Managing Director/CEO, Fidelity Bank PLC. Mrs. Nneka Onyeali-Ikpe was in Abuja on Thursday June 17, 2021 when Air Peace Airline took delivery of the first of 13 brand new E195-E2 directly from Embraer facility in São José dos Campos, Brazil. The new aircraft with registration number 5N-BYF, named Helen Ekwusi Onyema, touched down at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja at about 2.00 pm and was greeted with a water salute by men of the Fire service department of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria, FAAN.
A former Managing Director of Alpha Beta LLP, Dapo Apara, has filed a lawsuit at a Lagos State High Court to stop former Governor of the state, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, from taking control of the finances of the tax consulting company.
In the suit filed by Apara’s lawyer, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), the former MD alleged that Tinubu still controls the affairs of the firm that monitors and generates revenue on behalf of the Lagos State Government.
Also mentioned in the suit as defendants include the current MD of Alpha Beta, Akin Doherty, a former Commissioner for Finance in Lagos State, and the firm itself.
Apara had, in 2020, filed a suit before the High Court but withdrew it before filing it a second time on Friday, after making amendments.
In 2018, he had also written a petition to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), accusing Alpha Beta of tax fraud.
He had gone further to petition the High Court to compel the firm to pay him his entitlements after he accused Tinubu of facilitating his removeal from his position as MD for investigating the firm’s finances.
In the ammended suit, Apara is seeking eight reliefs including “A declaration that Tinubu, not being a named partner of the Alpha Beta, is not entitled to direct or influence the affairs of the firm in such a way that will deprive the claimant (Apara) of his profits.”
The fire that gutted a moving cooking gas truck in Lagos on Thursday came from the kitchen of a Chinese restaurant at the OPIC Plaza on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way in Ikeja.
In final tallies of the ensuing disaster, five persons died, 11 were injured.
Twenty four vehicles and many offices were equally burnt.
Director-General of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Dr Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, made this known in Lagos on Saturday in a preliminary report on the incident.
“Close investigation revealed that the leaking cooking gas from the truck was ignited by the exposed fire from the kitchen of the New Chinese restaurant inside OPIC Plaza.
“As a result of wind action, the whole area of OPIC Structure was engulfed with fire.
“The fire trailed the cooking gas resulting in the combustion of the gas tanker outside the compound,’’ he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu added that the inferno from the explosion resulted in several damages to the OPIC Plaza.
He said that LASEMA’s “Tiger Team’’ received a distress call at about 10.57 p.m. on Thursday and immediately swung into action with its private sector technical partner.
“On arrival at the scene of the incident, it was discovered that a 13.5-ton gas tanker in motion was leaking its content.
Oke-Osanyintolu said the fire resulted in 13 burns causalities at the scene who were given first aid by LASEMA before they were taken to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital (LASUTH) and Gbagada General Hospital for further treatment.
“Unfortunately, three adult males were further discovered dead at the scene and their bodies were bagged and transported to the morgue.
“Also, two victims died while undergoing medical attention at LASUTH, hence a total of five fatalities were recorded as at the time this report was put together,’’ he said.
He added that LASEMA and other responders evacuated other occupants of the building to a safe place, while the LASG Fire Service ensured that the fire was curtailed from spreading into nearby buildings and completely extinguished the inferno.
He said also that the crowd and traffic control were managed with the help of the Police, LASTMA and FRSC.
Oke-Osanyintolu also said that the OPIC Plaza had been cordoned off as a disaster zone and prepared for further investigations, adding that 24 vehicles were burnt in the inferno.
He appealed to tanker owners to ensure that their trucks were certified road worthy before embarking on a journey.
“All tankers conveying volatile gases should be road worthy before embarking on a journey. All commercial buildings should develop an Emergency Response Plan and Fire Prevention Plan in case of an emergency,’’ he said.
Oke-Osanyintolu admonished Lagos residents to feel free to call the toll free lines112 and 767 in the event of any emergency.
IBADAN – The son of late former Oyo State Governor Lamidi Adesina, Dapo Lam-Adesina, on Friday evening paid a condolence visit to the mother of slain Rahmon Azeez, who was killed by thugs, suspected to be men of the Park Management System (PMS) on Wednesday at Iwo Road area of Ibadan North-East Local Government.
Recall that a disagreement broke out over parking spaces between the members of Mukaila Lamidi popularly known as Auxiliary and the shop owners at the late Rahmon’s shopping complex, which led to the killing of Rahmon, the Lead City graduate while leaving several people injured.
