Gbenga Daniel’s wife knocks Ogun govt, describes plaza’s demolition as executive recklessness – Newstrends
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Gbenga Daniel’s wife knocks Ogun govt, describes plaza’s demolition as executive recklessness

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8 months ago

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Olufunke Daniel and the demolished plaza

Gbenga Daniel’s wife knocks Ogun govt, describes plaza’s demolition as executive recklessness

Olufunke Daniel, wife of former Ogun Gov. Gbenga Daniel, has tackled Ogun government over the demolition of her 5-storey DATKEM plaza in Ijebu-Ode, describing the act as executive recklessness.

Mrs. Daniel stated this on Sunday in a release issued by her lawyer, Mr Adeyinka Kotote (SAN), of PAGE Law office and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that agents of the Ogun government in the early hours of Sunday, demolished DATKEM plaza in Ijebu Ode, belonging to Mrs. Daniel.

According to the release, the legal firm expressed shock that the state government ignored a court order served on its agents on Thursday, September 7, asking them to stop all actions on the building.

“This matter began when the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority agents entered the building premises on August 1 without any prior notice.

“Interestingly, a quit notice was only served on August 31 by the same Planning and Development Authority, asking the owner to vacate the premises within three days.

“However, DATKEM applied for unsealing and regularisation of the building on August 2 and paid the mandatory fee of N500,000 to the Ogun state government. We have evidence of this payment.

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“We were shocked and astonished therefore that the Ogun state government ignored the ongoing legal process and went ahead to demolish the complex in the early hours of Sunday. We want to believe that the State Attorney General’s advice was ignored on this matter,” Kotote said.

“Our clients, as law-abiding citizens of Ogun state, will continue to seek redress in the courts. Even when our clients have suffered unimaginable and huge losses as a result of this illegal demolition, we will not relent in pursuing justice in the courts,” he said.

He added that he believed Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun was not informed of this illegality.

“But if he was informed and still decided to use the instrument of the state against our clients, it is nothing but executive recklessness. But we will continue to fight for justice and ensure that our clients get justice,” the release said.

in a reaction, the Ogun government said that DATKEM Plaza, Ijebu-Ode, was an Illegal structure which contravened Ogun Physical Planning laws.

The state government, in a statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olayiwola Abiodun, said the structure violated the building codes of the state with numerous defects.

Abiodun explained that several efforts made by the state government to halt further development on the site were ignored by the developers.

He said government officials requested the structural engineer in charge of the building to avail the state with the structural equilibrium of the building, a request that was ignored.

He recalled the various incidences of building disasters across the country, adding that the state government would not fold its arm and allow such occurrence.

According to the permanent secretary, what the government did in partially pulling down the defective building was to be proactive.

Abiodun challenged the owners of the structure to produce evidence of government approval in their possession.

He said for a commercial building of that status, there must be parking space to accommodate vehicular traffic within and outside the facility for workers and visitors.

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“The provision of the law is that 45 to 50 per cent of available land is for construction as a buildable area. The building lacked stage certification, which is usually issued at every stage of construction.

“Owners were served the necessary notices, including abatement, contravention, stop work and demolition between May and October 2022, which were ignored.

“DATKEM Enterprises Limited submitted application for an office building, located along Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode, in 2009 with registration number CB/05/299/2009.

“The proposal was for five (5) floors with airspace of 3 metres at the right, 5 metres at the left, 5 metres at the rear and a setback of 32.5516 metres to the middle of Ijebu Ode/Ibadan road, Ijebu-Ode.

“The Zonal Town Planning Office observed during routine monitoring that the construction did not conform with the plan granted as there was a deviation from the airspaces and setback.

“In addition, the building had been modified and enlarged with an additional storey building at the back thereby becoming over density.

“In view of the above, a contravention notice with Serial No. 0106983 was served on 24th May, 2022. Stop Work Order with Serial No. 000623 was served on May 24, 2022.

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“Another Stop Work Order with Serial No. 001065 was served on July 22, 2022, when the first notice was ignored. Demolition Notice with Serial No. 0007549 was served on October 11, 2022,” he said.

The statement also indicated that despite all these notices, the developer was recalcitrant and continued with the construction work.

“This prompted the re-sealing of the site on August 1, 2023. But the sealing did not stop the developer from further construction as work continued on the site.

“However, the developer wrote an appeal for unsealing, which was considered so as to evacuate the belongings in the premises. Thereafter, quit notice with Serial No. 0030750 was served on August 31, 2023.

“In view of the fact that the developer had remained recalcitrant, the Zonal Town Planning Office’s recommendation for the demolition of the office building was upheld,” he added.

Abiodun reiterated state government’s commitment to ensure the safety of its citizens, adding that any defective building in any part of the state would be demolished to safeguard the lives of the people.

