Sesan Olufowobi, Olalekan Adetayo, Nike Poopola, Kemi Lanre-Aremu, Samson Folarin, Oluwatosin Omojuyigbe

Tragedy struck on Thursday at the Otedola Bridge, Lagos end of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, after a petrol-laden tanker crashed and exploded.

No fewer than 54 cars and commercial vehicles driving behind the tanker on the road were said to have been gutted by fire, during which nine people were reportedly killed.

Emergency management workers were said to have been mobilised to the scene to rescue commuters trapped in the accident.

Our correspondent learnt that some motorists, who made a U-turn and attempted to flee the scene of the incident, crashed into other vehicles.

Lives were reportedly lost in the secondary accident that resulted from the confusion caused by the fallen tanker.

An eyewitness, Nkechi Obiageli, said the accident occurred around 5pm.

She said, “I was in a commercial bus heading towards the Mowe area of Ogun State. The bus was beside  the tanker.

“There was traffic and when it cleared a little, the bus driver manoeuvred his way to the front. We were about a few vehicles away from the tanker, when we heard the sound of an explosion.

“The fuel from the tanker spilled on the expressway and all the vehicles at its back went up in flames. People ran for dear life. There was confusion everywhere.”

A bus driver, Sunday Esene, said his vehicle was burnt in the accident.

He said, “I had just dropped off my passengers at Berger bus stop and turned to buy fuel. I was on my way back when I saw the tanker. All of a sudden, it tumbled and hit the median. As soon as I realised that fuel was spilling out of the tanker, I abandoned my bus and jumped to the other side of the road. A few seconds later, the tanker exploded. I am sure over 50 vehicles got burnt with many lives lost.”

A motorist, Aderibigbe Oluwafemi, said he escaped death by a whisker as the tanker was in front of his vehicle.

He said, “We were in traffic.  When the traffic eased a little, I noticed that the tanker in my front did not move. The next thing I saw was that the tanker started moving backwards and it fell. Immediately it fell, I opened my door, removed my key, phone and jumped to the other side of the road. My car got burnt, but I am happy to be alive.”

Our correspondent (PUNCH Metro)  learnt that the rescue effort, which was coordinated by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, also involved officials of the Lagos State Traffic Management Agency, Lagos State Fire Service, Federal Road Safety Corps, Lagos State Ambulance Service, State Environmental Health Monitoring Unit, Rapid Response Squad, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps,  and the police, among others.

The General Manager, LASEMA, Adeshina Tiamiyu, said firefighters had put out the fire.

He added that some motorists were killed while attempting to run away from the scene of the fire.

He said, “The accident happened around 5.25pm and involved a tanker loaded with petrol.  The tanker fell and spilled its content, causing fire which burnt 54 vehicles. The vehicles, which were of different models, were trapped behind the truck.

“Some motorists, who turned to run away, crashed into other vehicles. Some jumped out and others fell into the gutter in the course of running away. We found dead bodies on the ground and in the gutter. Some of the people who died in the gutter had probably been caught by the fire and jumped into the gutter to put it out.

“Nine dead bodies have been recovered and four were injured. Two were seriously injured, while two sustained minor injuries. The injured have been taken to a hospital, while the bodies have been taken by SEHMU to the mainland hospital mortuary. We are currently making efforts to remove the burnt vehicles from the road.”

The acting Director of the state fire service, Rasak Musbau, said four fire stations responded to the inferno.

He noted that the tanker was conveying 33,000 litres of fuel.

“The tanker was attempting to climb the steep road that connects to the expressway when it developed a fault. Our men from the Alausa, Ikeja, Ilupeju and Bolade stations responded. But the time we got there, the fuel was already spilling down the road and had caught up with a lot of vehicles. We got there four minutes after receiving the alert around 5.25pm,” he said

The Lagos State Sector Commander, FRSC, Hygenus Omege, confirmed that 54 vehicles were burnt in the inferno.

He said, “It is obvious that the driver lost control of the tanker. We heard the tanker suffered brake failure. We have counted 54 burnt vehicles. Four people, who were rescued, are in the emergency unit and about nine bodies have been recovered.”

Omege said one tanker, five buses, two trucks, one tricycle and 45 cars were burnt in the inferno.

