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South West
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
National Mirror www.nationalmirroronline.net
Police assure of Ibadan fire victims count losses, Olayinka: hitch-free burial as Ajimobi promises assistance T V ABIODUN NEJO ADO EKITI
KEMI OLAITAN IBADAN
ictims of Monday fire at Omitowoju area of Ibadan, other residents and sympathisers yesterday trooped out to take stock of the losses incurred in the unfortunate incident. The incident occurred about 6.30pm when a tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, otherwise called petrol, tumbled at the junction of the road leading to Mokola - Inalende - Orita - Merin Road, pouring its content. The tanker exploded into fire. The fire which trailed the fuel flowing through the gutter consumed all the houses and shops on the right hand side of the road. Meanwhile, Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who visited the area yesterday, pledged government’s assistance to the victims. The governor was also moved by the extent of injury sustained by one of the landlords in the area, Alhaji Yinusa Ajibade and directed the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Muyiwa Gbadegesin, to immediately ar-
range for his treatment at government’s expense. Ajimobi was welcomed to the area by thousands of residents, sympathisers and those who lost their property to the inferno. The governor took time to inspect, one after the other, the houses and shops gutted by fire, before addressing the residents and the victims. Describing the situation as “most unfortunate,” Ajimobi said he empathised with the victims, noting that he also experienced a similar incident in 1992 when his newly-built house in Lagos was reduced to rubbles by fire. The governor, however, admonished them to see the incident as an act of God, adding that they should even give thanks to God that no life was lost. He said: “My coming here is not to exploit the fire incident to campaign but to most sincerely sympathise with you. I know how painful it could be losing one’s means of livelihood to a raging fire because I was once involved too. But we should take solace in the fact that no life was lost.
“You should also have faith in God that He is able to replenish your lost property in multiple folds.” One of the leaders of the community, Mr. Joel Adewumi, who expressed appreciation for the governor’s prompt visit, promised to prevail on the residents to maintain a clean environment. In his reaction, the Chairman of Ibadan North-West Local Government, Mr. Wasiu Olatunbosun, described the incident as disheartening, wondering why such incident should happen in an interior part of the metropolis. Olatunbosun, who blamed the incident on negligence on the part of the tanker driver, expressed gratitude to God that no life was lost despite the magni-
tude of the incident. One of the victims, Aminat, a dozen-price provision seller, whose shop was razed, said the only thing that came to her mind when she saw people running was how to escape with two teenagers under her care and her less than a year old child. Aminat disclosed that the goods in her shop worth N600,000. She said: “What came to my mind was how to survive together with those very vulnerable ones under me including my child and we all survived by the grace of God, but I lost everything that I have laboured for over the years. I join my people to appeal to the government not to abandon us in this terrible moment.”
he police have promised a hitchfree burial for the Ekiti State Deputy Governor, Mrs. Funmilayo Olayinka, whose body is expected to arrive the state today from Lagos. The state Police Public Relations Officer, Mr. Victor Babayemi Olu, said the police and the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, had increased patrol within the state capital and the highways leading to the state to prevent influx of criminals. Funeral activities for the deputy governor, who would be buried in AdoEkiti on Friday, would hold in the state between today and Sunday. Olu said policemen had been ordered to stop and search people and vehicles
on all the roads to stop those who might want to capitalise on the influx of people to smuggle dangerous weapons into the state. He said: “The command is quite aware of the fact that there would be influx of people into the state on Friday and we are taking precautionary measures to ensure that we have a hitch-free burial for the deputy governor.” Olu added that the intelligence unit of the command had also been deployed to some flash points in the state capital to get first hand information that would help them map out strategy to curtail violence. The FRSC Sector Commander, Mr. Rindom Kumven, said his men had been deployed in all strategic junctions in the state to ensure free flow of traffic.
Gunmen abduct 90-year-old man in Akure HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE
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hree gunmen yesterday abducted a 90-year-old man, Alhaji Musa Adisa, in Akure, the Ondo State capital. Adisa, popularly known as Labaika, was said to be on his way to the mosque around 5:30am to observe the early morning prayer at a mosque about 20 metres away from his residence. The abductors, said to be waiting for their victim near the mosque located at 121, Isolo Street, in a red Toyota Camry car besides the mosque, pounced on him and dragged him into the waiting car The whereabouts of the nonagenarian said to be former president of the Ondo State branch of Master Bakers Association of Nigeria, were still unknown at press time.
One of the worshippers in the mosque explained that the kidnappers targeted Pa Adisa, as they did not disturb those who had come to pray before the man. He said: “Many of the people who had earlier arrived at the mosque for prayer saw these men but immediately they sighted Alhaji, they dragged him into the waiting car, covering his mouth to avoid attracting people and drove off.” The source said the residents of the area attempted to pursue the kidnappers by trailing the car but their efforts yielded no result. The matter was immediately reported at the Ijapo Police Station where officers sent signals to other police formations while a team of detectives was dispatched to the scene to commence preliminary investigations.
Governor Abiola Ajimobi of Oyo State (right), with one of the victims of the fire incident, Alhaji Yinusa Ajibade, when the governor visited Omitowoju area of Ibadan, yesterday.
Ondo guber: ACN, PDP, LP present final addresses HAKEEM GBADAMOSI AKURE
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he main argument of the three major political parties who participated in last year’s gubernatorial election in Ondo State before the Andovar Kaaka’an Election Tribunal yesterday was on the validity or otherwise of the voters’ register used by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC. All the three political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, the Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN, and the ruling Labour Party, LP, were
in court to present their final written addresses before the tribunal. While the opposition PDP, ACN in their addresses said the election which produced Governor Olusegun Mimiko of LP as the winner of the election was fraught with irregularities. The two opposition parties hinged their evidences on the voters’ register which they claimed was manipulated before the election was conducted. However, LP faulted their claim, saying the election was conducted under a peaceful atmo-
sphere. It added that the election was free and fair with the final result representing the wish of the majority of the people. The major actors in the election, Governor Olusegun Mimiko of the LP, Chief Olusola Oke of the PDP and Mr. Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, of the ACN, were in court, while their counsel argued for several hours. Also, the courtroom was filled to capacity by the supporters of the three political parties. Mimiko’s lead counsel, Chief Wole Olanipekun, SAN, who led other five
Senior Advocates of Nigeria, SANs, prayed the tribunal to dismiss the petitions brought before it by the opposition parties’ candidates on the grounds that the allegations against the result of the election could not be substantiated. In the end, the tribunal said a date would be fixed for the final judgement on the case, adding that the date would be communicated to all the parties concerned. However, the three candidates expressed optimism that the final judgement would favour their parties.