Scores feared dead as fire guts plaza in popular Balogun Market in Lagos

Several people were feared dead and others injured when a six storey plaza in the heart of the popular Balogun Market in Lagos State was gutted by fire on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigerian reports that the plaza is surrounded by several important businesses, which include Union Bank, Diamond Bank and the United Bank for Africa.
NAN also observed that the plaza, which was being used as a wholesale and retail outlet for shoes and bags, is directly beside and attached to the Union Bank building.
NAN investigations revealed that the fire started at about 9am and was battled by a team of combined fire fighters from the Union Bank and UBA before the arrival of the Lagos State Fire Service.
Some eyewitnesses, who spoke to NAN, said some people who jumped out from various floors of the burning plaza to escape the fire were carried away dead.
Mallam Hamza Abdullahi, a trader in the market, told NAN that he saw three dead bodies and five people who were wounded.
Abdullahi said: “People were shouting and jumping down from upstairs.
“I saw a woman dead with her skull open.”
Florence Adewunmi, a staff of the Lagos State Ambulance Mobile Intensive Care Service, stationed at the scene, told NAN that some victims had been stabilized and transferred to hospital.
Adewunmi said: “There are several casualties.
“We got a distress call at about 10am that there was fire outbreak at Balogun behind UBA.
“We proceeded here and learnt that they have rushed some people to General Hospital, Lagos but we met some casualties on ground.
“The patients jumped from the second, third and fourth floor and had fractures and various degrees of injuries.
“There were those that inhaled too much smoke so we gave some oxygen, some Dyclofenac injection.
“We treated ankle dislocations.
“We sutured deep cuts before carrying them to General Hospital, Lagos.
“So far, we have carried six people to hospital and discharged four after treatment.”
One of shop owners, who deals in female shoes, Nonso Christian, told NAN that he came to the plaza at 10am and met it on fire.
Christian said: “I met the plaza on fire and I tried to go in to bring out my goods but I couldn’t because the fire is too much.
“My shop is on the second floor and I just re-stocked on Monday.
“I don’t know what to do because the second floor is still on fire.”
Several other shop owners, who were wailing while watching the fire, declined comment.
One of them simply said: “We are sad.
“This hard economy, where do I start from?”
A security man attached to Union Bank, Umoru Monday, told NAN that the fire started a few minutes before 9am.
Monday said: “The Union Bank Fire Service came around and started pushing the fire back so that it would not enter the bank and later the fire fighters from UBA came to assist them before the Lagos State Fire Service came.”
An official of the Lagos State Fire Service carrying a cylinder on his back into the burning plaza declined comment.
He told NAN that senior officers of the service who could speak to press were attacking the fire on various floors.
He said: “I cannot tell you anything.
“Our fire boss is up in that burning building now and our main aim is to put the fire out.
“We are attacking it on various floors.”
NAN reports that a lone Policeman battled to keep spectators away, while security men of Diamond Bank situated beside Union Bank turned their customers away.
NAN.

Several people were feared dead and others injured when a six storey plaza in the heart of the popular Balogun Market in Lagos State was gutted by fire on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigerian reports that the plaza is surrounded by several important businesses, which include Union Bank, Diamond Bank and the United Bank for Africa.
NAN also observed that the plaza, which was being used as a wholesale and retail outlet for shoes and bags, is directly beside and attached to the Union Bank building.
NAN investigations revealed that the fire started at about 9am and was battled by a team of combined fire fighters from the Union Bank and UBA before the arrival of the Lagos State Fire Service.
Some eyewitnesses, who spoke to NAN, said some people who jumped out from various floors of the burning plaza to escape the fire were carried away dead.
Mallam Hamza Abdullahi, a trader in the market, told NAN that he saw three dead bodies and five people who were wounded.
Abdullahi said: “People were shouting and jumping down from upstairs.
“I saw a woman dead with her skull open.”
Florence Adewunmi, a staff of the Lagos State Ambulance Mobile Intensive Care Service, stationed at the scene, told NAN that some victims had been stabilized and transferred to hospital.
Adewunmi said: “There are several casualties.
“We got a distress call at about 10am that there was fire outbreak at Balogun behind UBA.
“We proceeded here and learnt that they have rushed some people to General Hospital, Lagos but we met some casualties on ground.
“The patients jumped from the second, third and fourth floor and had fractures and various degrees of injuries.
“There were those that inhaled too much smoke so we gave some oxygen, some Dyclofenac injection.
“We treated ankle dislocations.
“We sutured deep cuts before carrying them to General Hospital, Lagos.
“So far, we have carried six people to hospital and discharged four after treatment.”
One of shop owners, who deals in female shoes, Nonso Christian, told NAN that he came to the plaza at 10am and met it on fire.
Christian said: “I met the plaza on fire and I tried to go in to bring out my goods but I couldn’t because the fire is too much.
“My shop is on the second floor and I just re-stocked on Monday.
“I don’t know what to do because the second floor is still on fire.”
Several other shop owners, who were wailing while watching the fire, declined comment.
One of them simply said: “We are sad.
“This hard economy, where do I start from?”
A security man attached to Union Bank, Umoru Monday, told NAN that the fire started a few minutes before 9am.
Monday said: “The Union Bank Fire Service came around and started pushing the fire back so that it would not enter the bank and later the fire fighters from UBA came to assist them before the Lagos State Fire Service came.”
An official of the Lagos State Fire Service carrying a cylinder on his back into the burning plaza declined comment.
He told NAN that senior officers of the service who could speak to press were attacking the fire on various floors.
He said: “I cannot tell you anything.
“Our fire boss is up in that burning building now and our main aim is to put the fire out.
“We are attacking it on various floors.”
NAN reports that a lone Policeman battled to keep spectators away, while security men of Diamond Bank situated beside Union Bank turned their customers away.
NAN.

