INEC official takes two card readers away from polling unit

At Unit 023, Zone 9 at Baba-Ewe Junction, Ago-palace, under Oshodi/Isolo LCDA, two card readers failed. INEC officials arrived at the polling unit at 8.15a.m. but could not commence accreditation due to the faulty machines. One of the officials took the card readers away for repair but did not return as at 9.36a.m.
A human rights activist and election observer, Mrs Joe Okei-Odumakin, told journalists that she was satisfied with the early supply of election materials by INEC. Okei-Odumakin, the President of the Campaign for Democracy, said that she had visited 21 polling booths as at 10.30a.m.
Many enthusiastic voters turned out in large numbers in many polling centres in Lagos as early as 8.00a.m.for the governorship and House of Assembly polls on Saturday. Also INEC ad hoc staff and election materials arrived early at  many polling units contrary to what obtained  in the March 28 presidential and national assembly polls.
Security agents also reported early.   These made accreditation to begin early in many polling booths, with smart cards readers working better. In Epe, voters trooped out in large numbers as at 7.45a.m., waiting for electoral officers and materials.
They queued up in some polling units while waiting for the officers and materials. Some of the polling centres visited are Ward A3, Units 2,5, 8 and 12 and Ward A2, Units 7, 10 and 11. At Ward A5, Unit 33, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) Governorship Candidate, Mr Akinwunmi Ambode, came out for accreditation, voters turned out in large numbers.
Ambode hailed Epe residents for the impressive turnout. The governorship candidate, who was in company of his wife, Abolanle, also commended INEC for efforts toward hitch-free polls. He urged voters to be calm and vigilant. Alhaji Idris Haruna, Leader of the Hausa Community, told newsmen at the unit, “l have instructed members of the Hausa Community to come out en masse for accreditation and voting.
“We thank Allah for giving us peaceful presidential and National Assembly elections. We hope that these ones will also be peaceful.’’ At Ward 3, Unit 9 in Apapa Local Government Area, the PDP Governorship Candidate, Mr Jimi Agabaje,  was accredited at 10.30a.m.
He commended INEC for early arrival of electoral officers and election materials. Agbaje expressed satisfaction at voters’ turnout. He appealed to voters to shun violence. In Ikorodu, election materials arrived at 8.20a.m at some  polling units, and accreditation started shortly after at Polling Units 003 and 005 at Erunwen and Itamaga, respectively in Erikorodo.
As at 8.37a.m., accreditation began at Polling Units 010, 011 at Arowolo Eluku Junction, Isele 3 and Polling Units 01/007,  Isele 1,Opposite Ayangburen Palace.  At Odoguyan area of Ikorodu, INEC officials and election materials arrived at 7.30a.m. At Polling Units 012, Ojuemuren, Ward E1, accreditation commenced at 8.10 a.m.
Also, at Polling Unit 014, Oduyebo, Ward E1 and PU 015, Farm Settlement, Odoguyan, INEC officials arrived at 7.45 a.m. and 7.30 a.m. respectively. Pressmen observed that large numbers of voters, including the elderly, arrived early for accreditation.
Security operatives advised younger voters to queue up, while the elderly were provided seats and were first attended to by electoral officers. However, as at 9.05a.m, INEC officials and materials had yet to arrive at Polling Units located at the Grammar School, Ota Ona, Ireshe,  Oriwu Road, all in Ikorodu.
There was orderliness at the polling units as voters were taking numbers and forming queues, waiting for the arrival of electoral officers and materials.  Many polling units in Badagry Local Government Area of the state started accreditation of voters at 8.00a.m. as smart cards readers and other election materials arrived at about 7.45a.m.
In Units 15, 16, 17 and 20 of Ward A, there were already queues as at 8.00a.m. Card readers were functioning well. Accreditation began at 8.05a.m at the Unit 9 of Ward F with voters enthusiastic to

Read More

Navy dislodges miscreants from Warri waterways

WARRI- THE Commanding Officer, Nigerian Navy Ship, NNS, Warri, Delta State, Captain Musa Gemu, said he deployed naval personnel to chase away the troublemakers, who commandeered a section of the Warri waterways, near the disbanded Camp 5 in Warri South-West Local Government Area, Saturday,  harassing travellers.

He said it was in reaction to the lawlessness by the boys that he dispatched his men, saying, “There is calm now, we have driven them away.”

His words,  “Some youths were beaten up people before Camp 5, the reason for their action is not known, we had to dispatch men to ensure that there is peace in the area.”

Captain Gemu, however, said that movement on the waterways was restricted till the period of free movement as ordered by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, asking residents and voters to remain in their respective wards because the same restriction that apply on land also apply in the riverine area.

