Lagos Teenager Finally Gets Freedom After Four Years In Detention Over Slippers

    A Lagos teenager who was remanded in custody in 2022 after he was allegedly arrested over slippers similar to those worn by a complainant has regained his freedom after spending nearly four years behind bars.

The teenager, whose identity was not disclosed, was among two men whose cases were taken up by the non-governmental organisation, Citizens Gavel, after

its legal team discovered them during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre in January 2024.

Citizens Gavel, in a post, stated that the teenager was arrested because he wore slippers similar to those of the complainant

but had never been taken to court despite spending months in custody.

The legal body noted that the discovery prompted its intervention to track the case.

“Their ordeal came to our attention in January 2024 during a visit to the Medium Security Correctional Centre, where our legal team in Lagos interviewed

them and discovered that, despite having been arrested since 2022, they had never been taken to court.”

“Immediately, our legal team took up their cases and began tracking the matter at the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions, eventually tracing

the case to the court of Justice Coker,” the post partly read.

 

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Citizens Gavel stated that it made its first appearance in the matter in March 2024 and subsequently appeared before Justice Coker more than seven times

for trial.

The organisation further stated that despite several adjournments, the prosecution failed to produce a single witness.

“From then on, we continued appearing before Justice Coker on more than seven occasions for trial and filed several applications urging the court to strike

out the case despite all the adjournments and the prosecution failing to produce a single witness,” it said.

The legal team, however, claimed that it was informed in early 2025 that Justice Coker was on official assignment and that the case would be transferred

to another court.

The statement noted that the Citizens Gavel again began the process of tracking the case and eventually discovered that it had been transferred to the

court of Justice Oshodi.

The organisation said it first appeared before Justice Oshodi in March 2025, when the charges were read to the two defendants, and they pleaded not guilty.

“At the close of the prosecution’s case, we filed a No Case Submission, arguing that the prosecution had failed to establish a case requiring the defendants

to answer,” the post read.

The matter was subsequently adjourned for ruling.

Delivering the ruling, the court reportedly upheld the No Case Submission and discharged and acquitted both defendants.

Citizens Gavel, however, described the outcome as significant.

“What makes this victory even more profound is that throughout this nearly four-year ordeal, not a single member of either defendant’s family appeared

in court. No other lawyer also represented them. They endured years in custody largely unseen and unheard. Today, they walk free,” the organisation said.

  

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How Two Police Officers Lost Their Lives At The Hands Of Hit-And-Run Drivers In Lagos

    A couple of days after Johnson Okediji, a police sergeant, was crushed by a car during stop-and-search operation at the Egbeda area, a female police inspector, Mercy Bassey, has died after she was reportedly knocked down by a hit-and-run driver while on route-lining duty ahead of the arrival of President Bola Tinubu in Lagos on Tuesday.

Lagos Today Extra! gathered that Bassey was hit by a black Highlander Sport Utility Vehicle. According to eye-witnesses, the deceased officer, who was attached to the Ikotun Divisional Police Station, was crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at the Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island, when the incident occurred.

A source who pleaded anonymity said the incident happened while Bassey was deployed for route-lining duty for the presidential movement.

The source added that the registration number of the SUV and the identity of its driver were unknown.

The source said, “At about 2:30pm, while on route lining for the Presidential movement, Inspector Mercy Bassey, attached to Ikotun Divisional Police Station, Lagos, was hit by a black Highlander SUV while crossing the Third Mainland Bridge at Adekunle Intersection, inward Lagos Island, Lagos.

 

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“The registration number of the vehicle and the driver are not yet known. The vehicle sped off after hitting the officer. The vehicle was chased by patrolmen on duty but escaped to an unknown destination.”

The source said the policewoman was rushed to the General Hospital, Ebute Metta, for treatment but reportedly died while awaiting treatment.

“The victim was rushed to General Hospital, Ebute Metta, but later died while awaiting treatment. The corpse will be moved to a morgue in Yaba for preservation,” the source added.

