metro

We’ll use robotic machines for underwear bridge inspection – Minister

Published

10 months ago

April 7, 2025

Works Minister David Umahi

We’ll use robotic machines for underwear bridge inspection – Minister

The federal government is planning to deploy robotic machines for underwater inspection of bridges nationwide, the Minister of Works, Sen. Dave Umahi, announced on Sunday.

At a stakeholders’ engagement on Section 2 of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway project, Umahi said that the move was to reduce the cost of hiring divers for underwater assessments.

He said: “We are going to locate a robotic kind of machine that will be able to do the diving to allow us to see everything happening under the water in all our bridges.”

According to him, hiring divers to go under the water to check what is happening inside is causing a lot of money.

He said that the Managing Director of HITECH Construction Company, Danny Abboud, would help to ‘locate that mission and then we would like to buy it’.

Umahi also declared a “bridge emergency” to assess the condition of bridges, particularly those constructed 53 years ago, across the country.

He announced that President Bola Tinubu would inaugurate several projects starting from May 1.

He added that more projects would be inaugurated by December.

The minister reiterated that the Federal Executive Council had issued a directive prohibiting dredging within a 10km radius of any bridge nationwide.

READ ALSO:

This, he said, followed reports of dredging activities near the Third Mainland Bridge which, Julius Berger warned, could lead to the bridge’s collapse.

He emphasised the importance of safeguarding the bridges’ structural integrity. Umahi called for collaboration with the Nigerian Navy for patrol on waterway and prevent illegal sand filling and dredging near bridges.

The minister, who said that the temporary repair work on Independence Bridge in Lagos State was proving to be a permanent solution, gave the assurance that the bridge’s stability was being closely monitored.

Umahi also expressed concerns about the misuse of bridges, particularly Eko and Carter bridges, and appealed to Lagos residents for cooperation in safeguarding the infrastructure.

He expressed dismay at the presence of trailers and buses loading on Carter Bridge as well as the use of Independence Bridge as a fish market, with vehicles parking on it to buy fish.

For the umpteenth time, the minister said the construction of the Lagos-Calabar Coastal Highway did not result in the destruction of $250m investment.

This is just as he said opposition to the project was borne out of envy and jealousy of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, saying this is not just a road construction but an investment.

He further disclosed that due to the directive of the president to save the submarine cables belonging to telecom companies, in Oko Ajah community, over 7,500 houses were saved.

Samson Agbato of Samson Agbato Consulting who led the enumeration team for the Section II of the project spanning from 47.5km to 104km, disclosed that the total compensation was valued at N4.7bn. He reiterated that no $250m investment was touched.

He also disclosed that the government would be constructing a flyover to bypass Dangote Refinery, Dangote Fertiliser plant and other conflict points in the highway corridor.

We’ll use robotic machines for underwear bridge inspection – Minister

Related Topics:bridge Featured inspection robotic machines

Up Next

Nigerien Army arrests commander of terrorist group, seizes cash, weapons

Don't Miss

Dangote, Elumelu release private jets to fix Lagos traffic

metro

First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

Published

4 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Trends Admin

Aisha Muhammed Oyebode and late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed

First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

Aisha Muhammed Oyebode, the first daughter of late General Murtala Ramat Muhammed, has opened up about the challenges of growing up without her father, the late military head of state assassinated on February 13, 1976, and her ongoing work in philanthropy, governance, and education.

In an exclusive interview, Aisha, who is a lawyer, entrepreneur, author, activist, and philanthropist, described losing her father at age 12 as a profoundly harrowing experience. She recalled the “silence of absence” and the “noise of expectation” that followed his death, explaining that she had to grow up quickly while navigating the pressures of public scrutiny and preserving her father’s legacy.

“My father treated corruption as an emergency, not a talking point. He believed in strong leadership, discipline, clarity of purpose, and a deep commitment to Nigeria,” she said.

READ ALSO:

Aisha also highlighted the stabilizing role of her mother, Ajoke Muhammed, who raised six children after the assassination, instilling discipline, resilience, and a focus on education.

Currently, Aisha is the Group CEO of Asset Management Group Limited and the CEO of the Murtala Muhammed Foundation (MMF), where she champions girls’ education and youth empowerment. She noted that, particularly in northern Nigeria, female primary net attendance rates are as low as 47.3–47.7%, with young women’s illiteracy reaching 70.8%.

