Connect with us

News

Kano Bans Scrap Material Imports From N’East After Bomb Blasts

Published

on

The Kano State Government has placed an immediate ban on the importation of scrap materials from North-Western states, including Borno and Yobe.

This came following a recent bomb explosion that claimed five lives and left many others injured.

Advertisement

The Commissioner for Security and Home Affairs, Ibrahim Umaru, announced the ban at a press conference on Wednesday.

Umaru linked the recent incidents to metal waste transported into Kano from the insurgency-hit North-East.

Umaru said, “In light of the recent bomb blasts that tragically claimed five lives and injured several others, we have traced the origin of the explosives to scrap materials brought in from the Northeast.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Gov Yusuf Renames Two Institutions To Honour 22 Kano Athletes Killed In Crash

That region has long been affected by Boko Haram activities, and we cannot afford to take any chances.”

According to the commissioner, preliminary findings show the improvised explosive devices used in the attacks were hidden among imported scrap.

Advertisement

This directive is a preventive measure to protect the lives and property of our citizens. All dealers in scrap materials are hereby instructed to immediately stop importing such items from the Northeast. Anyone found violating this order will face the full weight of the law.”

According to The PUNCH, Umaru explained that the government was not shutting down the scrap trade entirely but is targeting imports from areas flagged as security risks.

He explained, “We are not banning the business of scrap entirely. But bringing them in from high-risk zones without thorough scrutiny endangers everyone.”

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Kano Govt Declares Public Holiday For Islamic New Year

Recall that one person was confirmed dead and six others injured following an explosion on Monday evening at a scrapyard in Kofar Dawanau, Dala Local Government Aarea of the state.

The blast, which occurred around 5:30 pm, happened as workers were offloading metal scraps from a semi-trailer with registration number PKM 709 ZY.

Advertisement

According to a preliminary report by the Bomb Disposal Unit, the explosion was caused by an old hand grenade that had likely been mixed with other metallic items brought to the yard.

The deceased was identified as 55-year-old Hamisu Uzairu, a labourer from PRP Kwanar Jaba Quarters in Nasarawa Local Government Area. He was pronounced dead at the Murtala Muhammed Specialist Hospital in Kano.

The six others injured in the explosion included Sani Ahmed, Najib Sani, Jabir Tijani, Wada Abdullahi, Huzaifa Yusha’u, and Bilyaminu Sani, were also treated at the same hospital for varying degrees of injuries.

Advertisement

READ ALSO:Another Set Of ‘Hunters’ From Kano Arrested In Edo With Arms, Ammunition

Owner of the Kofar Dawanau Mini Scrapyard, Jamilu Zakari Salisu, reported the incident to the Dala Divisional Police Headquarters, leading to the area being cordoned off for investigation.

Police have begun probing the source of the unexploded device, but as of the time of this report, no official statement had been issued.

Advertisement

However, the State Police Command had yet to make any official statement on the incident.

Monday’s incident came just a week after another explosion on June 21 at the Hotoro Eastern Bypass area of Kano, where at least five people were killed and 15 injured.

Advertisement

News

Lagos Suspends BRT Lane Enforcement On Eko Bridge, Odo Iya-Alaro

Published

on

The Lagos State Government has temporarily suspended enforcement of the Bus Rapid Transit lane along the Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro corridor to ease growing traffic congestion.

This gridlock is a result of the ongoing structural rehabilitation on the Ogudu-Ifako Bridge expansion joint.

Advertisement

Special Adviser to the Lagos Governor on Transportation, Sola Giwa announced the suspension on Wednesday, describing it as a strategic move to tackle gridlock in affected parts of the city.

This remedial measure, conceived as a palliative response to mitigate commuter hardship, aligns with the Lagos State Government’s forward-thinking and adaptive transportation strategy under the THEMES Plus Agenda of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, particularly within the framework of sustainable traffic management and infrastructure modernisation,” Giwa said.

READ ALSO:Lagos Monarch Dethrones Six Chiefs For ‘Impersonating’ Him At Labour Party Campaign

Advertisement

He explained that the temporary suspension is a transitional and conditional measure aimed at absorbing the anticipated vehicular overflow caused by the partial closure of the Ifako-bound carriageway of the Third Mainland corridor.

