Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, has given an ultimatum to the mechanics operating illicitly under Berger/Kara Bridge, Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to leave.
He stated this during his inspection of the ongoing work on the bridge and its axis, recently.
He warned the technicians who initially defied the evacuation notice, that the government would be left with no other option than to enforce the law if they fail to leave the axis this time around.
In a meeting with the mechanics, he told them that according to world best practices, no mechanic operations take place under the bridge, rather it is in a workshop or yard. He explained that the then government of Lagos, Ogun and Oyo states gave the land as right of way of 47.5m, both to the left and right to the Federal government during the construction of the bridge.
Fashola gave the new ultimatum of leave as November 30, 2021, so as to enable them to cater to ember months plan for travellers. He stated that, going with what the law says, they should have been given just seven days to relocate, but on compassionate grounds, he is given them an extension.
Fashola stated that the ongoing rehabilitation of the highway would soon extend under the bridge, in addition to the coming ember months repairs by the Ministry of Works.
He stated that their activities like burning, spilling, cooking and so on, cause a lot of damage to roads and bridges, which in turn is costing the government a great fortune.
The representative of the mechanics appealed that the Federal government assist in providing an alternate location for the workers who are over three hundred, in order for them to be able to provide for their families.
Responding to appeals for alternative space, Mr Fashola advised the association to officially engage the Ogun state government to make their request, promising to help them fast-track the process.
The Minister advised the occupants to write to Ogun State Government and put in copy, the Controller of Works in Lagos and Ogun states to request for assistance on their relocation. He said once the letter is sent, he will be able to also appeal on their behalf.
He assured them that a suitable and more befitting place will be provided for them, and they will be able to run their trade with more ease.
The Minister also visited the Wey bridge, which is being refurbished along Berger way. He stated that” no matter how beautiful the highways are built, they are built with specifications. Once you don’t comply with those specifications, you are misusing or abusing the assets,” he said.
“Nigeria is a signatory to the ECOWAS hassle load regulations, signed by all ECOWAS countries and imbibed also by President Buhari through the regulations laid down, even as seen published on the walls of this place, showing approved hassles per truck, type of trucks and what each truck can carry”, he said.
“There are fines for those who exceed the specified tonnage per hassle load ranging from N1million to N10million. The reason for this enlightenment is because, we want to make it cheaper to comply and very expensive to break the law. That way, people will choose to comply that paying excessive penalties”, he said.
“At the end of the day, we are slowly hoping to return governance, law and order on enforcement and compliance to not just our highways but our general way of life, as all of us would be better for it”, he said.
“On the economy side, having seen this Wey bridge, which has been here since 1978 thereabouts, when the Lagos-Ibadan expressway was actually built, the scale here is also the old model, which was given to a consultant for repairs. The President is using infrastructure to build the economy, contrary to what some said. This is employment opportunity given, there are meters in the computer room to show what each vehicles weigh, there is a Police post, a warehouse where excess cargoes will be offloaded and stored, all these will be manned by some people”, he said.
“There is also the benefit of transhipment, so in case of an overload, the truck will be offloaded, and members of the Transport Union can take the excess cargo at approved rate. This will create a ripple effect down the line, and this is the beginning of many more Wey bridges to come”, he said.
“These activities are beyond tolling but more of highway management to create not less than 50,000 direct jobs and 200, 000 indirect jobs, so with these, you will see more Wey bridges, modern warehouses that can store not only dry cargo but also wet cargo. So, we have made the regulations, which is profitable for people. Our coming here is just to symbolize what we see ahead and how we expect the private sector to begin to key into the process”, he said.
Two suspected kidnappers were killed during a gun duel between members of a kidnap gang and men of Ogun State Police Command.
The kidnappers clashed with the policemen on Saturday on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway at the Bere Forest, Onigaari village, in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area of the state.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, confirmed this in a statement on Saturday.
He explained that the policemen received a tip off from members of the public that AK-47-bearing hoodlums numbering about six were sighted in the forest, lying in ambush.
He said, “Upon the information, the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, quickly deployed the command’s tactical teams, coordinated by the DPO Owode Egba division, CSP Olusola Oniyiku, to the forest in search of the hoodlums.
“While the combing was going on, the hoodlums on sighting the policemen, opened fire on them and a gun battle ensued. At the end of the encounter, one of the bandits was shot dead on the spot, while others escaped with varying degrees of gunshot injury.
“Searching the forest further, one of the bandits with bullet wound was arrested in the bush but gave up the ghost a few minutes after.”
He said two AK-47 rifles with breech numbers 1983NF1040 and 1987-3-CA-1212 as well as five rounds of ammunition were recovered from them.
“The latest rifle recovery makes four AK-47 rifles recovered by the command within the period of two weeks. Also recovered from them are sachets of tramadol and assorted charms,” Oyeyemi added.
He said the State Commissioner of police had directed that a manhunt should be launched for the remaining members of the gang.
He said Ajogun also appealed to members of the public, especially hospitals, to inform the police if anyone with gunshot injuries was seen in their domains.
Gradually, the metropolitan city of Sango-Ota in Ado-Odo Ota Local Council, Ogun State is wearing the toga of the old Oshodi, adjudged Lagos second largest market after Idumota.
Until January 2009, when the administration of Babajide Raji Fashola took the sledgehammer approach, Oshodi was a poster city for both environmental and traffic disorderliness. Pedestrians and motorists found it impossible to move freely in the market due to the invasion of the sprawling area shops and shop-less purveyors of goods.
Old Oshodi reflected the complexity of the city, showcasing the ingenuity of the people of Lagos in their use of the informal market in eking a living.
It was a centre for the good, the bad and the worse as pickpocketing, robbery and other acts of criminalities held sway ceaselessly. It wasn’t only a den for criminals, it was considered as the home of delinquents and criminals where large caches of arms were kept.
However, when the nightmare, rowdiness, lawlessness and disorderliness that had reigned for decades were abruptly brought to an end, the message was loud and clear that it wasn’t going to be business as usual any longer. Besides, it showed that the task of giving Lagos a new lease of life was on course.
Now, it seems the demons in the Old Oshodi have relocated to Sango-Ota. According to reports, the displaced traders who could not afford the high cost of shops and bear the offensiveness of the Fashola’s administration, relocated to Sango, majorly due to its proximity to Lagos.
From the old tollgate through the Sango market to Joju junction, Sango under bridge to Oju-Ore, Ijoko road and beyond, the residents, traders and commuter buses have thrown caution to the wind.
Undoubtedly, one of the more endearing attributes of Sango is the market and its strategic location, as it shares boundary with the commercial city of Lagos. It also serves as a central transit point for commuters within the country and neighbouring West African countries.
The chaotic nature of the old tollgate, despite the siting of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) unit office, has defied all possible solutions with the ever-present traffic jam mostly caused by uncouth commercial buses drivers.
While the buses struggle with the commercial motorcycle riders, popularly called Okada and hawkers for available space on one hand, pedestrians and other purveyors of goods battle traders who have encroached the right of way and touts to escape from the rowdy area.
The officers of the FRSC, Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) and the police, stationed at the spot are always helpless to restore sanity. Several accidents have been recorded at the scene, which have claimed many innocent lives, especially the recalcitrant traders and passersby. On weekly basis, at least one fatal accident is always recorded at the scene with records of fatalities.
