Burnt (3)

One dead, two BRT buses burnt, as LASTMA, Okada riders clash

 

Some say the Fear of LASTMA is the beginning of wisdom but to okada is not erring alone but human.

As two elephants fight while lagosians suffer .


By Olasunkanmi Akoni, Evelyn Usman, Daniel Eteghe & Monsur Olowoopejo12166299088?profile=original

Business activities at mile 12 area of Lagos, were, Wednesday, brought to a halt when a bus belonging to the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transportation Agency, LAMATA allegedly killed an Okada rider while trying to escape from being apprehended by the men of the Lagos State Transport Management Authority, LASTMA.

lagbus-on-fire.jpg?width=240

Lagbus on fire

Meanwhile Governor Babatunde Fashola, SAN of Lagos, yesterday, ordered investigation into the incident.
According to an eyewitness (name withheld), explained that the Okada rider had earlier escaped after violating a traffic law at Ojota axis of the state.

He said: “I do not know which traffic law he violated, but what I saw was that they (LASTMA officials) pursued him from Ojota towards mile 12.”12166299300?profile=original

“On getting to Mile 12 at about 10: 30 am, the Okada rider still on the service lane, discovered that the LASTMA officer were still trailing him. while trying to connect the BRT lane in a rush, he was smack down by the bus and died after some few minutes.”

Another eyewitness said “as I was coming to the office this morning at about 10: 30 am, I saw an Okada man lying down helpless. And his colleagues and sympathisers were also on ground trying to rescue him.”

“I quickly call the two emergency lines-767 and 112, to come to the rescue. But it took the several minutes before arrive the spot,” he said.

The eyewitness added that if men of the LASAMBUS officials arrive on time, the okada rider would not have died.
He noted that after discovering that the Okada rider had lost his life, the LASTMA officer took to their hills and ran towards ketu axis for safety.

“On discovering that the LASTMA officers have escaped, other okada riders and irate youths at the scene vented their anger on the LAGBUS and the Bus Rapid Transport, BRT, and set the two empty buses ablaze,” the source added.

Meanwhile, Governor Fashola who spoke with airport correspondents, said “I have received a preliminary report of the incident and I have ordered an investigation and therefore I think it would prejudicial to come to any conclusions now without getting a detailed report. But I think what is important to be said here is that i doubt that any Okada man will leave his home in the morning with one sole mission to go and fight LAG bus and I also doubt that any LAGbus man will leave home with the sole mission to go and fight Okada man.

“And this is why I have consistently advocated peaceful co-existence, tolerance. Incidence will happen that will provoke our temper, I am human too and at every time I have find it in me to control temper and this is what all of us must do as a people.

I think it is important here to stress that violence and anger are not options for a people who want development. Violence and anger is not a strategy it is sign of weakness. It superior thinking that endures. And therefore I want to appeal to people, anger management is something that we must develop.

“The burning of 2 LAG buses if that is true, it means that those who participated in it have just also contributed in burning the assets that we acquired with their money. This is tax payers money it doesn’t belong to Fashola. It is collective asset for our benefit. So we bought those buses with your money and my money and somebody decide to set it ablaze, has he really contributed to our development?

Now those buses are not manufactured here, even if we have money now we can’t replace them today. Now, those buses serve 100s of Nigerians every day, so we are two buses short and we are 100s of Nigerians who are going into inconvenience and pain.

