“This unfortunate incident underscores LASTMA’s resolute commitment to preserving lives and ensuring safety on Lagos roads through proactive interventions and collaborative engagements with emergency response agencies,” he said.
metro
Mechanic union ex-chairman assaults two Lagos panel beaters, victims go dumb
There was pandemonium in the Amule area of Ayobo, Lagos State, on Saturday, when members of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association, Ayobo unit, reportedly engaged in a fight over land.
PUNCH Metro gathered that a former chairman of the unit allegedly assaulted two panel beaters, Matthew Idowu, and Sunday Olowolaiyemo, over the land allocated to another member of the union.
The victims were reported to have become dumb and were rushed to different hospitals for treatment.
A witness, Peter Funsho, explained that the present executive members of the union and their chairman went to inspect the land to officially hand it over to their member.
However, the ex-chairman reportedly led another group to the site, as the two parties engaged in an argument over rights to the land.
Funsho said, “The former chairman said no construction would be done on the land because he still had authority over it.
“A panel beater, Idowu, responded that the land had long been sold and besides, the man was no longer the chairman of the union.
“Their argument resulted in a fight and the ex-chairman threw punches at Idowu, who was supported by another panel beater, Olowolaiyemo.
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“The former chairman brought out a ring and hit them; they fell and could not get up. Co-mechanics rushed at the victims and tried to help them, but they looked pale with their eyes wide open. They could not talk or respond to questions.
“Idowu was rushed to a church and a prophet prayed for him. After a while, he was a bit fine, but could still not talk as he was demonstrating with his hands. So, his family was informed about the incident and they requested that he should be brought to their village in the Oja-Odan area of Ogun State.
“The ex-chairman and others were arrested by policemen from the Ayobo Police Station. He was later released and he’s back in the community.”
One of the victims, Idowu, who spoke to PUNCH Metro, said his partner who tried to save him from being beaten up by the ex-chairman, was also assaulted.
He said, “The present chairman asked me to accompany him to the site because he wanted to apportion land to a member of the association. While we were measuring the land with a tape rule (tape measure), the ex-chairman came in to stop us.
“They pounced on me, gave me some punches and when I refused to give them the tape rule, another member of their team tried to break my hands in other to collect the tape by force. One of our members, who tried to rescue me, was beaten with a charm and he fell to the ground and couldn’t get up. Then, the ex-chairman beat me as well with the charm and I didn’t know what happened afterwards.
“I landed in a hospital and was receiving the second drip when I managed to tell them to take me to my village at Oja-Odan, Ogun State, for treatment.
“They thought I was pretending. Eventually, I was transferred to my village, where I was treated. I am better now and I have resumed back to work.”
The second victim, Olowolayemo, also alleged that he was hit with a charm while trying to separate the fight.
He said, “The land dispute has been on for a while and the past excos had been insincere in their dealings on land.
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“After the argument which resulted in a fight, we had to stop our chairman from getting involved because of his position as the head of the unit and I stepped in to separate those fighting.
“The former chairman rushed into a nearby shop and brought out a ring which he used to hit Idowu and myself and we both fell to the ground. I was initially rushed to the Ifo area of Ogun State for treatment because I couldn’t eat or sleep. Later, I was transferred to Oja-Odan, where Idowu was being treated and already recuperating.”
A senior official of the union, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the Ayobo unit was fined N180,000 by the state branch for reporting the case to the police.
He lamented that the state branch imposed fines on them without caring about those assaulted.
The former chairman said the matter had been resolved and declined further comment.
“The issue has been resolved by the state (branch) and there is no need for any further comment by me,” he added.
The Lagos State Chairman of the Nigeria Automobile Technicians Association, Egberongbe Morufu, who confirmed the incident, said decisions made were exclusive only to members of the union.
He said, “Yes, the incident is true and the matter has been resolved. Decisions made and actions taken remain and do not concern non-members.”
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, said some suspects were arrested for assault and later released on bail.
He said, “The leadership of the association of mechanics and all parties involved in the matter approached the Divisional Police Officer to resolve the dispute under the Alternative Dispute Resolution. The DPO consented to their resolution and granted the suspects bail.
“If either of the parties no longer agrees with the ADR and reports to the police, the suspects granted bail will be summoned back to the station and the legal process will be applied as it should be.”
A professor of African Traditional Religion and Director, School of Part-Time Studies, Lagos State University, Ojo, Danoye Oguntola-Laguda, said such incidents do happen.
He said, “I have witnessed many of such incidents. After being beaten with a charm, the victim will continue to roll on the floor until consciousness is lost, and others will continue to drink water abnormally and so on.
“It is difficult to explain scientifically because science is about evidence and exhibition. You should be able to test and repeat it for it to be scientific. Unfortunately, it is difficult to repeat.
