THISISLAGOS MIDDAY NEWS UPDATE APRIL 10, 2018
We’ve reduced crime in Lagos, says CP (Punch)
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, on Monday said the activities of Badoo cult, as well as militancy, especially along the riverine communities, have been reduced in the state. The commissioner stated this at the Lagos State Security Summit on Victoria Island, adding that as a result of the assistance rendered to security forces by the government through consistent donation and funding of security equipment, crime rate was in the decline in the state. Edgal, who gave the crime statistics in the state, said from 2014 till date, a total of 1,315 armed robbery attacks, 359 cult-related cases and 392 kidnapping cases were recorded, with several arrests made while prosecutions were ongoing. Read more
‘Why we didn’t join Land Use Charge protest’ (Nation)
Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) Ikorodu Branch Chairman Mr Levi Adikwaone has explained why other branches of the association in Lagos State did not join the Ikeja Branch-led protest against the Land Use Charge (LUC). Adikwaone said the Lagos, Ikorodu, Badagry and Epe branches opted for dialogue with the government. He spoke at a briefing to announce the Law Week of the NBA Ikorodu branch. Adikwaone said the branches were opposed to the new tax regime introduced by the state. According to him, while NBA Ikeja chose to stage a walk to protest the new tax regime, other branches, because they are autonomous of each other, decided to tread the path of dialogue. Read more
Lagos: Ambode laments security challenges (SUN)
Lagos Governor, Akinwunmi Ambode, has linked continuous influx of foreigners and people from other parts of the country to security challenges in the state. To fight the challenges, he canvassed a concept of collective vigilance, whereby all stakeholders in security management have properly defined roles, just as he called for consideration of private security sector into the mainstream security architecture of the state. He spoke at the inaugural edition of the state security summit at Eko Hotels and Suites, Victoria Island, during which Commissioner of Police, Imohimi Edgal, expressed delight that the activities of the dreaded Badoo cult group in Ikorodu, kidnappings and militancy have been brought under control. Read more
Lagos to use media for policies enlightenment (Punch)
The government of Lagos State says it has adopted a policy of a more robust engagement with the media for better understanding of its programmes by the people at the grass roots. It added that such would eventually fast-track development across the state and boost its economy. The Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, stated this on Monday at a news conference which was part of the activities to mark the third anniversary of Governor Akinwunmi Ambode-led government. Read more
LCCI rewards excellence at commerce, industry awards (Guardian)
The Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), has concluded plans to honour excellence in business at this year’s commerce and industry awards scheduled for Tuesday, 1st May, 2018 in Lagos. This year’s edition, which is the fifth in the series, according to the LCCI, will be an improved edition and hopes to attract major players in the various sectors of the Nigerian economy. Director General of the Lagos Chamber of Commerce and Industry (LCCI), Muda Yusuf, said: “the objective of the annual awards is to recognize, celebrate and promote private and public institutions that have exhibited the core values of best business practices, growth through innovations, business sustainability and have positively impacted the society.” Read more
Nwadioke asks Lagos Assembly to repeal LUC law (Guardian)
Civil rights lawyer, Mr. Emeka Nwadioke has advised the Lagos state House of Assembly to “urgently repeal” the controversial land use charge law 2018. In a statement at the weekend, Nwadioke described the LUC law as “unconstitutional,” noting that the law is in breach of the 1999 constitution. “The land use charge law 2018 as presently enacted is in clear breach of article 1 (j) of the fourth schedule to the 1999 constitution,” said nwadioke who is also a member of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) criminal justice reform committee. Read more
FAAN installs CCTV cameras at Lagos, Abuja airports’ airside (Guardian)
Federal Airport Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) has commenced the installation of Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) cameras at airports’ airsides. The airports are the Murtala Muhammed Airport (MMA), Lagos and the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport (NAIA) in Abuja. The General Manager, Corporate Communications of FAAN, Henrietta Yakubu, disclosed this yesterday in Lagos. She said the project, which is presently 85 to 90 per cent completed, is to enhance the security of lives and property, as well as taxing aircraft at the airports. Read more
PSP operators refute Lagos’ settlement claim (SUN)
