By Evelyn Usman & Monsuru Olowoopejo
LAGOS—Tragedy struck yesterday, after part of a two-storey building under construction at NICON Town Estate, off Admiralty Way in Lekki area of Lagos, collapsed, killing two persons— Tasiu Tanko and Abdulai Usman—who were construction workers.
Another worker, Yakuub, who sustained severe injuries, is
still being attended to by doctors at the intensive care unit of an
undisclosed hospital.
Vanguard gathered that work was ongoing at the site when
part of the building caved in, trapping the workers. The deceased,
according to eyewitnesses, were brought out of the debris dead, while
others were rescued with varying degrees of injuries. The building
Residents of the area were said to have thronged the scene
to help in rescuing those under the debris, until the arrival of rescue
workers from the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and policemen.
General Manager, LASEMA, Mr. Adeshina Tiamiyu, who confirmed
the incident, said: “The agency received a report at about 11.40a.m.,
regarding partial collapse of a building at NICON Town Estate, Lekki.”
He said investigation conducted by the agency’s Emergency
Response Team, ERT, at the scene of the incident, revealed that the
structure was at the stage of casting the roofing beam.
He added that the construction workers were mixing concrete with a poker vibrator when part of the building caved in on some of them.
Taimiyu added: “The agency’s ERT immediately cordoned off
the building for further investigation to be carried out by the
appropriate authorities.”
South-West spokesman for the National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye, said the bodies had been evacuated and taken to the morgue. He disclosed that fire also engulfed Bedmate Industry, a furniture company, at Lekki, yesterday.
By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA—The Code of Conduct Tribunal, CCT, sitting in Abuja,yesterday, admitted into evidence,
a statement the Senate President, Dr. Bukola Saraki, made before the
Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, in relation to
corruption allegations against him. Senate President Bukola Saraki
The Federal Government tendered the statement dated August 13, 2013, before the Justice Danladi Umar-led two-man panel tribunal where Saraki is being prosecuted on an 18-count charge.
At the resumed sitting on the matter, yesterday, prosecution
counsel, Mr. Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, tendered Saraki’s statement through an
EFCC detective, Mr. Alvan Gurummaal.
Meanwhile, shortly after the statement was admitted into evidence, Mr. Jacobs, SAN, notified the tribunal of his inability to produce his last witness, even as he applied for an adjournment.
Jacobs told the tribunal that the remaining witness, who is
Saraki’s account officer, informed him that he would be undergoing a surgery and would, therefore, not be able to appear to testify in the matter as originally scheduled.
Consequent upon the prosecution’s request, Justice Umar adjourned further hearing on the case till May 4.
By Grace Udofia
Abuja—Midim Atan
community in Essien Udim Local Government Area in Akwa Ibom State,
yesterday, raised alarm over the incessant attacks on its community by a
notorious cult group, calling on the Federal Government to address the crisis as it threatens livelihood.
Lamenting the challenges they face, community spokesperson, Victor Udom, said the cult group known as Akwa-marine, has laid siege to the community with weapons. Weapons of operation
Briefing the press in Abuja, he explained that villagers are
no longer safe in the community as a result of the mayhem unleashed by
the deadly group, resulting to downturn in businesses as well as causing
resident to flee their homes.
According to him, ”We appeal to the Federal Government to intervene and rescue Midim Atan from this wicked people.
“All my efforts and that of the elders in
the community, together with those who have been victimised, to see that
this deadly gang and its sponsors are brought to book have been drastically slowed down by lengthy police investigation process.”
Anthony Joshua, 6ft 6in tall and 17st 8lb of prime
heavyweight chiselled like an Adonis, is sitting on the apron of a
training ring at the Institute of Sport in Sheffield and has spread his
wingspan of 82 inches along the ropes. After a two-hour workout in which
he skips majestically and athletically, hauls his huge frame with
repeated pull-ups to the height of a basketball hoop, and completes his
thumping pad work with trainer Rob McCracken, he is soaked in his own
sweat, which drips into a pool beneath him. •Klitschko & Joshua
Massive hands, delicate, long fingers. These are the
weapons, the 27-year-old will “unleash hell” on the ageing, 41-year-old
former world champion Wladimir Klitschko next Saturday in front of
90,000 spectators at Wembley Stadium. This is the reckoning time for the
young Londoner, who sees it as “a 50-50 fight”.
After 3½ years as a professional, building a record of 18
fights and 18 one-sided knockouts, the fighter who claimed Olympic gold
in 2012 as a neophyte, and his first world title last year in his 16th
contest, now faces the formidable Klitschko, his first elite opponent.
Joshua has never been beyond seven rounds and this is the test of
whether he is ‘the real deal’.
“It’s a 50-50 fight,” admits Joshua. “He thinks it’s a
50-50, too, but I’m just confident I can beat him and that puts the odds
in my favour.”
