Metro
Final Year Ondo Varsity Student Swept Away by Flood
The torrential rainfall of almost eight hours in Ondo State on Monday evening claimed the life of a final year female student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba, Akoko Southwest local government.
The deceased simply called ‘Doyin’, an indigene of Ekiti State, was washed away to an unknown destination by flood from a canal very close to her residence.
Her landlord, Elemukona Ademola, who narrowly escaped the flood, said: “I had to climb cocoa tree when many people thought I had been carried away by the flood.’’
At the scene of the incident, the Ondo Commissioner for Agriculture, Otunba Gboyega Adefarati, warned citizens from building houses very close to canals. He also cautioned those who are in the habit of blocking the drainages with refuse to desist from such act as this practice lead to flooding.
The university authorities yesterday suspended lectures and tests earlier scheduled for Tuesday over the incident. A statement by the institution’s Acting Registrar, Opeolu Akinfemiwa, however, said all students should resume on Wednesday.
According to him: “The university is leaving no stone unturned in the quest to find the missing student. Divers and other volunteers have been sought to search the path of the river in a bid to find the missing under graduate.”
The Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in charge of Akungba, CSP Shakiru Ajibola, confirmed the incident and said three persons including a landlord of the house where the girl was carried away by flood were rescued. He noted that divers were still looking for the undergraduate in the neighbouring rivers.
Already, many roads in Akokoland had become impassable as serious erosion had affected them, especially Jubilee road, Hospital junction, Bankole road Ilepa Ikare, Okoja Awara road,Irun to Ojeka,Irun to Surulere to Oluta and Okeagbe to Afin to Eshe.
Also, travellers and residents coming in and out of Ado Ekiti were yesterday left stranded for several hours as flood again submerged the popular Ureje bridge in the state capital. The bridge is the major link to communities such as Ureje, Federal Polytechnic Ado, Afe Babalola University, some communities in Ekiti and Ondo states.
The flood that submerged the bridge yesterday made it the fourth time the bridge has been overrun by flood in the last two months. Many motorists and commuters were stranded and helpless since there were no alternative routes for them.
The bridge was swept off on the eve of the October 1, the independence day, which led to the palliative work done by the state government to allow temporary use of the bridge. A resident of Oke Ureje, Mrs. Olaniyi Rebecca, lamented that her children had gone to school on the other side of the bridge, wondering how they would return home.
Meanwhile, in Lagos State, residents of Itowolo, Ajegunle, Owode Irawo all along Ikorodu Road have urged the state government to assist concerning the flood that has ravaged the community in recent times. When The Guardian visited the affected areas, many of the residents were having unpleasant times using makeshift bridges and canoes to move freely. Some have temporarily vacated their houses.
Chief Eniola Alabo, who resides in Ajegunle urged government of Lagos and Ogun to meet and discuss on the need not to open the Oyan Dam before October. He said the Atlantic Ocean level rises in October and if the dam is opened around the period, it leads to flooding in the area.
He said: “Some years ago during the Jonathan administration, there was flooding and the president came to our area. He released N700 million to assist us. Fashola was the governor then. The state government wanted us to leave but Jonathan said no. Fashola thereafter created a relief place at Agbowa Ikosi and asked us to relocate. We sensed a foul play that it was a strategy for us to leave and turned the place to government acquired area like Maroko. Till now, we don’t know how the money was spent.
However, the Edo State government on Tuesday distributed relief materials to flood victims in five local government areas across the state, including Igueben, Egor, Oredo, Ovia South-West, Ikpoba-Okha and Uhunmwonde Local government council areas. Some of the distributed items include 500 bags of rice, 300 bags of beans, 300 bags of garri, 2000 cartoons of noodles, gallons of vegetable oil and palm oil.
Addressing journalists during the distribution of materials to officials of the benefitting local councils in Benin City, the governor, Mr. Godwin Obaseki, who was represented by his Special Adviser on Special Duties, Yakubu Gowon, said the gesture was in line with the mandate to ensure that flood victims in the state were given the necessary support to alleviate their plights.
Representative of the chairman of Ikpoba-Okha LGA, Balogban Kingsley, while applauding the governor’s magnanimity, described the distribution of items as timely.
The Guardian
Metro
Ikorodu Security: CP Tijani Launches ‘Command Sweepers Squad’, Deploys Three LSSTF Refurbished APCs
In swift response to the recent security concerns emerging out of Ikorodu and its environs over the nefarious activities of some criminal elements that are tormenting places such as Ijede, Ginti, among others, the Lagos Commissioner of Police, CP Fatai Tijani personally led a major show of Force across different part of Ikorodu to assert the dominance of the Police and other security agencies to thwart any crimes in the areas. This show of Force was also accompanied by the Inauguration of a special tactical security outfit codenamed ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad,’ which is a temporary intervention security outfit created to address the growing incidents of crimes and criminality within Ikorodu and adjoining areas, comprising of Command Tactical Teams, RRS, Lagos Taskforce, Eko Strike Force, 2 PMF, 22 PMF, and 63 PMF of the Lagos Police Command, alongside personnel from other sister security agencies and members of the Civilian Joint Task Force (CJTF), all working collaboratively to combat and stamped out criminality within Ikorodu and its environs. The Squad has been strategically deployed to identify black spots and criminal hideouts to carry out intelligence-led operations, raids, stop-and-search duties, and confidence-building patrols aimed at flushing out criminal elements and ensuring the safety of lives and property.
