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Nigerian Customs Kill Pregnant Woman, Schoolgirl, Motorcyclist

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The Officials of Nigerian Custom Service (NCS) yesterday allegedly shot dead a Pregnant-Woman, a Female Secondary School Girl and a Commercial Motorcycle Rider, while chasing rice smugglers at Kola, Agbado Ijaiye area of Lagos State. Telegraph Reports

Witnesses said the Customs officials were chasing a commercial bus carrying bags of rice. It was learnt that after apprehending the supposedly smugglers, the Customs officials attempted to impound the vehicle and seized the bags of rice.

However, the suspected smugglers resisted the attempt which made the NCS officials to start shooting. In the process, stray bullets hit the three victims at different locations in the area. The incident, which occurred about 8a.m., was said to have caused panic among the residents of the area.

The motorcycle rider, Saheed Omotosho, was taking his motorcycle from the riders’ park when the stray bullet hit him in the chest.

The killings sparked a spontaneous protest by commercial bus drivers and motorcyclists before they were dispersed by a team of policemen from Alakuko police station. The incident also caused gridlock on both sides of the Lagos-Abeokuta Expressway as the protesters impeded free movement of vehicles.

The protesters also made bonfire at Moshalashi bus stop to register their grievance over the gruesome murder of their colleague. Our correspondent also learnt that the other two victims of the shooting spree by the Customs officials were an unidentified secondary school student and a pregnant woman.

A resident of the area, who identified himself simply as Ademola, said the commercial bus was coming from Sango-Ota in Ogun State with many bags of rice when the NCS officials started chasing it.

He said:

“It appeared that the driver refused to stop for the Customs officials and they chased him to Moshalashi area where they started shooting sporadically.

I was inside my shop when I heard sounds of gunshots and everybody started running in different directions.”

The road was full of many people, mostly women, who were trying to take their children from school.

“I only saw the Okada rider (motorcyclist) after the stray bullet from Customs officials hit him. But the other two people, a pregnant woman and a secondary schoolgirl, were also hit by stray bullets on Ogunmola Street.”

Ademola said that the Customs officials also shot repeatedly to prevent policemen, who were drafted to the scene, from arresting them.

According to him, the NCS officials fled while still shooting. Some residents of the area urged Lagos and the Ogun State governments to find a lasting solution to the menace of Customs officers in the area. The Chairman of the motorcycle riders, Mr. Kazeem Adekunle, accused the Customs officials of abandoning the border to man an illegal checkpoint between Sango Toll Gate and Awori U-turn.

He said:

“This is not the first time such incident had occurred in this area. The Customs officials cannot be chasing smugglers from Idiroko into communities, because they were at the border posts when the goods were coming into the country.”

One of the motorcyclist’s friends, who did not want his name in print, described Omotosho’s death as very unfortunate.

He said:

“We were all at our park when we saw the Customs officials chasing the commercial bus. Immediately we saw the manner the Customs were shooting, we ran away. But the deceased went to the park to pick his motorcycle and the stray bullet hit him.”

The state Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Dolapo Badmos, confirmed the incident. She said:

“In the early hours of today (yesterday) about 7:00am some Customs officials were on the trail of a vehicle. They started shooting. In the process, one passer-by was shot dead.

The patrol team, led by the DPO of Alakuko division, moved to the area to douse the tension. The Customs officials fired sporadically and escaped from the scene.”

Badmos said victim’s body was evacuated to the morgue while investigations had commenced into the matter.

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FCCPC seals warehouse with mislabelled, expired products in Ekiti

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The Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) says a warehouse selling harmful products in Ekiti state was raided and sealed on Wednesday.

In a post on X, FCCPC said the raid was carried out after receiving intelligence reports that there were unsafe and expired products in the warehouse located in Ado-Ekiti.

After confirming the reports, FCCPC said the place was sealed.

“Following intelligence reports, our operatives raided a warehouse suspected of selling harmful products, including vegetable oils, cereals and other fast-moving consumer goods,” the commission said.

“During the raid, the FCCPC found evidence of expired goods still on the shelves, deceptive labels on products, fake barcodes, and repackaged, potentially unsafe products.

“The warehouse is now sealed, and the owners along with a supplier are being investigated. Appropriate enforcement actions will follow.”

