Fire: Ban smoking, Lagos govt tells market, sawmill leaders – Newstrends
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Fire: Ban smoking, Lagos govt tells market, sawmill leaders

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Fire: Ban smoking, Lagos govt tells market, sawmill leaders

The Lagos State Government has called on market leaders to urgently place a ban on smoking in all market places, especially around sawmills and plank markets in the state.

This is with a view to controlling the frequency of fire outbreaks in markets in the metropolis.

Recall that the State Fire and Rescue Service recently disclosed that fire consumed properties worth over N17.49 billion between January and November 2024.

Speaking at a stakeholders’ sensitization coordination and community response on disaster programme put together by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), in Lagos, on Tuesday, the Chief Fire Officer, Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Olukotun Odunayo, revealed that 1749 fire calls were recorded between January and November 2024.

Odunayo attributed most of the market fire that occured in Lagos to lack of knowledge of what disaster management is all about.

He revealed that managing disasters such as fire starts with knowing what to do and how to organise those around to fight the fire before it spreads.

He explained that fire that can cause colossal damage to property starts from small source before spreading to other areas.

He revealed that interactions with victims at incident scenes revealed that plank market fire mostly started from cigarette smoking or sparks from a faulty electricity connection.

“A big fire can start from ashes from a discarded cigarette or sparks from faulty electricity connection when there is a sudden surge in power supply. This often occurs at night. And when it happens victims result to prayers rather than action because they lack knowledge of what to do.

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“I want to encourage market leaders to embark on an intensive sensitization campaign for traders in different markets. Traders should know what they need to do in case of emergency.

“Leaders should also ban smoking at market places, especially sawmills and plank markets,” he added.

Odunayo explained that the state recorded a total of 1749 fire calls in the last 11 months, adding that most of them were avoidable incidents.

Also speaking, Engr. Jamiu Badmus, Executive Director, Safety Advocate, called for increased sensitization campaign in communities.

Badmus also wondered why gas stores and filling stations were allowed to be sited within residential areas.

He urged relevant government agencies to discourage setting up of gas stations or shops in highly residential concentrated areas for safety reasons.

According to him, most residents are not aware of what to do in the event of fire, adding that most victims result to prayers rather than action.

“This is because they have little or no knowledge of what to do when confronted by such situation,” he said.

In her address to flag off the campaign, the Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, recalled that aside losing properties worth N17.49 billion, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) had also stated that, property worth N104.9 billion were also saved within the period.

This, she said, is according to data obtained from both the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service and the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA).

The NEMA boss further recalled that road traffic accidents ranked highest with a record of 46 vehicular incidents and 32 truck/tanker incidents recorded in the state in the same period.

She stated that the meeting provided opportunities to share perspectives, ideas and experiences on fire disaster management, which according to her has become a pressing issue, particularly in Lagos State given its rapid urbanization and population growth.

“Fire disaster management is a viral aspect of overall disaster management and as such we must address it with urgency and clarity,” she added.

 

Fire: Ban smoking, Lagos govt tells market, sawmill leaders

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Yuletide: Travellers want fare discount for road trips

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Yuletide: Travellers want fare discount for road trips

  • Bemoan high fares

Passengers travelling to their country homes for the Christmas and new year day celebrations have urged the Federal Government to extend the free rail services announced early in the week to road transport routes across the country.

Some of the travellers who complained about the high fares called on the Federal Government to restore the 50 percent fare reduction on inter-state luxury bus routes granted to road passengers at this time last year.

The passengers who spoke at various terminals and loading stations of long distance road transport companies in Lagos, were reacting to the upsurge in fares to about N40,000 on luxury buses and N65,000 on mini buses going to the South-East.

Reports from some of the boarding stations revealed that upon hearing the announcement of free train ride, some passengers thronged the loading stations at various points in Lagos to benefit from the gesture, but were disappointed when they were informed that the offer did not cover road transport.

At Terminal 1 in Oshodi, Alafia, Jibowu, Mazamaza, and private stations in the Cele/Ejigbo axis, on Saturday, passengers bemoaned the high cost of travelling on both the big and small buses, disclosing that many people were not travelling because they couldn’t afford “the exorbitant fares the transport firms are collecting.”

Interestingly, a trip on board Toyota Sienna which used to attract slightly higher fare than on a typical mini bus, is the same at N40,500.

One of the passengers told our reporter one if the stations in Cele, “You press people should please tell (President Bola) Tinubu that poor masses cannot afford to go home this Christmas because there is no money in the country.

“(President) Tinubu should please repeat the 50 percent discount on long distance fares which some of us enjoyed last year to travel home.”

At the nearby Young Young Shall Grow station, a passenger who planned to travel to the east recalled how he took advantage of the 50 percent fare discount to travel from Abuja to Onitsha and back in 2023, and wondered why the Federal Government has not considered the re-introduction of the palliative this festive season.

According to the man who gave his name as Chinedu Uzoechina, his intention to travel to Anambra state and back with his wife and five children, has been stalled by the high transport fares being charged at the various terminals.

Uzoechina, who came to book for seats in advance, lamented, “I was hoping that the 50 percent fare discount that followed the increase in fuel pump price would be available this year, but that has not been the case this year. Forty thousand into seven is N280,000 for one-way luxury tickets.

“If you add the cost of coming back, it means I will spend nothing less than N560,000 on transportation alone for seven of us. Where will I get that kind of money? I have called my wife to inform her of the situation here (at the terminals in Cele).

