Good Morning. Here’s a recap of the top trending news stories this morning
1. The Lagos State Government has vowed that many structures obstructing the free flow of rainwater will be removed. The government said those structures would be removed “irrespective of who or highly placed the owners are.” This comes in the wake of a 10-hour downpour that grounded businesses, and commercial activities and also submerged many houses, communities, and properties in the state.
2. Some aggrieved youths in Benue State have burnt down the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Sankara, headquarters of Ukum Local Government Area. Heavy protests broke out in Sankera in the early hours of Wednesday following the fresh killings of 11 people by armed outlaws who have severally gone on the rampage in the area and meted cruelty to the inhabitants.
3. The Senate on Wednesday asked the federal government to further expand the ‘renewed hope legacy road infrastructure projects’ in the country to include the North-East region. It specifically asked the Ministry of Works to include the Calabar-Makurdi-Jalingo-Yola-Maiduguri Highway, which will integrate the North-East into the legacy infrastructure road projects in the country.
4. Suspected bandits, who kidnapped a female judge and her four children in Kaduna State, have demanded N300m, after killing her eldest son. The judge and her sons were reportedly abducted at their residence in the Mahuta area of Kaduna on 23 June. The kidnappers, numbering up to 15, stormed the residence of the judge at night when her husband, Dr. Musa Gimba Dutse, a medical doctor, was away on duty.
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5. The Ogun State Government has approved the allocation of 15 housing units from the affordable housing program in Itanrin, Ijebu-Ode, to the residents whose houses were recently demolished at Igbegba Housing Estate. The 15 housing units were affected by the recent demolition as the state government intensified its urban regeneration program.
6. The vice chancellor of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has called for unified professional efforts to combat quackery and the use of substandard materials in construction, aimed at curbing incidents of building collapse in Nigeria. Prof Bala highlighted the need for professionals in Nigeria’s building environment to demonstrate competence and diligence in ensuring safe structures for habitation.
7. The General Manager of the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Gbolahan Oki, has blamed the collapse of a two-story building in the Mushin area on the use of substandard materials. Oki said the owner of the building would be prosecuted for violating an earlier stop-work order of the government and breaking the seal put on the building. The Lagos State Emergency Management Agency had earlier said it rescued seven people who were trapped at the site following the collapse on Wednesday.
8. An operative of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) committed suicide at his residence in Abuja on Monday. The deceased, male, is said to be a member of Course 5 of the EFCC Academy, but no other details about him, including his name, is publicly known as of Wednesday morning. Details surrounding the reason for his action are yet to be ascertained.
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9. The Joint Admissions and Matriculations Board (JAMB) has raised the alarm, saying it had uncovered 3,000 fake graduates in possession of illegal certificates across the country. The Registrar, Ishaq Oloyede, who made this known in a report published in the board’s bulletin, said those involved were discovered to have never set foot within the four walls of a classroom.
10. The Senate has raised an alarm over the influx of substandard Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol, and Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) or diesel into the Nigerian market. In a matter of urgent national importance, Senator Asuquo Ekpeyong observed that on June 16, 2024, a report revealed that 12 diesel cargoes conveying a total of 660 kilotons of diesel, were exported by refineries to offshore Lome, Togo for further distribution to West African markets, mainly Nigeria.