The Sango main market which extends to under bridge is the worst hit. Both sides of the road have been taken over by traders, displaying different types of wares from clothing, household utensils, meat, fruits and accessories to foodstuffs.
While the right side of the road inward Sango from Lagos has been heavily encroached, right from the front of the market through the gate of the Polaris bank, traders, beggars and commuter bus drivers always scramble for space on the road that leads to the under bridge.
All the available spaces under the bridge and some parts of the road without blemish have been taken over by traders and Okada riders, while motorists making a detour struggle to manage through.
It is the same experience on the Ijoko road, obviously abandoned by government. The chaotic nature of the road right from under the bridge is worrisome. Despite the presence of traffic officers and the police stationed at the junction, orderliness has perpetually taken a flight from the junction.
The Guardian observed that beggars, Okada riders, traders and commuter bus drivers always have a field day, especially during the peak hours, thereby obstructing free flow of traffic.
The situation is the same on the Owode-Idiroko road. Compared to the routes mentioned earlier, this axis linking Nigeria to other West Africa countries is always chaotic.
Aside the fact that a makeshift bus stop has evolved along the ever-busy road, activities of the garage touts and impatient motorists contributed immensely to the chaos. Motorists can be at the same spot for 15 minutes without moving, while traffic officers sometimes look the other way, while extorting motorists. This extends from the section to Oju-Ore, Iyana Iyesi through to the Canaan land section.
One ‘special’ attribute that distinguishes the town from other cities of its status both within and outside Ogun State, is the state of the roads. The dilemma of the bad roads has added to the complexity of the city.
The residents are not only pissed off, they are currently worried and angry that the horrible roads are turning from bad to worst on daily basis, despite the status of the city as host to large fraction of industries in the state, coupled with its proximity to Lagos.
One horrible sight that is common to the entire metropolis is indiscriminate dumping of refuse at strategic places. The practice is not only an eyesore in a city of Sango’s status as it oozes offensive odours; it also signals invitation to diseases, especially now that cases of cholera are becoming a common place.
At a forum about 15 years ago, an America-based Nigerian described Ota as the dirtiest place of residence she had ever seen. Alas! Nothing could be said to have changed since then.
In terms of security, crime rate in the area has also escalated in the last two years, based on reports from the state police command. Cases of robbery, ritual killings, rape, cultism, civil disturbances and unrest have become part of the metropolis.
A resident of Temidire area of the town, Ayo Abraham, said Sango Ota Township is now in the shadows of its old glory. “It is a pity that all we have today is a story of dilapidation due to neglect. Life has become so difficult for dwellers in this sprawling community as almost all the township roads are filled with large portions of potholes and totally failed sections.
“Riding on the roads as commuters or car owners is now a nightmare. Dwellers in the inner parts of the town have to leave home as early as 4.00am now to get to work in Lagos to avoid lateness. The town cannot boast of good street roads. Whenever it rains, the dwellers are subjected to apprehension because of traffic jams due to flooding on the bad roads. Ogun State government needs to map out a redevelopment plan for this city.
“Someone has jokingly said that Lagos State should be allowed to take over this neighbouring town as that will assure of rapid infrastructural development and the harnessing of the huge industrial establishments in this ancient town. That is a sad commentary on the performance of Ogun State government.”
Another resident, Abiodun Osho, who linked the problem to influx of people from the ‘squeezed Lagos, said any attempt to pay less attention to Ota or not to give it the prominence it deserves because of political reasons will certainly amount to punishing innocent Nigerians of all tribes, young and old.
“You can fool some people sometimes but can’t fool all people all the times. In view of the aforementioned, something has to be done fast and urgently too. Any attempt to defer kangaroo palliative till when election is approaching will certainly be catastrophic and in fact constitute a bitter pill to swallow for Ota community.
When contacted, the council officials said plan is on to enforce the encroachment of road in Oju Ore area.
Aleshinloye, who spoke on behalf of the council’s Information Officer, said a multi-task stakeholders committee, comprising public and private sector, royal fathers and civil servants, headed by one of the dignitaries in the council is in place to tackle the challenges.
“Revenue collectors are allowed to join hands with the committee. From time to time, the council in conjunction with the police usually goes to the market and the parks to stop encroachment by the traders. We also bring them here for sensitisation. I must tell you that we are tackling the problem, we are proactive on it.”
He added that a task force has been put in place to ensure regular refuse disposal to ensure that the entire metropolis in clean.
“It may interest you to know that the Gateway Hotel, Ota, was one of the places we visited.
“We sent the Director of Tourism Development and Promotion and some of his members of staff so that they would give us the state of things despite the fact that we knew the public opinion about it. The government did not stop what it wanted to do and now decided to go there to see for ourselves the state of things. They brought back their report.
“What we realised was that the administration after that of Otunba Gbenga Daniel did nothing about it and as a result of that, we realised that a lot of the facilities that were there had been carted away; they left that place moribund and virtually all the equipment that were there have been carted away.
“We don’t know who did that and then the environment, only God knows the number of years that it has been abandoned, has become the dens of hooligans and we learnt that some Hausa/Fulani have started inhabiting the area.”
On the plans by the Abiodun administration for the facility, Taiwo said, “When we got the report, our plan as a government is to make sure that we resuscitate it to make it better than what we met on the ground and to also make sure that we develop it to the extent that it will have good looks that will be appealing and it will be able to complete with most of the five-star hotels that we have in the world.
“In the course of doing that, what the government is trying to do is to extend the hand of fellowship to any private organisation that is ready to take it up so that at least at the end of the day, we can reach an agreement through the MoU to be able to hand it over to them, so that at the end of the day it comes back to life and is resuscitated.
“Our plan is to make sure that we give a private organisation an opportunity to come in; it is a potential that the government is looking towards getting an investor, who will be ready to take it up; so, that is the government’s stand on that property.”
On if the investor had been chosen, the commissioner stated, “For now, consultations and some other things are going on. But, as we speak, there has not been any investor that has signed on that property.
“We have an agency that is handling that – Ogun Invest. It is an agency that is saddled with that responsibility of having a handshake with investors and potential investors.”
Several attempts to get reactions from those who served in Amosun’s administration failed.
The former Commissioner for Commerce, Trade and Industry, Bimbo Ashiru, said he did not want to make any comment on the issue so as not to be misunderstood.
The former Commissioner for Information under Amosun, Dayo Adeneye, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report. The commissioner did not respond to a text message sent to his phone as of the time of sending this report.
Also, the former Secretary to the State Government during Amosun administration, Taiwo Adeoluwa had not replied to a text message sent to him as of the time of sending this report.
Despite its strategic location and proximity to Lagos, the commercial centre of Nigeria, the Gateway Hotel, Ota, one of the three hotels established by the late former governor of Ogun State, Chief Olabisi Onabanjo, has been abandoned and is currently in ruins.
The Gateway Hotel, Ota, is located less than 100 metres away from the old Sango tollgate, a location that serves as the boundary between Lagos and Ogun states. The once magnificent edifice sits on the right when coming into Sango from Lagos.
The administration of Onabanjo, who was the first democratically-elected governor of the state between October 1979 and December 1983, built three hotels in the 1980s while holding sway on the platform of the defunct Unity Party of Nigeria to demonstrate equal distribution of wealth in Ogun State.