The commander of the RRS, Olatunji Disu, said about 500 policemen had been deployed in the area by the state Commissioner of Police, Edgal Imohimi.

Disu said the police had a tough time controlling a crowd of stranded commuters who were trapped in the traffic that had extended to the Third Mainland Bridge.

He said, “This is a major expressway leading out of Lagos. At the moment, the CP has mobilised 500 policemen in the area to assist with crowd control. The traffic has extended to the Third Mainland Bridge and people have started trekking down. They want to go home. We are still expecting more crowd and we are making announcements for people to pass other routes and leave this place for us to finish the emergency duty.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer, CSP Chike Oti, said the police had a record of 54 burnt vehicles.

He added that nine dead bodies were recovered.

“As soon as we got the information, our men mobilised sister agencies to the scene.

“The CP is saddened by this tragedy and he sends his condolences to the victims’ families. He has warned tanker drivers and drivers of articulated vehicles to make sure that they put in all necessary safety checks before putting their vehicles on the road,” he added.

Also, the state government on Thursday commiserated with families of victims who lost their lives, as well as those who lost their property.

The government in a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Kehinde Bamigbetan, described the incident as a sad development.

He said, “On behalf of the Lagos State Government, we extend our commiseration to the families of persons who lost their lives, as well as those who lost their property to the incident.

“As a government, we will not relent in putting measures in place to ensure safety of lives and property of all residents.”

The commissioner said Governor Akinwunmi Ambode had directed all relevant agencies to ensure that those in need were adequately taken care of.

In the same vein, President Muhammadu Buhari described the incident as one of the greatest tragedies witnessed in the country in recent times.

Buhari said this in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Garba Shehu.

Buhari said expressed his condolences to the government and people of Lagos State on the tragedy.

“Sadly, this seems to be one of the greatest tragedies we have seen in recent times,” Buhari said.

The President urged the emergency services and law enforcement officials to do their best to limit the losses and damage from the incident.

(TEVB) 

The Ogun State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old man, Daniel Essien, a barber, for allegedly defiling a six- year- old girl.

His arrest was said to have followed a complaint lodged to the police by the victim’s mother, Ayoola  Tolulope, who resided on Olufemi Oshin Street, Alagbole, Akute, in the Ifo Local Government Area of the state.

The victim’s mother reported that she was called by her child’s school teacher to watch over her daughter because the girl confided in the teacher that a man had been sexually abusing her.

The state Police Public Relations Officer,  Abimbola Oyeyemi, said this made the mother to interrogate the child and she told her that the culprit was Essien.

Oyeyemi, A Deputy Superintendent of Police, said, “On the strength of the report, the Divisional Police Officer, Ajuwon division, Afolabi Kazeem, led detectives to the area, where the suspect was promptly arrested.”

He said on interrogation, the suspect first denied the allegation.

The police spokesman added that after the girl was taken to a hospital and the medical report confirmed it, he owned up to the commission  of the crime.

(TEVB) 

THe Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, Prof Ishaq Oloyede, has said that 414,696 candidates, out of the 1,603,181 who sat for the 2018 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, scored above 200.

The figure, according to him, translates to 25. 09 per cent.

This is against the 465,025 (27.00 per cent) of the 1, 606, 374 who scored above 200 in 2017.

The JAMB boss, however, said that 558, 673 candidates scored above 190; 739,490 above 180 and 956, 937 above 170 marks.

He revealed this on Tuesday during the Policy Meeting held at the newly inaugurated Bola Babalakin Auditorium in Gbongan, Osun State.

The 2,400-capacity centre was built by the Chairman of Bi-Courtney Group of Companies, Dr Wale Babalakin.

At the programme attended by the state Governor, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu, among many other top players in the education sector, Oloyede, however, warned that scores released by JAMB were not the cut-off marks.

According to him, they are the minimum marks required while the cut-off marks are arrived at from the cumulative consideration of candidates’ scores or grades.

He added on other regulations guiding the process, “Every candidate is required to accept or reject his/her admission before the process is said to be completed.

“Candidates can now protest their admission status should they feel they are not fairly treated.”

Speaking at the event, Adamu urged authorities of higher institutions to work with JAMB to sanitise admission process in the country.

(TEVB) 

•PDP asks Fayemi to account for N16.7bn IGR

Eje peter 

The Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has said the Presidency should be ready for the defeat of the All Progressives Congress and its candidate, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, in the July 14 governorship election in the state.

