metro
Customs deny causing the deaths of rice buyers
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
metro
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has requested an adjournment in the new case against the immediate past Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello, stating that the 30-day window for the previously issued summons is still active.
The commission has granted administrative bail to his co-defendants, Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, and asked the court for an extension of time for Bello to appear.
At the resumed hearing before Justice Maryann Anenih of the Federal Capital Territory High Court, Abuja, EFCC Counsel Jamiu Agoro noted that the court’s order from October 3rd had not yet expired.
“In that wise, we feel it will not be appropriate for us to take proceedings while that 30 days is still running. So we have discussed and agreed to come back on the 27th day of November, 2024, my lord,” he told the court.
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He also mentioned that the previously set date of November 20th was not convenient for the prosecution counsels.
Counsel to the second defendant, Aliyu Saiki, SAN, confirmed that his client had been granted administrative bail by the prosecution and had no objection to the adjournment request. The third defendant’s counsel, ZE Abass, concurred.
The prosecution counsel also requested the court to allow the notice of hearing to be pasted on the last known address of the first defendant.
After hearing from all counsels, the judge granted the EFCC’s application for adjournment and the issuance of the hearing notice.
“I have considered the application for adjournment by the complainant and issuance of hearing notice and the submission by the second and third defendants. The application is granted,” she said.
Justice Anenih then adjourned the case to November 27th for arraignment.
The former governor, alongside Umar Oricha and Abdulsalami Hudu, are being prosecuted as 1st to 3rd defendants, respectively, in a fresh 16-count charge instituted against them by the EFCC.
Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27
metro
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
Musa Adamu Aliyu, the Chairman of the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), has stated that the Commission is understaffed and under-resourced. Aliyu says this is limiting the commission’s efficiency.
According to a statement on the ICPC website published on Wednesday, Aliyu made this known on Monday while presenting the Commission’s performance scorecard to the Senate Committee on Anti-Corruption and Financial Crimes.
“Currently, we have 21 state offices, but they are severely understaffed and under-resourced, which affects our efficiency nationwide,” he said.
Aliyu mentioned that the ICPC suffered from inadequate funding, which hampers the pursuit of investigations, legal proceedings and public education efforts.
Cases involving politicians, where external influences can challenge the impartiality and integrity of investigations, are also some of the challenges bedevilling the ICPC.
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Aliyu cited slow court processes as one of the factors preventing the swift resolution of corruption cases and undermining public trust in anti-corruption efforts.
“Our work requires diverse expertise, from forensic analysis to psychology, yet rising living costs make it increasingly difficult to maintain high morale among staff. Reviewing salaries and welfare benefits is essential for sustainable productivity,” Aliyu said.
“Additionally, ICPC personnel face security risks, especially during high-stakes investigations, making it critical to provide them with adequate security measures similar to those granted to other agencies.
“We urge you to consider the Commission’s requests for adequate funding to strengthen operational resources. Such support will enable us to pursue a more effective, inclusive, and resilient fight against corruption in Nigeria.”
We are understaffed, ICPC boss laments
metro
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
Minister of the Federal Capital Territory FCT, has disclosed how rights activist, Deji Adeyanju, had approached him, seeking his blessings to become the National Publicity Secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP, a plea he turned down.
Wike said Adeyanju who became jobless on account of the rejection has now become an emergency activist, using every opportunity to attack the FCT Administration under him.
The minister spoke on Wednesday evening during a live media chat in Abuja.
Adeyanju who had recently attacked Wike for allegedly concentrating development on the city centre, an allegation that has been severally denied by the Administration, with video and pictorial proofs.
Adeyanju also last week led a protest against Wike over the demolition of Ruga, a settlement along Metro line corridor in Wuye District.
Reacting, Wike said; “I saw one young man, they call him Adeyanju. He is from Kogi State. This young boy came to me that he wants to be the National Publicity Secretary of the PDP and I said ‘No’..
“I said he won’t be, and he was not. I have no regrets about it. He has suddenly become a civil society activist. He has no job and that is why he decided to turn to a civil society activist”.
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Shortly after the live media chat, Adeyanju had posted on his Facebook page that he was too busy with clients that he would not be making any response until Friday. He however did not explicitly mention the Minister’s name but rather used expletives.
Wike had on Sunday vowed to go ahead with demolitions of shanties and illegal structures in the territory, saying government will not succumb to blackmail by few individuals who would rather that the status quo be maintained.
Wike who had held an emergency security council meeting on Sunday evening had in company of the security chiefs and journalists visited the Ruga community in Wuye District where town planning officials and security personnel had earlier gone on clearance operations.
There were reports that a handful of the squatters had protested alongside a lawyer, but spokesman of the community, Abba Garu conceded that they were illegal squatters and that previous administrations had carried out at least 22 demolitions of the area but the people always returned.
While he noted that the community was a mini-Nigeria as it had people from different tribes, Garu begged the administration for compassion.
In response, Wike asked him to nominate four other members of the community to meet with officials of the administration in order to come up with a humane solution.
Wike claims Adeyanju became activist after he rejected request to be PDP Publicity Secretary
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