The administration had situated the hotels in the three senatorial districts in the state – Egba, Yewa/Awori and Ijebu.
The one for Ijebu was situated in Ijebu-Ode and has now become Equity Resort Hotel; the one for Egba is situated in the Kuto area of Abeokuta, the state capital, and has become the Park Inn by Radisson, while the one for Yewa/Awori remains the Gateway Hotel, Ota, which is located along the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway.
Findings show that the Gateway Hotel, Ota, is the biggest of the three with 350 rooms and suites.
The three were built as five-star rated hotel complexes with world-class facilities. They had beautiful landscapes, Olympic-size swimming pools, conference rooms, event halls, tennis courts and shopping plazas.
After some years, the administration of Otunba Gbenga Daniel between 2003 and 2011 gave out the three hotels to private investors as concession for a period of 25 years.
Daniel claimed that it gave out the facilities as concession because they were being run at a loss. He lamented that since they were established, only N27m had been realised from the three hotels.
Eight years later, the Ibikunle Amosun administration, which was in the saddle between 2011 and 2019, set up a judicial commission of inquiry to look into the state properties sold or given out as concessions by his predecessor.
The report of the commission was published by the state government in February 2012. It was established that Gateway Hotel, Ota, was given to MIDC Limited as a concession and sub-leased to ARTEE Industries Limited.
The report added that the concessionaire took over in 2009 with a promise to complete the refurbishment of the facility within 18 months, but allegedly failed to do anything after two and a half years.
While implementing the recommendations of the commission, Amosun terminated the concession.
Unfortunately, the current situation of the hotel shows that apart from the fact that the massive building is standing in a jungle of overgrown weeds and trees, the whole building has become dilapidated.
Some of the luxury items, including the decorative lights in the halls and conference rooms, have been looted.
A former worker in the hotel, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said there was nothing left in the building that could remind anyone of what it used to look like.
He said all appliances, windows and doors, including their frames, as well as air conditioners and fans had disappeared.
The cinema section of the hotel has become a dusty dark room with no relic of its original state.
It was also gathered that since the building was left to rot and became an open space for anyone to access, miscreants had made away with every valuable item they could lay their hands on.
Giving the historical facts of the hotel, an indigene of Ota, Kayode Taiwo, told our correspondent that the hotel was established in 1982 by the late Onabanjo and had 350 rooms and an Olympic-sized swimming pool.
According to him, the hotel had a main banquet hall, three conference halls, cinema halls, shopping mall, a penthouse, car park for over 1,000 vehicles and two sets of power generators.
“Gateway Hotel, Ota, is strategically located on the hilly side of the Ota-Lagos boundary close to the popular Ilo-Awela River,” he explained.
Taiwo said the moribund facility had a general manager, food and beverages manager, admin manager, finance/account manager, as well as engineering and corporate affairs departments.
“Historically, the hotel was strategically located to douse the agitation of the Ota people over their request to merge with Lagos State,” Taiwo added.
On what the Ota people had lost to the mismanagement of the edifice, Taiwo said, “The hotel, at its peak, provided huge economic platforms for small businesses, theatre performance and film making, including musicals.
“It also provided employment for young people in and around Ota.
“Gateway Hotel, as an edifice, provided beautiful aesthetic value to the environment and was a huge place for tourism.
“Services provided during festivals include relaxation, swimming, keep fit and performances by artistes were regular getaway opportunities for corporate and individual guests.
Defending the Daniel administration, a former Managing Director, Gateway Holdings Limited, Gboyega Isiaka, said the concessionaire, MIDC, which acquired the hotel in Ota, was not fully prepared.
He said, “The situation with the Gateway Hotel, Ota, is that the concessionaire that got the place was not as fully prepared as those that got the other two locations.
“We discovered this even before we left office and we gave him a letter to the effect that he should do certain things or we would cancel the concession, and we agreed on what would be done in the place; we also issued a warning.”
Isiaka disclosed that due to MIDC’s inability to procure funds for the project, the concessionaire entered into an agreement with Gateway Holdings and ARTEE Industries Limited, the owners and operators of the famous Park ‘n’ Shop brand.
He said ARTEE Industries Limited was granted a development lease for a term of 23 years less three days, which meant the unexpired residue of the term granted to the MIDC in respect of an area measuring approximately 2.153 hectares to be used for a shopping mall.
Isiaka explained, “What happened to Gateway Hotel, Ota, is exactly the same thing that happened to Gateway Hotel, Abeokuta, and Gateway Hotel, Ijebu-Ode. It’s a concession process that I remain proud of even up till this time despite what is happening in that location (Gateway Hotel Ota).
“Even the day I appeared before the judicial panel, I told them that I remain proud of what we did there. Yes, there might be one or two things that probably should have been delayed or done better; there will always be things like that.
“I am proud of the concession process and I can say that anywhere, even when the former governor’s (Ibikunle Amosun) false allegation against me was about this hotel; I was at the EFCC; I went there alone and spent almost a whole day with them; I can stand in front of anybody to say that I am proud of the concession process.
“Unfortunately, when we left office, another government got there. It is left for that government to manage the process. So, all these stories that we were the ones that sold the hotel at a cheap price are rubbish.”
Speaking on the plans of the current government on the moribund hotel, the Commissioner for Culture and Tourism, Dr Oluwatoyin Taiwo, said the Dapo Abiodun administration had begun the search for genuine investors.
He confirmed that the place had been messed up due to neglect by the previous administration.
The commissioner stated, “When we came on board at the ministry that is responsible for supervising most of the hospitality industries in the state, we were saddled with the responsibility by the governor to visit most of the tourist sites and most of the properties that we have under our purview and jurisdiction as the Ministry of Culture and Tourism.
Residents of Olu-Odunaiye Ikija town, Agbado, IjaIye, Ijoko, and Ogba Ayo have implored the Ogun State and Federal governments to come to their aid and finish the construction of the Agbado/Ijoko/Akute road. The road starts from Sango and leads to the Berger area of Lagos. Aside from the sufferings and inconveniences, residents are experiencing due to the road’s deplorable condition, the economy in the axis is reported to be at the lowest ebb, making life almost unbearable. Residents and stakeholders believe that after completion of the strategic road, which was started by the immediate past administration in Ogun, an appreciable development will be attracted to the corridor, while the perennial traffic between Sango and Oshodi will also be reduced.
When the residents realised that the state government was not about to respond to their petitions and visits, they decided to take their fate into their hands. They embarked on the private funding of a road, which they have clearing and grading of a road from Ogba Ayo to Oke Aro. Already, the project has gulped as much as N4m, which was donated by individuals.
Recently, there was a stand-off between the residents and workers of the CCECC construction company, which is undertaking the building of railway stations along the corridor. The residents were irked by the company’s seeming nonchalance and refusal to contribute its quota to their efforts at clearing and grading a passable road to alleviate the sufferings of commuters and motorists plying the route. This is especially so, considering the fact that the construction company’s heavy-duty vehicles and articulated trucks contribute in no small measure to the worsening condition of the road.
The Baale of Olu-Odunaiye Ikija town, High Chief Olufemi Olusunmade Odunaiye, told The Guardian that the neglected road has been brought untold hardship and made life unbearable to his people.
He said: “They promised to construct the road, which they actually started and later abandoned. The construction started during the tenure of former Governor Ibikunle Amosun but was abandoned when his tenure ended. We had hoped that the new governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun would continue from where Amosun stopped, but we have been proved wrong. And though they made several promises, they never fulfilled any of them.