“From our experience, the solution to girls’ education must be holistic — removing economic barriers, ensuring safety, fostering community ownership, and making education relevant to livelihoods,” she said.

She emphasized that educating girls stabilizes families and strengthens the nation, adding that the MMF Foundation has been instrumental in providing scholarships, school feeding programs, and community initiatives to enhance female education.

Reflecting on her father’s legacy, Aisha described him as a man of humility, vision, and principle, whose simple resting place in Kano reflects a life devoted to duty rather than display. She and her siblings have committed to refurbishing his grave and that of their brother Zack while carrying forward his vision through their work.

“A grave does not hold a legacy — people do. The real monument to his memory is in how we choose to live, and the kind of Nigeria we are willing to build,” she said.

Aisha’s reflections combine personal remembrance, national history, and advocacy, highlighting the enduring influence of Murtala Muhammed on his family and the nation, while underscoring the importance of education, integrity, and principled leadership in Nigeria today.

First Daughter of Murtala Muhammed Reflects on Life Without Father, Preserving His Legacy

metro

Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

Published

4 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Trends Admin

Anambra State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Tochukwu Ikenga

Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

The Anambra State Police Command has arrested three individuals, including a motel owner, in Uke, Idemili North Local Government Area, for alleged possession of illegal firearms and involvement in illicit drug activities.

Police spokesperson Tochukwu Ikenga disclosed that the suspects — Ifeanyi Ibeabuchi (39), Abdullahi Shaibu (26), and Obah Chima (18) — were apprehended by operatives of the Rapid Response Squad Awkuzu following credible intelligence.

The raid, carried out in the late hours of February 9, 2026, led to the seizure of multiple controlled substances, including Cannabis Sativa, Crystal Methamphetamine, Colos, and Mkpuru-mmiri. Authorities also recovered a Jojef pump action gun (breach number 21SA-0724) loaded with three live cartridges at the scene.

READ ALSO:

Ikenga noted that Ibeabuchi confessed to the offenses during initial investigations, which helped law enforcement track and arrest the two other suspects.

“The Command reiterates its commitment to sustaining ongoing operations against criminal elements in the state and urges members of the public to continue providing useful information to aid policing efforts. Further developments will be communicated as the investigation progresses,” the spokesperson said.

The Anambra State Police Command has vowed to continue targeted operations against firearms and drug-related crimes, reinforcing efforts to enhance public safety in the state.

Anambra Police Arrest Motel Owner, Two Others Over Firearms, Drug Trafficking

metro

2 Nigerians Killed While Fighting for Russian Army in Ukraine War

Published

4 hours ago

February 13, 2026

Trends Admin

Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole and Mbah Stephen Udoka

2 Nigerians Killed While Fighting for Russian Army in Ukraine War

Two Nigerian men have reportedly died while serving in the Russian Armed Forces during the ongoing Russia–Ukraine War in eastern Luhansk.

The deceased, Hamzat Kazeen Kolawole, 42, and Mbah Stephen Udoka, 38, were reportedly attached to the 423rd Guards Motor Rifle Regiment of the 4th Guards Kantemirovskaya Tank Division, according to Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence. Their bodies were discovered in late November 2025, highlighting the growing risks faced by foreign nationals recruited into Russia’s military operations.

Kolawole and Udoka reportedly signed contracts with the Russian army in the second half of 2025 — Kolawole on August 29 and Udoka on September 28. Udoka received no formal military training and was sent to the front just five days after enlistment on October 3. Kolawole also appears to have been deployed with minimal preparation, raising concerns over the treatment of foreign recruits.

READ ALSO:

The men were killed in a drone strike while attempting to storm Ukrainian positions, and Ukrainian authorities reported that they did not engage in conventional combat before their deaths. Kolawole is survived by a wife and three children in Nigeria.

Ukraine’s Defence Intelligence has used the incident to caution foreign nationals against travelling to Russia for employment, warning that recruits may be sent into dangerous combat units with little or no training. The deaths come amid increased recruitment of foreign fighters from Africa into Russian forces, sparking concern among human rights and foreign policy observers.

This development highlights the risks associated with participation in the Ukraine conflict as a foreign mercenary and underscores the humanitarian and security issues arising from the recruitment of untrained personnel into active combat zones.