Customs deny causing the deaths of rice buyers – Newstrends
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Customs deny causing the deaths of rice buyers

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Customs deny causing the deaths of rice buyers

The Nigeria Customs Service called the stampede at its Yaba, Lagos, office during the sale of 25kg of rice to Lagos residents regrettable, resulting in the deaths of seven people.

Our correspondent learned that people were trampled to death as a large crowd gathered at the service’s Yaba headquarters on Friday to buy sacks of confiscated grains amidst the country’s poor economic conditions.

Chronicle NG reports that Comfort Adebanjo, an All Progressives Congress member, and six others were killed while attempting to acquire grains marketed for N10,000 at the Yaba Customs office.

Oluwafemi Fadahunsi, the APC’s coordinator for FKL Ward E1 in Lagos State, and Adebari Adewale, the secretary, verified that Adebanjo was one of the seven people killed in the stampede.

In the obituary released on Saturday, the party wrote, “It is with heavy hearts and regret that we announce the painful death of one of our members in FKL Ward E1, Mrs. Adebanjo Comfort Funmilayo, of house number 104, Ibidun Street by Akinhanmi Street, Ojuelegba.

“She was among the seven victims who died in the course of buying customs rice at Yaba.

“May God grant all the members of her family and all the residents of Ward E1 the fortitude to bear the irreplaceable loss.”

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Speaking with our correspondent on Sunday, Customs spokeswoman Abdullahi Maiwada blamed the development on the impatience of those who were at the venue of the sell of the commodity.

“At a point, they decided to be impatient. When we saw the crowd, we even suspended the collection of forms and said, ‘Let’s give them free’.

“We did that; we exhausted everything. After exhausting everything and telling them that everything had finished and that they could go and that we didn’t have any more, they persisted. Some of them broke the fence at that place.

“We had to put up some barricades to cover the area. Some of them went and entered the container. At one point, we used our ambulance and took them to the hospital,” he said.

He added, “I don’t really have the statistics of the lives we have lost, but we made every effort for everyone to be orderly and to rescue them. We took them to the hospital. What do you want us to do?”

He stated that the Customs used Yaba since it had previously demolished the site, adding, “We used Yaba because we didn’t want to endanger our facilities.”

Speaking on whether the deaths resulted from pushing, he answered, “I can’t say. Some of them went and entered the engine container. Did we cause the deaths of anybody?

“We didn’t. We made efforts to rescue them because we took them to the hospital. We have learned our lessons. We have to go and strategize on how we’re going to continue and sustain this initiative.”

“It is very unfortunate; it is something that we wish did not happen, and we are very pathetic about it. We are with them in this trying situation,” he told the victims’ families.

Customs deny causing the deaths of rice buyers

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Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

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Honourable Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

The Lagos State Government has rolled out stricter measures to combat noise pollution, requiring nightclubs, lounges, bars, and worship centres to obtain permits for events involving amplified sound.

The measure, it said, aimed to safeguard the health and well-being of Lagosians during the festive season and beyond.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced this via his official X (formerly Twitter) account on Saturday, emphasizing the government’s zero-tolerance stance on noise pollution.

Wahab highlighted that events with amplified sound must be conducted in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect residents from the harmful effects of excessive noise.

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“Establishments such as worship centers, nightclubs, lounges, and bars must now obtain permits for events involving amplified sound and ensure these activities take place in soundproofed, enclosed spaces to protect neighboring residents,” the statement read in part.

To enforce these directives, the government said it had established a Special Task Force on Noise Pollution under the Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA).

This task force, in collaboration with the Lagos State Neighborhood Safety Corps (LSNSC) and the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps (LAGESC), would oversee compliance, arrest offenders, and prosecute violators of noise regulations, it stated.

The statement further noted that starting January 2025, the government would roll out a public awareness campaign to educate Lagosians on acceptable noise levels and the benefits of a quieter environment.

 

Lagos govt insists nightclubs, worship centres must obtain permit for amplified sound

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Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says

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Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as Verydarkman

Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says

Singer, Dammy Krane has stated that social critic, Very Dark Man, is joking with claims that N180 million was diverted from the NGO account he created in October this year.

VDM shocked Nigerians on Friday, December 27 when he released a video claiming hackers had breached his NGO website and moved N180m leaving only N20 million.

The news shocked many Nigerians who took to social media to slam him.

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However, in a post shared on his Instagram page this evening, Dammy Krane claimed that VDM is renovating a school in Jos, and was only joking with the story of stolen funds.

Also, a Human Rights activist, Omotayo Williams, claimed the man VDM showed in his video as an officer accompanying him to Jos is a well-known member of the Kogi State Taxi Taskforce.

Alleged missing N180 million: It?s a prank. VeryDarkMan is renovating a school in Jos - Singer Dammy Krane says

Alleged missing N180m: It’s a prank, Singer Dammy Krane says

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Oluwo backs push for Sharia law in South-West

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Oluwo of Iwoland, Oba Abdulrosheed Adewale Akanbi

Oluwo backs push for Sharia law in South-West

The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrasheed Akanbi, has expressed support for the proposed implementation of Sharia law in the South-West, emphasizing its historical presence in Yoruba culture.

Oba Akanbi noted that Sharia principles have long been part of Yoruba land, citing examples such as Sharia banking and the existence of a Sharia college in Iwo, Osun State.

He stated, “Sharia law has been in Iwo for over 100 years… It’s the right of Muslims to choose customary law or the high court.”

Recall that the discussion around Sharia law gained traction after plans were announced for the inauguration of a Sharia council on January 11, 2025, at the Muslim Community Islamic Centre in Oyo. However, the event has been postponed indefinitely following widespread public criticism.

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Critics have argued that the Yoruba-dominated South-West, where Muslims and Christians coexist, is distinct from the predominantly Muslim northern region where Sharia is more widely practiced.

Addressing concerns, Oba Akanbi explained that Sharia law is already embedded in Nigeria’s constitution and should not cause alarm for non-Muslims.

“Sharia law is only for Muslims and does not concern others. If any other person likes it, they can convert to Islam, and Muslims can also convert to Christianity. Everyone is free,” he said.

The monarch also drew attention to the challenges faced by Muslims under existing laws, particularly in matters such as inheritance and divorce, where Western legal frameworks may not align with Islamic traditions. “Many Muslims feel disenfranchised… Western education doesn’t understand the ways of Muslim divorce, marriage, and inheritance,” he added.

Oba Akanbi emphasized that Sharia law represents the inalienable rights of Muslims and should not be viewed as a threat to other religions. “No government can deny Muslims their inalienable rights,” he concluded.

Oluwo backs push for Sharia law in South-West

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