CHIKA IKE'S 2011 CALENDAR

Lagos Man rescued after 24 hours under rubble of collapsed building

In what can be described as a journey through the valley of shadow of death, a construction worker identified simply as Francis, was on Monday rescued from the rubble of a five-storey building that collapsed on Sunday at Adenubi Close, Ikeja, Lagos.

The building, a hotel under construction, collapsed around 3.30pm on Sunday, while Francis was rescued around 3.32 pm on Monday.
PUNCH METRO learnt that when the edifice fell, no fewer than eight persons were trapped, out of which seven were rescued a few hours after the incident.
On hand to rescue the lucky man were officials of Lagos State Emergency Management Agency; its federal counterpart, National Emergency Management Agency; Lagos State Ambulance Service; Lagos State Physical Planning and Urban Development Authority; Police; and fire service among others.
Francis was said to have returned from church and decided to relax under the uncompleted building, which later collapsed.
A building engineer, who craved anonymity, said the collapse was due to structural deficiency.
He said that the foundation of the building was faulty, noting that instead of using 20mm rods, the builders used rods of inferior quality.
"The irons they used are not the one expected for such an edifice. They cannot stand the weight of the building. They used 15mm rods and not 20mm that is expected of such a big building. As a rule, 15mm rods are supposed to be used when you reach second to third storeys," the building engineer said.
The engineer, who estimated the loss as being between N10m and N15m, urged Nigerians to conduct exhaustive interview builders before giving them construction work.
The General Manager and Chief Executive Officer, LASEMA, Dr. Oluwafemi Osanyintolu, confirmed to our correspondents that as at 2pm on Monday, the agency and other rescue workers had evacuated seven persons.
He said then that the remaining person trapped was communicating with them through Delser process (search and rescue equipment, which identifies the location of the trapped victim), adding that they would do all within their powers to ensure Francis was rescued.
Osanyintolu said that after the rescue, they would conduct investigation into the soil to be able to ascertain the cause of the collapse.
"It is after we have conducted investigation before we can ascertain the cause of the collapse. Right now, it is premature to apportion any reason for the collapse. We are here first and foremost to rescue the trapped victims. I can tell you that we are on top of the situation. We have the equipment and the manpower. Certainly, the last man trapped will be rescued," he said.
The entire spectators and rescue workers were thrown into jubilation when Francis was eventually rescued around 4pm.
A rescue officer told PUNCH METRO, "When the hammer was lowered through the hole that had been dug, Francis called out that the rescue team was in the direction where he was trapped. His voice appeared weak and people could only strain their ears to hear what he was saying.
"The rescue team then abandoned the equipment that were used to dig the hole and used their hands in order to avoid any fatality to the trapped victim. When the hole was wide enough, he came out with little support from the rescue team."
It was observed that Francis was too weak to talk to journalists. Besides, the emergency division team placed him on oxygen and took him away for medical examination.
One of the survivors, who refused to disclose his name, said that it was difficult to explain how the building collapsed.
He said, "The materials we used were not bad, the concrete was strong likewise the pillars. It is wrong to assume that we used inferior materials. Nobody can really tell where the fault came from. I thank God that I survived.
"We were eight, seven had been rescued earlier, but I am also happy that the last person has also been rescued. We were just relaxing while one person was sleeping under the staircase. He was the one that had just been rescued."
An eyewitness, who identified herself simply as Joy, said that when they heard a loud bang, they thought it was a bomb explosion. But after a while, people rushed to the direction of the building and discovered that it had collapsed.
"It could have been worse if not because it happened on Sunday when labourers were not at the site. I am aware that the building is still under construction and labourers worked there except on Sundays," she said.

$25,000 placed on Nigerian wanted for manslaughter

allegation of committing offences ranging from manslaughter, injury and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

The US authority has, therefore, placed a  $25,000 reward for any information that could lead directly to Tata’s arrest. This made the Nigerian, an owner of a Texas daycare, one of the most 15 wanted  fugitive list in the state.

Jessica Tata is wanted on four counts of manslaughter, six counts of reckless injury to a child, three counts of abandoning a child under 15 and unlawful flight to avoid prosecution.

It was gathered that on February 24, Tata, who owned and operated Jackie’s Day Care in Houston, allegedly left the premises leaving seven children alone in the house with a pot of oil on a burning stove, following which the Houston Fire Department, HFD, responded to the residence at 1:30 p.m., following a 911 call reporting a fire. Upon arrival, the HFD discovered the seven children inside, four died from their injuries and three survived the fire.

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Producer buys Dagrin's wrecked car

Dagrin

Producer of the Dagrin's Biopic, Ope Banwo, has bought the car in which the late singer had the ill-fated accident that led to his death.
Speaking on why he decided to buy the car, Banwo said, "once you decide to do a biopic, there are some things you have to do to create as much realism of the real story as possible. There are some things you should not compromise as a producer if you really believe in doing your best for your audience."

