Connect with us

Metro

Fire Guts Market In Lagos, Good Worth Millions Of Naira Destroyed

Published

on

The stockfish section of the popular Oyingbo market was has been gutted by fire and goods worth N120 million were destroyed and looted.

Vanguard’s visit to the scene of the incident showed that about seven shop recently stocked with stockfish were raised down as the ashes of the commodity were seen scattered around the market.

Advertisement

Although, cause of the fire could not be ascertained, traders who spoke to VANGUARD correspondent said that the fire started after midnight but was put off after more than two hours of battle to tackle it.

Speaking, one of the affected shop-owners Mr. Davidson Okenwa said that he got a call at about 12:30. A M that the market was on fire and that four of his shops were affected.

READ ALSO: ‘I Didn’t Know Burning Qur’an Is Offense’ Tani Olohun Begs Muslims

Advertisement

Okenwa also said a total of seven shops belonging to him were completely burnt and looted as goods worth more than N70 Million were destroyed in the inferno.

He said: ” Around 12:20 A M this morning, I got a distress call from that market and I rushed from my house in Ijegun . On getting I discovered that four of my shops were completely burnt while others were looted.

” I am in a state of distress right because I took a facility from the First City Monument Bank, FCMB. I am totally at a loss at to what to do. The total value of Stockfish destroyed in the fire is over N70 million because I only took delivery of the goods only a day before the fire incident happened.”

Advertisement

Speaking on the development, Greg Ilobinso, a major dealer in the Stockfish trade based in the East, said that the need to have a fire service station at the market for quick intervention cannot be overemphasized adding that the loss at the runs into millions of Naira.

READ ALSO: JUST IN: Fire Guts Canadian Embassy Building In Abuja

Ilobinso also said that until the Lagos Government sees the need to safeguard the lives and property at this particular market, the government and the traders will keep losing money.

Advertisement

Ilobinso called on insurance companies to come up with market insurance products with a view to minimizing the losses to victims of such incidents.

I was informed of the situation this morning by some of my customers and I share the pain of the traders whose shops were affected and I hope the Lagos State Government in its magnanimity come to the aid of the victims and cussion the effect of the losses of the affected shop-owners.

“Imagine if somebody was sleeping inside any of the shops, that would have been worse than what we are talking about now.”

Advertisement

Advertisement
Comments

Metro

Police Arrest Siblings Over Communal Clash In Ondo

Published

on

Ondo State Police Command has arrested two brothers, Ogunsemore Gbadebo and Michael Ogunsemore for their allegedly involvement in a violent communal clash that occurred in Eki/Oboto Community of Ilaje local government area of the State.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the suspects had been locked in a prolonged land dispute with the monarch of the community, Oba Oyetayo Ofoaye of Aboto.

Advertisement

According to the. state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olusola Ayanlade, the matter was first taken to the Okitipupa High Court, which ruled in favour of the monarch.

However, not satisfied with the verdict, the siblings filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Akure, where the appellate court again upheld the Oba’s position.

READ ALSO:Job Seekers Protest Alleged Fake Employment Letters For Ondo Teaching Jobs

Advertisement

The PPRO alleged that the brothers resorted to self-help thereafter, recruiting armed thugs to unleash violence on the community rather than accepting the judgement of the Appeal Court.

It was learnt that the attack reportedly perpetrated by the suspects and their gangs, displaced residents, destroyed huts, palm produce, and other valuables, while one Jeremiah Okuntimehin sustained machete injuries in the fracas.

This criminal escalation turned a civil dispute into a grave security threat, prompting swift police intervention,” the PPRO said.

Advertisement

According to the police spokesman, the police launched a coordinated operation that led to the arrest of the brothers – Gbadebo and Michael, who have since been arraigned in court.

READ ALSO:JUST IN: Ex-Ondo SDP Governorship Candidate Dies

He added that efforts were ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the group who took part in the unrest.

Advertisement

Ayanlade stressed that the arrests marked a decisive step in restoring peace to the affected community, warning that communal violence will not be condoned under any guise.

Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Adebowale Lawal cautioned individuals and groups against undermining judicial decisions or taking the law into their own hands, warning that such acts would attract the full weight of the law.

