metro
Return to site or face arrest, FG tells Ikorodu-Itokin road contractor
Return to site or face arrest, FG tells Ikorodu-Itokin road contractor
The Federal Government has rejected the palliative work on the 34-kilometre Ikorodu-Itokin road and ordered the contractor to mobilise back to the site.
Minister of Works, David Umahi, disclosed this during his inspection of Federal Government road projects in Lagos.
The minister also visited the 78-kilometre Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway and the Lagos-Badagry-Seme Border highway, also known as the ECOWAS Road.
He frowned on the level of work done by the contractor, Geld Construction Ltd, as palliatives and asked them to return to the site.
Umahi also directed the contractor to come up with the cost implication of the new design, which is going to be much cheaper and more durable than what they are doing.
He said, “It’s a better design, and it’s a professional design.”
He warned that if, by Monday, the contractor failed to resume, he would hand the matter over to security agencies.
He said, “I can’t remember how long the contractor has been on the project, but we have had funding challenges.
“But with the little we have, the contractor says he’ll use it to do palliatives. We disagree with him on the volume of palliatives he says he’s doing.
“He has to return the money to active construction. He has demobilised from the site—that’s a breach of contract.
“We are giving him 24 hours to return to the site. We’ve done appreciable funding. The President is very much interested in this route. He has directed that we should complete this route.
“What the contractor is doing is not acceptable because what is happening is that they are removing the existing asphalt and then increasing the route by 20cm. That is a complete destruction of the surface.
“We are giving it as a directive all over the nation. From henceforth, no Controller is allowed to permit contractors to remove any existing asphalt. All we need to do is to improve on the asphalt. If it is bad, we mill it and then overlay it. And we have directed the contractor to immediately remobilise to the site.
“What we have approved is to show that the road has got no shoulders. So we are going to reconstruct or do brand-new shoulders, 1.5m on each side, using continuous reinforced concrete.
“But for the carriageway, 7.3m, we are going to mill it and then put a binder course of 60mm and a wearing course of 40mm. The road is very stable, but the pavement is gone.
“We have invited the contractor to come on Sunday by 12 o’clock for a meeting.
“We also directed him to come with the cost application of the new design, which is going to be much cheaper than what they are doing and is also going to be more durable. It’s a better and [more] professional design.
“Let me warn that if the contractor fails to resume, we will hand over the roads and the contractor to security agencies. We will not continue to pursue contractors. We have the law of the land, and nobody takes the money of the Federal Government and goes to sleep. So they are actually going to remobilise to the site within 24 hours.
“If we get to Abuja by Monday and work is not ongoing, we will hand over the roads, the contractor, and ourselves—Minister of Works—to security agencies to investigate all of us.”
Earlier, the Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, said the contractor had only completed one kilometre of the project, with 33 kilometres remaining.
She said the existing pavement of 7.3m will be expanded to 10.3m, meaning an expansion of 1.5 metres on both sides of the 34-kilometre road, first constructed in 1975 during the Yakubu Gowon administration.
On the 78-kilometre Lagos-Ota-Abeokuta Expressway awarded to Julius Berger about eight years ago, Umahi said the Federal Government has completed one carriageway, while the Ogun State Government has taken over about 60 kilometres within the state.
The minister said the Federal Government intends to award the remaining 18 kilometres and then wait for the Ogun State Government to finish their portion.
After that, he said the government would take over the road under Operate-and-Maintain programme for the benefit of both the federal and state governments.
metro
Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism
Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism
Former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) Governor, Godwin Emefiele, has strongly denied allegations linking him to terrorism financing in Nigeria, describing the claims as “mischievous and malicious.”
In a statement released on Saturday, December 6, 2025, Emefiele said the reports were “entirely fabricated, baseless, and a deliberate attempt to malign my name, mislead the public, and sow confusion for motives best known only to the publishers and their sponsors.”
He emphasized that the fight against terrorism is too important to be trivialized by irresponsible reporting, warning that Nigerians deserve accurate information rather than “reckless misinformation.”
READ ALSO:
- Doctor Charged With Sexually Assaulting 38 Patients in West Midlands Hospitals
- Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel
- Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts
“Throughout my service to the nation and in my private life, at no time have I been involved in any activity remotely connected to terrorism, terrorist financing, or any action that threatens the peace and security of our nation,” Emefiele stated. He added that he has never been invited, questioned, or investigated regarding such allegations and has no connection to the individual cited in the media reports.
“There is no scintilla of truth in the allegation,” he said, urging the public to disregard the claims entirely and calling on media organizations to verify facts before publishing sensational stories.
