‘New London Estate’ residents protest power supply

Residents of New London Estate in Baruwa, Ipaja, Lagos State, on Thursday, marched to the Corporate Headquarters of Ikeja Electric (IKEDC), protesting poor power supply in the community.

The residents, who stormed IKEDC’s office in four buses, were armed with different placards, with different inscriptions. The residents were protesting several months of insipid power supply amidst outrageous bills.

Some of the placards read, ‘We are tired of your empty promises,’ ‘12 years of inadequate power supply,’ ‘Our mumu don Do,’ among others.

According to the protesters, they bought transformers, bought and erected concrete poles and aluminum conductors, including up risers and Feeder Pillars, yet, IKEDC allegedly refused to do the needful, which was provide regular power supply.

New London Estate Community Development Association Chairman, Mr Emmanuel Nzekwe said that the community has written several letters to the company without any meaningful action on the matter.

Nzekwe, who is flagged by other members the executive, including the scribe, Mr Biodun Adeniran, said: “In the past 12 years, we have been going back and forth with nothing meaningful coming to us right from the era of PHCN till now that IKEDC took over. For how long are we going to remain in this suffering?”

Brandishing a copy of the last petition the community wrote to IKEDC Managing Director, Nzekwe wondered why a community of over 1,500 houses is often left in total darkness.
“This is a copy of the last letter we wrote to IKEDC MD when both Ipaja and Ponle sub stations were playing hide and seek with us. Our first 500kva transformer was donated by Hon. Bisi Yusuf, the Lagos State House of Assembly member representing our constituency. It quickly got overloaded. Before then, PHCN brought another smaller 300kva to support it. But due to delay in installing it, we began to have issues, leading to the first one to pack up. They eventually installed the smaller one and repaired the 500kva. However, due to expansion and development in the community, there was need to have more transformers but nothing came. That was how we tasked ourselves to buy a third 500kva transformer that took several months to install.”
Nzekwe, however, insisted that since the installation of that New London third transformer, IKEDC staff had been playing funning games over the redistribution of houses using the two legs raised so far.
Nzekwe said: “They told us to buy and erect five new concrete poles to ensure the redistribution. We have done that since November last year. The poles are standing idle with two legs unused in that new transformer we bought through self-help. Yet, majority of the Estate residents continue to experience darkness.”
Although two unidentifiable IKEDC staff later invited the leadership of the New London Estate into their headquarters for dialogue on the way forward, the CDA Chairman insisted that if nothing concrete comes out of this protest by way of regular power supply to the estate, “we will ask IKEDC to disconnect us from their power supply and stop bringing bills to us. We can no longer be paying for the light we did not consume.”
The protest was supported by an advocacy group, Coalition for Affordable and Regular Electricity (CARE)

Tanker explosion: Five feared dead, eight injured, shops, vehicles razed

Okey Maduforo Awka

At least five persons are believed to have died and eight others injured after a tanker, loaded with petroleum lost control at the Amawbia-roundabout, Anambra State.

The premises of the Anambra State Fire service and security post of the Anambra State Governor's lodge in Amawbia were also affected.  

At least eight people sustained varying degrees of injury while nine cars, houses and 23 shops were also gutted by the fire. The explosion occurred at about 8.40pm on Saturday.

According to an eye-witness, the 40ft tanker, drove from Amawbia bypass and tried to negotiate the roundabout connecting the Zik Avenue when it suddenly lost control, crashed and immediately exploded.

Officers and men of the Anambra State Police Command were quickly deployed to the scene to ensure hoodlums do not capitalize on the situation to loot people's property

Leader of the Hausa community in Amawbia, Alhaji Mamood Sani, disclosed that five of his subjects died in the fire, while one person is missing.

Sani said: "The incident happened in front of our resident, where we do business. The victims sell suya and food items, but some sell other goods. We have been living in Amawbia for decades. We were lucky to have evacuated women and children, so it only affected our men. As I’m speaking with you right now, five persons have died and one person is missing. Those injured were rushed to Nwarusi Hospital and others are at Amaku General Hospital and Regina Celia Hospital in Awka.”

Sani figured that what he lost to the fire was about N6million, including property and goods belonging to traders. He appealed to the state government and well-meaning Nigerians to come to their assistance.

