Blackout hits Igando

Residents of Igando and Egan in Alimosho Local Government Area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria have appealed to the Power Holding Company of Nigeria to do something about the blackout in the areas.

The residents and landlords complained that since the towns were thrown into darkness four days ago, they have been finding life difficult.

A resident, Mrs. Ann Williams Amor of 4, Adetoun Close, said: “I have been living in this area for five years and we always find it difficult to get water because there is no electricity to pump water.

We depend on generator and this is very expensive to maintain because you have to use fuel all the time.†She explained that on average, residents spend between N100 and N150 per day to buy water from vendors.

Mrs. William explained further that a big bowl which is about 10-litre costs five naira but some water vendors can sell 30-litre bowl for N10 or N15 if there is light.

“The situation is a difficult one because we have to wake up as early as 6a.m. to fetch water. If you wake up late, you will meet a long queue and you may end up not getting water since there are only three major water vendors in the area and they shut their taps by 8.30 a.m. You also have to come back home early to fetch water if you don’t have water stored in the house since the water vendors start selling betweent 4p.m. and 8 p.m.

A food seller, Mrs. Owolabi Afolabi appealed to the PHCN to restore light to the area so that they can have water cheap.

According to Mrs. Afolabi, “water is available but it is not free or cheap. Sometime I spend N100 on water but when there is no light it is more expensive. It is very painful because my profit is not much and I still have to take out of it to buy water. So, you can see what we are facing. PHCN should please give us light. For four days now we have not seen light.

One of the water vendors in the area popularly known as Baba Olomi explained that he was only assisting the people to get water “because there is no profit in the business.

"I use money to buy diesel to power my generator since PHCN is unreliable.”

The secretary of New Olorunfemi Elero CDA, Mrs. Adetoun Noibi called on the Alimosho local government chairman to provide water for the people.

 Another resident, Miss Kadoon Desmond identified water as the major problem of residents and called on the state government to come to their aid.

Pick-Pocket Stabbed to Death

BY: BEBA KASHIMANA
A suspected pickpocket, whose identity is not yet known, has died in a hospital after he was stabbed at about 3 p.m. opposite Igando Police Station, Igando area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria.

 Mr. Fredrick Ikuesan, who was at the scene of the incident, disclosed to newsmen that when he saw the bleeding victim, he quickly rushed into the police station to ask for police report so that he could take him to the hospital.

“I told a policeman at the station to please give me a report but he said no, that the victim was caught stealing, that is why he was stabbed so he will die there,” he explained.

Ikuesan disclosed that he didn’t see the man that stabbed the suspect on Wednesday because of the huge crowd that gathered at the scene.

Another eye witness claimed that he called the Lagos state ambulance to come to the victim’s rescue but there was no response from them.

Reports gathered reveals that the man who allegedly stabbed the victim has been arrested and is now in police custody at Igando station. A policeman at the station also confirmed that the culprit is already in their net.

When another police source at the station was contacted, he said: “We don’t have a case of pickpocket stabbed to death. The case we have is that of assault, armed robbery and the suspect was attacked by a mob.”

Another officer from the station who pleaded anonymity said: “we actually took him to about three hospitals, and he was rejected before he was taken to Igando General Hospital where he was transferred to the Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LUTH, at the Emergency Ward.”

It was gathered that the victim died yesterday morning.

Gunmen Shoot ACN Councillorship Candidate

 BY: BEBA KASHIMANA
An Action Congress of Nigeria, ACN councillorship candidate in Ward B in Ifako-Ijaiye Local Government Area of Lagos State, Southwest Nigeria, Miss Bisola Fadayomi and her brother, Tomilola, were last night shot by unknown gunmen.

The duo were attacked and shot at about 8 p.m.yesterday at Odebiyi Street, near their father’s house at Obawole in Ifako-Ijaiye area while inside a Toyota Hilux bus.

Eyewitnesses accounted that Bisola and Tomilola had gone out to meet their father, Chief Akintunde Fadayomi, the ACN Chairman in Ifako-Ijaiye who just returned from Abuja.

Chief Fadayomi boarded a taxi from airport to Pen Cinema area of Agege from where he joined his children in their bus.

At Odebiyi Street, the gunmen emerged from a corner and attacked Bisola who was hit on her upper arm and Tomilola received bullets shot on his chest.

It was gathered that their father raised an alarm and the victims were later rushed to Lagos State University Teaching Hospital, LASUTH, Ikeja immediately.

Family sources told P.M.NEWS this morning that they are responding to treatment.
Chief Fadayomi confirmed the incident to our correspondent this morning, saying that he suspected the shooting was politically motivated.

“The party has just released a list of candidates for the council poll. Why should the shooting happen now if it is not politically motivated,” Fadayomi queried, while calling on the authorities to beef up security in the area as some enemies of progress are hell bent on disrupting the peaceful political atmosphere in Ifako-Ijaiye.

Similarly, the ACN chairmanship candidate in Ifako-Ijaiye, Hon. Oloruntoba Oke, confirmed the incident and called on the Lagos State government and the police to stop the emerging political violence in the area.

“The party has spoken and the people are happy about the party’s decision,” Oke told P.M.NEWS.
Speaking with P.M.NEWS at LASUTH this morning, Tomilola narrated how the attack happened. He said they were about to alight from the bus in front of their father’s house when a gunman wearing a face cap approached and opened fire on them.

“I suspected the attacked was actually targeted at my sister who had just won the party’s ticket to contest the councillorship seat,” Tomilola said, adding that the bullets pierced Bisola’s left arm while
he got bruises on his body and chest.

Tomilola said he was treated and discharged in a hospital but his sister could not be attended to at LASUTH and was transferred to a private hospital.

He said before neighbours could be alerted, the gunman had joined two others on a waiting motorcycle and escaped.

Contacted on phone this morning, the Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Lagos State Police Command, DSP Samuel Jinadu said P.M.NEWS should call him later.

He could not be reached again before press time for his comments.