Why we demolished Alaba International Market – Lagos govt – Newstrends
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Why we demolished Alaba International Market – Lagos govt

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Why we demolished Alaba International Market – Lagos govt

The Lagos State Government says recent demolition of distressed buildings in Alaba International Market in Ojo Local Council was neither a witch-hunt nor intended to acquire the land but done to protect lives.

Mr Gbolahan Oki, General Manager, Lagos State Building Control Agency, (LABSCA) said this on Saturday during an on-the-spot assessment of the demolition site.

Oki visited the market amid heavy downpour alongside his counterpart in Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authourity (LASPPPA), Mr Kehinde Osinaike, and the seven-man committee set up by Gov. Babajide Sanwo-Olu in the aftermath of the demolition exercise.

They were led on the trip by Mr Oluwole Sotire, Permanent Secretary of their parent parastatal, the Lagos State Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) recalls that South-East traders in the market, led by Imo Governor, Mr Hope Uzodimma, met with Gov. Sanwo-Olu of Lagos to put to rest allegations of tribal bias behind the demolition exercise.

During the on the spot assessment, Oki explained that the demolition was simply to enforce building regulations and laws, to prevent building collapse.

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According to him, most of the demolished buildings were without permits, and necessary documentations needed by the state government were also ignored.

“All we are after is that the lives of traders and other Nigerians are extremely important to the Lagos State Government.

“I have seen people painting buildings that are delapidated, that are not good, it is not painting that makes a building new. Our lives are more important,” he said.

Oki urged owners of distressed buildings marked for demolition to remove them within two weeks, to prevent disaster, or else government would move in to take action.

“My mandate is to remove anything that is dilapidated, that is harmful to the people that even owns it,” he said.

The General Manager said Sanwo-Olu set up the seven-man committee to look into the demolition without causing disaffection among the traders at Alaba International Market.

He said LASBCA officials were usually prevented from enforcing laws by people who failed to get building plan approvals or those who did illegal conversion of their properties.

NAN reports that the LASBCA boss waded through flash floods to issue stop work order on a contractor on site from the Ojo Local Government, for amicable resolution of all issues.

He assured protesters carrying placards that government had their interests covered with the appointment of additional 17-man sub-committee compromising their market leadership, for quicker resolution of issues.

Oki explained why distressed buildings were being demolished and the need for some of the traders to do regularisation.

He said this was because of issues of land grabbers selling one land to several people as well as the need to correct haphazard development.

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Earlier, the general manager and his team had a meeting with leadership of the Alaba International Market traders at LASBCA head office at Ikeja GRA, before they all embarked on the trip to the market.

During the meeting, the market leaders who are members of the seven-man technical committee set up by to look into the issues of demolition in Alaba International Market discussed the way forward.

The LASBCA boss explained processes and procedures guiding laws on physical developments and what must be done to comply with regulation.

He said that there was no ethnic colouration to the decisions of government, whose only motive was to prevent building collapse, to ensure safety of lives of the traders and other Nigerians.

Mr Chris Maduka, Secretary to the seven-man Technical Committee on Alaba International Demolition, commended action of the government to sanitise the market.

Maduka said it had brought them closer and was in the best interest of everybody, to save traders from touts extorting them with various conflicting taxes and illegal levies.

During the on-the-spot assessment to the market, Maduka appealed for cooperation and understanding of the traders affected by the demolition exercise.

He said that taking to protest or violence would defeat the purpose for which Sanwo-Olu set up the Committee.

Some of the affected traders carrying placards with various inscriptions at the market pleaded with Sanwo-Olu to fast track the assignment of the committee to restore thier means of livelihood.

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200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

The Chief of Defence Staff, General Christopher Musa, has disclosed that about 200,000 repentant terrorists have so far dropped their arms and surrendered to troops in the North East, noting that the twin strategy of kinetic and non-kinetic operations was responsible for this achievement.

The CDS made this known at the Security and Justice Symposium organised by the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) in collaboration with the British High Commission, which began at the National Counterterrorism Centre in Abuja on Tuesday.

He disclosed that the theme of the symposium, ”Securing Peace, Ensuring Justice, Protection, Conduct, and Accountability,” speaks volumes about the deluge of security challenges the armed forces and security agencies are facing.

His words, “All the challenges we are facing today have to do with fairness, equity, justice, and accountability.

“There will not be peace without justice, equity, fairness, and accountability. In our operations, we are conducting both kinetic and non-kinetic strategies, which have to a large extent yielded significant successes, and we want to particularly thank the National Security Adviser for his great support in this regard.

“Nigeria is going through so many challenges, and we feel we’re able to address this, and everybody has a sense of belonging. A lot of the security challenges we are having, we are sure, will go down. I want to thank the National Security Advisor for all the support he’s given us, both the kinetic and the non-kinetic.

“We have said it; the kinetic aspect is just less than 30%. The non-kinetic has a lot to play. The non-kinetic, because when you have democracy, people must have the evidence of democracy. As long as it tells people to sleep well and be peaceful, and they are hungry, their children cannot eat, and all this creates more problems.

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“The issue of informants. We have to look at how we tackle this issue of informants. Because these are the people who have created the issue.

200,000 repentant terrorists surrender, drop arms in North East – CDS

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

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Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

The spokesperson for the police in Delta State, SP Bright Edafe, has confirmed the death of two robbery suspects in the state.

Mr Edafe, who disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri, said that the deceased were killed from the bullets shot by their gang members.

According to him, the incident occurred on Wednesday at Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area of the state.

Mr Edafe explained that the deceased were leading the police surveillance team attached to the Ekpan Division to their hideout when they were caught during a shoot-out.

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“The suspects were arrested at Effurun roundabout with a bag containing 57 live cartridges and other items. They were leading the surveillance team to their hideout at Warri/Sapele road when their gang members, on sighting the vehicle of the police team, engaged them in a shootout.During the gun duel, the arrested suspects that were leading the police team were fatally wounded by the gun shot of their colleagues. The two injured suspects were taken to the hospital and later died while receiving treatment,” he said.

Mr Edafe said that items recovered from the hoodlums hideout included: one English pump action gun, one locally made cut-to-size gun and eight live cartridges.

Others were: six iPhones, Smart phones and a Rolex wrist watch.

He said that the command had intensified manhunt on the fleeing members of the gang.

 

Robbers kill two members in shoot-out with Delta police

(NAN)

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Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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Dr. Samuel Ekerenam
Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured
Gunmen kidnapped a prominent businessman, Dr. Samuel Ekerenam and k!lled his driver in Eket town, the headquarter of Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom State.
Ekerena, the owner of Hephzibah Mall, was abducted about 10:00pm on Saturday, 23 November, 2024.
It was gathered that the gunmen trailed the victim to the shopping complex, shooting sporadically to scare the passers-by away before whisking him away to an unknown destination.
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The body of Ekerenam’s driver was discovered in the pool of his blood, while his police orderly was severely wounded in the gun attack.
The spokesperson of the State Police Command, ASP Timfon John, who confirmed the incident on Monday, November 25, said the Commissioner of Police, CP Joseph Eribo has deployed tactical operatives to comb for the abducted businessman.
The PPRO added that the police were on top of the game and very soon the kidnap victim would be rescued and the perpetrators made to face the full weight of the law.

Akwa Ibom businessman abducted, driver killed, police orderly injured

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