“We have written series of letters and have also paid visits to relevant government officials, with no response. They promised to come and do some sort of palliative work for us so that at least the road would be a little motorable, but we are yet to see that promise fulfilled.
“When we did not see them, we had to call on the Baales and community leaders to decide what we should do to our plight. Many people also donated money with which we started the palliative work. We bought sand and hardcore to fill one of the swampy sides of the road to enable us a link with other communities and allow transport and other vehicles to come in.
As we are tasking ourselves for the work, it is nauseating that CCECC, the Chinese construction company in charge of the railway from whom we even buy sands, and hardcore who are to support us in the spirit of corporate social responsibility refused to support us. We even wrote letters to their Kajola, Papalanto among others. Our letters dated 3rd and 19th July 2021 were acknowledged by them, but up till today, there has been no response.
We are being frustrated as the little effort we are making is being rubbished by their vehicles that have no other access road to their site than this road. This is the reason we are carrying out this peaceful protest. They bluntly refused to render assistance and they treat our plight with impunity as if there is nothing we can do. We are showing our grievances for the entire world to know what is going on so that appropriate authorities too would also come to our aid.
Though the road was not contracted to them, we believe it behooves them to come to our aid and assist us in the palliative work we are carrying out since it is the only road to access their site. In fact, the effect of their heavy truck passing the road has not enabled transport vehicles to make use of the road, therefore rendering our effort useless. We are not fighting anybody as we are a peace-loving community, but since they have refused to respond to the letters written to them, we are compelled to make them comply by force.
This is Agbado Ijoko, Akute road which starts from Sango and leads to Berger. Ripple effect of the bad and unmotorable road is numerous. Businesses have been paralysed. Those that are buying and selling have been rendered inactive as there is no road for them to go and buy what they are selling. Trucks that are bringing goods have no road to ply. A lot of goods being brought had been wasted and perished inside water. A lot of perishable goods were lost to the water log created by the bad road. Vehicles bringing in goods have always been at the mercy of miscreants who took advantage of the bad roads and vandalise their vehicles.
Landlords too have their own share of the sufferings as their tenants have vacated their buildings due to lack of road to access their places of work from this axis. Some landlords have also sold their houses and relocated. If not for the few of us that are still remaining, this environment would have been a ghost town because there is no trade. Commercial and private vehicles that are supposed to come here look for alternative roads.
This is what we are going through. If our government is sensitive enough, appreciate our plight and know their responsibility, completion of this road is also for their good as new bussnesses would spring up, banks would be able to operate and wholesale businesses with depots would be established. This will also lead to the improvement of the State government’s IGR. It is unfortunate that they refuse to see things in this perspective. Frustration of the people in this axis have made them to succumb to any idea that would even bring in private partnership and would not mind to be paying toll gate at the end of the day since the government cannot care for the people who are paying them taxes.
Though it is a federal road, it has been ceded to the Lagos government to construct. We do not know the arrangement between the Federal and the State government. All we knew was that the State government started the construction and abandoned it.
Chinese response to our course would be welcomed if they are ready to complement our effort.
We have alerted a lot of government functionaries including Commissioner for Works and Infrastructures, Information, Physical Planning and Special Adviser to the State on Works” the Baale said.
Another resident, Iyalode of Olu-Odunaiye, Ikija town, Chief Mrs. Esther Adebimpe said many people have vacated the area because of the condition of the road that has cut them off from other towns in the axis. “Since about six months, the road has been terribly bad and we pay motorcycle riders between N200 or N300 from here to Agbado who move on the media with port-holes.
“We always hold our breadth on the motorcycles who occasionally fall into mucky water that had taken over one side of the road. There is no trade. We are hungry.
“There was a day a child had fire accident and his body peeled. There was no road for any vehicle to carry the child to the hospital. He eventually died. Many like that had passed away. Whenever any pregnant woman is in labour which would occasion carrying her to the hospital, there would be no way.
“We are pleading with the government and the Chinese people whose vehicles alone make use of the road we are contributing money to make passable to all come to our aid,” she said.
Another woman who also spoke to the Guardian, an entrepreneur, Alalade Olutayo said she built her house in the area about five years ago.
“When the construction started during the tenure of Senator Ibikunle Amosun, we were glad. However, he demolished some houses here and refused to compensate the owners which eventually led to the death of many landlords.
“When I relocated here after completing my building, I came with three cars, but today, I cannot boast of one. There was a time I relocated but on second thought, I came back for the fear of what would become of the building in the long run.
“Houses are empty, businesses have died and no shop owners could boast of generating N2,000 or N3,000 per day because of the situation of the road.
We are having this peaceful demonstration for Chinese whose vehicles pass the road we are trying to make passable for transport vehicles to come in, to come and assist us” she said.
A hotelier, Akinlade Ejiwunmi said the hotel business that was supposed to be booming had paralysed.
“In fact, the entire businesses are down. Landlords are selling their houses to move away from this environment.
“We are calling on the government and Chinese people to come to our aid. Politicians should know that they would soon need us and if they refuse to help us now, there will be a kind of reprisal by the time they also need us” he said.
According to the Public Relations Officer, Agbado/Ijoko Areas Communities Consultative Forum registered under Ifo Local Government, Comrade Akorede Idowu, when the Spokesperson for CCECC in the axis, Lanre, was contacted, he said he did not have the power to give out any sand to the community to assist in the palliative work.
In the same vein, when the Guardian called on Lanre two lines, the lines were switched off.
Three suspected thieves have been arrested by men of Ogun State Police Command while allegedly looting a warehouse belonging to Sky Industry Limited.
The suspects reportedly broke into the warehouse situated at OPIC Estate Agbara in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.
Luck however ran against the suspects — Jelili Waheed, 33; Otun Taye 44; and Olu Adeniran 46; as they were arrested following information received at Agbara divisional headquarters of the police.
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, disclosed this in a statement on Thursday.
Oyeyemi said the suspects were arrested on Tuesday following a tip-off that some hoodlums were vandalising and looting the warehouse of the company.
The PPRO added, “Upon the information, the DPO Agbara division SP Saleh Dahiru mobilised his detectives to the scene where the three-member syndicate were rounded up at about 4pm.
“Recovered from them is one Iveco Truck with registration number AKD 747 XZ which they used to convey one Forklift, one 300KVA Generator and one 25 KVA Generator property of the company.”
Oyeyemi, however, said the Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun has ordered a thorough investigation into the past activities of the suspects with a view to charging them to court as soon as the investigation was concluded.
The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN) Ogun branch, on Wednesday, began an indefinite strike over short payment of salaries by the state government.
The Ogun state JUSUN Chairman, Mr Edun Tajudeen, who spoke with journalists in Abeokuta, said that the strike was in compliance with the National secretariat directive to begin the strike on August 11.
Tajudeen noted that before the decision to embark on the strike, series of meetings had been held with representatives of the state government but ended in a deadlock.
”We noticed the short payments in our salaries since October 2020.
“This strike we are embarking is indefinite strike, because, on February 24, we gave the state government an ultimatum to pay us our full salaries before the nation-wide strike on autonomy began.
“After the strike, the meeting continued with the government but it did not yield any result,” he said.