This was as the Peoples Democratic Party in Ekiti State asked Fayemi to account for N16.7bn his administration under-declared as Internally-Generated Revenue from 2010 to 2014.

The party said this became necessary since Fayemi’s claim of N600m monthly IGR, which totalled N7.2bn yearly, contradicted the figures his administration gave to the National Bureau of Statistics, the Federal Ministry of Finance, and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation,  among others.

Fayose said the defeat of the APC would be a shocker for the Presidency and a congratulatory message for the Adams Oshiomhole-led National Working Committee of the party.

He stated this in reaction to the notice to quit given to him and his party, the PDP, by the Presidency during the APC’s National Convention in Abuja.

Speaking through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Idowu Adelusi,  in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, the governor said apart from losing Ekiti, the APC would also meet its waterloo in Osun State and would be finally dislodged from the Presidency in 2019.

Fayose was optimistic that the PDP and its candidate, Prof Kolapo Olusola, would win convincingly during the poll.

“He (Fayemi) has offended the teachers, who he demoted, harassed and planned to sack. They also know that if Fayemi comes back, he is going to sack them, so, how will teachers vote for him?”

“The local government workers that Fayemi harassed and said were not necessary are not his friends.

“Recently, he said no local government needs more than 200 workers, signifying that he plans to sack them if elected. They won’t vote for him.

“He said commercial motorcyclists are a nuisance and should be barred from operating in the state. They will not vote Fayemi or the APC. The list is endless and the people of the state who are reeling under the heavy debts he put the state into, have rejected him,” he said.

The state PDP Chairman, Gboyega Oguntuase, in a statement in Ado-Ekiti on Sunday, said available records indicated that Fayemi under-declared the IGR that accrued to the state under him.

He said since Fayemi claimed that he raised the IGR to N600m monthly which should be about N7.2bn in a year, it meant that his administration under-declared its IGR and should tell the Ekiti people where the remaining funds were.

Oguntuase explained that since the Fayose’s administration came on board, the IGR so far generated could be ascertained.

He said, “In 2015, we generated N3.3bn which amounted to an average of N283m monthly. In 2016, it was N2.9bn via an average of N241m monthly.

“In 2017, it increased to N3.8bn via an average of N306m monthly. We have nothing to hide; it is Fayemi that has to tell the people of the state what he did with their money.”

But reacting, the Kayode Fayemi Campaign Organisation accused Fayose and his men of concocting ridiculous and inconsistent figures to claim that Fayemi either put the state in debts or that he stole money.

“Fayose first said Fayemi left N96bn debt. Later, he reduced the figure to N92bn and again to N86bn. Later, he called it N76bn to the point that you could not even say this is what the figure was until the DMO declared that the debt was N18bn.

“One good thing is that Ekiti people have seen through Fayose’s wall of deception and there is no lie and blackmail that can change the minds of Ekiti people from kicking out Fayose and his clique from their lives so that they can start living like other decent Nigerians who are lucky not to be doomed to Fayose’s voodoo economic management where figures appear, disappear and re-appear to confound decent Ekiti people that are living under the yoke of ruthless businessmen that have hit jackpot in Ekiti State.”

(TEVB) 

The Nigerian Air Force said it had deployed seven fighter jets and attack helicopters to Benue and Taraba states in an ongoing Operation Whirl Stroke, to tackle the herdsmen and farmers’ violence in the two states.

The Chief of Air Staff, Air Marshal Sadique Abubakar, confirmed the deployment in Makurdi, Benue State, during an induction of the seventh platform – an Mi-35P attack helicopter on Saturday.

According to Abubakar, the deployed aircraft are two F-7 fighter jets, two Mi-35 helicopters, one ATR plane, one 350 King air surveillance aircraft and one Mi-35P helicopter.

The air chief said the military operation, which also covered Nasarawa State, would seek an end to the violent clashes between the herders and the communities.

“The deployment is targeted at checkmating the farmers/herdsmen’s clashes and it shows the military’s commitment to the protection of the citizens and their property in all parts of the country.

“The induction of the Mi-35P aircraft in the operation is to increase security presence in the states,” Abubakar noted.