Emefiele’s statement seeks to reaffirm his reputation and distances him from any activities undermining national security.
Ex-CBN Governor Godwin Emefiele Denies Allegations of Financing Terrorism
metro
Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel
Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel
Vice President Kashim Shettima on Friday inaugurated the newly constructed multi-million-naira Juma’at Mosque located within the Emir of Gumel’s Palace in Jigawa State.
According to a statement by Zainab Rabo, Senior Special Assistant on Media Affairs to Governor Umar Namadi, the event drew high-level dignitaries, including top politicians, first-class emirs, captains of industry, and prominent Islamic scholars from across the country.
Rabo disclosed that the mosque was built by the Kashim Shettima Foundation, adding that Governor Umar A. Namadi and the Sultan of Sokoto graced the ceremony.
READ ALSO:
- Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts
- Akpabio denies filing new ₦200bn lawsuit against Natasha
- Two Pilots Survive as Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet Crashes in Niger State (Video)
During the occasion, the Vice President congratulated the Emir of Gumel, Alhaji Ahmed Mohammed Sani, on marking 45 years on the throne, describing the milestone as a blessing and testament to exemplary leadership.
Shettima also reaffirmed his commitment—through his foundation—to initiatives that would improve the lives of Nigerians.
The Vice President further commended Governor Namadi for his notable strides in modern agriculture, noting that Jigawa’s progress under his leadership had positioned the state competitively within Nigeria and beyond.
“Governor Namadi is equal to the task, looking at his two-year achievements and the way he transformed Jigawa in modern agriculture,” Shettima stated.
Shettima Inaugurates Multi-Million Naira Juma’at Mosque in Gumel
metro
Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts
Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts
The Nigeria Police Force (NPF) has deployed a Special Enforcement Team in Lagos to enforce President Bola Tinubu’s directive ending the use of police officers as escorts and guards for Very Important Persons (VIPs).
The operation, according to a statement posted on the Force’s official X account on Saturday by the Force Public Relations Officer, CSP Benjamin Hundeyin, commenced at about 10:00 a.m. on December 6, 2025, across key locations in Lagos State.
Hundeyin confirmed that the team carried out compliance checks at major points, including the Lekki–Ikoyi Link Bridge, the Murtala Muhammed International Airport domestic terminal, and other strategic hotspots within the state.
READ ALSO:
- Akpabio denies filing new ₦200bn lawsuit against Natasha
- Two Pilots Survive as Nigerian Air Force Alpha Jet Crashes in Niger State (Video)
- FG Clarifies WAEC Subject Selection, Says Students Free to Choose Across All Fields
He disclosed that officers found “satisfactory and commendable” compliance with the presidential directive, with no incidents of unauthorised police escort and no arrests recorded.
“The Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, reiterates the Force’s commitment to the full implementation of the presidential directive,” the statement said. “The Nigeria Police Force remains resolute in redeploying its personnel to core policing duties aimed at enhancing general security, crime prevention, and the protection of lives and property nationwide.”
Hundeyin added that enforcement would continue across the country “without fear or favour,” urging Nigerians to support the push for a more professional and citizen-focused policing system.
President Tinubu had, on November 23, ordered the immediate withdrawal of police officers from VIP protection, directing that they be reassigned to frontline policing roles. According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, VIP protection will now be handled by armed operatives of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
The policy aims to free up police manpower for critical security operations, particularly in underserved communities, and enhance overall national security efficiency.
Police Launch Special Enforcement Team to Enforce Tinubu’s Ban on VIP Escorts
-
News3 days agoDefence Minister Unveils New Security Strategy, Orders Troops to Shoot Armed Bandits on Sight
-
metro3 days agoTeam Justice accuses authorities of attempting to exclude Mohbad’s father from DNA test process
-
metro2 days agoSenate Launches Emergency Probe into Widespread Lead Poisoning in Ogijo, Lagos/Ogun
-
International3 days agoMeta to Block Under-16s from Instagram, Facebook, Threads ahead of Australia’s World-First Youth Social Media Ban
-
metro3 days agoShocking confession: Boyfriend admits luring FRSC officer, child to death in Osun ritual murder
-
Sports3 days agoLeeds United Stun Chelsea 3-1 at Elland Road to Climb Out of Relegation Zone
-
News2 days agoBREAKING: Tinubu Sends Fresh Ambassadorial Nominations to Senate, Names Ibas, Ita Enang, Dambazau
-
News3 days agoEmber-months safety: Carloha, FRSC intensify campaign against distracted driving