The former lawmaker, who represented Ibadan North East/South East federal constituency between 2015 and 2019, while consoling the deceased mum, explained that it was sad that the state is gradually sliding into anarchy.
He said the rise in violence, if not immediately curtailed, could move the state 10 years backward.
He said, ”This sad event affects us all. I may not know the deceased like that but I know Ahmed, his elder brother. The deceased was one of us, one of the brighter stars any state would be proud of. He didn’t say because the mum is well-to-do and sit down idling away. He was still ‘hustling’, doing businesses to excel.
“Ma, I received a call from a friend in Canada yesterday. It was his birthday and we got talking. He said the only birthday gift I can give him is to join others to ensure justice for the deceased. See, it is not about Rahmon alone. Let’s concede he is gone. Who knows who is next? I have always lived my life here. But we cannot thrive in an atmosphere where peace is elusive.
“It is enough. All of us must join hands together to ensure this is tackled. And this is also a lesson for us all. When it is time for election, let’s take our time before thumb-printing that ballot. It means a lot. Don’t vote for those who don’t have anything for you except violence. It is so sad”.
He, however, called on Governor Seyi Makinde to ensure that justice is done, stressing that any government that cannot guarantee the security of lives and property has failed.
Angry youths, on Saturday, blocked the Kaduna- Abuja following the killing of four people and the abduction of 49 others in a weeklong attack by rampaging bandits in Angwan Madaki, Kakau community, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna state.
The community, located on the outskirts of Kaduna metropolis, was said to have come under persistent attacks by bandits throughout the week.
The latest attack, according to sources in the community, occurred on Friday at about 10pm when the bandits stormed the community, killed two people and abducted 20 others, including the chief, his wife and brother.
Speaking in a telephone interview on Saturday, the source said a total of four people were killed, while 49 people were abducted within three days.
He said, “on Tuesday the bandits invaded the community, killed two people and abducted 15 others.
“On Thursday, they came back again and kidnapped 14.
“Yesterday (Friday) at about 10pm they came and killed two people and kidnapped 20 others including the Chief, his brother and wife.
“Throughout this week, our community had been under constant attack by bandits.
“This angered the youths and this morning (Saturday), they blocked the Kaduna -Abuja road by the over head bridge, to express their frustration over the security situation.”
Speaking further, he said, “What baffles us is that we have the female soldiers camp close to Kakau.
“There is also another soldiers camp close to the main road, yet the attacks have persisted.
“Our people have been living in perpetual fear and this is a community that is close to Kaduna metropolis!
“Many people have relocated to Kaduna metropolis as a result of these frequent attacks”.
Mohammad Jalige, spokesman of the Kaduna state police command, could not be reached when contacted as his telephone was switched off.
The Ekiti State police command have arrested a 16-year-old girl, Abimbola Suluka alongside her boyfriend, Oluwaseun Olajide for alleged conspiracy and self-kidnapping.
Abimbola is alleged to have conspired with her 25-year-old boyfriend and two of his friends to stage the abduction so as to raise money.
The Police spokesperson Sunday Abutu in a statement on Friday explained that Abimbola’s sister had gone to the police station to report that her sister was missing after leaving the house for school.
Abutu said the sister explained that when Abimbola’s phone was called, an unknown person answered the call and informed them that she was in his custody and would not release her until a ransom of N500,000 was paid.
Luck ran against the suspects when the holder of the account given for the ransom payment was tracked and arrested by the anti-kidnapping unit of the police and forced to lead the police team to a hotel within the state capital where the supposedly abducted Abimbola and her boyfriend were nabbed.
Abimbola with the three others confessed to committing the crime, claiming she wanted to raise money from her family members to enable her relocate from Ekiti State since her mother insisted she studies medicine as against her own dream of becoming an actress.
See the police full statement below…
EKITI STATE POLICE COMMAND*
Ekiti State Police Command Arrests Four For Conspiracy And Self-kidnapping
The Ekiti State Police Command on Thursday 17th June, 2021 at about 2000hrs, arrested one *SULUKA ABIMBOLA* ‘f’ 16, alongside her boyfriend, one *OLUWASEUN DANIEL OLAJIDE* ‘m’ 25, for conspiracy and self-kidnapping.
It would be recalled that on the 16/06/2021 at about 1140hrs, one Bolaji Femi of Bawa Estate, Ado-Ekiti, came to New Iyin Divisional Police Headquarters and reported that her sister, one Suluka Abimbola left home for School at Christ School, Ado-Ekiti, on 15/06/2021 and did not return home.
She further narrated that when Suluka Abimbola’s GSM number was called, an unknown person picked and confirmed that Suluka Abimbola was in their custody but would not be released until a ransom of five hundred thousand naira is paid to a particular Union Bank Account belonging to one Adisa Damilola.