According to a statement by the NAF Director of Public Relations and Information, Air Vice Marshal Olatokunbo Adesanya, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Air Force, Samson Okwu, was also in Benue State with the air chief during which they were briefed by the operation’s Joint Task Force Commander, Maj Gen Adeyemi Yekini.

(TEVB) 

Coach Gernot Rohr has admitted that the Super Eagles must be on the attack against Argentina in Saint Petersburg on Tuesday and diligently take the chances that come their way against the two –time World Cup winners.“Simply put, we must take even half chances, and be on the offensive as much as possible. Perhaps, a draw could be good to qualify, but we cannot think and play for a draw.

Sometimes, when you play for a draw, you get punched in the face late in the day.“It will be a tough game and we must go with a tough mentality from the start to the end.”

The Eagles returned to their Sanatorium Istochnik Hotel in Essentuki on Saturday having no illusions that Tuesday’s match will be a piece of cake. In the evening, they saw how reigning world champions Germany came from behind to defeat a Swedish team that had chances to win but apparently played for a draw in Sochi.

Nigeria’s army is presented with less days to prepare for the game against the South Americans than they had for the second match against Iceland following the opener against Croatia. There were five days to get ready for Iceland after the loss to Croatia but three days to prepare for Argentina after the win over Iceland.

The Argies have been Nigeria’s perennial Nemesis at the FIFA World Cup. In five previous appearances, the Eagles have had to play Argentina in the group phase on four occasions. It was only in France 1998 that both teams ended up in different sections.

Argentina have won all four, though narrowly. And while bookmakers would be quick to emphasize the gulf in class, Argentina won the last of their two FIFA World Cup titles 32 years ago, and current form (determinable only by recent results) does not present Lionel Messi and company as unbeatable.

In Russia, their opening 1-1 draw with Iceland was followed by a stunning 3-0 lashing by Croatia in Nizhny Novgorod, meaning the Eagles (who got their campaign back on track with a 2-0 win over Iceland in Volgograd) and the Albiceleste arrive the 67,000 –capacity Zenit Arena on Tuesday via different trajectories.

Skipper Mikel John Obi, defender Kenneth Omeruo, midfielder Ogenyi Onazi and forwards Ahmed Musa and Victor Moses were in the Nigeria squad that lost 3-2 to the Argies in Porto Alegre on June 25, 2014.

(TEVB) 

ARGENTINA’S World Cup squad is in revolt after a failed coup attempt against coach Jorge Sampaoli, The EAGLE'S VOICE reports.

Lionel Messi and co are understood to have demanded the head of the former Chile boss in the wake of the humiliating defeat by Croatia.

The players wanted 1986 World Cup winning midfielder Jorge Barruchaga, currently the general manager of the national side, to replace Sampaoli.

One of Burrachaga’s 1986 teammates, Ricardo Giusti, a close friend of the general manager, the mood was brutal.

Giusti said, “The players want to build the team.

“They told Sampaoli and Tapia that they are going to pick the side. Sampaoli can sit on the bench if he wants, but it won’t matter. It will be nothing to do with him.”

Sampaoli switched from a defensive quartet against Iceland to three at the back for the disastrous Croatia defeat, leaving his squad unconvinced the coach had any strategic planning.

It was also claimed that Mascherano and striker Cristian Pavon came to blows in the dressing room after the Croatia match when the former Liverpool midfielder lashed out verbally at blunder keeper Willy Caballero.

Despite the demands of the players, Sampaoli was given a stay of execution by Tapia after being summoned to the President’s room at Argentina’s base in Bronnitsy, 60 miles outside Moscow.

Sampaoli, though, was told that while he will stay on as coach for the rest of the World Cup, he WILL be sacked at the end of the tournament.

It was suggested that the FA wants Sampaoli to quit but that would mean him giving up claims for a pay-off.

Yet the uneasy peace is fragile and may not hold until Tuesday, with the certainly that an Argentine exit will bring further finger pointing and a renewed blame-game.

(TEVB) 

Former Ivory Coast captain Didier Drogba has advised the Super Eagles to keep to their style of play if they are to go far at the 2018 World Cup.

The Eagles kept their hopes of reaching the knockout stages after beating Iceland 2-0 in their second Group D match on Friday. They play Argentina on Tuesday in their last group match and must avoid a defeat to qualify from the group.

