Second Niger Bridge opening eases traffic by 40% - FRSC – Newstrends
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Second Niger Bridge opening eases traffic by 40% – FRSC

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The opening of the Second Niger Bridge to vehicles has reduced the burden on the old bridge by more than 40 per cent, the Federal Road Safety Corps has said.

The Sector Commander of the FRSC in Anambra, Mr Adeoye Irelewuyi, said this in Awka on Saturday.

He said the decision of the Federal Government to temporarily open the new bridge to traffic was a welcome and timely gesture as it had greatly eased pressure on the old bridge.

He noted that the Niger Bridge at Onitsha had been critical to vehicular traffic, especially during the Christmas and New Year festivities since Anambra is the gateway state to the South-East and the South-South geopolitical zones.

According to him, when small vehicles are diverted from the old bridge, about 40 per cent of traffic on it would have been diverted, thereby reducing the gridlock.

“The bridge is just 1.1km which should take a motorist moving at 50km per hour to cross it within two to three minutes.

“Before now, motorists spent between 12 hours and 18 hours on that bridge; the maximum time spent on the bridge now is 30 minutes.

“One of the strategies is that vehicles are now compelled to move in one lane in opposite directions, it could be slow but it is steady,’’ he said.

Travellers to the South-East through the Niger Bridge used to spend between 12 hours and 18 hours to cross from Asaba to Onitsha and vice-versa because of gridlock.

These were caused by the volume of traffic, checkpoints at both ends of the bridge and activities of touts.

The Federal Ministry of Works, Anambra and Delta and security agencies have formed a committee which worked towards decongesting traffic around the Niger Bridge.

Irelewuyi said the committee ensured that all factors which inhibited the free flow of traffic were removed as much as possible.

“Loading of passengers around the bridge is no longer possible; we have three big tow trucks permanently stationed around the bridge to facilitate quick removal of broken down vehicles and clear the road,’’ he said.

Irelewuyi promised the FRSC’s commitment towards ensuring stress-free movement for motorists and other travellers in the state.

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Defamation: Court orders arrest of prophet, two others

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Defamation: Court orders arrest of prophet, two others

Justice Olaolu Olanipekun of Oyo State Magistrates’ Court 7 sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan, has issued a warrant for the arrest of a prophet of a Cherubim and Seraphim (C&S) church, Ojo Amos (aka Elewuogbo).

Justice Olanipekun ordered that Elewuogbo and his two sureties be arrested and detained for jumping bail.

Elewuogbo is on trial for alleged defamation of character of the Founder of One Love Family, Sat Guru Maharaj Ji.

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Elewuogbo and a Lagos-based blogger, Gbenga Asabe, had, through publications, accused Maharaj Ji of selling human body parts for money rituals.

The court also granted request for consolidation of the cases against Elewuogbo and Asabe brought by Maharaj Ji’s counsel, Dapo Akinosi.

Akinosi prayed the court that since the facts were related, they should be merged. The court granted the application and adjourned the case till April 30.

Defamation: Court orders arrest of prophet, two others

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Students drag university to court over payment of registration fees

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Students drag university to court over payment of registration fees

Three students of one of the universities in northern part of the country, Al-qalam University, Katsina, have dragged the institution to a High Court in Katsina over payment of registration fees.

The applicants, Hauwa’u Sani-Barda, Rabi’atu Sani-Barda and Hafsat Sani-Barda, all students of the respondent, got admission in 2018 and 2019, and graduated in 2022 and 2023.

They, however, claimed that the respondents had refused to mobilise them for the mandatory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), because they had not settled all fees due to the institution.

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During the proceedings on Thursday, the applicants’ counsel, Muhammad Mukhtar-Lawal, told the court that his clients had filed an exparte motion in pursuance to the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 (as amended).

Mukhtar-Lawal said that the application sought the leave of the court to apply for judicial review.

After the counsel’s submission, the judge, Justice Abbas Bawale, said that the applicants should have filed a motion on notice.

Bawale, however, granted a leave order to the applicants to apply for judicial review by way of mandamus.
He said after that, processes would be served on the university and enable the court to hear the case.

Students drag university to court over payment of registration fees

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NAFDAC busts fake Eva water factory, arrests suspect

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NAFDAC busts fake Eva water factory, arrests suspect

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has exposed a counterfeit bottled water operation in Port Harcourt, specifically targeting the renowned brand Eva water.

Following a tipoff, NAFDAC officials conducted a raid on a derelict shop situated on Pipeline Road, Eneka.

The establishment disguised as a pool house and served as the hub for producing the fraudulent water.

During the operation, authorities discovered that used Eva plastic bottles were being refilled with contaminated water sourced from a paint bucket.

The water was then filtered through unhygienic rubber funnels covered with cloth.

Counterfeit Eva labels were affixed to the bottles, which were subsequently sealed with fake Eva corks.

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One suspect, identified as Chibunna James, was apprehended while in the process of loading the adulterated water for distribution. However, the mastermind behind the operation remains at large.

The confiscated products were promptly evacuated to the NAFDAC office for further investigation and analysis.

Cyril Monye, NAFDAC’s Public Relations Officer for Rivers State, disclosed that the scheme of the perpetrators involved repackaging contaminated water in used Eva bottles, employing makeshift filters made from unsanitary materials, and applying fake labels and corks to deceive consumers.

While efforts are underway to locate and apprehend the ringleader of the syndicate, NAFDAC urges the public to provide any relevant information that could aid in their apprehension.

Furthermore, Monye revealed that thirty packs of the counterfeit products were confiscated and transported to the NAFDAC office in Port Harcourt for thorough investigation. To prevent the circulation of the counterfeit water, the uncorked bottles were emptied and disposed of.

NAFDAC busts fake Eva water factory, arrests suspect

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