When contacted for a reaction, the spokesperson for the Lagos State Police Command, Abimbola Adebisi, confirmed the incident but declined to comment further.

“We don’t want to comment on the matter at the moment,” she said.

A few days earlier, Johnson Okediji, a police sergeant, was crushed by a car during stop-and-search operation at the Egbeda area of Lagos state.

The incident occurred along Olugbede street on September 26, 2026.

Speaking during a news conference on Monday, Fatai Tijani, the Lagos police commissioner, said on the day of the incident, officers on stop-and-search duty asked a Lexus ES 350 driven by Olusola Olumide, a 21-year-old phone seller, to pull over.

Tijani said Olumide initially brought the car to a halt but suddenly sped off as the sergeant approached the steering wheel.

The Lagos police commissioner said the sergeant was knocked down and his body dragged under the moving vehicle.

Tijani further relayed that the driver refused to stop the vehicle despite efforts from police officers and passersby.

“The driver was eventually chased and arrested. The officer sustained multiple fractures and serious head injuries,” the Lagos police commissioner said.

“He was taken to the nearby hospital and subsequently referred to LASUTH, where he was unfortunately pronounced dead on arrival.”

Tijani said the trend of drivers speeding off when asked to pull over during stop-and-search operations has become worrisome.

Narrating what transpired, Olumide said the car developed brake failure and that he could not stop the vehicle.

The driver said just days before the incident, he took the car to the mechanic to replace the brake pad.

“My car brake failed and I accidentally ran over the officer. I was about to park, but there was a slip and I hit the car in front of me. I couldn’t stop the car,” Olumide said.

“I took the car to the mechanic to change the brake pad, and he told me that he had changed it. The next day, I went to buy fuel before I saw the officers.”

Olumide added that police officers at the checkpoint knew him and were aware that he had not deliberately hit the deceased officer.

  

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Eight Escape Death As Three Trucks Collide On Lagos-Ibadan Expressway

Eight occupants of three trucks escaped death on Thursday after the vehicles were involved in a multiple-vehicle crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, around the Sinoma outbound Lagos axis in the Obafemi Owode Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The accident, which occurred around 3:30 pm, involved eight male occupants, none of whom were injured or killed.

The incident was contained in a traffic and accident situation report issued by the Mowe-Ibafo Divisional Command of the Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps.

According to the report signed by the Divisional Commander, Ojo Olarinsoye, the vehicles involved were a white HOWO truck with registration number MDB-610XA, conveying wheat; a yellow DAF truck with registration number GME-33XA, conveying Vaseline cream; and a white MAN truck with a gas tanker, with registration number BDG-750YL.

 

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The report stated that preliminary findings indicated that the DAF truck rammed into the rear of the HOWO truck, reportedly due to impatience, with the impact subsequently affecting the MAN truck.

It read, “Preliminary information revealed that the Yellow DAF Truck rammed into the rear of the White HOWO Truck, reportedly due to impatience, and the impact subsequently affected the White MAN Truck with Gas Tanker.”

Despite the impact involving three trucks, the agency said none of the eight occupants sustained injuries or lost their lives.

The report stated that TRACE operatives arrived at the scene around 6:13 pm, shortly after the accident was reported.

The rescue and traffic management operation involved TRACE, Amotekun and the Police Motor Traffic Division, Sagamu.

The agency said its operatives, working with Amotekun and the police, controlled traffic and managed the situation while efforts were made to remove the affected vehicles from the carriageway.

It added that the Police MTD, Sagamu, was contacted and arranged towing services for the affected vehicles.

According to the report, the yellow DAF truck was towed to the custody of the Police MTD, Sagamu, while the white HOWO truck and the white MAN truck with a gas tanker were driven away from the carriageway by their respective drivers.

The agency noted that motorists experienced slow movement as the affected trucks occupied part of the carriageway during the evacuation process.

It, however, said the situation was brought under control after all the affected trucks were successfully evacuated and the carriageway cleared.