The JUSUN chairman, however, appealed to the state government to look into the requests of the workers and do the needful.
The courts were under lock and key and nobody is allowed to gain entrance into the court premises.
TheNigeriaLawyer recalls the national body of JUSUN on April 6 directed its members to shut down all courts across the country, demanding the implementation of law granting financial autonomy to the Judiciary.
Gwg reports that a verdict of the Federal High Court in Nigeria’s capital, Abuja, had in January 2014 held that financial autonomy for the judiciary is a constitutional provision that must be complied with by the executive branch of government.
The body had suspended the strike after 64 days, the longest industrial action in the Nigerian judiciary, following a meeting between officials of the union and the National Judicial Council (NJC) led by the Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Ibrahim Muhammad.
Commercial and vehicular activities were yesterday grounded, in Ado-Odo/Ota Local Council Area, Ogun State, as commercial motorcyclists popularly called Okada, blocked major roads in the area over alleged imposition of riders permit by council officials.
The Guardian learnt Okada riders converged on the old NITEL Warehouse, where they claimed officials of the council kept motorcycles seized from their members for failure to receive riders permits.
They displayed placards with different inscriptions, barricaded the Awolowo way linking the ILO-Awela road, close to the Secretariat, thereby hindering free flow of traffic in the area.
It was observed that protesters forced other riders to join in the protest, as they barricaded roads and restricted road users to the middle of the roads.
Shop owners, on seeing the protesters hurriedly locked their shops as the protesters burst into protest songs, moving from roads to roads.
Majority of commuters heading towards the council Secretariat, Oju-Ore, Canaan land, Lafenwa, Itele and beyond, were stranded as the entire stretch was deserted.
One of the riders, Akeem Ogun, said since the newly elected council officials came on board weeks ago, they have made life unbearable for them in the name of generating revenue for the council.
“Our motorcycles are seized on a daily basis and all our pleas have fallen on deaf ears. Things are hard in the country and we are still in August, they should bear with us. We voted them into office but they shouldn’t make life unbearable for us. We are doing this to register our grievances for them to stop adding to our hardship.”
When the council was contacted, they confirmed the protest. Mr. Aleshinloye Ademoye, who spoke to The Guardian on phone on behalf of the information officer, said the protesters did not come to the council to make any official complaint. The council can only issue a statement after the protesters file a complaint.
“We have not seized any motorcycles. You know tax collection has been ceded to the state government, so the state is in control of the riders permit; probably that’s why they have not approached us. But if they do, I will get back to you.
“We are aware that they are nuisance on the roads but the law enforcement agents have been informed to douse the tension, that is what we can do from our own end. Until they come to the council officially, we cannot assume what their grievances are,” he said.
Recall that a fortnight ago, the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Afolabi Afuape, warned the newly elected council officials to desist from unnecessary taxation in the name of revenue generation.
Afuape, who stated this at the July 2021 edition of the Statutory Joint Account Allocation Committee meeting with new chairmen, said the practice of unnecessary taxation could cause disharmony between citizens and government.
He enjoined them to complement efforts of the state government, aimed at improving the welfare of the people and translate policies and programmes of Dapo Abiodun-led administration to reality.
Workers in Ogun State have cried out to Governor Dapo Abiodun to pay their salary deductions, saying “we are dying.”
The Ogun State Salary Earners’ Co-operative Thrift and Credit Union Limited alleged that Gov Abiodun had refused to pay their 17 months outstanding co-operative deductions.
Monthly, workers who are members of the Ogun State Salary Earners’ Co-operative Thrift and Credit Union Limited, save a percentage of their salaries with the union.
DAILY POST learnt that the money is to be deducted by the state government and paid to the union on behalf of the workers.
However, the union said 17 months of the deductions were not remitted by the State, making it difficult for workers to access their voluntary savings and to obtain loans.
The cooperative union, in a statement jointly signed by its President, Bodude Tanimola and the General Manager, Sunday Ajayi, begged Abiodun to stop the unwarranted deaths caused by the non-payment of their entitlements.
The union lamented that children of many of its members have dropped out of school over their parents’ inability to fund their education.
According to the union, the unremitted co-operative deductions had run into billions of Naira.
The union leaders expressed dissatisfaction that many letters written to Gov Abiodun, the Head of Service and others were ignored.
The statement read in part: “There is the inability of our members to take care of their immediate and extended family’s welfare.
“There is also the inability to give out loans to our co-operative members.
“We appeal to the Executive Governor Prince Dapo Abiodun to look into the 17 months Co-operative deductions outstanding owed our members, to reduce the number of deaths recorded among our members.”
DAILY POST reports that Gov Abiodun has on many occasions promised to make workers’ welfare a priority.
During the 2021 Workers Day celebration at the MKO Abiola Stadium, Kuto, Abeokuta, the Governor promised to clear the deductions, but the workers said nothing has been done since then.
According to them, Abiodun inherited zero unremitted cooperative deductions, but has since championed owing 17 months since he assumed office in 2019.
The Governor was accused of paying lip service to the full payment of workers’ salaries.
Retirees of Moshood Abiola Polytechnic, Abeokuta, Ogun State have threatened to take the state government to court over alleged discrepancies in the payment of their pensions and gratuities.
The retirees said their pensions and gratuities were paid on the old Salary Structures of 2007 whereas they retired in 2010/2011.
The action of the government, the retirees said in a statement by their Chairman, Prince Taiwo Otunba, and Secretary, Adeleke Duro Sotunde, was against the law on pension and gratuities.
They said the resolve to go to court over the matter followed the refusal of the state government to see reason and correct what they described as injustice meted out to them.
The retirees stressed the need for an urgent action to correct the injustice because “as retirees, time is undoubtedly not much in our favour.
“As the situation remains unresolved in spite of all our efforts, we may be constrained to approach the Industrial Court for resolution.”
Citing relevant laws backing their demand, the retirees stated: “We refer to the Pensions Act, Chapter 346 of April 1, 1974: Chapter 346 Pensions Act 1979 No. 103.
“An act to consolidate all enactments dealing with Pensions, War Pensions, Disability Benefits and Gratuities for civilian employees in the public service of the Federation.
“Computation of Pension and Gratuity.
“Subject to this Act any Pensions or Gratuity granted hereunder to any person on his retirement from the public service of the Federation shall be computed on the final pay of the person entitled thereto and in accordance with the provisions of the First Schedule to this Act.”
A 55-year-old woman, Mrs Lola Odeniya, has reportedly gone missing in Mowe, Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was learnt that on July 26, the woman boarded a tricycle from her home at the Yakoyo area of Ofada and headed for Mowe market to buy balloon for her sick husband around 9am, but never returned.
The family waited for her for about five hours believing she would return home, but she has not shown up since then.
Her daughter, Damilola Odeniya, said it was the balloon a medical doctor recommended for her father that her mother went to buy.
She said, “When my father couldn’t talk well, a medical doctor recommended that he should be blowing balloon. It was the same balloon my mother went to the market to get for him when the unfortunate incident occurred.
“We have visited hospitals and mortuaries to confirm if she is involved in a road accident.
“Her phone line was going through till 9pm that fateful day and nobody picked the calls. After some time, the phone went off and it was not going through again.
“It was then we went to Mowe police division, where they promised to track her phone number and we also went to the network service provider whose line she is using to help track it.”