Members of the Incorporated Trustees of Waste Managers Association of Nigeria (WMAN) also known as Private Sector Participation (PSP) Waste Operators, have dismissed claims of a purported settlement agreement with the Lagos State Government. In a statement issued last Thursday and signed by its Chairman, Alhaji Ola Egbeyemi, the PSP waste operators said contrary to the claim, the state government is insisting that they are restricted to commercial waste collection only while Visioscape continues to manage the collection and disposal of domestic waste, which has remained the bone of contention between them. Read more
Lawyer sues FG, Police over citizen’s right to protest (Guardian)
A Lagos based lawyer and rights-activist, Chief Malcolm Omirhobo, has filed a suit before a Federal High Court, Lagos challenging the violation of his fundamental rights and that of the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) to protest. Omirhobo filed the suit on behalf of himself, NBAIkeja branch and the general public, following the failed protest by the NBA Ikeja, against the reviewed land use charge by the state government. Mentioned as respondents in the matter are the president of the Federal Republic, the attorney general of the Federation, Jnspector General of Folice and Lagos state commissioner of police. Read more
I have never been beaten in my 76 years, says Sunmi Smart-Cole (Guardian)
Renowned photojournalist, Sunmi Smart-Cole, who was former photo editor of The Guardian newspaper, former editor of Lagos Life, and Director at ThisDay, has been discharged after a week-long admission in a Lagos hospital, where he was treated for injuries he sustained from presidential security men who manhandled him during President Muhammadu Buhari’s visit to Lagos on March 29. He has, however, threatened to sue the Department of State Service (DSS) for their rough handling of him, which made him slump at the birthday Colloquium for former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Read more
Meadow Hall foundation to hold education 2018 convention (Guardian)
Meadow Hall Foundation is set to host the second edition of its education convention, on Saturday, April 21, 2018 at the Landmark Event Centre in Victoria Island, Lagos, from 8:00am to 4:00pm, with the theme: “Addressing the Quality Question in the Education Sector.” The Education Convention provides an opportunity for all educational stakeholders (school teachers, school heads/administrators, school owners/school leaders, parents, government officials and community leaders) to gain fresh perspectives on pertinent educational issues from their interactions with teachers and educational experts. Read more
A lifeline for Lagos communities (SUN)
Last Monday, April 2, was Easter Monday. It was the day Christians all over the world trooped to Galilee to see the resurrected Christ.
In Lagos, millions of residents also trooped out on that day. But instead of Galilee, their destination was Alimosho area of the state. That was where jubilant members of the community, reputed to be the largest and most populated in Nigeria, as well as thousands of others from all over the state converged to witness the unveiling of 21 new roads and two bridges by the state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode. It was one day that residents of the area would not forget in a hurry. In one moment, many years of intractable gridlocks, traffic agony and psychological trauma became a thing of the past. Read more
Trends from ARISE Fashion Week 2018 (Guardian)
ARISE Fashion Week (AFW), like most fashion weeks, brings forth a fashion overdose over a course of three to four days. At the show, which held at the Lagos Continental Hotel, the makeup was fierce, the clothes over-the-top and the stars shone the brightest. There is also a certain kind of awakening; old trends die, new ones are born and classics are re-invented. Fringe walks the thin line between love and hate, and sheers swap between immaculate and perverse. We take a look at the fashion trends that have emerged from AFW 2018. Read more
Drama as bribe-seeking SARS men keep Lagos businessman in toilet (Punch)
A businessman, Immanuel Ibe-Anyanwu, created a sensation on Monday after calling for help on Facebook while in the toilet of a Zenith Bank branch at Ago Palace-Way, Okota, Lagos State. Ibe-Anyanwu claimed that some operatives of the Special Anti-Robbery Squad were waiting outside the bank to extort money from him. The 37-year-old, in the post, claimed that the policemen had seized his company documents. While urging his friends and other readers to share the post, he said his phone battery was running low. The post had been shared by over 400 social media users in five hours, as many Nigerians rallied support for him. Read more
BRT crushes pupil, operator accused of abandoning victim (Punch)
A Senior Secondary School one pupil, Ibrahim Abdullahi, is battling with crushed leg and hand at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, Ikeja. The 13-year-old was reportedly knocked down by a BRT bus at the Maryland bus stop, Lagos, immediately he alighted from another BRT bus. This is just as his mother, Funke Oladipo, alleged that Primero Nigeria Limited, the operator of BRT buses on the Ikorodu Road corridor, had abandoned the victim at the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, where he was admitted. Read more
