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FG Orders 37 Contractors To Deliver 260 Emergency Road Projects In Three Months

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The Federal Government has given about 37 contractors handling its 260 emergency road projects across the country three months to deliver, threatening failure to meet the deadline will result in contract termination.

Most of the defaulting contractors are handling emergency road projects in Yobe, Jigawa, Zamfara, Benue, Kogi, Abia, Anambra, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River and Rivers States.

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It also reiterated it was not obligatory to pay mobilisation fees to contractors for emergency road projects.

The Minister of Works, David Umahi, stated these on Monday during a meeting with the contractors in his office.

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In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Uchenna Orji, the Minister explained that this action became necessary because the Renewed Hope emergency road projects were funded through the 2023 Supplementary Budget to provide immediate intervention on critical, completely failed Federal roads nationwide.

Noting that the goal was to restore the serviceability of these roads, the Minister complained that the 37 contractors have made little to no progress since being awarded the contracts while warning that they must mobilize effectively to the site by Wednesday, July 10, 2024, or face contract termination.

“If after the deadline for mobilization to the site, any contractor fails to comply, the job shall be terminated by effluxion of time as the contract is for a time limit of 3 months.

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“Any contractor whose job has stayed for more than 3 months without completion after the issuance of award letter must seek and obtain approval for extension of time from the Federal Ministry of Works,” he said.

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The Minister warned the defaulting contractors that the projects awarded to them must be delivered within three months, adding that no excuse, including security challenges or lack of mobilization funds, will justify the delays causing road users to suffer.

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He asserted that contractors that failed to meet the deadline will be blacklisted for hindering the Renewed Hope administration’s efforts to revolutionize road infrastructure for Nigeria’s economic prosperity.

He said: “The people are suffering, the President is having sleepless nights in his efforts to fix our road infrastructure to help our economy, and people will be given jobs and they are telling us stories.

“There have been jobs awarded by this Ministry in the past and money paid, and the contractors would hold the money, and they would say it’s a security problem.

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READ ALSO: Court Orders Buhari’s Minister To Account For N729bn Payment To Poor Nigerians

“Didn’t you know about the security situation before you got the job?”

Regarding mobilization fees, the Minister stated that under the Standard Conditions of Contract, mobilization funding is not a prerequisite for contractors to begin work on-site.

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According to him, it is at the Ministry’s discretion and will only be provided to contractors who commit, through an affidavit, to complete the job within three months of mobilization.

“Our new policy is that if you want mobilization and we are happy to give you, you will abide by the conditions. One is that there will be no review of any component of the mobilization given.

READ ALSO: Lagos Roads, Homes Flooded After Downpour

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“Two, we will give you 30% and you will do 30% of the work before we can give you another money. So please, mobilization is not compulsory. Is that clear? Again, emergency projects are not mobilized.

“The rule is that in emergency projects, you will go and do it 100%, and then you submit your papers.

“We now pay you 80% and send your documents to BPP. When they approve, we pay you the balance of 20%,” he noted.

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The Minister also directed the Federal Controllers of Works to ensure proper supervision of projects in their sites and be abreast with the contract awarded, amount, date of award, timeline, review date, extension of time, argumentation granted and whether the contractor is on site.

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Metro

12 IDPs Suffer Snake Bites In Benue Camps

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No fewer than twelve Internally Displaced Persons from Agagbe camps in Gwer West Local Government Area of Benue State have suffered snake bite between January and now.

Terna Ibaah, also an IDP who spoke to our correspondent on Sunday from one of the camps in Agagbe, said that the latest victim was a 14-year-old Chagu Terhemen who was bitten by a snake last Friday without medical treatment.

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Ibaah said, “Snake has bitten Master Chagu Terhemen, 14 years, who was displaced from his village, Tse Abian, in the Sengev Council Ward of Gwer West LGA.

“The 14-year-old boy was going to the farm with his father, Tse Kyomke Mbapupuu, in Gaambe Ushin Council Ward when he was bitten by a snake.”

READ ALSO:VIDEO: Fire Averted As Fuel Tanker Explodes In Lagos

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He added that they had applied traditional treatment, but it seems not to be working, as the victim, as of Sunday afternoon, started convulsing.

He added that the fear of losing the young man necessitated the alarm raised, and added that the medical personnel only visit the IDP camps between Monday and Thursday.

When asked if there had been frequent snake bites of IDPs in Agagbe community, Ibaah said, “From January this year till now, we have recorded 12 victims of snake bites in Agagbe among the IDPs. Fortunately, no one has died.”

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READ ALSO:Katsina, UNDP To Return 270,000 IDPs To Ancestral Homes

Ibaah, who is also a displaced person who claimed that most of the victims of snakebite were being treated with traditional medicine, accused the representative of the State Emergency Management Agency in the camp of neglecting the victims of the snakebite.

“The camp manager said that they cannot treat him because he is not staying in the camp, but he knows that due to congestion in the camps, some of the registered IDPs stay with the host community. The victim registration number is 81XO1649,” Ibaah said.

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Ibaah said that there are five places where IDPs are camped in Agabe, namely, RCM Primary School, Sisters Convent, Saint Francis Secondary School, the old police station and Adzequa store, all in Agagbe and added that they were all congested.