Several people were feared dead and others injured when a six storey plaza in the heart of the popular Balogun Market in Lagos State was gutted by fire on Thursday.
The News Agency of Nigerian reports that the plaza is surrounded by several important businesses, which include Union Bank, Diamond Bank and the United Bank for Africa.
NAN also observed that the plaza, which was being used as a wholesale and retail outlet for shoes and bags, is directly beside and attached to the Union Bank building.
NAN investigations revealed that the fire started at about 9am and was battled by a team of combined fire fighters from the Union Bank and UBA before the arrival of the Lagos State Fire Service.
Some eyewitnesses, who spoke to NAN, said some people who jumped out from various floors of the burning plaza to escape the fire were carried away dead.
Mallam Hamza Abdullahi, a trader in the market, told NAN that he saw three dead bodies and five people who were wounded.
Abdullahi said: “People were shouting and jumping down from upstairs.
“I saw a woman dead with her skull open.”
Florence Adewunmi, a staff of the Lagos State Ambulance Mobile Intensive Care Service, stationed at the scene, told NAN that some victims had been stabilized and transferred to hospital.
Adewunmi said: “There are several casualties.
“We got a distress call at about 10am that there was fire outbreak at Balogun behind UBA.
“We proceeded here and learnt that they have rushed some people to General Hospital, Lagos but we met some casualties on ground.
“The patients jumped from the second, third and fourth floor and had fractures and various degrees of injuries.
“There were those that inhaled too much smoke so we gave some oxygen, some Dyclofenac injection.
“We treated ankle dislocations.
“We sutured deep cuts before carrying them to General Hospital, Lagos.
“So far, we have carried six people to hospital and discharged four after treatment.”
One of shop owners, who deals in female shoes, Nonso Christian, told NAN that he came to the plaza at 10am and met it on fire.
Christian said: “I met the plaza on fire and I tried to go in to bring out my goods but I couldn’t because the fire is too much.
“My shop is on the second floor and I just re-stocked on Monday.
“I don’t know what to do because the second floor is still on fire.”
Several other shop owners, who were wailing while watching the fire, declined comment.
One of them simply said: “We are sad.
“This hard economy, where do I start from?”
A security man attached to Union Bank, Umoru Monday, told NAN that the fire started a few minutes before 9am.
Monday said: “The Union Bank Fire Service came around and started pushing the fire back so that it would not enter the bank and later the fire fighters from UBA came to assist them before the Lagos State Fire Service came.”
An official of the Lagos State Fire Service carrying a cylinder on his back into the burning plaza declined comment.
He told NAN that senior officers of the service who could speak to press were attacking the fire on various floors.
He said: “I cannot tell you anything.
“Our fire boss is up in that burning building now and our main aim is to put the fire out.
“We are attacking it on various floors.”
NAN reports that a lone Policeman battled to keep spectators away, while security men of Diamond Bank situated beside Union Bank turned their customers away.
NAN.

Extent of nation’s treasury looting spine chilling – APC

The All Progressives Congress has described as spine-chilling and mind-boggling the massive looting of the nation’s treasury by public officials.

The APC said nothing but the total recovery of the funds will be acceptable to all patriotic Nigerians.

In a statement issued in Lagos on Sunday by its National Publicity Secretary, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, the party said anyone who attempts, either by deeds or words, to sabotage the recovery efforts is not a patriot and deserves nothing but public opprobrium.

