The Police and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) commands in Osun, on Wednesday assured residents and tourists coming for the Osun-Osogbo Festival of adequate security.
They gave the assurance in separate interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo.
The police command spokesman, SP Yemisi Opalola, said adequate security measures had been taken, including deployment of police personnel to strategic locations for a hitch-free festival.
Opalola said that the police and other security agencies were working to provide watertight security before, during and after the festival.
She urged residents to be law abiding and caution children against wayward behaviours during the festival.
Similarly, the NSCDC spokesperson in the state, Olabisi Atanda, said the command would deploy personnel, including intelligence officers, to provide security during the festival.
Olabisi said the command would also work closely with the police and other security outfits to ensure a hitch free festival.
NAN reports that the annual Osun-Osogbo Festival, a UNESCO recognised festival, will hold on Aug. 12. (NAN)
After a long wait on the investigation into the 21-story building that collapsed tragically in Ikoyi, Lagos state, the truth has emerged. However, the most intriguing part of the investigation is the indictment of government agencies for their compromise and complacency
The Coroner's inquest team led by Magistrate Oyetade Komolafe on Tuesday, August 9, revealed the reason behind the collapse of the 21-story building in Ikoyi on Monday, November 1, 2021.
Komolafe now revealed that the Ikoyi building collapse was as a result of lack of adherence to the necessary steps and practices required before commencement of the construction.
The tragic collapse of the 21-storey building in Ikoyo. Photo: NEMA Source: Facebook
The Lagos Island Coroner Division, at Court 4, Surulere, in a judgment by Magistrate Komolafe confirmed that these reasons were what led to the tragic incident.
The findings of the inquest team also revealed that there was a series of violations in the stipulations of the Lagos state building regulations.
Komolafe also disclosed that there was a deliberate omission of the bio-data of the project board who ordinarily should have provided their details before the commencement of the project.
He further stated that the relevant agencies in the state who were supposed to sanction the gross misconduct of the contractors failed to do so due to the fact that they were compromised.
He said:
“The building structure failure was due to the design errors and combined stress failure of the columns at the lower floors."
Komolafe added that investigations carried out further unearthed poor management of the project site as well as lack of quality assurance/control
It will be recalled that over 40 persons were reported dead during the tragic incident of the 21-story building that collapsed in Ikoyi.
The casualty recorded at the scene of the incident was confirmed by the acting coordinator of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA).Ibrahim Farinloye who confirmed that the collapsed building is located on Gerrard Road around the Ikoyi area.
Meanwhile, further details of the tragic incident were unraveled by some of the first-hand witnesses at the scene of the incident.
These details were given by a survivor of the building collapse who is receiving treatment in one of the hospitals in Lagos state.
The survivor said he has also been warned not to speak to anyone about the incident of the building collapse.
Meanwhile in a related news.Works and Housing Minister, Mr Babatunde Fashola, SAN, has urged the Council of Registered Builders of Nigeria (CORBON) to find lasting solutions to the incessant cases of building collapse in the country.
He gave the charge in Abuja, while inaugurating the Seventh Council of CORBON, said that professionalism would be needed more in the journey of nation building.
The minister urged them to imbibe professionalism and ensure that the ethics guiding the profession were upheld.
He said that the need for professionalism necessitated the mandate by President Muhammadu Buhari to inaugurate the board, therefore advising them not to let down their guard
“As a professional body, you should know every subject in your area, be masters of the game and a controller of the skills, if you use your skills well you will not have unusual results".
He urged them not to compromise the ethics of the profession and not allow religious, tribe or any factor influence them to lower the bar,
The Chairman of the Council, Dr Samson Opaluwa, in his remarks pledged the council’s commitment to uphold the ethics guiding the profession.
Opaluwa said that council was established to regulate the practice of building construction, maintenance, and management in Nigeria, regulate and control the practice of Building profession in all its aspects and ramifications.
File photo: Chief of Defence Staff, Gen. Lucky Irabor (M), speaking to newsmen
The military high command has confirmed the arrest of terrorist that attacked St. Francis Catholic Church in Owo,Ondo state.
The Defence Headquarters in a meeting with journalists in Abuja on Tuesday, August 8, confirmed the arrest.
The arrest, according to the Chief of Defence Staff (CDS), General Lucky Irabor was made possible by joint operations of all the security agencies.
During the parley with media executives, CDS Iraboh disclosed that one of the masterminds of the attack is Idris Abdulmalik Omeiza.
“Omeiza is one of the masterminds of the 5th June attack of the Catholic Church in Owo as well as the attack on a police station in Adavi Local Government Area of Kogi State that led to the killing of a policeman as well as weapons carted away."
The CDS added that Omeiza was arrested on Monday, August 1, at Eka Okehi Kogi state during an operation by the military with other branches of security.
The CDS, who listed their names noted that the suspects, who are members of Islamic State of West Africa (ISWAP) are in custody.
Recall that about 40 people were killed when the gunmen stormed the church on June 5, opened fire on the congregation, and also detonated explosives as the worshippers scampered for safety.
Operatives of Amotekun Corps in Ondo State had earlier claimed they also arrested some suspects in connection with the killings
Briefing journalists in Akure on June 23, the state Commander of Amotekun, Adetunji Adeleye, expressed assurance that all the attackers of the worship center would be apprehended.
Adeleye, however, did not give the actual figure of the suspected terrorists arrested.
“As regards the Owo incident, we have recovered the last vehicle they used for that operation and we made some arrests and we have also recovered some vital things which we are working on,” he said.
“A number of people have been arrested concerning the Owo issue as well as a well number of equipment. On that day, we pursued them to the point that we recovered the vehicle and we are still pursuing them We have told you that until we get to the root, I can assure you that the perpetrators and their sponsors will be brought to book.”
In a related development, traditionalists in Ondo town hadlaid curses on bandits, terrorists herdsmen who might want to come to the ancient city to cause havoc.