He assured residents of Eki/Oboto and Aboto of adequate police presence and urged them to remain calm, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies.

Advertisement

The CP also emphasised that dialogue and peaceful engagement remained the only sustainable means of resolving communal disputes.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

Foreign Currency Found On Beggars As 40 Evacuated In Kwara

Published

on

The Kwara State government has again evacuated another set of 40 beggars from the street of Ilorin, the state capital.

The evacuation of beggars was carried out by the officials of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development in collaboration with operatives of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), Kwara State Command.

Advertisement

During a search conducted on the beggars, a foreign currency (US dollar) was found on one of them, Musa Mahmuda, who claimed to be from Kano State.

READ ALSO:Bandits Invade Kwara Community, Kill One, Kidnap Eight Others

A sharp knife was found in the possession of another beggar.

Advertisement

Seven of the evacuees were second term offenders, having been arrested during a previous evacuation excercise but they returned to the streets again.

The operation was conducted at Tipper Garage in Tanke, Offa garage and Garin Alimi areas – all in Ilorin metropolis.

The Commissioner for social Welfare and Development, Dr Mariam Imam, expressed delight that the excercise was yielding the desired results, saying the number of those evacuated from the streets in the latest exercise has “dratically reduced from 94 arrested during the last time to 40”.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Police Arrest Man For Allegedly Dismembering Pregnant Sister-in-law In Kwara

She said the ministry’s evacuation team was changing its “strategy as the beggars too were changing their tactics and locations to evade being evacuated from the streets.”

She implored those patronising the beggars to stop doing so and channel their offerings through religious organisations, orphanages and places of worship, reiterating that street begging has been outlawed in the state.

Advertisement

The head, Non-custodian Centre, Nigerian Correctional Services, Kwara State Command, Adebayo Okunola, said the appropriate punitive measures will be meted out to the arrested beggars to serve as deterrence to them and others.

We will make sure that they clean the streets, they will sweep the streets so that they will know that there is dignity in labour,” he stated.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Metro

NDLEA Arrests Indian Businessman, 3 Others Over Alleged Trafficking Of N3.9bn Tramadol

Published

on

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, alongside three Nigerian accomplices in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg.

Kumar was apprehended alongside Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode and Bakare Korede Muheeb at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

Advertisement

The tramadol shipment worth N3,990,000,000 in street value was imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons and arrived the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Monday 8th September 2025.

NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said a team of NDLEA officers who had put the consignment under surveillance, swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday, September 11th.

READ ALSO:NDLEA Arrests 26, Recovers 41,410.53 KG Drugs In Edo

Advertisement

Babafemi said a follow-up operation the following day, Friday, led to the arrest of the Kumar, when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment.

At the Terminal 2 departure of the airport, NDLEA operatives on Sunday, September 7, intercepted a passenger Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi while travelling on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha.

“A search of his bag led to the recovery of 900grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish. As a first-time traveler, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian Ohaodiegwu Anthony Uchenna who actually followed him to the airport.

Advertisement

“His confession led to the arrest of Uchenna who was still within view. Operatives who later conducted a search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao Estate discovered additional 200grams of the same psychoactive substance.

READ ALSO:NDLEA Busts Cartel, Recovers ₦6.4bn Drugs From Kingpins

He claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick the bag from the unsuspecting Onyeganochi if he had succeeded in escaping security checks,” the NDLEA said.

Advertisement

Meanwhile, at the Tincan Port in Lagos, a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg hashish oil were recovered from a 40ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles imported from Montreal Canada during a joint examination of the shipment on Tuesday 9th September.

Two suspects including John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

READ ALSO:NDLEA Arrests Widow Using Fake Pregnancy To Traffic Cocaine

Advertisement

Another shipment of Canadian Loud with a total weight of 65kg was tracked from the port to Third Mainland bridge where NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveying the consignment, recovered it and arrested the driver Abubakar Ibrahim, 42 on Thursday 11th September.

Two separate shipments of methamphetamine concealed in picture frame and Loud, hidden in video players were seized at two courier companies in Lagos on Monday 8th and Thursday 11th September respectively by NDLEA operatives.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

Trending