The family believes the woman may have been abducted, even though no one has contacted them for ransom demand.
Damilola noted that her mother is an easy going person and she didn’t have any issue with anyone that could warrant her being kidnapped. She appealed to those behind the act to free her.
She said: “That was not the first time she had been going to Mowe market to buy something. My father is still lying in his sick bed. Those who abducted her should please for the sake of God free her and allow her to go home freely.
“I am also appealing to the Ogun State Commissioner of Police and other security agencies to assist in rescue my mother and bring her back alive. We also contacted the tricycle riders’ association park in Mowe.
When the Ogun State command police public relations officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, was contacted, he didn’t pick his calls and also did not respond to the text message sent to him.
A group, Definition Studios Limited, has threatened to drag Ogun State government to court over allegation bordering on breach of intellectual property rights.
The group made the intention known through its lawyer, Pelumi Olajengbesi, in a letter addressed to the Secretary to the State Government.
He said around 2019, the team made a musical arrangement for the state anthem to be presented at the African Drum Festival in Abeokuta.
He said despite that his client did an orchestra score and created an artistically refined musical redefinition of the state anthem which was performed on all the days of the festival, the organisation was neither invited by the government nor compensated for their several performances.
“On the 26th day of April 2019, the team uploaded the footage of their performance on their official YouTube platform as part of their body of works: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIXVZpirqy4.
“However, on the 5th of February, 2021, the audio recording of the uploaded performance was extracted and used as theme song for the 45th-anniversary celebration message by the Ogun State Government without obtaining any prior authorisation and requisite consent from our client.
“On the 8th of February, 2021, same was posted on Ogun State government’s YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GLpDQQVX7AA thereby converting it to its official use,” the lawyer said.
The lawyer said the act contravened “the Copyright Act CAP C28, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.”
According to him, flowing from Paragraph 3.4 of the Act, the Ogun State government is in breach of the intellectual property rights of our client as guaranteed by extant laws.”
He said all efforts made by his client to have the issue resolved with the state government were unsuccessful.
“In light of the above narrated facts, our client approached our firm for the purpose of intervening on its behalf and to seek redress for its intellectual property right which has been flagrantly breached and disregarded by the Ogun State Government,” he said.
Pelumi, who demanded that the government pay the sum of N6 million for his client for unauthorised use of the team’s orchestra score by the government, also demanded that the sum of N1.5 million be paid annually for the next seven years as licence for the continued use of the team’s work.
The lawyer said if the state government failed to meet the organisation’s demands, he would not hesitate to invoke the full instrumentality of the law and exhaust all legal remedies available to enforce his client’s rights.
How will half of the people who took first dose take the second dose and you have not bothered to do anything about it except sneak it in at a press conference?!
No fewer than 35 persons have tested positive for COVID-19 at the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) camp in Sagamu, Ogun State.
The State Commissioner for Health, Dr Tomi Coker, disclosed this on Thursday while briefing newsmen on the upsurge of the third wave of COVID-19.
Daily Trust had reported how about 109 prospective corps members were diagnosed with COVID-19 across NYSC orientation camps nationwide.
On Thursday, the Commissioner said some of those who tested positive have been confined to the isolation centers, while others are on home management.
“The number of NYSC members that have tested positive is 35. Some are on home management, while some are at the isolation center,” she said.
Rising Cases In Ogun
Coker expressed concerns that Ogun has recorded a rise in cases since the beginning of August, with at least 7 to 16 cases per day.
She said, “Ogun State has continued to record a rise in the number of COVID-19 cases, with a 6 fold increase in admissions into the isolation centre compared to what was recorded 2 months earlier.
“In the month of June 2021, there were only two cases giving a positivity rate of 0.04% while the month of July had a sharp rise of 96 cases with positivity rate of 7.4%.
“The first 3 days in the month of August has also seen a rise in positivity rate of 14.6%. Isolation WARD at OOUTH which had only 2 admissions in June currently has 12 persons on admission whilst isolation ward at Ikenne has 35 admissions with 71 on home management.
“Death rate had remained relatively static at 50 till July 15 after which we recorded 7 deaths in the last two weeks.
“In the last one week, there has been a sharp rise in new cases from 7 per day to 16 per day.”
The Commissioner also lamented that only small fraction of the state’s population had been vaccinated.
She told citizens to embrace vaccination, saying “Our observation so far is that all mortalities are in the unvaccinated.”
Coker said “His excellency Prince Dapo Abiodun would like to thank every one for making the phase one COVID-19 vaccination exercise a huge success with a total of 126,631 vaccinated for the first dose which translated to 136% of our target population for the Phase 1 exercise while 57,453 were vaccinated for the second dose.
“The foregoing figures represent a very small fraction of our population in Ogun State and to achieve herd immunity in the State we must vaccinate at least 70% of the population.
“In order to achieve the above another opportunity has come with the commencement the 2nd phase of the vaccination of the vaccination exercise across the twenty LGAs this month.
“Let me also seize this opportunity to encourage everyone 18 and above that is yet to be vaccinated to present themselves in the next round of vaccination exercise at the nearest vaccination centres.
“Our observation so far is that all mortalities are in the unvaccinated. The COVID-19 vaccine is safe, effective and offers protection against the disease. Please continue to wear your mask properly, wash your hands frequently, observe physical distancing and where possible, avoid a crowd.”
The Ogun State government and a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship aspirant, Ladi Adebutu, in the state in 2019 have engaged in a war of words over claims of diversion of N64 billion local government funds.
Mr Adebutu, while addressing journalists on Tuesday, accused the Governor Dapo Abiodun-led administration of diverting the funds meant for the 20 local councils in the state, against the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari.
According to him, the state government has turned the councils into mere salary-payers to their employees, with no commensurate development with the federal allocations sent to them.
“For the sake of appropriating funds belonging to the third tier of government in Ogun, N64billion, in 21 months, ended up with the state government, according to data from the National Bureau of Statistics,” said Mr Adebutu.
“N64 billion was disbursed, only for the third tier of government to get salaries. There was nothing else to show. All the 20 local governments in the state are virtually under lock and key. No projects could be seen.
“In 21 months of this administration, from the records we have, Ogun State suffered due to a deliberate and willful appropriation of the funds belonging to the local governments. These are the things that have led to continuous agitations for restructuring. If you take the money that belongs to the third tier of government, the system will definitely collapse,” Mr Adebutu stated.
‘Figment of his imagination’ But in a reaction, the Ogun State government, through the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Afolabi Afuape, described the allegation as a figment of Mr Adebutu’s imagination.
“Since the advent of this administration, we have been having the Joint Accounts Allocation Committee (JAAC) meetings, it is statutory; it is required by law. Before we came on board, JAAC was never held for six years,” he said.
“For us to share any money, we have some amount of money that we call the first line charge, which is the money we use to pay teachers’ salaries, pensions, traditional councils of chiefs, among other expenses, that are very crucial to good governance.
“We then release the remaining funds for the local governments. I can tell you that the 20 local governments require about N150 million on monthly basis to remit to the State government as Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE), but we couldn’t deduct it because the money coming from Federal Accounts Allocation Committee (FAAC) is not always enough.
“In fact, Ogun State government augmented local governments’ funds with N2 billion between the months of January and May 2021 in order for them to meet up financial obligations.