It therefore thanked Nigerians for their overwhelming support for the President Muhammadu Buhari Administration in its tough but important task of tracing and recovering the loots, while also ensuring that the looters face justice.

The statement said: “It is absolutely gratifying that Nigerians are vehemently opposed to the few who would rather have the government of the day turn a blind eye to the looted funds and, in their words, carry on with the process of governance.

“Truly, what sort of governance can go on if the billions of Naira in a few hands are not recovered? In the first instance, the government needs every kobo of the funds it can muster to bring about the change it has promised Nigerians. Secondly, leaving such hair-raising funds in the hands of the few looters is dangerous, because they can use the funds to destabilize any government. In fact, no one will be surprised if the looters use their dirty funds to sponsor public demonstrations against the government’s determination to recover the funds.

“Thirdly, allowing those who privatized the commonwealth to get away is offering a thumbs-up for looting. No responsible government will do that.”

The party said already, the looters have embarked on a relentless and an increasingly-bold campaign to discredit the government of the day and sabotage the funds’ recovery process, using newspaper columnists, ‘talking heads’ and otherwise respectable opinion leaders.

“They and their paid hirelings have tried to employ sophistry to muddle the waters, but Nigerians are much wiser, and will not succumb to the dirty antics of the looters’ megaphones,” it said.

The APC said it is necessary to remind Nigerians of the kind of massive looting of the treasury that took place in the past few years, so they can better appreciate the seriousness of the issue at stake.

It therefore listed some instances of the looting as follows:

– 3.8 trillion Naira out of the 8.1 trillion Naira earned from crude oil (2012-2015) withheld by NNPC

– 2.1 billion US dollars from Excess Crude Account unaccounted for

– Department of Petroleum Resources’ unremitted 109.7 billion Naira royalty from oil firms

– 6 billion US dollars allegedly looted by some Ministers of the last Administration

– 160 million barrels of crude worth 13.9 billion US dollars lost between 2009 and 2012

– 15 million US dollars from botched arms deal yet to be returned to Nigeria

– 13 billion US dollars​ in NLNG dividends mostly unaccounted for

– 30 billion Naira rice waiver​

– 183 billion naira​ unaccounted for at the NDDC.

The party said the listed “missing” funds constituted just a tip of the iceberg since they are mostly from a few sectors of the economy, mostly the oil sector, and were discovered even before the forensic audit now being undertaken in some key areas.

It added: “The level of looting that went on in other sectors is better imagined, hence the need for all Nigerians to rally around the Buhari Administration to recover the loots, bring the looters to justice and to put in place measures to prevent such looting in the future.”

Four dead, six rescued as Bristow helicopter plunges into Lagos lagoon

Four passengers onboard a Bristow helicopter service died after the chopper, returning from an oil rig, plunged into the lagoon in Lagos State on Wednesday.

