announced the seizure of four tonnes of imported Tramadol tablets at the shed of Skyway Aviation Handling Company Limited (SAHCOL) at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Lagos. The agency said what was telling about the drugs was that each dosage is 250 milligramme, 150 milligrammes above the dosage recommended for medical purposes, as it also announced that the drugs it confiscated from the Lagos airport in 2017 was worth over N1 billion by their street value. Read more
Police search for murdered lady’s escort (Punch)
The Lagos State Police Command has said it is investigating the circumstances that led to the murder of a suspected sex worker, Vivian Bello. It was gathered that the police were working on the premise that the deceased had a male visitor in her room at Kings Hotel, a brothel along the Ijora-Badia railway line, Lagos. Bello was found dead in the toilet of her room on April 13, 2018, while her supposed male visitor was nowhere to be found. Bello was reportedly found with bruises all over her body; the police said the bruises suggested that she died a violent death. When Punch Metro visited the brothel on Thursday for an update, the Manager, Niyi Owowa, avoided speaking to our correspondent and disappeared. Read more
3 suspects arrested over murder at APC congress (Vanguard)
Policemen attached to Lagos State police command have arrested three persons over the murder of a young man during the APC Local Government Congress at Central Community Primary School, Oniwaya, Agege, Lagos on Saturday, May 12. Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, said: “The election was allegedly factionalised, which led to protest. Consequently, some disgruntled ward members protested their non inclusion in the electoral process. “However, during the ensuing pandemonium, gunshots were heard from a distance. When the noise died down, one Nurudeen Lanlese, aged 40 years, was found in a pool of blood. One Bosun Adigun, Sabitu Kamorudeen and Semiu Ogunbono, who were suspects in the murder, were arrested and will be charged to court after investigation.” Read more
Police arraign Lagos politician, phone repairer on affray (Punch)
The Ogun State Police Command has arraigned a Lagos politician, Odukunle Kuti, and a phone repairer, Rasheed Ameed, before a Magistrate’s Court sitting at Owode Egba, Ogun State. While 44-year-old Kuti was charged with two counts of affray and causing breach of public peace, Ameed (27), was arraigned on affray. Punch Metro had reported that Ameed (Sunkanmi), in April 2018 on Jimoh Akinsanya Street, made a snide remark at Kuti for allegedly beating up his wife. Our correspondent reported that the politician confronted the phone repairer for meddling in his family affair. Read more
Blind septuagenarian arraigned for aiding robbery suspect evade arrest (Vanguard)
A blind septuagenarian, Monday Eroanya, was yesterday arraigned at an Ikeja High Court in Lagos for allegedly aiding a robbery suspect to evade arrest. Eroanya faces a two-count charge of accessories after the fact to a felony and forgery, though he denied the charges. Eroanya, due to challenges with his sight, had to be led by hand to the dock. The prosecution, led by Ms Abike Oluwasanmi, said Eroanya committed the offences on February 19, 2016 at Isheri, Lagos. “The defendant aided Michael Eguogwu to evade arrest by providing a fictitious way bill used in transporting a robbed truck with number plates EPE72XJ loaded with new tyres. Read more
Makoko Murder: Residents recount ordeal 1 week after (Vanguard)
Walking through the Acts of the Apostle Church auditorium barely four days after the religious center was chartered, Ms. Orowole Iwalokun, gazed at the wreckage facilities within the premises and could not imagine she would not be able to attend Sunday services again with his brother and cousin. As usual, Iwalokun was already nursing the hope that her brother, Kolawole, would foot her father’s medical bill after sustaining severe injury recently. But that would not happen as the policemen attached to Lagos State Taskforce on Land grabbing, allegedly, killed him and their cousin, Seyi Akintimehin, last Thursday, April 10, while trying to pull down the community church building and 15 other structures. Read more
‘Around Naija’ show unveils ex-Eagles skipper, Kanu Nwankwo as brand ambassador (Guardian)
‘Around Naija’, a TV reality show designed and created by Blue Diamond Entertainment Limited to showcase the aesthetics inherent in the tradition and culture of ethnic nationalities in Nigeria has unveiled ace footballer, Kanu Nwankwo as its brand ambassador. Speaking at the unveiling ceremony in Lagos, President/CEO of the organisation, Otunba Olumide Adekunbi, noted that the choice of Kanu as the face of the project was based on his personality, values and influence among young Nigerians. He also said, “the choice of Kanu is a true reflection of the fact that he has exciting personality that embodies the strength of the Nigerian youth.” He also noted that having made his mark in the field of football and health, it is auspicious to use his strength and values to promote the rich traditional and cultural heritage of Nigeria. Read more
Opeifa Handball Tourney ends Friday (ThisDay)
Activities making the Season 4 of the annual Opeifa Lagos State Secondary Schools Handball Championship holding at the Rowe Park Sports Centre Yaba will be rounded-off today when all the eight finals in both the boys and girls categories will be on the card. This afternoon, Lagos City College Yaba and Zumratu Islamic Senior High School will look horns in the senior boys final while Wesley Girls Senior Secondary School will take on CMS Senior Grammar School in the senior final. Today’s grand finale will begin at 9am with the junior finals at the open court. To get to today’s final, Lagos City College defeated Ikosi Senior High School 13 – 6 while Zumratu Islamic outscored Jagumolu Senior Girls Grammer School 3 -1. Read more
Basketball player dies in Lagos (Punch)
A young basketball player Waheed Jimoh slumped and died on Wednesday morning, while playing on the Nigerian Institute for Sports basketball court inside the National Stadium, Lagos. It was learnt that the board of the Nigeria Basketball Federation on Thursday paid a condolence visit to the family of the player. The NBBF board was led by its North-West Zonal representative, Yusuf Surajo. Surajo, who represented the NBBF president, Musa Ahmadu-Kida, expressed shock over the incident. Read more