metro
FG announces total closure of Third Mainland Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway
The Federal Government has announced a 72-hour total closure of the Third Mainland Bridge after celebration, with effect from 12 midnight of December 25.
According to the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, the closure is meant to give the contractor handling the bridge repair the required quietness to fix three expansion joints.
He also said the MFM-Magboro section of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would be closed for 48 hours for installation of cross beams on a flyover project.
Popoola said the construction work on the Third Mainland Bridge had reached the stage for casting of concrete on three expansion joints.
He said, “There is going to be a total closure of Third Mainland Bridge in order to allow for the casting of three expansion joints on the Island-bound lane
“The effective date of the closure will be from 12:00 midnight on 25th of December. So, people will be allowed to use the Third Mainland Bridge to celebrate Christmas.
“By the time the Christmas is winding down which is 12:00 midnight, we are going to close it so that we will be able to cast the concrete on Saturday the 26th and 27th.
“And we need about 72 hours for this concrete to set. Therefore, the opening will be on December 28th midnight – that is 72-hour closure.
“This is to prevent vibration of the bridge. If we allow vehicles to be moving on one lane, there is going to be vibrations and the concrete will not set properly.”
The controller said that all the alternative routes are in good condition and traffic regulatory agencies would be deployed to effectively divert and manage traffic.
He appealed to road users to cooperate with traffic regulatory agencies.
Popoola said the 48-hour partial closure of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway would commence December 28 and end December 29.
He said, “The contractor, Messers Julius Berger, wants to install cross beams at Kilometre 16, that is, around MFM.
“That area will be cordoned off; there will be closure within that section from 12 noon on 28th of December and it will be opened to traffic by 5am the following day.
“200 metres to get to that particular location, we have diversion and another diversion 200 metres away from that place; one lane will be opened to traffic; it is only one lane we are closing to traffic at a time.
“The first lane that we are going to close is outward Lagos, which is the Ibadan-bound carriageway. We will close it on the 28th.
“Then the second day, which is 29th, we are moving to the other lane, which is inward Lagos. The same 12 noon to 5am.”
He appealed for patience and understanding of road users, saying that the construction was part of the progress that the Federal Government had achieved on the project.
“We regret all the inconveniences and hardship this might have created,” he said.
He said that all the construction zones had been cleared and the highway had been opened to traffic which was responsible for the seamless movement on the road.
The Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos has been partially shut since July 24 for another round of rehabilitation work.
The repair expected to last six months was extended by one month due to the recent #EndSARS protests, extending the completion date from January 2021 to February.
The 11.8km bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the Mainland.
Constructed in 1990, the bridge was adjudged as the longest in Africa until 1996 when the October 6 Bridge in Cairo, Egypt was completed.
The reconstruction/rehabilitation of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway on the other hand was flagged off in 2013 by former President Goodluck Jonathan and was awarded to two firms.
Julius Berger is constructing section one which spans from Ojota in Lagos to the Sagamu Interchange while the RCC is working from the Sagamu Interchange to Ibadan.
metro
Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos
Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos
A fire outbreak has razed the Okokomaiko police station and surrounding buildings in Lagos, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.
According to LASEMA’s permanent secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, the inferno started in a diesel tanker carrying 10,000 gallons of fuel.
He stated that the tanker caught fire while supplying diesel to a network tower near the police station.
According to Oke-Osanyintolu, the inferno spread fast to surrounding properties, devouring police station offices, three bungalows, and parts of a hotel.
The statement said, “Following distress calls received via the 767/112 Toll-Free Emergency Lines at 12:38 hrs, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans and its Emergency Response Team from the Igando Base,” the statement read.
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“Upon arrival at the incident scene, a loaded diesel tanker (registration number unknown) was found to have caught fire at the aforementioned location.
“Further investigation revealed that the diesel tanker, laden with 10,000 litres of diesel, was supplying a network mast at the aforesaid location when it caught fire while discharging its contents.
“However, the fire reportedly spread to adjoining buildings, one of which is Okokomaiko police station, due to negligence. No loss of lives nor injuries were sustained as a result of the fire incident.
“Three bungalows were completely burnt down when the fire reignited, with household properties worth hundreds of thousands of naira affected. One lock-up shop and four containerised shops were also burnt down.
“A generator house of an unknown hotel and their kitchen was also affected. Cables of the PHCN transformer nearby were also affected.”
Oke-Osanyintolu stated that emergency response teams from LASEMA, LASTMA, the fire service, the Nigerian Army, and the police collaborated to control the disaster.