We are fully cognizant of the immense strain currently imposed on key ingress routes into the Lagos Mainland. Consequently, this tactical suspension of BRT lane enforcement is a calculated response designed to deliver immediate relief, reduce commuting time, and preserve the fluidity of vehicular movement throughout the duration of the bridge repairs,” he added.

According to him, the directive takes immediate effect and allows general vehicular access to previously restricted BRT corridors on Eko Bridge and Odo Iya-Alaro, particularly during peak travel periods.

Advertisement

He said this move is expected to expand available road capacity and ease traffic along critical routes.

READ ALSO:Lagos Opens Teacher Recruitment Portal For Two Weeks

Giwa, however, stressed that commercial buses and articulated vehicles must remain in compliance with existing safety rules and loading guidelines to avoid worsening traffic conditions or compromising public safety.

Advertisement

He also disclosed that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority has been mobilised to strengthen its presence along the affected corridors.

Enhanced personnel deployment and traffic equipment are now in place to ensure orderly conduct, prevent exploitation of the temporary suspension, and respond promptly to any emergent traffic disturbances,” Giwa stated.

Advertisement
Continue Reading

News

Lagos Opens Teacher Recruitment Portal For Two Weeks

Published

on

The Lagos State Government has announced the reactivation of its teaching job recruitment portal to allow qualified individuals to apply for entry-level teaching positions.

In a notice issued by the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission on Tuesday, the portal will be open for applications from Tuesday, July 1 to Monday, July 14, 2025.

Advertisement

The Lagos State Teaching Service Commission is set to reactivate its Recruitment Portal as a bold step towards improving access to employment opportunities, equity, and fairness.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

The job portal, which will be accessible for two weeks (Tuesday, July 1st 2025, to Monday, July 14th, 2025), is intended to provide a centralised platform where individuals can apply for State Teaching jobs at the entry level (GL 08) in their relevant fields,” the notice read.

Advertisement

The move, according to the Commission, is aimed at improving access to employment opportunities in the education sector while ensuring equity and fairness.

TESCOM urged interested applicants with a degree in Education or other relevant qualifications to visit the official portal https://tescomjobs.lagosstate.gov.ng and apply for teaching roles at Grade Level 08.

The notice was signed by the Chairman of the Lagos State Teaching Service Commission.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

News

FG Unveils N50m Grant To Boost Student Innovation, Entrepreneurship

Published

on

The Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, has announced a N50m Student Grant Venture Capital Initiative to support scaling student-led enterprises in Nigeria’s tertiary institutions.

Alausa said the initiative aims to bridge the gap between academia and industry by turning homegrown research into commercially viable products and services.

Advertisement

The minister made the announcement on Wednesday in Abuja when he inaugurated the Research and Innovation Commercialisation Committee.

READ ALSO:NSCDC, Immigration, Others: FG Postpones Recruitment, Changes Portal

He said the scheme, which will be anchored by TETFund in partnership with the Bank of India, targets undergraduate students in 300-level and above with viable business models and innovations ready for market expansion.

Advertisement

According to the minister, the development is aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s agenda of transitioning Nigeria from a resource-based economy to a knowledge-driven one.

We have hundreds of thousands of young geniuses across our institutions. This fund is designed to unlock their potential and help them build globally competitive enterprises,” the minister said.

READ ALSO:FG Gives Overstaying Foreigners Ultimatum To Regularise Visa

Advertisement

On her part, the Minister of State for Education, Prof. Suwaiba Ahmad, described the inauguration as a landmark moment in Nigeria’s education and innovation history.

For too long, research in our tertiary institutions has been reduced to tools for promotion rather than solutions for development. This must change,” she said.

In his response, the Committee Chairman, Dr. Tayo Aduloju, described the RICC as “a matter of national urgency”, noting that Nigeria’s research investment as a percentage of GDP is among the lowest when compared to peer nations.

Advertisement

Continue Reading

Trending