Top among the security equipment deployed for the show of force and the temporary Inaugurated ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad’ are the three (3) newly refurbished Armoured Personnel Carriers which were just handed over to the Lagos State Police Command by the Lagos State Security Trust Fund, LSSTF as well as Patrol vehicles.
While Inaugurating the ‘Command Sweepers’ Squad’, the Commissioner of Police, CP Tijani assured residents that the operation will be conducted professionally and in line with the rule of law, while urging members of the public to remain vigilant. He warned all criminally minded persons in Ikorodu and its environs to immediately pack their bags because his Command will not hesitate to decisively deal with them. Noting that the Command wasn’t resting on its oars, he revealed that the Squad will continue to patrol all nooks and corners in its bid to flush out all crimes and vices from the area.
Tijani assured law-abiding residents to continue supporting the Command with timely and credible information, through any of the emergency lines: 07061019374, 08065154338, 08063299264, 08039344870, and 09168630929.
He noted that this valuable information will enable the Police to effectively tackle crime and restore public confidence within the area. He also thanked the Executive Secretary/CEO of LSSTF, Dr Ayo Ogunsan for the logistics support including the 3 APCs which have enjoyed immediate deployment.
The Squad is strategically situated in Ijede to ensure swift deployment and easy access to all parts of Ikorodu and adjoining communities for effective crime prevention and rapid response operations.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has approached the Court of Appeal in Abuja to set aside the judgment that voided the timelines it issued for the 2027 general elections.
The Commission also applied for the stay of execution of the judgment, pending the determination of its appeal.
In the notice of appeal dated May 25, which INEC filed through its team of lawyers led by Dr. Alex Izinyon, SAN, the Commission nine grounds it urged the appellate court to consider and vacate the judgment the Federal High Court in Abuja delivered on May 20.
Aside from its contention that the high court erred in law when it failed to determine a jurisdictional issue it raised, INEC maintained that the legal action the Youth Party (YP) initiated against it was not only hypothetical but academic.
It argued that failure of the trial court to make pronouncements on the issues, resulted in the denial of fair hearing to the Appellant.
More so, INEC insisted that the high court erred in law when it held that: “It is clear from the wordings of Sections 29(1), 82 and 84 of the Electoral Act, 2026, the following can be understood. Section 29(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026 mandates Political Parties to submit the names of candidates in prescribed forms of the candidates who emerged from its valid primaries which such a political party intends to sponsor at the elections, not later than 120 days before the date of the General Election.
“What is required of Political Parties to do under the Electoral Act, 2026 is to notify the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) 21 days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, days before the holding of its primaries, congresses or conventions, or any conference or meeting convened for the election of its executive committees, other governing bodies for nominating candidates.
“The Defendant is not mandated to impose a timeframe for political parties to conduct their primaries provided that it will be done and submitted not later than the 120 days provided by the Electoral Act, 2026. See Section 82(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026.”
INEC argued that the verdict of the trial court was against the weight of evidence placed before it by the parties.
Consequently, it prayed the appellate court for an order allowing the appeal and setting aside the judgment
The electoral body further urged the Court of Appeal to strike out YP’s case on the ground that it lacked the locus standi (legal right) to institute and maintain the action it said was merely academic.
Suspected bandits have reportedly invaded the Yashikira community in Baruten Local Government Area of Kwara State, early this morning, setting the Emir’s palace ablaze and abducting several residents, including women and children.
It was gathered that the attack occurred late at night when the heavily armed assailants stormed the community, firing sporadically.
According to sources in the area, the gunmen attacked the palace during the invasion, setting parts of the royal residence on fire before whisking away multiple victims.
Residents said the attackers operated for hours without resistance, leaving behind destruction and fear in the border community.
Another local source described the incident as terrifying, noting that villagers were caught unaware as the gunmen invaded the town under the cover of darkness.
Sources say Security forces have launched immediate rescue operations to free victims of the Yashikira abduction, which occurred on Sunday night.
Military and police operatives have established a cordon in the area as part of the efforts to rescue about 10 persons who were reportedly taken from the community in an overnight attack on the palace of the Emir of Yashikira.
The police are yet to issue an official statement on the incident.
The development comes after bandits on Saturday night invaded a prayer ground at Ori-Oke Ajaiye, on the outskirts of Ikiran village in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State, killing three worshippers and abducting 15 others during a vigil.
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