Reacting to the incident, Governor Willie Obiano promised that the state government would off-set the hospital bills of those in the hospital, stressing that people whose property were destroyed in the explosion, would be compensated.

Obiano said: "What happened is unfortunate. We pray God to grant those who lost their lives eternal rest and for those in the hospitals, we shall off set their medical bills and also compensate those whose businesses were affected by the fire.”

The tanker driver, who lost control of his vehicle, is nowhere to be found.

One of the security operatives said: “When the head of the tanker disengaged from the vehicle, the driver shouted that the vehicle would explode. We stopped him from escaping.”

The operative added: “But when the tanker exploded and the fire started, we had to help and save the situation. I believe that was when he ran away.”

The Vice Presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Peter Obi, has also expressed concern over the explosion.

Speaking at the scene on Sunday, Obi said he was saddened when he got the news.

He said that his thoughts went straight to all those affected, especially families of the dead ones. He prayed for the repose of their souls.

Although he expressed shock at the extent of the destruction, but he urged those affected not to lose hope.

He assured them that when Alhaji Atiku becomes President, the economy will improve and contingency measures put in place to ensure that victims of such accidents do not suffer so much. Chief Joe-Martin Uzodike, who represented Obi, appealed to Nigerians to disregard the news that Obi was attacked in Abuja, insisting that nothing happened while Obi was in the places mentioned.

Pilot alleged of diverting N91m meant for Air ambulance, Helicopter
Juliana Francis
Pilot Mamman Ali Ibrahim has been arraigned for allegedly diverting diverted over N91million meant for care of the fleets, including Airbus, Air ambulance and Helicopter
He was arraigned by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, (EFCC), before Justice A. I. Kutigi of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT High Court, sitting in Gwagwalada, on a two-count charge, bordering on criminal breach of trust.
Ibrahim, who served as a pilot in charge of Air Ambulance Aviation Unit and Helicopter Emergencies Service with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, started his journey to the dock on February 7, 2019, following a petition to office of the Vice President, later forwarded to the acting EFCC Chairman, for investigation.
EFCC spokesman, Tony Orilade said: “Iinvestigations revealed that Ibrahim commercialised both the ambulance and the helicopter. He, however, claimed that the directive to commercialise them came from the office of a former vice president and a former Accountant General of the Federation, AGF.
“Further investigations also revealed that N285m was realized from the commercialisation of the aircraft, while N63m was paid to the AGF. It was also gathered that N11m was paid to NEMA, while the balance was yet to be accounted for.”
Orilade said that according to the petition, over N4m was paid into the account of Aerocare West Africa Limited, a company belonging to the defendant, which he transferred to his family members.
One of the counts reads in part: “That you, Mamman Ali Ibrahim, as employee in the public service and serving as a pilot in charge of Air Ambulance Aviation Unit and Helicopter Emergencies Services with the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, between 2014 and 2015, at Abuja within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, while being entrusted with dominion over money, to wit, the sum of N64,550,810, being part of the proceeds realised from the commercialization of the aircraft belonging to NEMA.”
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charges.
In view of his plea, prosecuting counsel, Deborah Ademu-Eteh, asked the court for a trial date. Defence counsel, Aduojo Abah, however, moved the motion for the bail of his client.
Ademu-Eteh opposed the application, urging the court to “consider the severity of the punishment and the character of the evidence before the court”.
After listening to all the arguments, Justice Kutigi granted him bail in the sum of N50m with one surety in like sum. The surety being a public servant not lower than level 14, must be a resident within the jurisdiction. The case has been adjourned to April 10, 2019, for trial.

