Headline

Govt Reacts To Report Of Third Mainland Bridge Shaking

Published

4 years ago

November 9, 2021

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola, on Monday reassured the public that the Third Mainland Bridge in Lagos is structurally okay and safe for use.

Popoola, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, urged Nigerians to disregard rumours that the bridge was shaking, as speculated on social media.

He said a video being used to spread fear on social media is the same one being recycled every year for the past five years to cause panic, adding that, the portion in the video had long been fixed.

He appealed to people who specialise in causing panic to turn a new leaf and stop causing confusion in the state.

Popoola recalled that the Federal Government recently completed the replacement of 12 expansion joints on top of the bridge earlier in February 2021 and rehabilitation works underneath the bridge was ongoing.

He said the massive repairs carried out on top of the bridge earlier in the year represented only 10 per cent of the contract, while underwater repairs account for 90 per cent of the project.

Popoola said the Third Mainland Bridge is very important to the federal government hence, the extra attention accorded the bridge which links the commercial hub on the Island in the state.

“I have gone on Third Mainland Bridge today and have gone round the bridge and there is nothing like that bad portion being circulated.

“I want to put the record straight, this is not the first time such rumours would be going round, it started about five years ago that somebody would just wake up and post this same video on social media and then people begin passing it and then cause panic to road users.

“I want to assure all residents of Lagos and road users that there is no problem with Third Mainland Bridge, it is safe and still comfortable,” he said.

The controller further stated that the bridge is important to the nation “so federal government cannot afford to allow anything happen to it”.

He said that underwater repairs which include replacement of piers, shafts and pile caps was about 20 per cent completed and the work does not affect the movement of vehicles on top of the bridge.

The controller added that the bridge was constantly receiving routine attention in addition to other bridges under various levels of rehabilitation in the state.

Headline

12 Die, 30 Missing In Peru Landslide

Published

11 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

At least 12 people, including three children, died in a landslide at a river port in central Peru on Monday, and 30 were reported missing, officials said.

The landslide submerged a boat with about 50 passengers on board, and another with none, as they were docked at the port of Iparia in the Amazon jungle region of Ucayali, according to a police report cited by the Andina news agency.

Six people were injured, it added, and a search and rescue operation was underway at the start of the Peruvian rainy season.

Without giving a toll, Peru’s COEN national emergency operations centre said on X that tragedy struck at dawn due to “erosion” of the bank of the Ucayali river.

It said the navy has been called in to help.

AFP

Headline

Nigeria Grants Asylum To Guinea-Bissau Opposition Candidate

Published

11 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian embassy in Guinea-Bissau has granted asylum to Fernando Dias da Costa, the country’s opposition presidential candidate, following alleged threats to his life after last week’s military coup, The Cable Reports.

The coup was announced by military officers on Wednesday, just days after Guinea-Bissau’s presidential election in which both incumbent President Umaro Embaló and his main challenger, da Costa, claimed victory before official results were released.

Nigeria condemned the takeover and urged an immediate return to constitutional order.

In a letter to the President of the Economic Community of West African States Commission, Omar Touray, dated November 30, the Foreign Affairs Minister, Yusuf Tuggar, said President Bola Tinubu had approved asylum and protection for da Costa inside the Nigerian embassy in Bissau.

Tuggar wrote that the decision was made “in response to threats made against da Costa’s life.”

“In this regard, it would be appreciated if you would kindly mandate the ECOWAS Stabilisation Support Mission in Guinea-Bissau to provide him protection and security while in the premises of the Nigerian embassy,” the letter stated.

The foreign affairs minister’s Special Assistant on Media and Communications Strategy, Alkasim Abdulkadir, confirmed the letter’s authenticity to The Cable on Monday.

He said, “The decision of the Federal Government of Nigeria to grant asylum and provide protection to Fernando Dia Da Costa falls squarely within Nigeria’s sovereign responsibility and longstanding commitment to regional peace, stability, and democratic governance.”

He added that Nigeria acted “in the broader interest of de-escalation,” saying the government had exercised its discretion “to prevent further deterioration of tensions and to promote social cohesion in Guinea-Bissau and the wider West African sub-region.”

According to Abdulkadir, the intervention aligns with ECOWAS principles and reflects Nigeria’s role as a stabilising force in West Africa.

Following the coup, ECOWAS held an emergency virtual summit of heads of state and subsequently suspended Guinea-Bissau from the regional bloc until constitutional order is restored.

Headline

Trump To Attend FIFA World Cup Finals Draw On Friday

Published

11 hours ago

December 1, 2025

Editor

The White House on Monday confirmed US President Donald Trump would attend the draw for the FIFA World Cup finals in Washington later this week.

The United States will co-host the 2026 tournament alongside Canada and Mexico.

“On Friday, President Trump will attend the FIFA World Cup final draw at the Kennedy Centre,” White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Trump has made the World Cup a centrepiece event of both his second presidency and the 250th anniversary of US independence next year.

But the giant sporting extravaganza has not escaped the political turmoil caused by Trump’s hardline stance on a host of issues.

Trump, a Republican, has raised the possibility of moving games from some US host cities amid a crackdown on what he says is crime and illegal migration in some Democratic-run areas.

AFP