The accident occurred at the Oworoshoki area of Lagos State.
The helicopter was said to have at least 12 passengers, including the pilot and co-pilot, when it crashed into the water at the Third Mainland Bridge part of the city.
The crash occurred behind the Oworoshoki Police Station.
It was however not clear what led to the accident as residents said there was a loud bang before the chopper crashed.
The pilots and passengers were believed to have been returning from Escravos in Delta State to the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Ikeja, Lagos State.
An Air Traffic Controller said: “The helicopter with registration number 5N-BDG was said to be returning from the Escravos when the accident occurred.”
Fishermen, who first sighted the helicopter as it flew zigzag through the sky, noted that it appeared as if it had engine problem.
They said the helicopter made a shuddering noise and then plunged into the lagoon.
According to the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, Patricia Amadin, the crash occurred around 4pm.
At about 5pm, rescue teams made up of the Police, National Emergency Management Agency and Lagos State Emergency Management Agency had brought out four corpses and rescued six passengers.
Amadin said: “The helicopter belongs to Bristow helicopter. We believe that 12 passengers were on board. Our men and NEMA officials have rescued six people and brought out four corpses. For now, we don’t know the identity of the rescued or dead. We also don’t know whether they are foreigners or Nigerians. The search for more passengers is still on.”
Among the rescued passengers, two were seriously injured and were immediately rushed to Afolabi Hospital, located at New Garage, Bariga.
Other wounded passengers were taken to Gbagada General Hospital.
As at the time of filing this report, nobody could ascertain the cause of the crash.
Officials of LASEMA said the helicopter was seen nose diving into the lagoon before the crash.
One of them said: “We have to ensure that we are able to rescue lives.
“We will get back to you once we are through.”
The spokesman for the South West, Ibrahim Farinloye, said: “No distress call was sent to NEMA alert system from the chopper, but rescue agencies are on their way to the scene of the incident. Three dead bodies recovered so far. Two injured have been taken to Afolabi Hospital. Another injured person is receiving treatment at the General Hospital.”
The Accident Investigation Bureau said investigation into the cause of the crash had started.
Spokesman for the AIB, Tunji Oketunbi, said it was too early to ascertain the cause of the accident.
Officials of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority confirmed the crash of the chopper but could not get details of the accident.
The AIB is already collaborating with relevant agencies to commence investigations into the cause of the crash.
A statement by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority confirmed that a Bristow Helicopter with registration number 5N – BDG – 760540 en route from one of the nation’s Oil Rigs crashed at Oworonshoki in Lagos.
The statement, signed by NCAA’s spokesman, Fan Ndubuoke, said the helicopter was scheduled to arrive Lagos at 15.35 pm and had 12 passengers on board, including the crew.
He said: “At present, officials of the Accident Investigation Bureau, National Emergency Management Agency and the Nigeria Police are at the site, providing rescue operation for the victims. While this is ongoing, further details will be communicated as appropriate.”
Before Wednesday’s accident, a Bristow-owned helicopter had crashed inside an ExxonMobil facility in Port Harcourt, Rivers State on August 3, 2007.
Another crash involving Bristow Helicopters occurred on July 14, 2011 in Port Harcourt.
Bristow operates commercial helicopter flights in Lagos State and some other locations in Nigeria.
Its services at the Murtala Mohammed Airport in Lagos originates from the General Aviation Area of the airport and terminates on the Island.
The company also operates from the Nigerian Air Force Base, Port Harcourt, Rivers State; Shoreline Logistics Base, Old NPA Port, Marina Road, Calabar, Cross River State; and Aruakpor-Umar Community, Uvwie Local Government Area of Warri in Delta State.
It services include helicopter transportation to the offshore oil and gas industry, Search and Rescue services, helicopter maintenance, modification or repair and helicopter pilot training.
It head office is at the General Aviation Area, Murtala Muhammed Airport Ikeja, Lagos.

Teenage girl leads robbery of four banks, operates unchallenged near police station for two hours

A young lady on Tuesday headed the robbery of four banks at the Ipakodo Ebute-Ogolonto area of Ikorodu, Lagos State, carting away millions of naira and inflicting gunshot injuries on many civilians.

The lady, described as a female commando, was sighted issuing orders to the men during the operations.
Angry eyewitness said that the robbers operated for over two hours without receiving any challenge from the police.
Worse still, two of the bank robberies occurred close to the Ipakodo Police Station. The affected banks were Zenith Bank, First Bank and two branches of Skye Bank.
The robbers, made up of 18 men and the lady, were said to have arrived Ikorodu through a boat parked at Ebute waterways.
They were armed with sophisticated guns and explosives.
The robbers arrived the area around 8am and waited for the banks to begin operation. After they were through with their operation, the set their three vehicles on fire, boarded speedboats and disappeared.
One of the residents said: “It was after the robbers had operated for over two hours, carted away money and escaped through the lagoon that the police finally came.
“It was almost as if they were waiting for the robbers to rob and leave before they came.”
The bandits attacked three new generational banks and one old generational bank.
It was gathered that the attack, which took place directly in front of Ipakodo Police Station, caught the police, residents and banks unaware.
Although no life had been confirmed lost, but a good number of people were injured as a result of stampede and gun injuries.
They were taken to hospitals and treated.
However, some who witnessed the operation said no fewer than 10 persons were killed.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Kayode Aderanti, who came to the scene after the robbery, drafted over 100 policemen, including officers from the Anti-bomb Unit, Rapid Response Squad and Ipakodo Police State to the scene.
They were further ordered to cordon off the banks.
Another eyewitness, a lady said: “The operation started around 8:30am. The robbers left many people injured as a result of pandemonium which ensured. I’m a school teacher at Junior Secondary School, Majidun. I came to the bank around 8am to withdraw some money. It was not up till 30 minutes I left that the robbers, 18 men and a lady came in three cars. The cars were a pathfinder, Nissan and an infinity jeep. They opened fire all around the two banks in front of the police station. They also sprayed bullets at the entrance of the Ipakodo Police Station to scare police officers. They gained entry into the two banks without any confrontation. They blew open the doors leading into the banking halls. They attacked two banks simultaneously. After that, they went to other two banks.”
As heavy shootings rocked the area, commercial activities were abruptly halted.
Shops were shut and buses reversed and cleared the roads.
A vulcanizer, simply identified as Uche, said he was already at the shop when the robbers stormed the area.
Uche recounted: “They started spraying bullets at the entrance of the police station. The gunshots were intimidating. There was no way I could run out of the shop. All I did was to hide inside one of my tyres in my shop.”
A banker from one of the new generational banks, said: “All the money in the bank, running into millions, were carted away!”
Aderanti said: “I got to know about this incident this morning. On the receipt of that, I called our operatives to come down to the scene. I am here with other service chiefs to have a joint coordinated approach to this incident and we are working together on it. We are very positive we are going to get to the root of the matter. Just give us time to go through it. We are still at the preliminary stage. We have accessed the banking hall. We are working seriously on it and we are going to address it.
“The timing and conduct of the men (police officers) are also going into investigation. We are going to a holistic look at the operation for these jetties, the vulnerability of our waterways and we are going to address it in a very comprehensive manner. Nobody died.”
The command’s spokesperson, DSP Kenneth Nwosu, said N5 million would be given to any individual who could avail the police with useful information to ensure the arrest of the gang.
“The command will reward anybody with useful information towards the arrest of the bank robbers with N5 million,” Nwosu said.
Nwosu added that a press briefing to disclose further details of the attack would soon take place.
His words: “The CP is already here to assess the robbery which took place on these banks early this morning. It’s already confirmed, but we are coming up with a press briefing on the outcome of our investigations soon.”

