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Commuters Stranded As Protesters Block Auchi-Benin Highway Over Deplorable Condition [PHOTOS]

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…Vow To Occupy The Road Until Something Is Done

Travellers on the ever busy Benin-Auchi highway were on Monday stranded for hours as protesters in their numbers blocked the expressway over deplorable condition of the Ekpoma axis of the road.

The protesters who vowed to occupy the road until works on the road commences, stressed that only palliatives can no longer fix the road but a complete reworking.

Due to protest and consequent blockade, trailers and other heavy duty vehicles had to park which led to on a long queue from the Ujoelen axis of the highway where the protesters gathered, up to Ambrose Alli University main gate and beyond, towards Benin and the same thing applies to the stretch towards Auchi where the queue extended beyond the Irrua Specialist Teaching Hospital.

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It was gathered that the protest led by Esan Liberation Movement and the Concerned Ekpoma Eminent Stakeholders Forum, was aimed at drawing attention of the government to the deplorable condition of the road.

Speaking, the Convener, Esan Liberation Movement, Hon. Prosper Iyere, stressed the need for the government as well as all the stakeholders concerned to, as a matter of urgency, do the needful in ensuring that the failed portions of the Edo central axis of the highway were fixed.

READ ALSO: Edo: Commuters Stranded As Spare Parts Dealers Protest Deplorable Condition Of Road

According to him, several letters have been written to the state government and other stakeholders but to no avail.

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“We have written to the Edo State governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, the Senator representing Edo Central at the National Assembly, Senator Clifford Ordia, Senator Matthew Urhoghide, the two members of Edo central at the National Assembly, Hon. Joe Edionwele, and Hon. Sergius Ogun, as well as the Minister for Environment, Hon. Clem Agba, to formally inform them of the deplorable condition of the Ekpoma axis of the Benin/Auchi highway, but no response,” he lamented.

On his part, Dr. Jude Obasanmi, the Convener, Concerned Ekpoma Eminent Stakeholders Forum, CEESF, was moved to tears as he explained the harrowing experience that the people of Ekpoma pass through on a daily basis, as a result of the failed portions of the highway.

He narrated the story of a woman who fell off a bike and got her leg broken, just as he rhetorically asked “… how long are we going to continue like this?”

It was gathered that the contract for the reconstruction and expansion of Edo central axis of the Benin-Auchi highway was awarded to Dantata and Sawoe Construction Company, but the work has been on slow pace and this has been a major concern to the people of Edo central in particular and those that ply the highway in general.

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Court Jails Social Media Influencer For Celebrity Scam

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A Federal High Court in Ikoyi, has sentenced Aluko Tunmise to one year in prison for his involvement in a celebrity scam.

Tunmise was prosecuted by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on a cybercrime-related charge.

This was disclosed in a post on X by EFCC on Friday, May 17.

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The post reads: “Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos, on Wednesday, May 15, 2024, convicted and sentenced one Aluko Tunmise, a self-acclaimed social media influencer and model, to one year imprisonment for celebrity scam.

READ ALSO: Mother Of Five Jailed For Forging Late Abba Kyari’s Signature

He was arraigned by the Lagos Zonal Command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, on a one-count charge bordering on cybercrimes.”

“One of the counts reads: “That you, ALUKO TUNMISE JUWONLO (A.K.A. KEANU REEVES), sometime between January and March, 2024 in Lagos, within the jurisdiction of this Honorable Court, directly made a false statement, wherein you held yourself out as a white man by name “KEANU REEVES” on your Telegram Account, knowing same to be false and with intent that the representation is relied upon for the purpose of procuring the issuance of financial instrument to yourself and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under Section 22(3) of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention etc) Act, 2015′.

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He pleaded ‘guilty’ to the charge when it was read to him.

READ ALSO: Disregard Claim Of Me Bringing Investors To Nigeria – Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala

Following his guilty plea, prosecution counsel, C.C.Okezie, sought to present an operative of the EFCC, Vincent Sunday Kwambuge, to review the facts of the matter.