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Terrorists kill eight vigilantes in Kaduna community, two village heads

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7 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of Kaduna State Police Command, ASP Mansir Hassan,

Terrorists kill eight vigilantes in Kaduna community, two village heads

No fewer than eight vigilante members and two others were killed by terrorists in Kakangi and Unguwan Matinja communities in Kaduna’s Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.

The local leaders of Kakangi and Kisaya villages in Kakangi Ward were also kidnapped.

A resident of the LG, Idris Khalid, who confirmed the event to our correspondent, claimed the gun-wielding men invaded the villages about early Thursday.

Bala Kamba, Abdurrahman Musa (Ubale), Kabiru Dan Dugui, Hambali Abu, Aliyu Abu, Nura Jika (Maleka), Mubarak Musa (Dan Wamba), and Ikra Hantsi were the eight vigilante members killed at Kakangi.

Khalid also revealed that the two victims in the Ungwan Matinja neighbourhood of Gayam Ward were Christopher Abubakar and Isah Gambo.

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He claimed the vigilantes were attacked while tracking down the kidnapped victims, who were abducted on their way to a funeral between Kakangi and Sabon Layi.

“The vigilantes engaged the terrorists, killing scores of them, but could not rescue the two traditional rulers and others.

“Normally, anytime there is a kidnapping incident, the vigilantes always trail the terrorists to rescue the victims.

“It’s unfortunate that in the process, eight gallant officers of the vigilantes who have been sacrificing to ensure the safety of our people were lost,” the resident said.

When contacted, the State Police Command’s Public Relations Officer, ASP Mansir Hassan, stated, “We are investigating the matter to determine the true story because the area where the incident occurred had a network problem.”

Terrorists kill eight vigilantes in Kaduna community, two village heads

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Repentant Boko Haram members burn NDLEA, Customs checkpoints in Borno

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15 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Repentant Boko Haram members burn NDLEA, Customs checkpoints in Borno

A group of suspected repentant Boko Haram insurgents, on Wednesday stormed the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) and the Nigeria Customs Service checkpoints at Kasuwan Fara, a suburb of Maiduguri metropolis, chasing away the personnel on duty and setting ablaze all structures at the checkpoints.

The incident, according to security analyst and counter insurgency expert, Zagazola Makama, followed a fierce encounter between the former Boko Haram combatants and the police at the Kasuwan Fara Divisional Police Office.

The suspected repentant insurgents, reportedly wearing military uniform, had pounced on the police office to forcefully set free their eight colleagues arrested at the suburb over criminal activities bordering on dealing in hard drugs.

The arrest was made on April 24 during a raid carried out by the police on the notorious spot at the criminals-ridden Kasuwan Fara.

“Due to the rise and persistence of criminal activities and sinister operations by drug peddlers comprising dismissed military personnel, repentant insurgents and other hoodlums, who assemble there to conduct nefarious activities, the area had since been earmarked for closure by Borno State Government.

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“The April 24 raid, where the eight suspected repentant insurgents were arrested and 426 bottles of spirits such as dry gin confiscated, was conducted to sanitize the area, pending the final closure.

“The arrested persons were detained at the Kasuwan Fara police division since the day of their arrest.

” Subsequently, at about 7:40 am of Thursday, May 2, a dozen of the suspected repentant insurgents in military uniform, stormed the Kasuwan Fara police station in an attempt to rescue their arrested fellows.

” The Divisional Police Officer alongside his men were able to repel the attack while the perpetrators fled.

” Consequently, the assailants, in an apparent transfer of aggression, reverted to attacking NDLEA and NCS personnel checkpoint along the Maiduguri-Gubio road Kasuwan Fara, where they burnt down the checkpoints alongside the sandbags heaped on the road and fled the scene, ” Zagazola Makama said.

Borno Police Command spokesman, ASP Kenneth Daso, who confirmed the incident, said investigations were ongoing to apprehend the attackers, adding that the arrested eight suspects have been handed over to relevant security quarters.

Repentant Boko Haram members burn NDLEA, Customs checkpoints in Borno

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Police identify officer who shot man dead at fuel station

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15 hours ago

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May 3, 2024

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Police identify officer who shot man dead at fuel station

The Police Command in Lagos State has identified the officer who allegedly shot a man dead at a filling station in the Obalende area of the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development in a post he shared on his verified X handle@ben Hundeyin on Thursday.

He said that the officer had been identified.

“The person behind the shooting has been identified as a police officer serving at Special Protection Unit (SPU) Base 17, Lion Building, Lagos.

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“Investigation is still ongoing and further findings will be made available, ” he said.

According to Hundeyin, the State Commissioner of Police, CP Adegoke Fayoade is working with the family of the deceased to ensure that there is no miscarriage of justice.

It could be recalled that the deceased, Toheeb Eniasa, was shot dead by a policemam on Wednesday while struggled to buy fuel.

It was learnt that two officers drove into the station to purchase fuel but motorists asked them to join the queue.

In the process, an argument ensured which resulited into a fight and one of the officers shot Eniasa and ran away.

Police identify officer who shot man dead at fuel station

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