Metro
Lady Slumps, Dies While Celebrating Birthday in Benue
Family and friends of a make-up artist, Deborah Tushimah, are mourning her sudden death, which occurred while she was celebrating her birthday at the Hampton Mews Hotel in Makurdi, Benue State, on Sunday.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Deborah was having a nice time with her guests at the party before tragedy struck.
It was learnt that Deborah started feeling uneasy while dancing and suddenly slumped and started vomiting blood.
A footage of the party, which has been trending online, showed Deborah in company with her friends before the tragic incident happened.
The deceased was seen in the footage showing her friends some of the gifts she received from well-wishers.
The party atmosphere was filled with excitement as the guests and the celebrant danced to the tune being dished out by a saxophonist.
In a post on Instagram by gossipmillnaija, a source alleged that one of the birthday gifts, an iPhone 11, was responsible for Deborah’s death, stating, “She was poisoned at her birthday party.
“She was gifted iPhone 11 too. It’s obvious one of the girls she calls friends is behind it. While dancing, she slumped and started vomiting blood then died. It happened in Markudi, Benue State. Stupid envy and jealousy.”
Reacting on her Instagram handle, @prinasblend__empire, alleged that the ‘killer’ was among those celebrating with her in the footage and advised people to be cautious about eating at social functions.
“Chaiiiii fear people, during your parties alwazdont eat wt the public, have a food u reserved for urslf so after the party u eat and drink, becareful out there and one of those shouting there is the killer, wow,” she wrote.
However, one Hannah Silas, who claimed to have spoken with a member of deceased’s family, stated through her social media handle, @hannahSilas_, that the family had refuted the claim that Deborah died because of an iPhone 11, adding that there was also no confirmation that she was poisoned.
In a chat between Hannah and the family member, Deborah was said to have been nursing a heart problem without the knowledge of her parents and had collapsed on three separate occasions before the birthday party.
The chat read in part, “Later on, we discovered that she has a heart problem that makes her faint, and she have been fainting for some time but neither dad nor mum knew about that. The one that happened the early hours of today was the 4th, and she couldn’t make it.
“Like seriously, I don’t know when it started, I was also confused about the death, no illness, then just like that, but she had that heart problem for some time nw according to the feedback, but was silent to the parents.”
Commiserating with the family, @mabglams wrote, “This is really heartbreaking. May her soul Rest In Peace in Jesus name. Amen.”
When contacted, the state Police Public Relations Officer, DSP Catherine Anene, said Deborah’s corpse had been deposited in the mortuary for autopsy, adding that the command had commenced investigation to determine the cause of death.
Anene said, “On Sunday, July 5, 2020, around 9.30am, information was received that Miss Deborah Tushima suddenly collapsed around 2am at the Hampton Mews Hotel, while dancing in the midst of her friends, who attended her birthday party that was secretly organised.
“She was rushed to the Madonna Hospital, Markudi, for treatment and was pronounced dead shortly. Her corpse has been deposited in a mortuary. Investigation into the cause of death is in progress.”
When asked about the speculation that Deborah was poisoned, the PPRO stated, “We cannot know that from just looking at the corpse; that will be revealed through a post-mortem examination.”
The Punch
The Court of Appeal in Abuja on Thursday upheld the judgment that stopped the Directorate of Road Traffic Services and Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) from seizing vehicles or imposing fines on motorists.
In a unanimous decision by a three-member panel, the appellate court found no basis to set aside the Federal High Court’s ruling of October 16, 2024, which restrained the VIO from harassing motorists.
The appeal filed by the VIO was dismissed for lacking merit. Justice Oyejoju Oyewumi delivered in the lead judgment.
The high court had earlier ruled, in a judgment by Justice Nkeonye Maha, that no law authorizes the VIO to stop motorists, impound vehicles, or impose penalties for alleged traffic offences.
The case arose from a fundamental rights suit (FHC/ABJ/CS/1695/2023) filed by lawyer Abubakar Marshal.
Marshal informed the court that VIO officials stopped him at Jabi in Abuja on December 12, 2023, and seized his vehicle without lawful reason. He asked the court to determine whether their actions violated his rights.