Drogba, who is a columnist for the World Cup with BBC Sport, said on Saturday that the Eagles must keep to their aggressive and fast style of playing if they want to go far at the tournament.

The former Chelsea striker said, “It has been a disappointing start to the World Cup for Africa – until Nigeria beat Iceland on Friday. There had been six defeats in seven games for the five African countries in Russia. So it was great to see the Super Eagles win, but the way they did it was just as important and impressive.

“In the second half, Nigeria came to life and played the way I want to see all the African teams play – going on the attack, using their pace and power, and having lots of shots. That is what I did not see in their first game against Croatia, when Nigeria were playing within themselves – keeping a good shape, playing safe, and passing the ball from side to side.

“This time, they went out just to win. They played with two strikers and they were so fast and aggressive going forward that they frightened Iceland. They were spontaneous and exciting, which is the way I expected them to play at this World Cup – and that is why they won the game.

“The point I am making is that they need to keep their identity as a team. It is important they keep doing that if they are going to reach the last 16. If they decide to stay defensive and start fearing conceding goals, they will be going home.”

(TEVB) 

A thin white smoke swirled through the muzzle of the gun and the pregnant woman crashed face down, curling up like a beheaded giant millipede. One of the masked killers rushed into the banking hall and commotion preceded the ensuing graveyard silence as spines shivered, teeth gnashed, hearts skipped, sweat broke out on terrified faces tucked in trashcans and drawers…, the maniacal robber pulled the trigger and the automatic rifle began to sing another round of staccato dirge in Ofa. Welcome to Kwara State, the land of blood.

Ofa is an Ibolo-speaking Yoruba town of Kwara State steeped in the art of wrestling. If Ede had the great archer, Timi Agbale Olofa Ina, as its progenitor, Ofa’s illustrious cognomen also affirms the proud archery exploits of its forefather, Olalomi Olofa gan-gan. It equally highlights the combative nature of its people in these words, ‘Ijakadi loro Ofa,’ meaning – ‘wrestling is Ofa’s tradition’. Were Olalomi a white man, his surname would have been Archer. Were Ofa an English town, Arrow would’ve been its name. Ofa is a Yoruba word for archery. That was the Ofa of 1000 AD.

Today’s Offa is an adulteration, its spelling, O-f-f-a, is corrupt and very wrong. Linguistically, the existence of two consonants in succession i.e ‘ff’ or ‘tt’ or ‘dd’ or ‘rr’ in some words is an aberration to Yoruba morphology. Thus, Offa, Ebute Metta, Iddo, garri, etc, are modern-day wrong influences in the Yoruba Language. The correct and orthographic spelling of the land of peacocks in Kwara State is ‘Ofa’ and not Offa.

Similarly, the railway terminus on sand-filled Lagos Island is at ‘Ido’ and not Iddo. Ebute Meta is the place of three shores linking mainland Lagos to the three main islands of Victoria, Ikoyi and Lagos – hence the name Ebute Meta, and not Ebute Metta. Yoruba’s staple food, gari, doesn’t need another letter ‘r’ on its journey to the stomach. Ewedu, gbegiri, eja, bokoto, ponmo, panla and saki would make good enough company. So, it’s not only rain and electricity that cannot exist simultaneously in Nigeria, double consonants such as ‘ff’, ‘tt’, ‘dd’ and ‘rr’ cannot exist simultaneously in the Yoruba Language, too.

Corruption, violence and impunity shouldn’t coexist in Nigerian politics. The unexampled Ofa bank robbery, which witnessed the killing of over 40 innocent Nigerians in broad daylight, was a spinoff of years of rudderless, corrupt and insensitive leadership in the country. I’ve read a thousand and one stories and reactions on the early morning madness in Ofa and grief enveloped my heart over the soullessness of our politics. In a country with a soul, a national mourning would have followed.

On October 1, last year, a 64-year-old American, Stephen Paddock, opened fire from the 32nd floor of a hotel in Mandalay Bay, Las Vegas, killing 59 people in a crowd attending a country music festival. There was an instant national mourning and the attention of America shifted to the scene for several weeks to come. A blow-by-blow account of how Paddock hatched his killing was televised live daily. The police gave an accurate figure of the dead and the injured 515 persons in the most fatal mass killing in the history of the US. According to media reports, one of the Ofa suspects confessed that he killed over 20 victims. Another suspect said he killed nine, while a number of others confessed to killing over 15 people. How all these add up to 30 in the arithmetic of the police is inexplicable. While, the spurting blood of innocent lives meandered from Ofa to Abuja crying for justice, our leaders dip their paintbrushes in the blood, writing “Vote for me in 2019!”