UN to Buhari: Try those indicted for Boko Haram crimes

The United Nation’s top human rights official has called on Nigeria’s new President, Muhammadu Buhari, to investigate and prosecute “horrifying” allegations of executions, rape and amputations of children by Islamist insurgents, Boko Haram.

The human rights official, Zeid Al-Hussein, said reports of violations committed by Nigerian armed forces should be investigated and perpetrators brought to justice.

Al-Hussein said: Civilians in northeast Nigeria have been living through horrifying acts of cruelty and violence by Boko Haram.

“These include wanton killings, summary executions, and forced participation in military operations.

“Including the use of children to detonate bombs, forced labour, forced marriage and sexual violence, including rape.”

Reuters/NAN.

Policemen provided guns for vandals who shot dead six months pregnant woman – OPC security outfit

The security outfit providing protection for the pipelines in Arepo area of Ogun State, Donyx Global Concept, has accused policemen in the area of backing the vandals who shot dead a six months pregnant woman, Damilola Fajana. Fajana was shot dead on Wednesday when vandals on a revenge mission attacked security men on patrol protecting the pipelines under an agreement between the Federal Government and Donyx Global Concept, a brainchild of the Oodua Peoples congress. The General Manager of Donyx Global Concept, Femi Ekundayo, told The Eagle Online that the vandals came on a revenge mission because some of their colleagues were arrested for attempting to vandalise the pipelines in the area. Ekundayo put the number of the vandals that attacked the security personnel of his company at not less than 12. He said what gave out the vandals as having the backing of the police was that the 12 of them were armed with A47 rifles, which are mainly used by policemen. A police post was manning the pipelines before the Federal Government signed a security contract with the OPC for the policing of the pipelines. This followed persistent damages to the pipelines along the axis despite the presence of the policemen. Ekundayo told The Eagle Online that as soon as the vandals arrived, they started shooting sporadically, with one of the bullets hitting Fajana, who was one her way home to pick a few things for her husband who was hospitalised. She was being driven by her husband’s driven when suddenly a stray bullet hit her. She died before she could get full medical help. Efforts to reach the police high command in Ogun State as at the time of filing this report did not succeed. But Ekundayo said the attack by the vandals will not stop his company from carrying out its duties. He vowed that the vandals will no longer succeed in disrupting oil flow through vandalisation of the pipelines.

Troops free another 234 women, children in Sambisa forest

Another set of 234 women and children were rescued through the Kawuri and Konduga end of Sambisa forest on Thursday. This was disclosed by the Defence Headquarters on Saturday. The women and children have been evacuated to join others at the place of ongoing screening. A statement by the Director of Defence Information, Major General Chris Olukolade, said this set is in addition to the previous individuals earlier rescued during the ongoing operation in the area to rid it of Boko Haram terrorists. Olukolade added: “The assault on the forest is continuing from various fronts and efforts are concentrated on rescuing hostages of civilians and destroying all terrorists camps and facilities in the forest.” This being the total number of women and children rescued form Sambisa forest to 524.