Gridlock as fire razes shops under Apongbon bridge in Lagos – Newstrends
Connect with us

metro

Gridlock as fire razes shops under Apongbon bridge in Lagos

Published

on

  • Apongbon fire: NEMA announces alternative routes for Lagos motorists

Fire on Wednesday gutted shops under the Apongbon section of the Eko Bridge in Lagos State.

The fire incident caused gridlock and crippled commercial activities around the Lagos Island area of the state.

Though the cause of the fire incident could not be ascertained at the time of filing this report, it was learnt that goods worth millions of naira were destroyed by the inferno.

“Traffic from Eko bridge has been re-routed to Ebute-Ero to link inner marina. Men of fire service and other security agencies are still on the ground. Therefore, CMS bridge and Eko bridge inward/outward Apongbon is close to traffic at the moment,” Lagos State Traffic Management Agency tweeted.

Director of Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Adeseye Margaret, described the nature of the fire as “disastrous”.

Margaret said, “The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service is currently battling go an inferno at Eko bridge Apongbon, Lagos island.

“The fire which was reported at 03:14 Wednesday wee hours to under the Eko bridge at Apongbon, where various stocks in trade are plied was met well alight by the first set of the crew of the agency on arrival.

“The intensity of the fire has badly affected the Eko bridge truncating movement along that corridor..

“The nature of the fire is disastrous as all Emergency responders are on top of the situation.

“There has been no reported case of injury or death while Fire fighting operations are still ongoing. Update to follow.”

Apongbon fire: NEMA announces alternative routes for Lagos motorists

The National Emergency Management Agency has announced alternative routes for Lagos Island-bound commuters and motorists following the fire incident in the Apongbon area of the state on Wednesday.

NEMA South-West Zonal Coordinator, Mr Ibrahim Farinloye, made the announcement on Wednesday in Lagos.

The PUNCH had reported that fire gutted shops under the Apogbon section of the Eko Bridge on Wednesday.

“The alternative routes are: movements from Ikorodu Road, take a detour via Jibowu to connect Yaba through to Oyingbo or Adekunle, from there to Adeniji and Adeniji to Ebutte Ero or continue movements toward CSM or inner Marina.

“Second route for those going to Ijora, Costain or inner part of Surulere, can continue through the crawling movement to connect Eko bridge, take a detour to Ijora and continue the journey to Apapa or toward Leventis, UBA roundabout to connect Marina.

“The Federal Ministry of Works has been called upon to close the bridge and carry out integrity tests to determine the safety of the bridge for further usage,’’ Farinloye said.

PUNCH

metro

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Published

on

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

The federal government has unveiled a proposed budget of N47.9 trillion for the 2025 fiscal year.

Atiku Bagudu, Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, disclosed this to journalists on Thursday following the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Bola Tinubu.

Bagudu revealed that the council had approved the Medium-Term Expenditure Framework (MTEF) for 2025-2027.

READ ALSO:

According to the minister, the government has pegged the crude oil benchmark at $75 per barrel, with an oil production target of 2.06 million barrels per day (bpd).

The budget also sets the exchange rate at N1,400 per dollar and aims for a gross domestic product (GDP) growth rate of 6.4%.

 

BREAKING: FEC proposes N47.9 trillion budget for 2025 fiscal year

Continue Reading

metro

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Published

on

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) told FIJ that they have arrested Timber Wabote, the former executive secretary of the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board (NCMB), on the grounds of a failed $35 million Bayelsa refinery project fraud.

Dele Oyewale, the EFCC’s spokesperson, confirmed this to FIJ on Thursday.

“It is true,” Oyewale responded to FIJ’s inquiries.

Wabote is accused of misappropriating public funds for a refinery project that should have improved local energy production.

Vanguard reported that the NCDMB under Wabote paid $35 million to support the development of energy infrastructure in the Brass Local Government Area of Bayelsa, yet there was nothing to show for it.

The EFCC picked Wabote up following the arrest of Akintoye Adeoye Akindele, the Managing Director of Atlantic International Refinery and Petrochemical Limited, for alleged misappropriation, money laundering and diversion of $35 million in public funds.

READ ALSO:

“NCDMB under the watch of Wabote allegedly paid the $35 million to Akindele to build a 2,000 barrel per day (BPD), refinery, jetty, gas plant, power plant, data centre and tank farm at Brass free trade zone (FTZ), Okpoama Community in Brass LGA of Bayelsa State,” a source with the EFCC had explained.

Since December 2020 when the payments were made, Akindele abandoned the project with little or nothing to show for the huge sum he received.

Preliminary investigations showed that Wabote’s NCDMB financed 17 different projects, including the 2,000 BPD refinery in Brass LGA.

There has been a series of public fund misappropriation cases in the energy sector in recent times.

FIJ earlier reported that members of the House of Representatives summoned three ministers to defend how over $2 billion was spent on renewable energy with not much to show for it.

A recent FIJ report also recently detailed how residents of Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa, have not had power in their homes since July due to the vandalisation of the Ahoada-Yenagoa transmission towers caused by unidentified persons.

The Bayelsa state government told FIJ it was the federal government’s responsibility to provide electricity for residents. The state has no renewable energy options reliable enough to power its capital despite the multi-million-dollar NCMB energy project.

Transparency in the energy sector has become necessary at a time when Nigerians have suffered power instability due to frequent grid collapses.

EFCC arrests ex-NCMB boss over $35m energy project fraud

Continue Reading

metro

Court adjourns Yahaya Bello’s trial till Nov 27

Published

on

Yahaya Bello

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.

READ ALSO:

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

Continue Reading

Trending