Ogunlewe begs Buhari to invest on athletes (Nation)
Nigerian sprinter, Seye Ogunlewe on Monday pleaded with President Mohammadu Buhari to invest more in sport so as to get the best in Nigerian athletes at the world stage. Ogunlewe said he wished there was the opportunity to meet with Buhari so that he could tell how Team Nigeria have been poorly funded prior to the Commonwealth Games in Australia. Ogunlewe who finished fourth in the 100m final on Monday was responding to Buhari’s earlier congratulatory message on his verified Twitter handle to him and Enoch Adegoke for making it to the 100m men’s final. “All of Nigeria is behind you, as you fly the Nigerian flag on Monday,” the President stated in his message. The sprinter responded to the President’t message on his Twitter handle after his race. Read more
UNILAG to upgrade sports centre with N54m ahead of NUGA bid (Guardian)
The University of Lagos has approved the sum of N54 million for the upgrade of the institution’s sports centre in preparation for its bid to host the Nigeria University Games Association (NUGA). The university’s Director of Sports, Olayinka Awoyinfa revealed that the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe had approved the money in aid of the bidding for the games. Awoyinfa, who is also the Head, Management and Human Kinetics, said the university was working round the clock in ensuring that the institution gets the nod ahead of its competitor, University of Jos. Read more
VGC FC, Native FC win Nike Homecoming football tournaments in Lagos (Guardian)
Soccer fans in Lagos were treated to good football artistry on the Easter weekend when Nike sponsored the maiden edition of the three-day 2018 Homecoming Football Tournament hosted by Native FC. The event, which featured music, fashion, arts and sports, was put together by Boy Better Know Africa. The sporting arm of the event, which was curated by BALLOFF, took place at Upbeat Centre, Lekki. The first part had an interesting set up, which included both male and female players from various backgrounds, as well as local academies, while the second part had an array of international celebrities and social influencers, including the Nigerian/British musician, Skepta and others. Read more
Funerals held for 24 children in India school bus plunge (BBC)
A mass funeral has been held for 24 school children who died when a school bus fell into a gorge in a mountainous region of India on Monday evening. Tearful relatives placed wreaths on the bodies ahead of the cremation, while some mourners asked: “What wrong have these children done?” Most of those who died were younger than 10 years old, while the bus driver and two teachers were also killed. The incident occurred in the northern state of Himachal Pradesh. Road accidents are common in India, often due to poor driving or badly maintained roads and vehicles. Read more
Hungary PM plans significant government shake-up (Reuters)
Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban plans to make significant changes to his government, he said on Tuesday at the first news conference following his election landslide. Orban also said the election, where voters gave his ruling Fidesz party a two-thirds parliamentary majority, provided a strong mandate that he planned to use to push a “Stop Soros” bill through parliament. Read more
Merkel says Nord Stream 2 not possible without clarity for Ukraine (Reuters)
German Chancellor Angela Merkel said on Tuesday the Nord Stream 2 gas pipeline could not go ahead without clarity on Ukraine’s role as a gas transit route, appearing to harden her stance towards the project. “I made very clear that a Nord Stream 2 project is not possible without clarity on the future transit role of Ukraine,” she told a joint news conference in Berlin with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko. Read more
Man hospitalised after eating world’s hottest chilli pepper (Skynews)
A man who took on the world’s hottest chilli pepper in an eating contest stunned doctors after suffering excruciating “thunderclap” headaches. The 34-year-old’s symptoms started with dry heaves immediately after ate a Carolina reaper chilli during the contest in New York State. He then developed intense neck and head pains along with “thunderclap” headaches which would last for several seconds at a time, according to the medical journal BMJ Case Reports. The journal said the American had sought emergency care following the contest in 2016, but tests for several neurological conditions came back negative. Read more
Indian ‘Big Brother’ using fingerprint identification system for food, benefits and bank accounts (Independent)
Seeking to build an identification system of unprecedented scope, India is scanning the fingerprints, eyes and faces of its 1.3 billion residents and connecting the data to essentials like welfare benefits and mobile phones. Civil libertarians are horrified, viewing the program, called Aadhaar, as Orwell’s Big Brother brought to life. To the government, it’s more like “big brother,” a term of endearment used by many Indians to address a stranger when asking for help. Read more