  

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NBA Backs Lagos Anti-Street Begging Bill, Demands Safeguards

The Lagos State branch of the Nigerian Bar Association has backed a proposed law to prohibit street begging and street urchins in the state, but urged the House of Assembly to strengthen its provisions and ensure enforcement does not criminalise poverty or violate the rights of vulnerable people.

The Chairman of the NBA Lagos Branch, Uchenna Akingbade, stated this at a public hearing on the proposed Street Begging and Street Urchins (Prohibition, Prevention and Rehabilitation) Bill 2026 at the Lagos State House of Assembly earlier this week.

The NBA said the legislation was necessary to address the use of children for begging, obstruction of public spaces and cases of violent or coercive solicitation, but called for clear safeguards around arrest, detention and rehabilitation.

Akingbade said the situation was particularly concerning along the Lekki-Epe corridor and called for urgent intervention, including the possibility of declaring a state of emergency in identified flashpoints.

He urged the lawmakers to remove ambiguity from the proposed offence of “loitering for the purpose of begging” and called for tougher penalties where people engaged in begging were found carrying dangerous weapons.

The NBA chairman also called for more rehabilitation centres, arguing that enforcement should be accompanied by measures to address the circumstances that leave vulnerable people on the streets.

The association stressed that children found begging should be treated as children in need of care and protection and handled separately from adult offenders under the Lagos State Child Rights Law.

It also called for stronger penalties against adults who exploit children for begging, alongside due process, court oversight and defined limits on detention and rehabilitation.

 

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The proposed law would establish a rehabilitation-centred enforcement regime. First-time offenders would be cautioned and taken to rehabilitation centres, while subsequent offences could attract a fine or imprisonment of up to three months. Serial offenders could face up to two years in prison.

The rehabilitation programme contemplated by the bill includes temporary care, vocational training, literacy programmes, psychological counselling, life-skills training and welfare support.

The Chairman of the House Committee on Youth, Sports and Social Development, Abiodun Orekoya, said the Assembly recognised that street begging was not merely a question of public order.

He said the issue had security, socio-economic, developmental and child-protection dimensions, insisting that the legislative response must be “firm and humane”.

Orekoya said vulnerable children found on the streets should be protected rather than merely punished, adding that the proposed framework was intended to provide for their care, education, rehabilitation and possible reintegration into their families and communities.

He also stressed that enforcement must respect the fundamental rights guaranteed under Chapter IV of the 1999 Constitution, including protection against torture, inhuman or degrading treatment and unlawful detention.

Speaking on behalf of the Oba of Lagos, Rilwan Akiolu, White Cap Chief Gbolahan Oki said arrests had failed to deter some offenders because they expected to regain their freedom shortly after being detained.

“The culprits don’t see arrest as anything because they know the police nets are filled up and they know they will be out soon,” Oki said.

He proposed a rehabilitation model based on productive work, referring to the traditional Itekule concept under which offenders could be made to contribute through activities such as bread production.

“What can curb the menace is to be subjected to two years of hard work,” he said.

The proposed law has also drawn calls for differentiated treatment of people whose presence on the streets may be linked to mental health conditions.

The Executive Director of Elixir Trust Foundation, Emmanuel Ikule, urged the Assembly to provide for people begging with mental health challenges to be referred to appropriate psychiatric and rehabilitation facilities.

Ikule cited Pen Cinema and Ojodu-Berger as areas where, he alleged, some people had used knives at night to extort money from unsuspecting members of the public.

A counselling psychologist, Suliat Olaniran, also raised concerns about alleged cases in which dangerous weapons were used to compel people to give money at night.

The bill also seeks to prevent the exploitation of children by prohibiting parents, guardians and custodians from using or permitting children to engage in street begging or hawking.

Children apprehended under the proposed law would be dealt with under the Lagos State Child Rights Law and referred to child-welfare authorities.

