The Oyo state government has declared Friday as a half-work day for all civil and public servants in the state ahead of the LGAs election on Saturday.

In a statement on Thursday, Sulaimon Olanrewaju, special adviser on media to Seyi Makinde, governor of Oyo, said the declaration of the half-work day was to enable workers to participate in the election.

Olanrewaju said government offices would close by noon, noting that workers on essential services are expected to remain at their duty posts.

He said the state government enjoined all civil and public servants to go out and exercise their civic rights on Saturday.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) has assured that the LGAs polls would be hitch-free and credible.

Speaking recently during a radio programme, Isiaka Olagunju, OYSIEC Chairman, said only citizens with voter cards are eligible to vote.

He added that no other form of identification would be recognised, noting that additional polling units have been created by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for a smooth exercise.

He also said electoral violence would be prevented, assuring that all LGAs would receive election materials before Friday to guide against incidence of late arrival.

Flight operations at terminal one of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Lagos have been diverted by the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN) to the D Wing following a fire outbreak at the facility.

Obiageli Orah, director, public affairs and consumer protection, FAAN, said the incident happened in the early hours of Thursday.

In a statement, Orah said at “05:29 hrs, smoke was detected billowing from the E54 Bridge, leading electrical engineers to immediately cut off power to the entire E Wing”.

“The Airport Rescue and Firefighting Services (ARFFS) team was quick to respond, arriving at the scene by 05:30 hrs. Initial suspicions point to sparks from an electrical unit as the cause, but a thorough investigation is ongoing to ascertain the cause of the fire,” she said.

“The incident, which had escalated into a fire, was brought under control by 06:41 hrs. Efforts to ventilate the smoke from the building are in progress.”

The Nigeria Correctional Service (NCoS) says 118 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state on Wednesday, during a downpour.

In a statement on Thursday, Adamu Duza, spokesperson for the federal capital territory (FCT) command of the NCoS, said the rainfall ravaged parts of the prison.

He added that the command, in collaboration with security agencies, has apprehended 10 of the fleeing inmates, while raising concerns over the weak walls of the facility which he said were built during the colonial era.

“A heavy downpour that lasted for several hours on the night of Wednesday, 24 April 2024 has wreaked havoc on the medium security custodial centre, Suleja, Niger state, as well as surrounding buildings, destroying part of the custodial facility, including its perimeter fence, giving way to the escape of a total of 118 inmates of the facility,” the statement reads.

“The service has immediately activated its recapturing mechanisms, and in conjunction with sister security agencies, has so far recaptured 10 fleeing inmates and taken them into custody, while we are in hot pursuit to recapture the rest.

“The service is not unmindful of the fact that many of its facilities were built during the colonial era and that they are old and weak.

“The service is making frantic efforts to ensure that all aging facilities give way to modern ones.”

He said Francis John, controller of corrections, FCT command, has called on the public to carry on with their normal activities, adding that the service is working to address the situation.