Connect with us

Metro

COVID-19: ‘Load More Than Two Passengers Per Seat, Get Arrested’, Edo Govt Warns Motorists

Published

on

Public transporters running ‘town service’ in Edo State particularly in Benin metropolis have been warned not to load more than two passengers per seat, as they were mandated not to allow more than a passenger in their front seat.

They were also warned not to increase transport fare as a result of the new policy.

Advertisement

Kelly Okogbowa, Vice Chairman, Edo State taskforce on implementation of prohibition of large gathering and maintenance of social distancing, gave the warning on Friday in Benin while addressing a set of public transporters.

READ ALSO: COVID-19: ‘Go Home For Now’, Brothel Onwer In Benin Tells Prostitutes

He noted that with a view to curbing the spread of Coronavirus in the state, the state government has mandated all transporters not to allow more than two passengers in a seat and one passenger at the front seat, warning that anyone caught doing contrary would be arrested and prosecuted accordingly.

Advertisement

When asked if the transporters are allowed to increase their fare as a result of the decrease in number of passengers, Okogbowa said no driver is allowed to increase transport fare because fuel price has reduced and the state government has suspended ‘ticket’ (money paid daily by transporters to government’s purse)

“You are are to load two passengers at the back seat, two passengers at the middle seat and one passenger at the front seat. If you load more than this requirement, you will be arrested and be prosecuted accordingly.

READ ALSO: ‘You Have 14 Days To Vacate Our Territory’, Council Boss Warns Herders

Advertisement

“The state government wants to curb the spread of Coronavirus so this is how it will be for now.

“You are not paying for ticket, that has been suspended. Fuel price has drop, so you are not expected to increase your price. You have no reason to inflate transport fare because what could have led you to do so had been addressed by the government. And so, you are expected to charge the old price”, he said.

Accroding to him, the state government is doing everything possible in order to make sure people adhere to social distancing and gathering of not more than 20 persons.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Land Dispute Tears Communities Apart In Edo

(PHOTO: File)

Advertisement
Advertisements
Advertisement
Comments

Metro

Osun: One Dead As Gunmen Storm Palace, Set It Ablaze

Published

on

By

Tragedy stuck in Okanla community in Irepodun Local Government Area of Osun State on Sunday as some men bearing arms stormed the palace of Olokanla of Okanla, killed an admission seeker, Ibrahim Qudus, before setting the building ablaze.

Uncle to the deceased, Jimoh Qadri, who spoke to The PUNCH, said the assailants were led by a man identified simply as Naim, who was the only one among the attackers that did not cover his face during the incident.

Advertisement

Qadri, who could not give a reason for the attack, said the perpetrators had initially stormed his personal house, and met his absence before they proceeded to his father’s house, late Oba Jimoh Adigun, the Olokanla of Okanla, that he used as palace before his demise.

READ ALSO: S-Court Bench Reduces To 11, As Appeal Court Gets 9 New Justices Wednesday

He said, “I was not at home, but my wife called me that gunmen numbering about 20 had stormed my house in Okanla area very early on Sunday. She told me they all covered their faces, but one of them bearing Naim did not cover his face and my wife saw him. The attackers were after me and they searched around the house.

Advertisement

“When they could not find me around, they vandalised the building and proceeded to my family house, where my late father, Olokanla of Okanla used as his palace. It was there they saw Qudus, a son to my elder brother, who was living in Ibadan, until he recently returned home to seek university admission, after writing UTME.

“He was killed and they put his corpse in my car parked within the premises and set the vehicle ablaze. They also set the palace ablaze. The reason behind the attack is not known to me. But it may not be unconnected to the tussle over land in our area. The family is pleading with the security agencies to ensure the perpetrators of this crime are apprehended.”

READ ALSO: Isese: Court Grants Iya Osun Abebi Bail

Advertisement

When contacted, the Osun Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, who said the Commissioner of Police, Kehinde Longe, had visited the scene of the crime, added that more operatives had been deployed to the area.

“Someone was burnt with a car around Okanla, the area is between Ifon and Ilobu. We have deployed our men to the area to forestall further breakdown of law and order. The Commissioner of Police has visited the scene,” Opalola stated.
PUNCH

Advertisement
Advertisements
Continue Reading

Metro

JUST IN: Score Feared Dead As Lagos Building With Over 800 Rooms Collapses

Published

on

By

At least two persons are currently battling for life at a private hospital after a school-turned-residential building in the Ketu area of Lagos partially collapsed on Sunday.