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Abubakar Umar, a lawyer and special assistant to Ahmeed Al Mustapha, registrar of the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) was found brutally assassinated yesterday in Abuja. Abubakar was trailed by unknown assailants after he left work last night, abducted, shot to death, and set ablaze. His badly burnt body was found near Utako Market in the opposite direction of his residence in Maitama. Already, the Nigerian police has been quick to claim that Mr. Umar died in auto accident, saying that his body was burnt because it was trapped in his burning car. But family members suspect a cover-up, contending that Abubakar's body was riddled with bullets and that the police recovered expended bullet shells from the scene where his body was recovered Saharareporters learnt from a source at the National Assembly that the lawyer, described as a brilliant civil servant, had recently acquired a piece of land bordering the official residence of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives in Abuja. In an attempt to develop the land, Abubakar applied to the National Assembly leadership to grant access to him to take materials meant for development of his land through the property of the National Assembly in the Apo legislative village. Abubakar was reportedly directed to meet with the office of the Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Honourable Usman Bayero Nafada, to seek the necessary approval. But his agents who met with Mr. Nafada were shocked to find out that he was only interested in taking over the land. He (Nafada) offered to pay for it and asked Abubakar's representatives to name their price, but Abubakar refused to sell his prized possession. The deputy speaker denied the application for access and promptly requested the minster of the Federal capital territory to revoke the land allocation to Mr. Umar for "security reason". Things took a curious turn two weeks ago when the land allocation was revoked by the Minister of the Federal capital Territory (FCT), Adamu Aliero, and re-allocated to Mr. Nafada. Abubakar Umar, was considering challenging the FCT in court over the revocation but had not yet been able to obtain the revocation paperwork to enable him commence legal action. Another source also told Saharareporters that his death might be connected with the arrest and prosecution of some persons involved in forging CAC documents. Last month, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) arrested two lawyers, George Ihijirika Okechukwu and Nwaroh Emmanuel, as well as Tolulope Akeju, alias C and C. They were charged before a Federal High Court in Abuja for making a false certificate of registration of increase in shares capital serial number 756501 of the Corporate Affairs Commission in respect of Jeruzeth International Engineering Company Limited, from N1,000,000 to N25,000,000. Abubakar has been buried according to Muslim rites at the Abuja cemetry.
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10 People killed, 50 houses burnt in Edo kingship tussleThe tussle over the 'Aidonogie' stool in South Ibie clan in Etsako West Local Government area of Edo State took a bloody turn over the week end as supporters of the two claimants engaged themselves in a fight that left no fewer than 10 persons dead and over 50 houses and many cars burnt.Although, the police confirmed only two persons dead in the two-day battle, Daily Independent gathered that the communal war was still raging last night with women, children and the aged relocating to neighbouring towns and villages.It will be recalled that a Benin High Court, presided over by Justice M. O Ighodaro, on Wednesday restrained Edo State Government from presenting the staff of office to Kelvin Aliyu Danesi on May 23 or any other day pending the determination of a motion on notice brought before it by counsel to the plaintiffs, Roland Otaru (SAN).Chief Shaibu Imogere, Prince Abu Umoru, and Prince Yesufu Umoru, plaintiffs in the suit, filed the action for themselves and on behalf of the Ogiator branch of Okhokho ruling house.Reports had it that despite the court order, the Aidonogie palace was still putting every arrangement in place for the governor to perform the ceremony on May 23 and this was said to have provoked supporters of the other factionReacting to the latest development, however, Danesi told newsmen that the crisis was fueled by the chairman of the Estako West Local council, Gani Audu.He insisted that Oshiomhole did not recognize him because they were friends, adding that successive regimes of Lucky Igbinedion who presented him with the staff of office and Prof. Osunbor have already recognized him as the ruler of the townBut the Vice-Chairman of the local government. Jimoh Omogbeni, denied the accusation, insisting that as the chief security officer of the council, the chairman was out to ensure that peace and order were maintained in the area.In another development, 17 persons were on Sunday killed on the Lagos-Benin Expressway when a Toyota Hiace commuter bus plunged into Aden River near Okada Town in Edo State.This is coming barely 48 hours after 60 persons were similarly roasted inside a luxury bus on Benin-Auchi-Abuja Expressway.Daily Independent gathered that the Benin bound vehicle which took off from Ojota Motor Park in Lagos had a head-on collision while struggling the with a truck belonging to a construction firm which was carrying out repairs on the road.The bus, said to be carrying 20 persons made up of 17 males, one female and two children, then lunged into the river.The three survivors in the accident were rushed to the University of Benin Teaching Hospital (UBTH).As at press time, officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) were still busy trying to recover the bus from the river.Some of the recovered bdies were deposited at the UBTH mortuary.The luxury bus that claimed 60 lives on Friday, according to reports, was heading to Onitsha from Sokoto when it collided with a broken down tanker conveying diesel oil.
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