Ope Banwo

Late dagrin,Smashed Car,Ope Banwo & Trybson 

Smashed Car

The Nissan Maxima, with customised plate DAGRIN 03, which was already sold to scrap dealers in Owode Oniran, was bought for N400,000. When asked what he would do with the scrap metal after the production of the movie, Banwo said, "I am not sure right now. I may probably donate the car to the museum, since the Dagrin accident has become a national event."
In the movie, Trybson Dudukoko plays the late Dagrin while Doris Simeon, Rachael Oniga, Pa Kasumu, all play his love interest and parents respectively.
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12-year-old Schoolboy foils His Kidnappers ! reminescent of Enid Blyton's Famous five !!!!!!!

A 12-year-old schoolboy (name withheld), who was kidnapped two weeks ago, has aided the police to arrest his kidnappers.

The Police in Lagos have arrested two brothers over the kidnap of the boy in Ojokoro area of Lagos two weeks ago.

The suspects, Seun Akinyosoye, 19, and Akin Akiyosoye, 22, allegedly kidnapped the boy while on his way home from school.

The Junior Secondary School 2 pupil, reportedly took shelter in a shop around Centre Road, during a downpour on February 14.

PUNCH METRO gathered that the suspects also took shelter in the same shop and engaged the boy in a discussion.
During the discussion, the boy revealed that his father is a banker with one of the new generation banks and also gave out his mobile phone number to the suspects. The suspects thereafter, took him to their apartment around Jerry Street, Ojokoro, from where they made a call to his father and demanded N4m ransom.

His father was said to have pleaded with the suspects to accept N55,000 and the suspects instructed him to pay the money into an account. Three days after the ransom was paid, the suspects eventually released the schoolboy.

But unknown to the suspects, the boy played a fast one on them by picking Akin’s passport photograph while in the brothers’ apartment.

“He saw the passport at the apartment where he was held hostage. After his release, he gave the passport to his father and identified Akin as one of his kidnappers,”the Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Samuel Jinadu, said on Monday.

The photograph was taken to policemen at Owutu Police Station and Akin was invited for questioning.

Jinadu said, “Akin had previously been arrested for street fighting. So, he did not think anything was amiss when his IPO called him to make an appearance at the police station.

“During investigation, he mentioned his brother, Seun, who was subsequently arrested. They confessed to have withdrawn the N55,000 with ATM card from the Ikorodu branch of the bank it was paid into.”

He therefore warned others who had such a sinister motive that there was no hiding place for criminals in the state, adding that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Yakubu Alkali, had put necessary machinery in place to check crimes.

Housewife’s Lover Attacks Hubby With Pestle

For allegedly hitting the husband of the woman he was harbouring in his house with a pestle on the forehead, a man, Ike Bassey, 32 has been arrested by the police at Adekunle Station and arraigned before the Sabo Magistrate’s Court, Yaba, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

The accused was alleged to have attacked Okpe Oye Eleanya with a pestle in his house on 10, Apollo Street, Makoko, Adekunle, Yaba, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria during a fight.
Trouble started, according to police investigation, when Eleanya who lives in Abia State, traced his wife and two children to Bassey’s home in Yaba and challenged him for harbouring his wife knowing that she was married to him.
Fighting broke out and Bassey picked up a pestle and hit Eleanya on the forehead. The latter, it was gathered, collapsed and was rushed to the Military Hospital, Yaba, by sympathisers with blood gushing out from his head.
Bassey was arrested and taken to the station from where he was taken to court.
In his statement to the police, Eleanya disclosed that he travelled to his home town in Abia State with his wife and two kids for the Christmas but his wife later abandoned him in the village and ran back to Lagos with the children.
Eleanya revealed that when he learnt that she was living with his friend in Yaba, he came back to Lagos and met her inside Bassey’s room. He accused Bassey of snatching his wife and children and fighting started.
The accused was docked on a one-count charge of assault, occasioning grievious harm, an offence punishable under Section 335 of the Criminal Code, C.17, Vol.11, Laws of Lagos State of Nigeria, 2003.
The accused pleaded not guilty to the charge and the presiding magistrate, A.M. Fusika, granted him bail in the sum of N50,000 with two sureties in like sum and adjourned the matter till 2 March, 2011.
The accused was remanded in prison when he could not fulfil the conditions attached to his bail.
—Paul Iyoghojie (PM News)

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Imam Arrested For Defacing Jonathan's Poster

Sokoto – Sokoto State Police Command has arrested the Chief Imam of the Farfaru Juma’at Mosque, Sokoto, Sheikh Abubakar Jibrin, for allegedly defacing the posters of the PDP presidential candidate, Dr Goodluck Jonathan.

Spokesperson of the Police Command, ASP Al-Mustapha Sani, disclosed this to newsmen in Sokoto Tuesday.
According to him, the Chief Imam was arrested at a roundabout while he was using black paint to deface President Jonathan’s posters by policemen on patrol.

 

“The renowned Islamic cleric was arrested by our men on patrol using black paint to deface the posters of President Goodluck Jonathan and Alhaji Namadi Sambo at some roundabouts in Sokoto metropolis at around 5 pm on February, 28.

“He was arrested along with his two sons, his driver and a domestic aide. They have all been transferred to the Force CID, Abuja, today (Tuesday),” Sani said.

He advised the people of the state to continue to be law abiding, adding that “only the use of ballot papers to either vote in or vote out candidates were lawful.”