Tony Orilade

Ag. Head, Media & Publicity

EFCC Secures Conviction of Internet Fraudster, Arraigns Businessman for N3.5m Fraud

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, has secured the conviction of Obinna Udoji, a graduate of the Department of Building Technology, Federal University of Technology, Minna, Niger State, for a $9,654 fraud.
He was arrested by operatives of the EFCC on January 7, 2019 following intelligence report that he fraudulently obtained money from one Alina Ruso, which he claimed was to be invested in a company, Zenith Margin, which turned out to be false.
He was subsequently arraigned before Justice A.O. Onovo of an Enugu State High Court, for the offence of obtaining money by false pretence, to which he pleaded “guilty”.
The trial judge, however, asked the prosecution led by Innocent Mbachie, to present its witness, “in order for the court to hear the facts of the case”.
Thereafter, a prosecution witness was called, who narrated how an intelligence report was received by the EFCC, which led to the investigation and arrest of Udoji.
Tendered as evidence, were the intelligence report, statements, bank statements, scanned emails from Udoji’s computer and emails from the EFCC to the victim to establish the case, including Udoji’s application for plea bargain.
Mbachie, further told the court that Udoji had returned the money to his victim, and urged the court to “convict him in accordance to Section 367 subsection 8, 9 and 10 of the Administration of criminal Justice Act”.
Defence counsel, T.U. Nweke, pleaded with the judge to “temper justice with mercy” as his client was a first-time offender and an orphan.
Justice Onovo, on February 7, 2019 sentenced him to one year in prison, noting that, “I took cognizance of his plea and his restituting of the total sum to the victim”.
In a related development, the EFCC also arraigned a businessman, Okemuo Celestine and his company, Kemus Motors Nig. Ltd, on a one-count charge of stealing by conversion before Justice I.N. Ngwu of an Enugu State High Court.
Okemuo was said to have recieved the sum of N3.5 million from a Catholic Women’s Organisation with a promise to procure a coaster bus for them only for him to convert same to his personal use.
He pleaded “not guilty” to the charge.
His counsel, O.C. Eduzoribe, asked that the administrative bail granted to his client by the EFCC be continued.
Prosecuting counsel, B.N.Obasi-Eze, however opposed the application, arguing that “the administrative bail granted to a suspect expires as soon as he is brought to court for arraignment”.
“A new bail application must be moved,” Obasi-Eze argued.
Eduzoribe, thus moved the bail application of his client.
Justice Ngwu, granted him bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum, one of whom must be a Level 10 officer in the civil or public service living within the jurisdiction of the court.
The case has been adjourned to March 21, 2019 for trial.

We used stones to kill Uber, dumped his body by roadside, says suspect

Juliana Francis

Humble Peter-Robert, 33 has told operatives of Rapid Response Squad (RRS), a unit of the Lagos State Police Command, how he and his partners in crime murdered an Uber driver in cold blood, in order to take over his car, a Hyundai Elantra.

The suspects were arrested following a directive from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Zubairu Muazu, to RRS Commander Olatunji Disu. Peter-Robert was among the two suspects RRS operatives finally nailed. The operatives also recovered the car marked EPE 676 EC.
Peter-Robert, 33, and Gideon Achibong, 36, were arrested on 4, February 2019 at about noon in Aboki Estate, Lekki, Lagos, while removing the car parts in preparation to selling it to scrap dealers.
Police investigation revealed that Peter-Robert, an ex-convict and a bus conductor, in company of three others, now at large, had three days before his arrest conspired to hijack a UBER car and sell it off.

Peter-Robert, along with Emma, David and Dolapo at about 11:00 p.m on that fateful day pretended to be passengers heading to Ikate and flagged down the deceased, Sunday Obasi in Lekki. He charged them N1, 000.
Before getting to their destination, the suspects told Obasi that they wanted to urinate. It was at this point they descended on the driver. They killed and pushed him out of the car into the road before driving the car to Beach Road, Lekki, where they hid it for two days while looking for buyer.

Recounting the story, Peter-Robert, said: “I was sitting in front of the car with the driver. We seized and hit him with stones several times. He complained that he was sick. We pushed him out of the car, into the road and went away with the car, which was a wine colour Hyundai Elantra. At the Beach Road, Lekki, where we parked the car, we swapped the number plate of the car with a Volkswagen Passat car (FKJ 708 CA) close by. We left it for two days hoping to contact buyers for the car.
“Emma, also a UBER driver, is our ring leader. He noticed that the driver was operating offline before deciding that we would hijack the car from him. The following day, when one of us visited where we hijacked the car, he noticed the driver’s remains were already in police body bag. We contacted Achibong to assist us in disposing off the car. The buyers we invited said they only wanted to buy the car parts. It was in the process of dismantling the car that RRS patrol team spotted and arrested two of us. Emma, Dolapo and David are on the run.”