The NBA, however, said the proposed law should target harmful conduct and exploitation rather than poverty, homelessness or disability.

It also called for the agency to be created under the legislation to have clearly defined responsibilities, adequate government funding, financial accountability and safeguards for the personal data of children and adults brought within the system.

The Deputy Speaker of the Assembly, Mojisola Meranda, who represented the Speaker, Mudashiru Obasa, said the proposed law was not intended to deprive anyone of their rights and welcomed support from private organisations in tackling the problem.

The bill envisages collaboration among government agencies, the Nigeria Police Force, Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps, traditional institutions, religious organisations, families, communities, schools, civil society groups and the private sector.

  

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How 45,000-Litre Petrol Tanker Overturned In Epe

A tanker loaded with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit overturned at Isimi, Epe, Lagos State, on Thursday, spilling its contents onto the roadway.

The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency disclosed this in a statement signed by its Permanent Secretary, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu.

The agency said no life was lost and no injury was recorded in the incident.

According to the statement, the tanker, with registration number T-18212LA, was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van, marked KJA-13FJ, which had developed a mechanical fault and was stationary along the carriageway.

LASEMA said, “Preliminary investigation revealed that the tanker, while attempting to manoeuvre past the stationary Ford pickup van which had developed a mechanical fault along the carriageway, had one of its rear tyres slip into a pit, causing it to overturn and fall onto the pickup van, leading to spillage of its highly inflammable contents onto the roadway.”

The agency said it received a distress call at 10:19am and immediately activated its LRT Beta Whales Team stationed at Epe.

It said, “Upon arrival, responders observed a tanker laden with 45,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, with registration number T-18212LA, which was involved in an accident with a Ford pickup van loaded with animal feed, with registration number KJA-13FJ.”

 

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LASEMA said it activated its multi-agency incident management protocol, with the LRT working alongside the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps, Federal Road Safety Corps and the Nigeria Police Force.

It said the agencies “promptly secured the incident perimeter, implemented traffic control and diversion measures, and deployed safety protocols to prevent a secondary incident.”

According to the agency, the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service blanketed the fallen tanker and its immediate surroundings with chemical foam to mitigate the risk of a fire outbreak.

“The affected section of the road was temporarily closed to vehicular movement to ensure public safety,” the statement added.

LASEMA said the remaining PMS was successfully transferred from the damaged tanker to an empty tanker.

“Through seamless coordination and professional execution, the transloading of the remaining PMS from the accidented tanker to an empty tanker was successfully completed without incident,” it said.

The agency added that both vehicles were subsequently removed from the roadway with the aid of a private tow truck and taken to Ketu Police Station.

“The road has since been reopened and is now free for vehicular activities,” LASEMA said.

The agency said, “Fortunately, no loss of life or injury was recorded in the incident.”

Oke-Osanyintolu commended the emergency responders for their intervention, saying, “The swift response and synergy of all emergency responders whose professionalism averted what could have resulted in a major disaster.”

He also appealed to motorists, particularly heavy-duty vehicle and tanker drivers, to ensure their vehicles were in good mechanical condition and exercise caution on Lagos roads.

The statement said, “The Permanent Secretary appeals to motorists, particularly drivers of heavy-duty vehicles and tankers conveying combustible products, to ensure their vehicles are in good mechanical condition, adhere strictly to traffic regulations, and exercise utmost caution on Lagos roads.”

It urged members of the public to report emergencies and road incidents through the 767 and 112 toll-free emergency lines.

  

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Lagos Crackdown: Vulnerable Children Arrested, Hauled Into ‘Black Maria’

Lagos’ street crackdown has seen teenagers arrested by law-enforcement and environmental agencies and packed into overcrowded “Black Maria” vans, raising concerns about their safety, dignity, due process and child-protection safeguards, VICTOR AYENI writes

“Abeg, comot!” two men wearing the green jackets of Kick Against Indiscipline operatives in Lagos State could be heard saying as they rounded up beggars on a

Lagos street.