The building housing over 800 rooms with hundreds of residents known as Agboye Estate on Oduntan Street, Ketu, first caved in on Saturday afternoon following hours of rainfall that greeted most parts of Lagos.

Advertisement

On Sunday afternoon, as residents were still trying to salvage their belongings, the building crumbled again, destroying another structure inside the compound before collapsing completely.

The development sent panic across the area, forcing hundreds of families and individuals residing in the building to vacate the premises.

READ ALSO: 5 Injured As Shootings, Protests Trail Ejection Of Anambra Land Owners From Motor Parks

Advertisement

During a visit to the affected building on Sunday evening, dozens of residents were seen moving their belongings in different directions as officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency cordoned off the premises.

 

The affected compound housing several defective buildings has been marked for demolition by Lagos officials.

Advertisement

On December 2014, The PUNCH, after weeks of investigation, published a report on the collapsed building titled, “500-room house in Lagos where tenants live as prisoners”.

The report chronicled the horrible living conditions of tenants of Agboye Estate, who contended with snakes, scorpions, and other dangerous animals as a result of stagnant sewage water at the back of the building.

In most of the blocks constructed only inches away from each other, at least 12 rooms shared a single toilet and bathroom.

Advertisement

READ ALSO: Woman Burnt As Fire Guts Lagos Building

On average, two persons occupy each room, bringing the number of users of a single toilet to 24.

Apart from that, tenants are forbidden from using power generators, electric kettles, air conditioners, or even hosting important social gatherings like naming ceremonies or birthdays within the facility by the landlord, Onamo Agboye.

Advertisement

The only entrance leading in and out of the compound closes at 11:00pm daily — nobody goes in or out once the clock ticks.

Following the report by Saturday PUNCH at the time, the Lagos State Government partially sealed the building but lifted the sanction a few days later.

The landlord of Agboye Estate has since gone into hiding following Sunday’s tragedy.

Advertisement

Advertisements
Continue Reading

Metro

Court Remands Two For Stripping Woman N*ked, Sharing N*de Videos

Published

on

By

An Ado Ekiti Chief Magistrate’s Court has remanded two persons, Owoseni Adefolaran and Oluwatade Olaleye for allegedly meting out jungle justice on a woman accused of stealing tubers of yam.

The two accused persons and other who are now at large brutalized the victim (names withheld), inflicted grievous bodily injury on her, stripped her n*ked and circulated videos of her n*kedness on various social media platforms.

Advertisement

Reacting, the wife of Ekiti state governor, Mrs Olayemi Oyebanji described the victim’s maltreatment as violation of her dignity, insisting that nobody should resort to self-help but go through due process of the law to ventilate grievances.

READ ALSO: Strike: Again, FG Invites NLC For Meeting Monday

According to a statement by her Senior Special Assistant on Media, Odunayo Ogunmola, Mrs Oyebanji has mobilized the Gender Unit of her office to work with the Office of the Attorney General to ensure that the victim gets justice.

Advertisement

The alleged offences was committed at about 6.00am on September 5 at Aduramigba Community, Afao Road, Ado Ekiti and the accused persons are standing trial on three-count charge before the Chief Magistrate, Mr. Bankole Oluwasanmi.

The three counts of conspiracy to commit felony, assault and conduct likely to cause breach of peace slammed on the accused persons are contrary to and punishable under Sections 421, 186 and 181 of the Criminal Law, Volume 1, Laws of Ekiti State 2021 respectively.

READ ALSO: Five Dead, 12 Injured In Lagos-Ibadan Road Crash

Advertisement

Counsel to the accused persons, Mr. Adefolaju Ayobioloja, urged the Court to admit his clients to bail describing the first accused person as the security man in the community and the second accused person as a secretary of the community.

The defence counsel argued that the offences were bailable ones asking the Court to grant them bail on liberal terms.

Opposing the bail application, state counsel, Mrs. Shirley Atane, while noting that although the offences are bailable, the state have strong doubts that the accused persons would not jump bail.

Advertisement

She contended that judging by the circumstances surrounding the offences and the number of people involved, the grant of bail would not assist in getting justice and given that other alleged offenders are still on the run.

READ ALSO: 25-year-old Nigerian Shines At New York Film Academy

Chief Magistrate Oluwasanmi in his ruling upheld the submission of the prosecution and denied the accused persons bail.

Advertisement

The trial could not commence because the case file was yet to be received from the Police.

The case was subsequently adjourned till September 19 for resumption of trial.

Advertisement
Advertisements
Continue Reading

Trending