Fire razes police station, buildings in Lagos
metro
EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede
EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede
The Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede has assured that the agency will surpass its 2024 record in the fight against corruption in 2025
Olukoyede who made the promise in Abuja on Tuesday, December 31, 2024, in a New Year Message to Nigerians affirmed that officers of the Commission will be unrelenting in breaking strongholds of corrupt practices across the country in the new year.
“ Our work is more than a vocation but a patriotic calling. We know this and will always offer our best to move the nation forward. 2025 will be another year of bringing towers of corruption down. Our focus is set and our commitment is total”, he said.
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The EFCC Chairman also called on Nigerians from all walks of life to be more determined and steadfast in their rejection of economic and financial crimes and other acts of corruption, pointing out that the progress of the country is awaiting their resolve in this regard.
According to Olukoyede, progress and robust development of the commanding heights of the economy and improvement in the quality of lives of Nigerians are hinged on rejection of corruption.
“We can make any progress and development we want for our nation to happen by our support for anti-corruption initiatives. The new year is offering us fresh opportunities to recommit ourselves to the ideals of transparency, accountability, and probity. The commanding heights of the economy and improvement in our lives can only be driven by our dedication to integrity and accountable conduct”.
The EFCC boss also wished Nigerians a happy and prosperous new year.
EFCC will bring down towers of corruption this year – Olukoyede
metro
Two online scammers arrested in Rivers for defrauding woman of N110m
Two online scammers arrested in Rivers for defrauding woman of N110m
Operatives of the C4i Intelligence Unit of the Rivers State Police Command have arrested two suspected online scammers, Michael Onyedikachi and Akachukwu Benedict, for defrauding a Canada-based Nigerian woman of N110m.
The spokesperson, Grace Iringe-Koko, who disclosed this in a statement on Tuesday, December 31, 2024 said the victim, Sandra Austin, a resident in Ontario, Canada, was deceived by the suspects into transferring N110m over two years.
Iringe-Koko explained that the scam began in February 2022 when Sandra received a Facebook friend request from an account named “Engineer Desmond Chibuike Okechukwu.
“Initially hesitant, Sandra eventually accepted the request, which led to frequent exchanges of messages. The individual behind the account posed as an engineer capable of assisting her in constructing properties in Nigeria,” the statement read.
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“The fraud escalated when the suspect persuaded Sandra to move their conversations to WhatsApp, where he shared photos of luxury homes he claimed to have built in upscale areas like Ajah, Lagos.
“Sandra expressed interest in one of the showcased properties, which the scammer claimed would cost N150m. Trusting his claims, she transferred a total of N110m to a provided bank account between 2022 and 2024.
After making a final payment of N30m, she was abruptly blocked from all communication channels.
The scam caused Sandra’s blood pressure to spike, requiring hospitalisation. Determined to seek justice, she contacted her family in Nigeria, who reported the matter to the police.
Following a petition to the Rivers State Commissioner of Police, the case was referred to the C4i Intelligence Unit in Port Harcourt for a discreet investigation.
“The suspects attempted to intimidate Sandra to deter her from involving the authorities. However, the operatives, through intelligence-led policing, apprehended two suspects,” the statement read.
The first suspect, 29-year-old Michael Onyedikachi from Nkanu West LGA in Enugu State, was arrested on 14 August 2024 in his bungalow in Ama-Okponike, Enugu.
Iringe-Koko said Michael confessed to creating the fake “Engineer Desmond” account and admitted to using downloaded images of construction projects to deceive Sandra.
“Michael spent eight months in Accra, Ghana, learning online fraud techniques. During his arrest, a shrine believed to be linked to his fraudulent activities was discovered in his residence.”
The arrest of Michael led to the apprehension of his accomplice, 29-year-old Akachukwu Benedict, from Ngo-Okpala LGA, Imo State, on 16 August 2024.
Akachukwu was found in a hotel suite in Enugu, which he had booked for a year. He admitted to introducing Michael to online fraud in 2022 and confessed to swindling an American woman out of $600 in 2021.
The suspects revealed that they used cloned SIM cards and cryptocurrency wallets to avoid detection.
Items recovered from them included a Toyota Corolla, land documents, laptops, and mobile phones.
The police stated that investigations are ongoing to apprehend other accomplices, adding that the suspects will be charged to court upon completion of the investigation.
“The swift action by the C4i Intelligence Unit underscores their commitment to combating cybercrime and ensuring justice for victims,” the statement concluded.
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