The Federal Government may demolish no fewer than 30 illegal settlements and slums and over 6,000 illegal buildings in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, as part of measures to restore the nation’s capital’s master plan.

 The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, who dropped the hint on resuming office on Monday, said all illegal buildings distorting the Abuja master plan would be pulled down.

Wike vowed to flatten all illegal buildings even if they belonged to a minister or an ambassador.

Also, those who acquired lands from Abuja indigenes may lose their investments as they were regarded by the FCT Administration as illegal.

Checks indicate that the 6,000 structures that may be affected by the restoration plans included buildings that have been abandoned for a long time in violation of the building code.

A 2022 report by the Federal Capital Territory Administration indicated that at least 6,000 abandoned homes may be affected by the threat of demolition or revocation of land titles.

He said, “We would have to go back to the field to ascertain that figure because some of them have completed their development since we gave that figure. We would find time to go back and conduct a new survey. As of February 2022, 6,000 abandoned houses were identified.”

Unveiling his vision to journalists and FCT Administration officials after taking the oath of office alongside 44 other ministers at the banquet hall of the President Villa, Abuja, the FCT minister also said he would revoke lands that had remained undeveloped for a long period of time.

The ex-Rivers State governor warned that houses that distorted the Abuja Master plan, including those built on green areas will also be demolished, vowing to ‘’step on toes.’’

Asked if his planned demolition was not a form of vendetta against his perceived enemies, Wike simply promised a hard time for those who violated the law irrespective of their status or position in society.

He further warned that lands that had not been developed for years, or for which ground rents had not been paid would be revoked and reallocated to those who would complete the building within a short period of time.

A Chief Magistrates’ Court sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State, has sentenced two siblings, Gbenga Elegbede and Funmilayo Elegbede, to 18 months of combined imprisonment for stealing toothpaste and other items from two persons, Adeleke Omolayo and Alhaji Wahab.

Delivering the judgment on Wednesday, the Magistrate, E. O. Idowu, sentenced Gbenga to one year of imprisonment with hard labour, while Funmilayo was sentenced to six months with hard labour.

The verdict comes after both siblings pleaded guilty to eight counts of conspiracy, stealing, breaking and entering, and aiding and abetting.

The prosecutor, Laide Rawlings, had told the court that the siblings burgled the shop of Omolayo Adeleke and carted away items worth N291,150, which included 16 slippers, six markers, three toothpaste tubes, one mat, and three gas cylinders, among others.

Rawlings said their offenses contravene and are punishable under Section 127, 390(9), 411(1), 413(1), and 516 of the Criminal Code Law of Ogun State.

Gbenga and Funmilayo pleaded guilty to their offenses and begged for clemency, stressing that the former is a nursing mother of a three-month-old daughter.

Reacting to the judgment, the Defense Counsel, Barrister Nafisat Mas’ud, described the judgment as fair, stressing that justice is not only for the defendants.

She said, “Since the defendants have pleaded guilty to the offenses, the judgment is a fair one. Justice is not only for the defendants but also for the whole society. They deserve what they get.”

Recalled that the siblings were arraigned on July 19th, 2023 before Magistrate M.O. Osinbajo after which they were transferred to Chief Magistrate E.O. Idowu.

“I still feel scared when I recall the recent flooding,” Zheng Xiaokang, a police officer from the province’s Jiangxi village, told the state-run Xinhua News Agency.

“In the face of the persistent downpour and rising river water, the consequences would have been devastating had we not managed to timely evacuate the villagers,” Zheng said.

Millions of people have been hit by extreme weather events and prolonged heatwaves around the globe in recent weeks, events that scientists say are being exacerbated by climate change.

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33 dead, 18 still missing after record Beijing rains — Officials

9th August 2023

Agency Report

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Thirty-three people have been confirmed dead and 18 are still missing after Beijing’s heaviest rains on record, officials said Wednesday.

China’s capital has been hit by record downpours in your recent weeks, damaging infrastructure and deluging swathes of the city’s suburbs and surrounding areas.

Officials said Wednesday that 33 had died in the recent bad weather in Beijing, mainly by flooding and buildings collapsing, almost three times the figure given by officials last Tuesday.