“I don’t know why Hon Ladi Adebutu and PDP will whip up unnecessary sentiments on that. I challenge him and his party – PDP to come on air with me, I am ready with them. Ogun State government will come up with facts and figures about how local governments’ funds are being collected and managed.”
No fewer than seven persons were said to have been killed in a bloody clash between Hausas and Yorubas working as commercial motorcyclists at Dangote Cement Factory junction in Ibese, Yewa North Local Government Area of Ogun State.
It was gathered that trouble initially started between the Okada riders and the unions, who allegedly increased the ticket fee from N600 to N800.
The incident, however, snowballed into an ethnic crisis between the Hausas and the Yorubas in the area.
In less than 24 hours of the crisis, seven persons have been reportedly killed.
The Ogun State Police Command has confirmed the incident on Tuesday.
Speaking, the Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, said, however, that he could not confirm the number of casualties at the moment.
Oyeyemi said, “The issue is currently under control. It was a minor struggle that had snowballed into a serious crisis.
“They said said the unions increased their ticket fee from N600 to N800 and that was how the crisis started. But how it then turned into Hausa and Yoruba crisis is what I don’t know.
“But, we are on top of the matter. The situation has been brought under control. Our men are still there as we speak,” Oyeyemi said.
The Head Coach of kickboxing in Ogun State, Olufunke Ogunsuyi, has been confirmed dead.
She died in Ilorin on Saturday while participating in the Kwara Zonal and Invitational Kickboxing Championship.
She officiated in the competition and also fielded two athletes.
The corpse of the former kickboxing champion was picked up in her hotel room, when her lifeless body was discovered, after the door to the hotel room was broken into.
Her body was taken to the General Hospital, Ilorin, where she was finally confirmed dead, at about 4 p.m.
The search for the late Olufunke began when it was discovered that she was not at the stadium as at 12 noon when all the other officials were supposed to converge for the commencement of the final ceremony of the competition.
Several calls put to her mobile phone were not picked or returned.
The organisers and other officials then went to her hotel, where it was confirmed that she was still in her room but without life.
Late Olufunke, who hailed from Ijebu-Ode in Ogun state, was former champion in the sport.
Her remains have been deposited at the Kwara General Hospital, Ilorin, mortuary, pending transfer to her home Ogun state on Sunday.
It was also confirmed that the Ogun State Sports Council, her family and friends have been contacted on the unfortunate development.
The Director, Grassroots Sports Development at the Federal Ministry of Youth and Sports Development, Alhaji Ali Durotoye, was among top administrators that went to the general hospital where she was confirmed dead.
The Saturday final of the competition was however postponed to Sunday as a sign of respect for the decessed.
Caution was thrown into the wind on Friday night as officers of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) and residents of Ayetoro, Yewa North Local Government area of Ogun state engaged in a violent clash.
DAILY POST gathered that the clash led to the burning of three customs vehicles and shooting of a youth, popularly known in the community as Soliu, three times.
An eyewitness, Razak Adeyemi, explained that trouble started after a heated argument ensued between a customs officer and a resident suspected to be a smuggler after which the matter was resolved and both parties went their separate ways.
He added that about an hour later, four fully loaded customs Hilux vehicles had stormed the community, with the officers shooting continuously in the air.
The act was said to have angered the youths in the community, hence a violent face-off between the officers and youths in the community.
Adeyemi stated, “It all started like a normal argument between a man and a customs officer at Oke Rori, here in Ayetoro. They had a few minutes of arguments, after which military men and residents wadded into the issue and it was resolved.
“About an hour later, four customs Hilux, with fully armed customs officers entered our community and they started shooting anyhow in the air. After several attempts to stop them became fruitless, the youths in the area then faced them and they started shooting at the people.”
Another resident of Ayetoro, Nojeeem, claimed that the officers were shooting like they had been ordered to wipe out the community.
“If you see the way they were shooting, it was like a war zone, like they have been told to kill us all. If not because many of our youths are fortified, many would have been dead by now. If you go round the community, you will see people whose clothes were torn by the customs’ bullets, but the bullets didn’t penetrate their bodies; only for one guy called Soliu who was shot three times.”
When asked of the victim’s whereabouts, Nojeem said he has been taken away by his family members to a yet-to-be known traditional care centre.
When contacted, the spokesperson of NCS, Ogun Area 1 Command, Hammed Oloyede, confirmed the incident, noting that the command had commenced investigation into the reasons for the clash, promising to get back to our reporter.
“The situation is currently under investigation. So, I will get back to you,” Oloyede responded on the phone.
bnsheikh: Good day everyone, i'll b saying this not because i am from Ilorin but it's a clear fact. Ilorin is an Holy land and full of sincere men of God. There may be some bad clerics you know spoiling the image of Ilorin, one should not take that to devaluate the worth of The town. Sahidi Shittu appeared insulting the scholars from Ilorin and Sunday Igboho came out in public and said He was the one asked him to insult anybody and If any Alfa ever talk, He would declare the day of death for the kind of Alfa. From that day i knew Sunday Igboho would finish soon. watch out for Sahidi Shitu and clear warning to anyone whoever think they can insult Ilorin.
Good afternoon sir. Deputy Assistant God.
I don't support Sunday Igboho and his criminality but it is highly insulting to sense, sensibilities and orí of all ọmọlúwàbís to pursue this kind of fundamentalist narratives. Please dead it
Police operatives in Ogun State have nabbed an 18-year-old boy, Jamiu Malomo, for allegedly killing a 28-year-old sex worker, Azeezat Akande.
DAILY POST learnt that the arrest of the suspect followed a report lodged at Adatan police station in Abeokuta by the chairman of Ilupeju community, Oke Aregba.
He said they woke up on Sunday, July 18, to discover a lifeless body of a young lady, who was stabbed to death on a rock in the area, with a knife soaked with blood beside her.
Upon the report, the DPO of Adatan division, SP Abiodun Salau and his detectives were said to have moved to the scene from where the corpse was moved to State Hospital, Ijaye mortuary.
The Ogun Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, told DAILY POST on Wednesday that the DPO and his crack detectives thereafter embarked on intelligence and forensic investigations to unravel the mystery behind the gruesome murder of the deceased.
“Their efforts paid off when they received information that the person who was seen last with the deceased has been sighted at about 11:45 pm of Thursday 22nd of July 2021, at 3AD bar Panseke area of Abeokuta, where he was trying to pick another ‘runsgirl’. The detectives quickly moved in there and got him arrested.
“On interrogation, the suspect who was just released from prison custody last month confessed to killing the deceased,” Oyeyemi stated.
“According to him, he picked the deceased from panseke and took her home for sexual pleasure. After having carnal knowledge of the victim, the victim demanded for the #10,000 which was their agreement, he refused to give her because he had only eight thousand naira with him. This led to a hot argument between them, he then gave his phone to the deceased to hold and wait for him on the road to bring the money for her.
“While the deceased was waiting, the suspect came back with a knife unknown to the victim and he stabbed her deeply on her neck resulting in the instant death of the deceased,” the PPRO confirmed.
Meanwhile, the State Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun has ordered that the suspect be immediately transferred to the homicide section of the state CIID for discreet investigation.
Members of an armed robbery gang have engaged men of the Ogun State Police Command in a gun duel while robbing a shop in Atan-Ota, in the Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government Area of the state.