Were Nigeria a sane country, the Inspector-General of Police, Ibrahim Idris, wouldn’t have twice failed to parade Kayode, the arrested son of Chief Ayo Opadokun, an Afenifere chieftain, along with other suspects. Also, Idris wouldn’t have failed to parade the arrested armourer and gang leader, Michael Adikwu, a dismissed policeman, whose confessions had allegedly been embarrassing to the force.

It’s not enough for the Kwara State Commissioner of Police, Aminu Saleh, to say that many people died in the robbery because of “intelligence breakdown”; Nigerians reserve the right to know the nature of the intelligence breakdown because effective policing in this age is neither achieved by alienating the public nor by churning out half-truths and falsehood. In a report published by The Punch on April 28, 2018, Saleh, who said the police had no foreknowledge of the attack, contradictorily added, “We had little information on the attack before it happened.” He woefully failed to disclose what the police did with the little information they got.

The shoddy police investigation into the robbery has left many questions unanswered. The questions include what the Ofa police did when it received ‘little’ information that some suspicious people were lodging at the Xontex Hotel along Igosun Road, Ofa, a night before the bloodletting. In a sane clime, police authorities would’ve made public the amount of money collected by the policemen, who stormed the hotel on investigation, the night before the genocide. As if those who died only went to the market and would return shortly, the police commissioner said, “What essentially went wrong is our response capacity. We’re going to correct all those anomalies and get our men to be more responsive.” In an ultimate verdict that exposes government’s utmost irresponsibility, Saleh said, “It’s true that we have a deficit of APCs in the state!”

But it’s by conducting a thorough investigation that the police will be seen as unbiased and not acting a nail-Saraki-at-all-cost plot. The trial shouldn’t be an extension of the power struggle between Buhari and Saraki for the Presidency in 2019.

In a sane country, Senate President, Bukola Saraki; Kwara State Governor, Ahmed Abdulfatah; his Chief of Staff, Abdulwahab Babatunde, would’ve resigned in ignominy for the fact that one of the leaders of the gang, Ayo Akinnibosun, openly established a connection between his group, Liberation Youths Movement in Kwara-South, and them. Akinnibosun, who stated that Saraki, Abdulfatah and Babatunde had no hand in the robbery, however, maintained that his group got two guns from Babatunde. He stressed that they got emboldened to participate in the robbery because some of them were political thugs to Saraki.

Akinnibosun said, “We’ve been working for him (since) when we were in the PDP, it has been long – when he was Governor of Kwara State. Where we can’t win, we scatter the election, the connection between me and the Senate President is that he’s the one that’s arranging everything for us. For example, this car was given to me by His Excellency (Abdulfatah) through the Chief of Staff as a gift from the leader, (Saraki).”

If a five-point resolution of the Saraki-led Senate could hold President Muhammadu Buhari accountable for the actions of his (Buhari’s) appointees, the Senate President, Abdulfatah and Babatunde, by the same token, should be held responsible for the killings of the Ofa robbery if it is proved that the arms or the ammunition they allegedly provided were used in the killing.

It is easy for some people to see the trial of Saraki as political victimisation because it wasn’t their relatives that were killed on Thursday, April 5, 2018. If it would take Saraki’s trial and imprisonment to stop this type of killings, so be it. With the recent jailing of two-term ex-governors and members of the ruling All Progressives Congress, Jolly Nyame (Taraba) and Joshua Dariye (Plateau), more members of the APC, including Abdulfatah and Babatunde, should be jailed appropriately if found guilty. Some argue that all notable politicians across the country maintain political thugs, and that Saraki and Abdulfatah shouldn’t be singled out. I ask, were Dariye and Nyame the only thieving ex-governors in Nigeria? Let’s begin from somewhere, please.

“The dead cannot cry out for justice. It’s the duty of the living to do so for them,” says American speculative writer, Lois Bujold. I agree with her, absolutely.