READ ALSO:Varsity Bars Edo IDPs From Exams Over Non-payment Of Fees

When contacted, the Information Officer of SEMA, Tema Ager, said that the agency had a Memorandum of Understanding with the State University Teaching Hospital, Makurdi, where they could rush the patient for treatment.

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Ager said, “But SEMA has an MOU with the State University Teaching Hospital, where they can rush the patient for treatment.”

The Information Officer, however, said that as long as the victim is a registered IDP, he should be allowed to be taken for treatment at the Teaching Hospital.

 

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Mob Lynches Woman Over Alleged Blasphemous Utterance In Niger

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The Niger State command of the Nigeria Police Force has confirmed a lady, simply known as Ammaye, was burnt to death by a mob over an alleged blasphemous utterance against the Islamic faith before security reinforcement could arrive.

Spokesman of the Command, Wasiu Abiodun, who revealed this in a statement on Sunday, said efforts are ongoing to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.

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Ammaye, a food seller, was lynched and set ablaze in Mariga Local Government Area of the state by suspected angry youths over alleged blasphemy against Prophet Muhammad.

According to eyewitnesses, the incident occurred at Kasuwan Garba in the council area, when the lady, a Muslim faithful and well-known food seller, was said to have engaged in an exchange of words with a young man said to be her nephew.

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The young man was said to have jokingly told Ammaye that he wanted to marry her to “fulfil the Sunnah”. The lady was said to have made comments considered blasphemous.

This was said to have outraged the young men in the neighbourhood. The matter was taken to the palace of the District Head of Kasuwan Garba, where the lady was interrogated, and she allegedly repeated what she had earlier said.

The District Head was said to have handed Ammaye over to security operatives for further investigation, but a crowd of agitated youths overpowered the security operatives, insisting on her immediate execution.

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It was learnt that before security reinforcement could arrive, the mob, made up of young men, had stoned Ammaye to death.

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Niger State Police spokesman disclosed that the tragic incident occurred on 30th August, 2025, at about 2:00 pm.

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According to him, “a report was received that one Amaye, a female resident of Kasuwan-Garba in Mariga LGA, allegedly made some utterances considered offensive to the Islamic faith. Her comments quickly provoked anger among members of the community.

“Unfortunately, it led to a mob attack, and the woman was set ablaze before the reinforcement of security teams could arrive at the scene,” Abiodun stated.

READ ALSO:FG Security Agency, Nigerian Army Move To Tackle Illicit Small Arms, Light Weapons

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The spokesman said that while normalcy has since been restored to the area, the Police Command strongly condemns the act of jungle justice and assured that efforts are underway to identify, arrest, and prosecute all those involved in the crime.

Abiodun appealed to members of the public to remain calm, avoid taking the law into their own hands, and allow security agencies to handle sensitive matters in line with the provisions of the law.

The Chairman of Mariga Local Government, Abbas Adamu, who also confirmed the incident, reaffirmed that calm has since been restored to the area.

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Police Arrest Suspected Fake Lawyer In Ogun

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The Zone XI Police Headquarters has arrested a suspected fake lawyer identified as Emmanuel Odeh, parading himself as a qualified attorney for almost 10 years mostly in Lagos and Abuja.

According to The PUNCH, Odeh has been allegedly duping unsuspecting Nigerians under the guise of legal representation, estate agency, and public consultancy.

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This was disclosed in a statement issued on Saturday by the Zonal Police Public Relations Officer, Ade Ogunyemi, who disclosed Odeh was arrested by operatives of the X-Squad Section of the Zone, led by ACP Akinloye Oyegade.

He explained that Odeh was arrested on Thursday at a court in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while appearing as counsel for a client.

READ ALSO:Police Arrest Kidnap Kingpin, Others In Benue

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Emmanuel Odeh was arrested on Thursday, August 28, 2025, at a court premises in Abeokuta, Ogun State, while standing as a legal representative for an unsuspecting client.

“ACP Oyegade stated that the self-acclaimed lawyer had been under investigation for impersonation and fraud.

“Investigations revealed that the suspect operated under the name A O EMMANUEL, LEGAL PRACTITIONER AND PUBLIC CONSULTANT,” the statement partly read.

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Ogunyemi said the Assistant Inspector General of Police in charge of Zone XI Headquarters, Osogbo, Emuobo Ekokotu, urged Nigerians to always verify the authenticity of legal practitioners before engaging their services.

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AIG Ekokotu described the case as another clear example of why Nigerians must be vigilant.

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This case underscores the dangers of dealing with unverified legal practitioners.

“Victims of such impostors risk losing their hard-earned money, suffering inadequate legal representation, having their cases compromised, and even facing damage to their reputation,” he said.

He warned that the police will not hesitate to bring impersonators to justice.

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READ ALSO:Two US Pastors Arrested In $50m Human Trafficking, Fraud Case

This incident should serve as a deterrent to criminal-minded individuals who falsely present themselves as lawyers in order to exploit innocent citizens.

“The long arm of the law will always catch up with them,” Ekokotu stated.

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Ogunyemi confirmed that the suspect would be charged to court upon conclusion of investigations.

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