The suspects reportedly invaded a provision shop and dispossessed its owner, Tope Alabi, of a huge sum of money.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Abimbola Oyeyemi, in a statement on Sunday said three suspects: Anu Ibikunle, 32; Rasheed Bisiriyu, 22; and Adebowale Dada, 25, were arrested in connection with the incident on Thursday.
He added that their arrest followed a distress call the police at the Atan Ota divisional headquarters received around 9.45pm.
“Upon the distress call, the DPO Atan-Ota division, CSP Abolade Oladigbolu, mobilised his men and moved to the scene.
“On sighting the policemen, the hoodlums, who first attacked the policemen, later took to their heels having realised the determination of the policemen to subdue them.
“They were hotly chased and three of them were subsequently apprehended.
"Recovered from them were one locally-made pistol, two live cartridges and assorted charms,” Oyeyemi said.
He noted that the state Commissioner of Police, Edward Ajogun, had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation.
Sheep and goats in southwest Nigeria are carrying bacteria that are resistant to a range of drugs, such as antibiotics. This is a problem because the bacterium, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, poses a potential health risk to the owners as well as to the general population.
People can be infected with the bacterium if they come into direct contact with animals carrying it, or materials contaminated with it. This can lead to severe infections like food poisoning.
In addition, managing methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus has been compromised by the fact that farmers are using antibiotics indiscriminately. This has, in turn, led to a rise in drug resistance.
Sheep and goats are important in Nigeria as sources of meat and milk. They are also household assets. They contribute about 35% of the total meat consumed in Nigeria. Goat milk is also consumed in some parts of Nigeria, especially Borno State in the northeast.
One of the main diseases in sheep and goats caused by the bacterium is mastitis, which affects milk production and weight gain. It can also contaminate milk and be harmful to humans.
Mastitis is the inflammation of the udders – mammary glands of cows, sheep and goats. It may be clinical and subclinical. Subclinical means it is not severe enough to present definite or readily observable symptoms. The presence of pathogenic organisms in the milk is only detectable using very specific tests.
In our study , we investigated the prevalence of methicillin resistant Staphylococcus aureus in goat and sheep milk and nasal samples in Abeokuta, southwest Nigeria.
Previous studies conducted in the northern part of Nigeria showed that it was prevalent in goat and sheep milk. But no similar work had been conducted in the southern region.
What we found In total, 400 samples made up of 200 raw milk samples and 200 nasal swabs were collected from small ruminants (females only) from 10 locations in Abeokuta. Three stages were involved in the analysis of the samples. The first was the isolation and cultivation of the bacterium from the samples (nasal and milk). This was done by dispensing small volumes of the milk samples and nasal swabs in enrichment broth and then on solid media to recover the bacterium.
The second stage involved identifying the isolated bacterium using biochemical tests that can differentiate the organism of interest from other bacteria. After the organisms had been identified as Staphylococcus aureus, they were tested against two antibiotics. These were cefoxitin and oxacillin. The aim was to confirm if they were methicillin resistant or not.
In the third stage, the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates were tested against 10 commonly used antibiotics in the study area.
From our result, the prevalence rates detected in raw milk and nasal swab were higher than previous studies in the northern part of Nigeria. This finding corroborates the fact that the methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus population is rising and spreading among small ruminants in Nigeria.
Why this matters This poses a serious threat to the general wellbeing of humans. Those particularly at risk are animal professionals, butchers, veterinarians, animal handlers and slaughterhouse workers having direct contact with the animals or their products.
The bacteria were also resistant to the antibiotics commonly used in the study area. The isolates showed resistance to ampicillin, cloxacillin, sulphamethoxazole-trimethoprim, amoxicillin-clavulanate, ceftriaxone, cefuroxime and erythromycin but were sensitive to streptomycin, ciprofloxacin, pefloxacin and gentamicin.
The presence of multidrug-resistant bacteria in small ruminants reared in Abeokuta metropolis may be due to indiscriminate use of antibiotics and unhygienic practices by farmers. Antibiotics are readily available, cheap and accessible at any animal store.
Next steps Mastitis caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus should be eliminated because of the severity of clinical symptoms, antibiotic resistance and the risk of contamination of milk products by toxins. The toxins can cause food poisoning in humans, if contaminated and unpasteurised milk is consumed. The usual symptoms are nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea and stomach cramps.
We recommend that farmers who rear small ruminants should ensure strict hygiene. Proper housing for the animals should be in place. Also, thorough washing of hands before and after milking or feeding is advised.
Only pasteurised milk and milk products should be consumed. Government should enforce laws prohibiting the indiscriminate use of antibiotics in small ruminants by farmers without veterinarian prescriptions.
Ezekiel Omoshaba works for Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta. He is affiliated with Nigerian Veterinary Medical Association
By Ezekiel Omoshaba, Lecturer, Veterinary Microbiology and Parasitology , Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta
Governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun has said his All Progressives Congress (APC) had failed in many local government areas in the state and he is now doing a reset.
The governor said this while addressing party loyalists in Abeokuta North ahead of Saturday’s local government elections.
Governor Abiodun said that the failure of the party in these local governments accounted for why he did not know what to say while campaigning for the 2019 general election.
However, the governor expressed optimism that his government has been delivering on campaign promises.
He noted that his government cannot solve all the problems of Ogun State, but he promised to leave the state better than he met it.
He described his government as a promise-keeping administration.
Fight has not finished in Ogun PDP apparently. Dr Bukola Saraki peace moves have been ignored.
Yesterday, an High Court declared the Ladi Adebutu faction as illegal. That's why they put out a media blitz that they are pulling out of the election.
Ahead of tomorrow's local government elections in Ogun state, the court backed Leke Shittu leadership of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ogun State has said that the party is set to participate in tomorrow's local government elections.
Hon Leke Shittu in a statement he personally signed and made available to journalists at the state capital said that the clarification became imperative due to the confusion generated by the statement credited to one Hon Sikirulai Ogundele saying that the PDP had pulled out of tomorrow's local government elections.
Hon Shittu disclosed that " this is to inform the general public and good people of Ogun State that the party has and will never pull out of tomorrow's local government elections. We have done all that we are supposed to do under the law and we will surely participate in tomorrow's local government elections.
"We hereby use this medium to urge the good people of Ogun State to disregard the statement credited to one Hon Sikirulai Ogundele who is not in any capacity capable to speak on behalf of our great party, PDP. It's all gimmicks to create confusion where there is none but as the authentic leadership of Ogun PDP, the opposition party is participating in tomorrow's local government elections".
Ogundele in a statement yesterday was said to have stated that “Sequel to the judgement of the Ogun State High Court, Isabo in suit no M/55/2021 between Sikirulai Ogundele VS OGSIEC, affirming the consent judgement of the Federal High Court, Abuja as delivered on 22nd June, 2021, the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) under the able Chairmanship of Alh (Dr) Sikirulai Ogundele hereby withdraw from the Saturday July, 24 local government elections".
Leke Shittu has however urged the the residents of the state to disregard the statement credited to Hon Sikirulai Ogundele saying that "as the authentic leadership of PDP in Ogun State, we are going ahead with the local government elections as scheduled for tomorrow, July 24".
Politics / Fashola Gives Ultimatum To Berger-Kara Bridge Mechanics by OmoOgunOriginal(f): 9:58am On Aug 31, 2021