(TEVB) 

Pandemonium broke out at an event centre at Mayfair Gardens Estate, Lekki, Lagos, venue of the service of song for the late Assistant Manager, Corporate Affairs, Nigeria Deposit Insurance Corporation, Patrick Imongiere, after his relatives from Edo State allegedly disrupted the ceremony and chase away mourners.

 PUNCH Metro(correspondent) learnt that policemen from the Elemoro division were invited to the scene and the alleged intruders were eventually taken away.

 A video of the incident, obtained by our correspondent, showed the moment some of the church members of the deceased’s widow formed a chain as they fired prayers in the deserted auditorium.

 The founder of a religious group, Daughters of Destiny, Pastor Busola Jegede, in another clip taken during the rowdy session, called on Nigerians to rally round the widow and her children.

 She said, “One of the members of our ministry lost her husband a few days ago. And the man left an instruction that he should not be taken to the village because of their diabolical ways. Now, the widow and the children want to bury their father, but the people from the village burst into the service of songs. …help, so that this woman will not be cheated.”

 PUNCH Metro(correspondent) learnt that officials of the Lagos State Office of the Public Defender, led by the Director, Mrs Olayinka Adeyemi, visited the widow at her house in the Victoria Garden City, Lekki, on Friday.

 The widow, Magdalene, told PUNCH Metrothat her husband’s relatives wanted to force her and her three children to the village, where she would be married to one of the deceased’s brothers.

 She said, “My husband and I were married for 25 years. During the time, we had three boys. We are both from Edo State. He had a brief illness and died on June 12. He was 52 years old.

 “After his death, I called his relatives to break the news to them. They said I should bring his dead body to the village and come with all the children.

 “My son told them that his father before his death instructed us to bury him in Lagos and he specifically warned that he should not be taken to the village. But they insisted that we must bring the corpse to the village.

“Yesterday (Thursday) was his service of song. They came and disrupted the programme, saying they want to take us to the village by force. They drove everybody away from the service of songs before the police came. They said it was their tradition.

 “They are doing all these because of his property. They said they are aware that their brother had four houses and cars and it was not only his children that would take those things.”

 The 48-year-old explained that her husband was not in good terms with the relatives before he died, adding that he last visited the village about 15 years ago.

 The deceased’s second son, Newton, a member of the National Youth Service Corps, said one Monday, a relative of his father, had been positioned to marry his mother.

 “One of my uncles, Monday, is trying to take my mum to the village so that the elders will tell her to marry him.

 “The last time I visited the village was about 12 to 15 years ago. Our father did not take us to the village. About three days to his death, he called us and said in the event that he died, we should not take him to the village.

 “When he died, they did not come. It was one of them that we had not seen for over 20 years that came to the house. Some of them went home, while others went to where we were having the service of songs to disrupt it,” he added.

 The OPD Director, Adeyemi, said the state government would defend the widow and her children, adding that the agency would implement late Patrick’s last wish.

 “This is Lagos and anything that is contrary to justice and fair play will not be allowed. This is a widow that just lost her husband; why will they be harassing her?  We have contacted the police. The wish of the dead should be paramount. The man had said that he should be buried in Lagos and we have to give them all the protection.

“We are particular about the widow. She should not be harassed. The idea that they want to marry her off in order to get the property cannot stand. The woman was legally married to the man in Lagos. So, I do not believe that any tradition will govern the estate of the man.”

Adeyemi said the deceased was later buried under tight security.

 The deceased’ cousin, Friday Eghene, who allegedly led those who disrupted the funeral, said the family was not interested in the late Patrick’s property.

 He explained that the relatives were disappointed that the widow did not inform them of his death.

 He said, “It was somebody else that told me that my brother was dead. I called my younger brother, Monday, to go to Patrick’s house to know if it was true and he confirmed it.

 “I asked to speak with his widow. She said she did not have the strength to call me. I then said she should come home so that we could arrange how we would bury him. I called her five days later and she said she would tell me when they were coming.

 “Suddenly, I got a call that my brother was going to be buried on Friday and the service of songs was ongoing. I was shocked. I went to the venue and saw the pastor. We all went to police station, including the first son, Jeffrey, who apologised to me.

 “The son said his father had told them before his death that anything they wanted to do, they should tell me. I told him no problem and they should come home, and that whatever they wanted to do, they should come and tell the elders. If necessary, the elders will send a delegate to accompany them and see how he is buried.”