“I would like to express my deep condolences to those who died in the line of duty and the unfortunate victims,” Xia Linmao, Beijing’s vice-mayor, told a press conference, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

President Bola Tinubu Tuesday evening mourned the passing of the Senior Pastor, Fountain of Life Church, Taiwo Odukoya.

A statement signed by the presidential spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, noted that Tinubu described the late Odukoya as a man whose teachings expanded the frontiers of charitable endeavours with particular respect to the education and health sectors.

“President Tinubu sends his heartfelt condolences to the Christian Association of Nigeria, Pentecostal Fellowship of Nigeria and associates of the highly revered religious leader, whose teaching, outreach and good work expanded the frontiers of charitable endeavour with particular respect to the education and health sectors.

“The President notes the worthy contributions of Pastor Odukoya to the development of the country, supporting the weak and vulnerable while providing a platform for many to realise their dreams through the teaching of the word of faith.

“President Tinubu highlights the importance of the active sustenance of the outstanding legacies of the renowned clergyman by all who knew him, trusting that the Almighty God will continue to comfort the family.”

Odukoya, 67, passed on Monday, August 7, 2023, in the United States of America, a statement by his church said on Tuesday.

The Lagos State Police Command on Friday arraigned two men, Nelson Godwin and Adigun Sobowale, for allegedly making defamatory statements on a live broadcast studio against the Oduduwa University located in Ipetumodu, Osun State.

Godwin and Sobowale were arraigned at the Yaba Magistrates’ Court, presided over by Magistrate Patrick Nwaka on four counts of defamation and breach of peace.

The prosecutor, Thomas Nurudeen, told the court that the defendants made defamatory statements in a video on Youtube and a broadcast channel, WOTV, stating that the institution was known for killing people and collecting illegal tickets from students and lecturers.

Nurudeen stated that they committed the crime on July 6 and 7, 2023, around 10 and 11am respectively, at the WO Ibile/WOTV office located at Gowon Estate, Egbeda, Lagos.

According to him, the crime committed contravenes and is punishable under Sections 516,373, 374(1) a b (2)(3) and 375 and 249(d) of the Criminal Code cap ‘C38’ Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004.

The defendants, however, pleaded not guilty to the charges preferred against them.

The defence counsel, Mr Omotosho and S.V Ogunbiyi prayed the court to grant the defendants bail in the most minimal terms.

With no objection from the prosecuting counsel and following their not-guilty plea, Nwaka granted them bail in the sum of N200,000 each, with two sureties in like sum.

Nwaka adjourned the case till December 4, 2023, for mention.

 The Nigerian Medical Association, Lagos State chapter, has directed all the doctors working in the three government hospitals on the Lagos Island to begin an indefinite strike over the death of its colleague, Dr Vwaere Diaso.

The NMA also declared a five-day mourning period in the state and asked doctors in the other government-owned hospitals to scale down activities as a mark of respect for the dead colleague.

The hospitals to embark on the indefinite strike are the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos; Lagos Island Maternity Hospital, Lagos, and the Massey Street Children’s Hospital, Lagos.

The association said Diaso died on Tuesday at the General Hospital, Odan, Lagos, after she was trapped in the elevator for more than 40 minutes before she was rescued, and there was no blood available to resuscitate her.

The NMA made this known in a press statement signed by its state Chairman, Dr Benjamin Olowojebutu, and Secretary, Ismail Ajibowo, on Wednesday.

“The NMA Lagos State received with rude shock the death of one of our members, Dr Vwaere Diaso, a medical house officer, whose death occurred as a result of injuries sustained when the elevator she was in crashed. This is heartbreaking, heart-wrenching, and quite unfortunate. We commiserate with her immediate family, her colleagues on the Island, the Medical Guild, and all body of doctors in Lagos State. The information we got was that she was trapped in the elevator for more than 40 minutes before she was rescued.

“We were also reliably informed that there was no blood available for resuscitation, and this has become a recurring issue as a result of the review made by the government on the previous policy on blood donation.

“To us, this was an avoidable death and it’s unfortunate that it was allowed to happen. We are pained and we are mourning. We are well aware that this same elevator has been a source of problem for many years during which several complaints have been made to all relevant agencies with no respite, the statement read in part.

The association, however, demanded an immediate and unbiased investigation into the circumstances surrounding the incident.