In a viral video of the operation conducted, the beggars, including minors, could be seen being lifted slightly off the ground and forced into the rear of a large, enclosed van with green-painted windows.

The video showed the beggars being taken off the streets as part of an enforcement operation in Lagos.

The vehicle, popularly known as a “Black Maria”, is a bulky, enclosed enforcement van painted in distinctive green colours.

Such vehicles have become a familiar sight during street raids, where people apprehended for offences including street trading, hawking and other alleged environmental violations are transported away from the streets.

 

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In this particular video, which was posted in June by the state Commissioner for the Ministry of the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, on his X handle, he disclosed that a total of 45 beggars were apprehended.

Separate enforcement operations were conducted by the Lagos State Environmental Sanitation Corps in the Oshodi, Agege and CMS areas of the state.

Wahab said 22 beggars were arrested in Oshodi and Agege, comprising adults and a few teenagers, and added that 14 adults and nine children were also apprehended at CMS during the exercise.

He also said clearance operations were ongoing in other parts of the state, including Admiralty Way in Lekki and Addo Road in Ajah.

The enforcement against street beggars took a new turn on May 25 when the state government intensified its environmental enforcement, making 10,634 arrests across the state over a single year.

According to Wahab, 5,715 persons were arrested for illegal highway crossing, while 3,886 others were apprehended for offences including street trading, environmental pollution and cart pushing.

He added that 102 persons were arrested for open defecation, while another 931 individuals were apprehended for waste management-related offences across the state.

Offenders in ‘Black Maria’

On Thursday, Sunday PUNCH observed a Black Maria packed with young people, including minors and teenagers.

The vehicle was filled to capacity with both boys and girls who were being carried through the streets.

It was not immediately ascertained whether the minors were being detained at a correctional centre.

But observers in the area wondered if it was appropriate for the authorities to transport minors to detention facilities in Black Maria vans.

The concern was due to the sordid history that Black Maria vans had accumulated over the years in the country.

Formerly, Black Maria vans were used by the police and prison services to transport prisoners and suspects to courts or jails and also to move awaiting-trial inmates.

They were often criticised for being overcrowded, hot and poorly ventilated. The Federal Government officially renamed the vehicles from “Black Maria” to “Green Maria” in 2018 to signal a shift towards rehabilitation.

In March 1980, 50 men reportedly suffocated to death inside a packed police van in Lagos, creating a national outcry known as the Black Maria Tragedy.

During military regimes, the vans became known as symbols of political persecution, famously featuring in protests, art and the anti-military music of the late Afrobeat legend, Fela Kuti.

However, these black vans are seen during enforcement operations conducted by LAGESC or the Lagos State Taskforce, which are used to convey arrested offenders from the streets.

A source in LAGESC told Sunday PUNCH that when offenders such as street beggars are picked up on the streets by these agencies, they undergo a formal process of profiling, rehabilitation, prosecution or repatriation.

“The individuals that have been arrested are taken in for documentation to determine their backgrounds, health needs and states of origin. The authorities work with social welfare agencies to provide rehabilitation programmes for vulnerable persons.

“Some of these offenders are charged in mobile or magistrate courts (such as in Oshodi). Those convicted, especially repeat offenders or those linked to organised groups, can face fines or jail terms ranging from three months’ imprisonment.

“But many of the arrested individuals are handed over to appropriate state authorities or social services to be safely returned to their respective home states outside Lagos. They are only conveyed in vans temporarily, and officers are also with them to ensure their safety,” the source disclosed.

Notwithstanding, there were claims by some street sellers and other business individuals who ply their trade in public places that merely seeing such vans instils fear in them.

They allege that some of the minors arrested are packed together in these vans and that this might be unconducive to their health and well-being.

 We don’t keep minors, says NCoS Lagos

Reacting to the allegation, the Public Relations Officer for the Nigerian Correctional Service, Lagos State Command, Osho Onimisi, told Sunday PUNCH that the prison service does not operate Black Maria vans and does not keep minors in its facilities.