Justice Maha agreed and ordered the VIO and its agents not to impound vehicles or impose fines on motorists, describing the actions as unlawful. She held that only a court can impose fines or sanctions.
She ruled that the VIO’s conduct breached the applicant’s constitutional right to property under Section 42 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 14 of the African Charter. She further held that the VIO has no legal authority to seize vehicles or penalize motorists, as doing so infringes on rights to fair hearing, movement and presumption of innocence.
Although Marshal, represented by Femi Falana, SAN, requested ₦500 million in damages and a public apology, the court awarded ₦2.5 million.
The Directorate of Road Traffic Services, its Director, its Abuja Area Commander at the time (identified as Mr. Leo), team leader Solomon Onoja, and the FCT Minister were listed as respondents.
They appealed the decision, but the Court of Appeal dismissed the appeal.
Plans have been concluded for the 19th edition of the Lagos State Security Trust Fund (LSSTF)’s Annual Town Hall Meeting on Security with Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, National Association of Online Security News Publishers, NAOSNP, can report.
At the event, the Lagos’ Chief Security Officer, will champion the task of driving immense financial, material, and moral support for the Public-Private partnership agency which has been at the forefront of safety and security since its establishment in 2007. It will also be the first Town Hall meeting to be spearheaded by the agency’s new Executive Secretary/CEO, Dr Ayo Ogunsan.
Over the years, the Town Hall Meeting has become a platform for reviewing security interventions and strengthening partnerships in Nigeria’s commercial nerve centre and West Africa’s economic hub, Lagos. The theme of this year’s Town Hall meeting is “Building Trust, Enhancing Security: A New Era of Security and Partnerships.” It will bring together top government officials, security agencies, private-sector partners and other stakeholders committed to improving safety across the state. It will be held on Thursday 11th December, 2025, by 11am at Eko Hotel and Suites in Lagos.
This year’s edition will focus on deepening public trust and advancing collaborative approaches to tackling emerging security challenges. LSSTF expressed optimism that the outcome of the meeting would further strengthen the state’s security framework and support ongoing efforts to enhance public safety.
Participation at this year’s event will be strictly by invitation due to the high-level nature of the deliberations and the need to accommodate core stakeholders.
However, the public would not be left out, as the entire session would be streamed live on its official social media platforms for wider access and transparency. Thus, members of the public can join the broadcast through the Lagos State Security Trust Fund and Lagos State Government pages on Facebook and Instagram.
You can join the event Live on:-
FACEBOOK: Lagos State Security Trust Fund/followlasg
INSTAGRAM: followlsstf/lagosstategovt
The Departmental Selection Board (DSB) promotion exercise for Police Inspectors has officially commenced at the Zone 2 Command Headquarters, Onikan Lagos, according to a statement by the Zonal PRO, CSP Ayuba Tunni Umma, and made available to the National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP).
The statement highlighted that the exercise is in line with the commitment of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, to the welfare and career progression of personnel.
Designed to assess qualified Inspectors due for promotion to the next rank, and scheduled to run until Friday, December 5, 2025, the nationwide exercise is mandated across all Police Zonal formations.
“The exercise is being held at the Zonal Headquarters, and encompasses all eligible Inspectors serving under the Lagos and Ogun State Police Commands. It is being presided over by the Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of the Zone, AIG Adegoke M. Fayoade, psc, mni, fisn,” the statement noted.
While addressing officers at the commencement of the exercise, the Assistant Inspector General in charge of the Zone, AIG Adegoke Fayoade, congratulated them on their eligibility, and urged them to exhibit the highest standards of professionalism throughout the process. He reiterated the commitment of the Police leadership to a fair, merit-based, and transparent promotion system.
The AIG therefore, warned all participants against any form of misconduct, corruption or bribery, emphasizing that integrity is paramount. Assisting the AIG during the process are: Deputy Commissioners of Police in charge of Finance & Administration *DCP Bello Adamu and DCP Olubode Fakeye in charge of Zonal Criminal Investigation Department.
Personnel welfare remains a core priority for the Nigeria Police Force, and this exercise underscores the Force’s dedication to rewarding hard work, competence, and dedication among its ranks, fostering a motivated and professional workforce.