“She is not happy that we are not travelling anymore, but what can I do?”

According to him, the only thing that can make his family travel again is if the Federal Government extends the free train ride offer to long distance road transport routes, like Lagos-east, or reduces the fares in collaboration with the operators.

Like Uzoechina, many other intending travellers were still hopeful that the government wiuld still intervene with a fare discount, even as they disclosed that they would either cancel the trips outrightly or reduce the number of tickets to be bought, if their hopes are dashed.It was learnt that the fares were slightly lower by about N2,000 at Terminal 1 where both big and mini buses have been loading for day and night trips at Oshodi.

Reacting to the passengers’ complaints about high fares at the terminal owned by the Lagos State Government, Damian Ezuma, the manager of Izu Chukwu Transport, blamed the situation on the rising cost of maintaining the buses as well as on the pump price of diesel, which he said, is as high as N2,000 a litre in some parts of the country.

“It is not our fault. The cost of maintenance is so high that it is only by the grace of God that some of transport companies still manage to keep their buses on the road these days. Do you know that one big bus tyre costs between N250,000 and N500,000, depending on the quality and brand?” Ezuma argued.

He confirmed that many intending travellers who heard about the free train services offer by the Federal Government have been coming to the terminal make enquiries on whether long distance-plying buses are part of the gesture and whether last season’s fare discount applies this year.

Many of them leave the terminal disappointed and deciding not to travel anymore, but opting instead to wait for a possible fare palliative from the government.

Also commenting on the reason for the high fares, a manager at Chisco Transport’s head office in Lagos explained that the unfavourable naira-dollar exchange rate has impacted on the prices of replacement parts and maintenance costs generally.

But a major factor is the fact that during the peak festive season, buses are usually full when leaving major cities like Lagos and Abuja, but are almost empty in their return journeys.

So some operators slightly adjust their fares upward to cover the losses incurred during return trips.

In 2023, the special fare discount by government through the luxury bus owners took effect on December 21, and lasted till the second week of January, 2024.

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Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

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Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

The Nigerian Navy Ship (NNS) BEECROFT has successfully apprehended 19 individuals attempting to stow away on Europe-bound vessels.

In a statement issued on Saturday in Lagos, the ship’s Information Officer, Lt. Hussaini Ibrahim, disclosed that 15 stowaways were intercepted on Dec. 19 aboard the European-bound Moto Tanker (MT) KRITI RUBY. Another four were caught on Dec. 21 aboard MT MCC YANBU.

“Preliminary investigation revealed that the stowaways boarded the vessels at night and concealed themselves in the rudder compartment while attempting to illegally migrate to Europe,” Ibrahim stated.

The Navy’s Quick Response Team (QRT), operating from ATLAS COVE and using the Falcon Eye Alignment under the Nigerian Navy Maritime Domain Awareness Facility, facilitated the interception of the 15 individuals near the Lagos fairway buoy.

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Ibrahim further explained that credible intelligence led to the interception of the additional four stowaways by Navy personnel deployed on escort duties aboard the vessel.

“The prompt response of the QRT saved the stowaways from exposure to life-threatening situations during the long voyage,” he added.

The first group of 15 individuals has been handed over to the Nigeria Immigration Service, Lagos State Port/Marine Command, Apapa, for further investigation and necessary action. The remaining four suspects will also be transferred in due course.

“The presence of stowaways poses serious security threats to maritime operations, including risks of smuggling, piracy, drug and human trafficking, among other maritime crimes,” Ibrahim noted.

He emphasized that under the leadership of Chief of Naval Staff Vice Adm. Emmanuel Ogalla, NNS BEECROFT will continue maintaining security along Lagos waterways and surrounding creeks to support safe maritime activities and economic growth.

 

Navy arrests 19 Nigerians attempting to reach Europe by hiding on ship

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Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba

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Nigerian military troops

Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba

Troops of the 6 Brigade Nigerian Army/Sector 3 of the Operation Whirl Stroke (OPWS), have arrested four suspected members of Ambazonian rebels in Taraba.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ambazonia is a rebel group operating in neighbouring Cameroon Republic.

A statement on Saturday in Jalingo by Capt. Olubodunde Oni, Acting Assistant Director Army Public Relations, said the suspects were arrested at a hotel in Takum town.

The statement said that acting on credible intelligence, the suspects were tracked and apprehended.

According to the statement, during initial interrogation, the suspects confessed to being part of the rebel group involved in arms proliferation in exchange for cocoa with their Nigerian collaborators.

It said that four mobile handsets were recovered from the suspects now in detention undergoing further investigation.

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The statement also said that in another operation following actionable intelligence, troops deployed at Natilde community in Bantaji District of Wukari Local Government Area intercepted a truck with registration number WKR 66 BB, transporting 19 pieces of stolen pipelines belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL).

It said that further collaborative efforts with the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) in Wukari Division led to the recovery of an additional 11 pipes, bringing the total to 30.

“The recovered items have been handed over to the NSCDC Wukari Division for further investigation and necessary action.

“The 6 Brigade Nigerian Army will remain resolute in its commitment to safeguarding lives and property while ensuring the security of critical national infrastructure.

“We urge members of the public to continue providing timely and credible information to security agencies to enhance our collective efforts in maintaining peace and security,” the statement added.

 

Troops arrest four Ambazonian rebels in Taraba

(NAN)

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