“We don’t keep minors. We have a borstal institution where they are taken. One can’t even determine who is underage from merely looking; it’s from the police station that it is determined who is underage or not. And if the case gets to the courts, the Magistrate most times knows if they are underage.

“We only work with warrants issued to us by the courts to remand. And if we sense that the person looks young, we reject them. The Nigerian Correctional Service Act 2019 gives us the right to reject them.

“The Act, under its provisions for juvenile offenders, mandates that Controllers of Corrections and Superintendents-in-charge of Custodial Centres must not admit minors (juveniles) into facilities meant for adults. Furthermore, I wish to emphasise that we don’t even use a Black Maria; it’s Green Maria,” he said.

Lagos Taskforce reacts

Also speaking with Sunday PUNCH, the Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Taskforce, Gbadeyan Abdulraheem, refuted the claim, adding that such a claim was based on assumptions.

“You saw a Black Maria filled with teenagers; where, when, how? I am sorry, it is not the Lagos State Taskforce Black Maria. Taskforce is not the only enforcement agency that conveys suspects with Black Maria, and we have the agency’s name and logo inscribed on them.

“Other enforcement/security agencies also carry their suspects in Black Maria. Taskforce does not have the monopoly of carrying suspects in Black Maria from the point of arrest to the station for the safety of both suspects and the enforcers of laws,” Abdulraheem said.

Culled from The Punch 

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Lagos Tightens Security At Badagry Border Over Child Theft

The Lagos State Government has stepped up measures to tackle child theft and illegal abduction in the Badagry axis, identifying the area’s border location as a factor facilitating the activities of suspected child traffickers.

The Secretary to the State Government, Bimbola Salu-Hundeyin, disclosed this during the state’s bi-monthly meeting with heads of security agencies and parliamentary affairs in Ikeja.

Salu-Hundeyin said the government had intensified its security meetings to ensure that emerging threats were identified and addressed at the grassroots.

She said the meetings, previously held quarterly, were now conducted every two months because of emerging security concerns across the state.

“It’s another bi-monthly meeting with the Head of Parliamentary Affairs and Heads of Security Agencies of the state. First, let me tell you, it’s no more quarterly. It’s bi-monthly now. So, we meet more often because we’ve realised that there are security issues,” she said.

According to the SSG, child theft was among the major issues discussed at the meeting, with reports indicating that the Badagry axis had become a hotspot for criminal activity.

“I want to tell you one of the touching ones about child theft. I call it child theft. You know, people that steal other people’s children and go and sell them.

“And this is so sad because, in this particular case, the woman has been charged to court. So, I can talk about it. And they even have a kind of clinic. She does it in conjunction with her own husband. You know, it’s really sad,” she said.

 

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She explained that Badagry’s location along an international border made it easier for suspects involved in child trafficking to evade arrest.

“According to the report, most of this particular criminal activity happens mostly around the Badagry axis. Why we are talking about data and knowing locations is so that we know why it is happening there and what can be done. It’s simply because Badagry is a border town. So, they can easily escape,” Salu-Hundeyin said.

She added that the state government would increase security infrastructure in the area, including the installation of additional security lights.

“So, we now know that we have to put more lights, I mean, security lights, on that area,” she said.

Salu-Hundeyin further disclosed that the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons would provide the state government with updated statistics on child trafficking cases, including convictions and pending cases.

“And the NAPTIP officer had promised to give us accurate statistics. I can’t tell you those statistics now because she didn’t come with the accurate ones. But she was able to tell us how many convictions are pending, those that have been convicted and all that, and the areas that they happen,” she said.

The SSG said the government was coordinating efforts through relevant ministries and agencies, including the Ministries of Youth and Women Affairs, to combat child theft and trafficking.

“Because when we’re talking about children, we’re talking about the future of the country, the future of the state. It’s very saddening that people will do that to innocent children. And so, we’re not taking it easy,” she said.

