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

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.
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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
metro
Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death

Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death
Authorities in Ebonyi State have recovered the remains of a man and his son who were found dead under unclear circumstances in the Ebebe Junction area of Abakaliki.
State Police Command spokesperson, SP Joshua Ukandu, confirmed the evacuation to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday.
Ukandu said the deceased, identified as Mr. Light Nwodor and his son Miracle, were found lifeless, prompting swift action by officers in the area.
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“When I was called by an individual about the incident, I quickly called the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area,” he said.”They swung into action and the dead bodies have been evacuated.“The police have launched investigation into the matter.”The command will definitely inform the general public on completion of investigation.“Right now, nobody knows what caused their deaths,” he added.
He also noted that no updates had been received from the DPO regarding any arrests linked to the case.
Initial unconfirmed reports circulating online suggested that the deaths may have resulted from eating food prepared by a woman who is allegedly now at large.
Police recover bodies of father, son after mysterious death
metro
Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash

Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash
One person has been shot dead, two injured and many people missing in Ndiagu Amagu, Ikwo in Ikwo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State following a leadership tussle. The deceased, Nwoyika Ugbaloke and Thomas Ngaragu were reportedly attacked by some gunmen, but Ugbaloke couldn’t survive the attack.
Many people are said to be missing in the attack.
It was gathered that trouble started when a faction in the community imposed N40, 000 level on all the adults in Nduche Umuomara in the community, which did not go down well with another faction in the area.
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It was also gathered that the faction that imposed the N40,000 levy on the adults was also selling lands belonging to the faction that opposed the levy.
A son of the deceased, Nwoyika Kingsley Emeka, lamented the killing of his father and called for arrest of his killers. He said the killers were moving freely in the community, sealing people’s farmlands with palm fronds and warning them never to set their feet on the farms until the fines were paid.
He alleged that the perpetrators were being protected by some highly placed persons in the community.
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Joshua Ukandu said he had not received any report on the incident.
Many missing, one killed in Ebonyi community clash
metro
EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam

EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has declared eight suspects wanted in connection with the alleged loss of approximately N1.3trillion to Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).
Apart from two of the suspects based in Ibadan, the rest six were said to be from Idimu-Egbeda Road in Lagos.
But the EFCC has held on to two suspects it earlier arrested.
According to a notice by the EFCC’s Head of Media and Publicity, Mr. Dele Oyewale, all the suspects are wanted for “fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).”
The first set of suspects, who are Nigerians, include, Oloyede, Emmanuel Uko, Adefowora Oluwanishola and Adefowora Abiodun Olaonipekun.
The foreigners are Johnson Okiroh Otieno, Israel Mbaluka, Joseph Michiro Kabera and Serah Michiro.
The Adefoworas and Michiros are suspected to be couples.
The statement described the second set of suspects as “foreign accomplices wanted by the EFCC. “
The statement added: “The public is hereby notified that the persons whose photographs appear above are suspected foreign accomplices wanted by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for fraud allegedly perpetrated on an online trading platform called Crypto Bridge Exchange (CBEX).
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“Anybody with useful information as to their whereabouts should please contact the Commission in its Ibadan, Uyo, Sokoto, Maiduguri, Benin, Makurdi, Kaduna, llorin, Enugu, Kano, Lagos, Gombe, Port Harcourt or Abuja offices or through 08093322644; its e-mail address: info@efcc.gov.ng or the nearest Police Station and other security agencies.”
Asked about those two earlier arrested, a source in EFCC said: “They are still in custody. “
The Director-General of the Security and Exchange Commission (SEC), Dr Emomotimi Agama has said CBEX is unregistered with it.
He said the commission cannot be of help to the victims.
He said: “There is nothing the commission can do”.
“We are worried that this went on for long without anyone drawing our attention to it. That is why we are doing more enlightenment and asking people to come forward to report this for early detection.”
SEC said preliminary investigations revealed that CBEX, which also operates under the corporate identity of ST Technologies International Ltd, Smart Treasure/Super Technology, had held itself out as a digital asset-trading platform, offering high returns to investors in Nigeria.
It said: “The Commission hereby clarifies that neither CBEX nor its affiliates were granted registration by the Commission at any time to operate as a Digital Assets Exchange, solicit investments from the public or perform any other function within the Nigerian capital market.”
EFCC declares four persons wanted over CBEX scam
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