The commission said it would remain vigilant in protecting consumers and ensuring a fair marketplace in Nigeria.

On April 18, FCCPC raided two 4U Signature supermarkets in the Wuse area of Abuja.

The supermarkets were accused of overcharging customers by implementing prices different from those listed on the shelf tags.

Four days after the supermarket was sealed, FCCPC summoned the owners of Royal Choice, a Chinese supermarket in Abuja, for allegedly refusing to sell to Nigerians.

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Sanwo-Olu’s deputy chief of staff, Gboyega Soyannwo dies at 55

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Gboyega Soyannwo, deputy chief of staff to Babajide Sanwo-Olu, governor of Lagos, is dead.

Soyannwo died on Wednesday after a brief illness, at the age of 55.

In a statement, Gbenga Omotoso, the commissioner for information and strategy in Lagos, said Sanwo-Olu commiserated with the family of the late deputy chief of staff.

The Lagos governor said he had lost a “brother and a servant of the people”.

“With deep sorrow, the Lagos State Government announces the passing of the deputy chief of staff (DCoS) to Mr Governor, Mr Gboyega Soyannwo,” the statement reads.

“Mr. Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, on behalf of the government and people of Lagos, sends his condolences to the Soyannwo family.“

Soyannwo was appointed as the deputy chief of staff to Sanwo-Olu in 2019. He was reappointed in 2023.

He was born on October 3, 1968.

He had his primary education at the Corona School Victoria Island, Lagos, from 1974 to 1980 and proceeded to Kings College for his secondary education from 1980 to 1985.

He obtained a B.Sc. in economics from the University of Lagos.

He started his career at the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) in 1992 as a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC).

He also worked in some financial institutions in Nigeria before joining the public service.

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Faulty aircraft: Tinubu should travel by road or use commercial flight, says rep

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Ali Isa, a member of the house of representatives, says President Bola Tinubu should travel by road or use commercial flights for official engagements.

Isa, the minority whip and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) representing the Balanga/Billiri federal constituency of Gombe, spoke on the floor of the green chamber on Wednesday.

Isa was contributing to a motion sponsored by Satomi Ahmed, chairman of the house committee on national security and intelligence, on the need to probe the status of the presidential fleet.

Recently, Tinubu reportedly used a chartered aircraft from the Netherlands to Saudi Arabia after the presidential jet developed a fault.

Early this month, Vice-President Kashim Shettima also cancelled his trip to the United States due to a fault developed by the presidential jet.

Shettima was to represent Tinubu at the 2024 US-Africa business summit.

‘TINUBU SHOULD TRAVEL BY ROAD’

Isa said the president and the vice-president can travel by road or fly commercial airlines when they are going on official engagements.

“Mr Speaker, since an issue has been raised, I would advise that the president should suspend using the presidential aircraft; if there is a need he can use either commercial or chartered aircraft,” the lawmaker said.

“And another option that will also help Nigerians is if the president can travel by road. Nigerians will have hope that our roads will be repaired.”

Benjamin Kalu, the deputy speaker who presided over the plenary, said the president should not travel by road.

“Are you saying, Mr president, the number one leader should travel around by road?” Kalu asked.

But Kingsley Chinda, the minority leader, corroborated Isa’s position that the president can use commercial aircraft.

“I have not seen anything wrong with a public office holder using public aircraft. The prime minister of the UK uses British Airways. It is commercial,” Chinda said.

“We should be thinking of how to resuscitate the Nigerian Airway.

“British Airways is not a British Air Force; it is a British private company. If we have planes in the presidential fleet, they should be maintained, and the president and vice president can use them.

“If for any reason we have failed to maintain them, it is not for it to be discussed on the floor of the house.”

However, Sada Soli, a member from Katsina countered Chinda, saying that the UK prime minister uses a special British Airways plane.

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Bodex F. Hungbo, SPMIIM is a multiple award-winning Nigerian Digital Media Practitioner, Digital Strategist, PR consultant, Brand and Event Expert, Tv Presenter, Tier-A Blogger/Influencer, and a top cobbler in Nigeria.

She has widespread experiences across different professions and skills, which includes experiences in; Marketing, Media, Broadcasting, Brand and Event Management, Administration and Management with prior stints at MTN, NAPIMS-NNPC, GLOBAL FLEET OIL AND GAS, LTV, Silverbird and a host of others

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