“The important thing is the philosophy of evidence. There are thousands of people who can tell you they witnessed such and how it happened. The issue of whether it is real or not is not what you want to subject to a test. Africans, Nigerians and the Yoruba in particular believe in it and it works for them.”
metro
Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest
Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest
A Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday ordered the temporary freezing of 21 bank accounts domiciled in some commercial banks and directed the arrest of the account holders by the police.
Justice Emeka Nwite gave the order after counsel for the Inspector-General (I-G) of Police, Ibrahim Mohammed, moved a motion ex-parte to the effect.
Justice Nwite also granted the “order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATMs while allowing inflow into the said accounts” pending the conclusion of the investigation.
“I have listened to the submission of the learner counsel for the applicant and gone through the affidavit evidence.
“I am of the view that the motion ex-parte is meritorious.
“The application is hereby granted except that the period of the investigation can only last for a period of 90 days,” Justice Nwite said.
The judge adjourned the matter until April 3 for mention.
The banks are Access Bank Plc, Sterling Bank Ltd, Wema Bank Plc, Fidelity Bank Plc, Zenith Bank Plc, Union Bank Plc, Guarantee Trust Bank Ltd, United Bank of Africa Plc, Stanbic IBTC Bank Plc, First Monument Bank Plc, Heritage Bank Plc, TAJ Bank Plc and Keystone Bank Plc.
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The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that while the I-G is the applicant in the motion ex-parte marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/1965/V/2024, the 13 banks are sued as 1st to 13 defendants respectively.
The I-G, in the motion filed by Mohammed, sought an interim order directing the listed “banks to freeze the accounts mentioned in the schedule attached to this summon pending investigation and prosecution of this case.
“An order directing the banks to issue details of the account package(s) and to place a Post-No-Debit (PND) on the accounts, disable the ATM while allowing inflow into the said account as from the date of this court order.
Alleged money laundering: Court temporarily freezes 21 bank accounts, orders holders’ arrest
metro
Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community
Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community
The crisis erupted in the Hallelujah community in Egbedore local government area of Osun State on Friday, as enraged residents beat the newly installed Ajeniju of Hallelujah, Oba Jelili Olaiya while attempting to conduct jumat service in the area.
The Ajeniju, who was installed by the Timi of Ede a few months ago, against the will of the Ido-Osun community, was beaten to a pulp by angry youths, saying he had no right to install a chief Imam in the community.
It was gathered that the monarch had last week turbaned one Ahmad Tijjani as Chief Imam of the Hallelujah community, but while gathering some people at his palace to observe jumat prayer, some youth allegedly from Ido-Osun invaded the palace and disrupted the exercise.
Some of the aggrieved youths while shouting at the monarch queried his authority to install and conduct jumat prayer in a domain belonging to a separate monarch.
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The mob beat the monarch seriously and vandalised the palace before security operatives could intervene in the situation.
A security source who pleaded anonymity disclosed that it took the intervention of security operatives to rescue the monarch from the scene.
“The situation escalated, resulting in the vandalization of the palace and a physical attack on Ajenifuja of Hallelujah, who sustained serious injuries. He has since been taken to the State CID for further investigation and safety”, said the source.
However, another source in the community disclosed that the monarch has been taken to the Osun State University Teaching Hospital, Osogbo for treatment.
Confirming the incident, the Special Adviser to Governor Ademola Adeleke on Security, Hon. Samuel Ojo said he will not comment on the incident pending the outcome of an investigation on the matter.
Youths beat Osun monarch for appointing Imam on disputed community
metro
Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers
Lagos commuter bus summersaults, LASTMA rescues 8 injured passengers
The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) has rescued eight injured passengers involved in an accident at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba.
The LASTMA General Manager, Mr Olalekan Bakare-Oki, confirmed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Lagos.
The statement was signed by Mr Taofiq Adebayo, Director, Public Affairs and Enlightenment Department, LASTMA.
Bakare-Oki said the road traffic incident which involved a commercial long bus, popularly referred to as ‘Molue,’ at Hammadiya inward Abule-Egba, caused severe injuries and significant disruption to traffic.
“The accident was triggered when the vehicle, registered as KTU 801 XM, lost control at excessive speed, reportedly due to driver impatience.
“In an attempt to avoid colliding with another LT commercial bus and pedestrians awaiting transport at the roadside, the driver veered sharply, resulting in the bus crashing into the expressway median and overturning.
“Several passengers sustained injuries, while others escaped through the bus’s windows,” he said.
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He said that officers from LASTMA promptly arrived at the scene, executed a well-coordinated and efficient rescue operation.
“Eight individuals, including five males and three females, suffered varying degrees of injuries. Among the injured was the bus driver, who sustained a fractured left arm.
“All victims were immediately handed over to LASAMBUS medical personnel and transported to the General Hospital at Ile-Epo for urgent medical attention,” he said.
Bakare-Oki said to ensure the free flow of traffic and public safety, LASTMA’s Response Unit was swiftly mobilised to oversee the removal of the overturned vehicle.
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