Former PDP chieftain in Warri, Chief Ayirimi Emami, who defected to APC, few days ago, raised the alarm, this morning, that his step mother, Mrs. Elizabeth Emami, was detained for hours by Ijaw boys at Kurutie, who also harassed and beat up other innocent travelers, yesterday.

But, PDP chairman in Warri South West local government area, Chief Boro Opudu, who acknowledged that Emami spoke to him about his step mother, dismissed the allegation of tension on the waterways, saying there was calm from information available to him.

Read More

B’Haram attacks Borno villages, kills 22

Twenty-two persons were killed on Thursday when Boko Haram insurgents attacked two villages in Borno State.

In Dile, a village in Askira/Uba Local Government Area of the state, a member of the youth vigilante group said 20 people were killed while many were injured when the Boko Haram fighters invaded the village around 2am.

The source said, “Hundreds of suspected Boko Haram militants, who are believed to be fleeing from the Nigerian troops on Thursday, killed at least 20 people in an attack on a remote village in Askira Uba Local Government Area in Borno State.”

“The insurgents stormed Dile village at 2am in several vehicles, burning houses and killing anybody in sight.”

Also a resident, Dauda Ardo who fled to Mubi, told our correspondent on the telephone that 20 persons were killed in the village and many others sustained injuries during the attack.

He said, “Dozens of Boko Haram fighters attacked our village at about 2am and killed 20 people. Many of us fled to the bush. Everybody was running for his life. We don’t know the whereabouts of our family members.”

The other two were killed when Boko Haram fighters on Thursday attacked Buratai village in Biu Local Government Area of the state. At Buratai, they also injured three others.

A security source from Biu town, told our correspondent on the telephone that the insurgents invaded the village on Thursday night, killing two persons and injuring three others.

Read More

Girl, 15, two others injured in Lagos-Ibadan road crash

A 15-year-old girl and two others were critically injured on Friday in an auto crash at the popular Arepo Bus Stop on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway area of Ogun State.

Commercial motorcyclists and other sympathisers rushed the injured victims to the nearest hospital for medical attention.

An eyewitness said the accident, which involved a Toyota Sienna car marked APP 947 CQ and a truck marked YN 163 XA, occurred as both vehicles were struggling to overtake each other.

Another eyewitness, Olamilekan Akande, 40, explained that the accident occurred as the truck’s driver was trying to avoid hitting a stationary bus and thereby swerved to the direction of the Toyota car.

“The accident happened in my presence. I saw how it happened and I am ready to testify anywhere on how it occurred. It was the back of the truck that hooked up the front part of the Toyota car and dragged it on the road while the driver was overtaking it,” Akande said.

But both drivers blamed the crash on each other.

The 35-year-old driver of the Toyota car, who simply identified himself as Obina Uraka, accused the driver of the articulated vehicle, Mr. Mosudi Adigun, 50, of wrongful overtaking, while the latter said Uraka hit his vehicle from the rear, leading to the fatal destruction of the car.

Our correspondent noted that two of the victims were in critical condition when he visited the hospital, but the Medical Director, Dr. Abiola Ajayi, assured them of adequate treatment.

The 15-year-old victim, Cocy Onyemechi, whose right leg was affected, said she was fast asleep when the crash occurred, adding that it was the dragging of the car by the truck that woke her up.

When contacted for comment, the Ogun State Police Command Public Relations Officer, Mr. Muyiwa Adejobi, said he was not aware of the crash, but promised to get back to our correspondent after investigating the incident.

As of the time of filing this report, however, the police spokesperson had yet to comment on the crash.

Read More

PDP expels Lamido’s deputy, Mahmud heads for APC

The Deputy Governor of Jigawa, Alhaji Ahmad Mahmud, has been expelled from the Peoples Democratic Party for alleged anti-party activities.

This was contained in a statement by the PDP chairman of Galagamma ward in Gumel, Jigawa, Alhaji Ibrahim Kafinta, made available to the News Agency of Nigeria  on Monday in Dutse.

The chairman said the decision to expel Mahmud was taken during a stakeholders meeting held in his ward.

Reports had earlier indicated that Mahmud had dumped the PDP for the All Progressives Congress, which won the March 28 election in the state.

Kafinta did not say when the stakeholders meeting, which ratified the expulsion, held.

The ward chairman alleged that the deputy governor “sabotaged PDP” during the recent National Assembly election.

He added that the Gumel Local Government Area headquarters of the party, had endorsed the expulsion.

Efforts by NAN to get the comments of the deputy governor on the matter was futile as he neither picked a call nor replied a text message sent to him.

Read More