 Eghene dismissed the allegation that the deceased was not in good terms with the relatives, saying if that was true, he would not have instructed the son to speak to him before his death.

“I cannot touch my younger brother’s property. If I do, I will die prematurely. The son, Jeffrey, owns everything. I cannot marry my younger brother’s wife; God forbids. We have not sat to discuss anything.

“We just asked them to come home so that the elders will see her. And surely they will ask questions like, ‘How long was Patrick sick?’ ‘How did the death come about?’

“It is after all the explanation that they will ask if he wrote any will. And if they say he wanted to be buried in Lagos, they will just send representatives,” he added.

(TEVB) 

•It’s a plot to sack public servants –PDP

Olusola Fabiyi, Abuja

A former governor of Lagos State, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, has accused some members of the Peoples Democratic Party of hindering the progressive agenda of the ruling All Progressives Congress.

Tinubu said that many of those in critical positions in government agencies and ministries were fifth columnists in the party.

The former governor, who is also the national leader of the ruling APC, said these in a statement released by his media office in Abuja on Sunday.

He also accused the PDP of planning to loot the national treasury for 60 years before it was defeated by the APC in 2014.

Tinubu said, “I must mention something of high concern; our progressive agenda has been hampered because elements of the PDP remain embedded in many agencies and ministries so crucial to daily governance.

“They have been fifth columnists, undermining our policies at every turn. While impeding reform, they also plot the comeback of their reactionary brethren to power.

“This is something we should no longer abide. Our party teams with competent, reform-minded people who would perform admirably in these positions.

“It is time we swept out the PDP remnants and put in position, people who actually care about the citizens.

“Some among us feared that today we would be joined by the presence of rain. Don’t fret. Let the rain fall if it must. For it is a sign of a great washing.

“We, the party of the broom, should understand more than anyone else what this represents.

“The rain symbolises that we are to wash away the remaining shards of the old, unjust politics so that we can set forth a better path for Nigeria.”

He said many people had thought that the merger by different political parties that gave birth to the APC would be short-lived.

He said many had also believed that the party would not survive when it was formed in 2014.

Tinubu alleged that those against the formation of the ruling party employed many tactics to frustrate its emergence.

He said, “The doubters who gave the APC no chance of existence or of continued survival have got their reply in full. Their envious prayers and complaints have been answered in the reverse.

“They wanted to see the end of us and our pursuit of good governance for Nigeria. You should not forget, as I shall never forget, the strong efforts they made to stop us in the courts.

“There were 12 cases brought trying to stop us from merging, from registering the new party, then attempting to bar our candidate from the election.

“Lacking the courage to face the democratic will of the people, they tried to misuse the courts as a weapon against democracy.

“We thank the judiciary for following the letter and spirit of the constitution by dismissing this dirty dozen of malicious cases filed against us.

“With their schemes foiled, those who tried to destroy us must bear witness to the destruction of their edifice of corrupt governance and their dreams of unjust domination of our nation.

“While they planned a lifetime of greedy enrichment by looting the people’s resources and the public treasury for 60 years, we moved to reform the economy to bring development and aid to the poor.”

The Peoples Democratic Party has decried as extremely wicked, reprehensible and unacceptable, an alleged plot by the APC to clamp down, victimise and sack workers as well as appointees in ministries, departments and agencies ahead of the 2019 presidential election.

It said Nigerians were terrified when Tinubu at the party’s national convention allegedly revealed the party’s plan to undertake a blanket victimisation of federal civil servants and appointees perceived to favour or harbour opinions different from those of the APC.

The National Publicity Secretary of the party, Mr. Kola Ologbondiyan, said in a statement that the PDP’s investigation revealed that part of the plot was to frame such public servants as fifth columnists as openly suggested by Tinubu and hang spurious allegations on them for political reasons.

He said, “The PDP totally condemns this vicious scheme to victimise our federal workers or cause any one of them to suffer any hurt because of APC’s re-election quest.

“We insist that this desperation for power by the APC should not, in any way or under any guise whatsoever, lead to the victimisation of workers at any level across our country.

“Under our laws as a nation, Nigerian workers, like other citizens, have the right to opinion and choice of who to vote for at elections and nobody has the powers to molest or threaten them in the exercise of such rights.”

(TEVB)