Kwanbuge told the court that the defendant was arrested sometime in March, 2024 at Lekki County Estate, Lagos, following credible intelligence received by the Commission on the activities of some internet fraudsters operating in the area.”

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Three Children Rescued As Fire Guts Storey Building In Delta

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Three children have been rescued as fire gutted a-storey building at the Obi Onuorah Crescent back of Okowe plaza in Asaba, the Delta State capital.

The PUNCH correspondent who visited the fire scene on Friday, observed that the roof and the two apartments were razed down as property worth millions of naira was damaged.

However, the cause of the fire was yet to be ascertained as at the time of filling this report

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Speaking, a widow and mother of four children, Mrs Gloria Sado who wept profusely appealed to Nigerians to come to her aid.

READ ALSO: Lady Reveals Three Ways To Know If A Girl’s Waist Beads Is Not ‘Ordinary’

She said, “I came back Thursday night around 9 pm when I saw a fire burning in our house.

“My three children were in the house, one went with me to market, thank God, it was a lot of effort for my children to be rescued. I didn’t know the cause of the fire

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“All the three fire services that came did not have water to quench the fire, our property was burnt to ashes”

Also, her neighbor, Simon Amalimen, and father of two said, “I was in my apartment when I heard fire, fire, I came out and noticed that the fire was coming out from my neighbor’s apartment.

READ ALSO: Anambra: Three Ex-police Officers Bag Life Imprisonment For Murder

“When learned that the three children were inside the apartment sleeping, we immediately moved into the fire to rescue the children, then, the fire had to gut my apartment.

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“Before we could rescue them, the fire had entered my apartment and my two children and my wife were rescued. Only the boxers I wear are the clothes I came out with.”

He said before the third fire service could arrive, the two apartments and property had been burnt.

The victims were currently homeless as sympathizers were said to have gone to buy some clothes for them.

An official of the state fire service who did not want his name mentioned confirmed the incident.

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Viral Video: “Please Stop Crying,” Soldiers In Tears After Losing Colleagues To Terrorists

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In a now-viral video posted on X on Tuesday, soldiers of the Nigerian army were seen crying, seemingly after losing some of their colleagues to terrorist attacks.

The video posted by #X-Daily has become viral after X users have sympathised with the soldiers.

Although it is unsure of when the video was made or the actual cause of why the soldiers were crying, Nigeria has been faced with terrorist attacks for over two decades.

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The post read, “Nigerian Soldiers in tears after losing their colleagues in Terrorist attack in Northern Nigeria.”

READ ALSO: Military Declares Nigerien Terrorist Wanted For Zamfara Killings

As seen in the video, soldiers are seen weeping while someone, presumably the one holding the camera, is comforting the soldiers and is heard telling them to stop crying.

“Stop crying please, stop crying,” the voice said.

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“I tell you guys since morning, my mind no dey here, I no tell you?” he questioned in pidgin English.

Reacting, #Game_Boss360 wrote, “Those soldiers are really suffering out there.”

READ ALSO: Anambra: Three Ex-police Officers Bag Life Imprisonment For Murder

Another user, #calebuncovered, said, “This is why whenever I see civilians bashing soldiers on social media, it pains me deeply. As someone who grew up in the barracks, you have no idea what these guys do to protect this country. You have no idea how far they go to protect this country. They’re literally living a life of uncertainty because death can come anytime, and they would leave their family behind. Yet, some of you still come here and spew rubbish about soldiers.”

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Meanwhile, #chrisndarl said, “This video hurts in so many ways ….so many ways man.”

A 2024 PUNCH report noted that Nigeria is grossly insecure. Under Muhammadu Buhari (2015-2023), 63,111 Nigerians died in violence, SBM Intelligence stated.

“Nigeria was ranked the eighth most terrorised country in the world by the 2023 Global Terrorism Index.

“This has contributed to the shortfall in food production and the upswing in food inflation as Nigeria’s food basket regions are plagued with gnawing terrorism and insecurity,” the report stated.

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