Salu-Hundeyin also linked some criminal activities to mental health concerns, saying the state government was expanding mental health infrastructure as part of its broader response to social challenges.

She disclosed that the administration of Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu was building what she described as the biggest mental health hospital in Africa, which she said would soon be commissioned.

The SSG said the state was also strengthening community-level security through the Lagos State Neighbourhood Watch and regular engagements with local government secretaries, Community Development Committees and Community Development Associations.

“We also hold meetings with the secretaries of the local governments. We also discuss security issues there so that they can go back to communities, CDCs and CDAs. We can see what’s going on,” she said.

Salu-Hundeyin also disclosed that the meeting examined concerns over the safety of some bridges in the state following reports from a representative of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.

She said the concerns would be forwarded to the relevant ministries, departments and agencies for necessary action.

Meanwhile, during a separate meeting with members of the Lagos Police Community Relations Committee, Salu-Hundeyin commended the organisation for its proactive approach to security and community engagement.

She said the committee’s activities had complemented the efforts of the state government and security agencies in promoting peace and safety across Lagos.

“If I say that we’re not always grateful to you, it’s an understatement. We’re really grateful because the office is being seen the way it is seen because of what you’re doing. So I would say that we are because you are,” she said.

The SSG particularly praised the committee’s efforts to educate residents on electoral processes, noting that voter education could help reduce election-related violence.

She said, “If you teach people how to conduct themselves before and during an election, it’s also a security issue. Because people will then know you’re educating them on their rights as voters.”

Salu-Hundeyin urged the committee to sustain its public enlightenment campaigns ahead of future elections, stressing that elections should be seen as a civic responsibility rather than a conflict.

“We’ve spoken to DPOs, we’ve spoken to all that, to say that, look, how do people tend to appreciate that election is not war? It is a civic duty that we must perform to make sure that we exercise our democratic rights and to have whoever we desire to lead us,” she said.

She added that voter education would help residents understand that elections gave them the power to freely choose their leaders.

“Election, the way I see what you’re doing, is like a mirror of governance, kind of, that if you exercise your rights well, you will get the right government you want. And people need to know that, especially at this time,” Salu-Hundeyin said.

  

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One Killed, Two Injured As Building Collapses During Demolition In Alimosho, “We Were Not Informed Before Commencement Of Demolition” - LASBCA

What was meant to be the demolition of a two-storey building in Aboru, Alimosho, Lagos, ended in tragedy yesterday when the structure collapsed, killing one person and injuring two others.

The building, located at No. 42, Governors Road, Aboru, reportedly collapsed while it was being manually demolished.

Two adult males were rescued from the rubble, but one other man was found dead beneath the collapsed structure.

The incident has raised questions over compliance with Lagos State’s building and demolition regulations, with the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA) saying it was neither contacted nor informed before the demolition commenced.

Speaking with The Guardian, Director of the agency’s Public Affairs Unit, Ademuyiwa Adu, described the exercise as an illegal demolition and warned that the property could be seized.

 

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“We were not involved or informed about the demolition. The punishment is confiscation of the property. Demolition has a process and must pass through us, and we are the only ones legally authorised to carry out demolition,” Adu said.

Under the state’s regulations, property owners are required to obtain the appropriate demolition permit from the Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA) before removing a structure. LASBCA is also responsible for monitoring structural safety and compliance.

Officials said defaulters could be made to bear the cost of removing demolition remnants, while the government may also take steps to seize its interest in the affected property.

Following the collapse, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) received a distress call and dispatched its Alpha Eagle Response Team from the Cappa, Oshodi Response Unit.

LASEMA subsequently activated the state’s Emergency Response Plan and assumed incident command to coordinate the rescue operation.

The two survivors were extricated from the rubble and given emergency first aid by personnel of the Lagos State Ambulance Service (LASAMBUS) before being taken to a nearby health facility for further treatment.

However, the rescue operation ended in grief when the body of the third victim was recovered from beneath the debris.

  

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