The case was immediately transferred to the Anti-kidnapping Unit of the State CID where the owner of the account, one Adisa Damilola ‘f’ who is also a friend to Oluwaseun Daniel Olajide, was tracked and arrested. Adisa Damilola led the Operatives of the Anti-kidnapping Unit to Alex Grace Hotel, along Housing, Ado-Ekiti, where Suluka Abimbola and her boyfriend, Oluwaseun Daniel Olajide, alongside one other accomplice, Adefolaju Caleb ‘m’ 23, were lodging and were arrested.
During interrogation, Suluka Abimbola confessed to the commission of the crime as well as Oluwaseun Daniel Olajide and Adefolaju Caleb. Suluka Abimbola said she decided to conspire with the other suspects to do that in order for her to raise money from her family members to enable her relocate from Ekiti State since her Mother insisted that she goes through medical field as against her dream of becoming an Actress.
The Commissioner of Police, Ekiti State Command, CP Tunde Mobayo, condemns the act and has directed that investigation be conducted for further action to serve as a deterrent to other criminally minded persons in the Society.
The founder of the Deeper Christian Life Bible Ministry, Pastor Williams Kumuyi, has said he will return the tithes and offering of some congregants.
According to Kumuyi, he will return the money of members still living in sin.
The cleric stated this while addressing his members at the church’s headquarters in Lagos, on the topic of holiness.
Stressing on the importance of living a holy life, Kumuyi said God does not need a “sinner’s money.”
He maintained that it is pointless for a sinner to pay tithes and offerings in church.
“If you are a sinner here, God does not need your money. All the money you are giving in this church does not get to God. You are just wasting your money.
As a matter of fact if I know the numbers of sinners here and how much they gave as tithes and offering I will remove it and give it back to them. God does not need it and the church does not need it,” Kumuyi said.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, the apex Igbo socio-cultural organization, has slammed the Northern groups for placing a bounty on Nnamdi Kanu’s whereabouts.
DAILY POST had reported that 17 Northern groups under the aegis of Northern Consensus Movement (NCM) on Thursday declared Kanu wanted over the killings and destruction of properties owned by Northerners in the Southeast.
The President of the group, Dr Auwal Abdullahi, while addressing a press conference, also placed a N100m bounty on Kanu.
Reacting, Ohanaeze Ndigbo in a statement by its Secretary-General, Mazi Okechukwu Isiguzoro on Friday, faulted the move and accused the warring factions in the leadership of Miyetti Allah Cattle Breeders and Islamic terror organizations of being behind the killings and destruction of properties in the southeast region.
The group called on the Northern groups to place their N100 million bounty on Miyetti Allah and the slain Boko Haram leader, Abubakar Shekau’s successor whom it alleged had foisted heavy havoc on the citizens.
Ohanaeze Ndigbo, however, dismissed the claim that northerners are being killed in the southeast, maintaining that there had not been any killing of northerners recorded anywhere in the region as it further accused the northern groups of embarking on a mission to thwart the ambition of the southeast zone in producing President Muhammadu Buhari’s successor come 2023.
The Igbo organization said, “we would not want to join issues with faceless groups that are not known in the north but in as much as that they are making some attempts to cause crisis in the country by ensuring that the groups not only placing a bounty on Nnamdi Kanu over alleged killings, they are out to escalate the tension in the country.
“For the purpose of record and from the last time, there had not been any killing, except the accidental killing of Ahmed Gulak in Owerri. There had not been killing recorded anywhere in the southeast about northern people except some nefarious activities of unknown gunmen and killer Fulani herdsmen who had been attacking police stations and government facilities and killing both Igbos and indigenes from other parts of the country.
“We want to tell the groups being sponsored by some northern presidential aspirants to place the bounty on the new leader of Boko Haram terrorist group, that had just emerged after the death of Shekau. Nnamdi Kanu has an address in London or in Germany where his headquarters of IPOB is. There is no need of searching for Kanu. He is not in Nigeria, he has an address in London as a British citizen. They should just use the N100 million bounty given to them by northern politicians, who are trying to destabilize the southeast to have easy root for the 2023 presidential ticket of major political parties in Nigeria, especially of the PDP.
“They should place the bounty on Shekau’s successor who has no address, who is living in the forest, the terrorist group that took arms against the government for the last six years. They should not cry more than the bereaved, we will take care of the southeast and ensure normalcy returns. As far as we are concerned, that bounty is inconsequential and political. It is not necessary, only a means to continue to heat up tension in the polity”.