Italy turned on the style to defeat Nigeria 12-6 in their opening Group B match at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017. Nigeria’s Isiaka Olawale vies for the ball with Italian opponents at the FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup Bahamas 2017
Gabriele Gori followed his impressive scoring exploits in European qualifying with six goals against the Audu Adamu tutored side in Nassau on Thursday.
Paolo Palmacci contributed to the victory with a hat-trick, including two bicycle kick goals.
Though Azeez Abu also scored a treble for the Nigerians, they were no match for the firepower of the Italians in this curtain-raiser for both nations.
Nigeria’s next match is against Mexico who also lost 2-3 to Iran.
U.S.
Navy | Z.A. Landers | Reuters. The U.S. military's Pacific Command
chief Wednesday took the blame for confusion over the USS Carl Vinson's
location during testimony to a House panel.
The
U.S. military's top Pacific chief was in the hot seat Wednesday at a
House hearing and took the blame for apparent miscommunication over the
USS Carl Vinson carrier's movements amid the rising tensions with North
Korea.
Earlier this month, President Donald Trump
said in an interview the military was sending "an armada" to the Korean
Peninsula and reports at the time indicated the carrier strike group
was led by the Vinson. But as tensions mounted with North Korea over the
nuclear and ballistic-missile threat, it was learned last week from a New York Times story the Vinson was actually headed in another direction and not toward Korean waters.
"With
regard to the Carl Vinson, that's my fault on the confusion and I'll
take the hit for it," Navy Adm. Harry Harris, the four-star commander of
U.S. Pacific Command, testified at a hearing of the House Committee on
Armed Services.
Harris
explained that he made the decision to pull the aircraft carrier out of
Singapore and cancel a port visit to Australia. He also ordered the
carrier to proceed north. However, he said, he failed to communicate
that adequately to the press. "So that is all on me."
The
flap over the Vinson led to charges the Trump administration used the
Vinson as just a "bluff" against Pyongyang. South Korean's Yonhap news agency ran a story with a headline, "Trump's 'armada' gaffe stains his commitment to alliance."
White
House spokesman Sean Spicer was asked last week about the Vinson issue
and insisted there was no intent to mislead. Harris, however, didn't
explain the disconnect with the White House over the matter.
The admiral said the military has since moved the Vinson closer to the region to handle a Korean mission.
"Today
it sits in the Philippine Sea, just east of Okinawa and [within]
striking range and power projection range of North Korea if called upon
to do that," Harris said.
Harris
was pressed on the carrier mess by Rep. Salud Carbajal (D-California), a
member of the House Committee on Armed Services. "When dealing with an
unpredictable regime [like North Korea], empty rhetoric can be
dangerous," the congressman remarked.
Meantime,
Harris also said the USS Michigan, a guided-missile nuclear submarine,
is now in South Korea's Busan port and will be there for a few days and
then will leave port and be operating within the area. "This is a show
of solidarity with our South Korean allies and a flexible deterrent show
of force to North Korea should they consider using force against South
Korea."
From
the other side of the Pacific, the U.S. early Wednesday launched an
operational test of an unarmed intercontinental ballistic missile from
Vandenberg AFB in California. The test also was seen as a demonstration
to North Korea of the U.S. nuclear deterrent capability.
Rodong Sinmun,
the official newspaper of the Pyongyang regime's ruling party,
Wednesday "denounced the U.S. for getting all the more zealous in its
war hysteria against the DPRK." DPRK is short for North Korea's formal
name, the Democratic People's Republic of Korea.
The
U.S. military's Pacific chief testified at the House hearing Wednesday
that North Korea's nuclear program poses a bigger threat than ever but
China, despite offering to help, remains a formidable adversary with
island-building and increased militarization.
"North Korea remains our most immediate threat in the Indo-Asia-Pacific," he said.
Harris
said North Korean leader Kim Jong Un is "on a quest for nuclear weapons
and the ballistic missiles capable of delivering them
intercontinentally. The words and actions of North Korea threaten the
U.S. homeland and that of our allies in South Korea and Japan."
North
Koreans have "an aggressive weapons test schedule, as demonstrated by
yet another ballistic missile launch this April," the admiral said. He
added that the regime launched more ballistic missiles last year than it
did in the previous few years combined.
"Just
as Thomas Edison is believed to have failed 1,000 times before
successfully inventing the electric light bulb, so too, Kim Jong Un will
keep trying," he said. "One of these days soon, he will succeed."
Harris
said the concern isn't just land-based missile technology but submarine
weapons the North Koreans are developing. Moreover, he indicated that
solid-fuel advances by Pyongyang also are troubling.
Vincent Enyeama has deflected questions regarding his return to the national team, ahead of the African Cup of Nations and World Cup qualifiers against South Africa and Cameroon. File: Enyeama Vincent
The Lille goalkeeper called time on his international career
with the Super Eagles in 2015 after a publicized dispute with ex-coach
Sunday Oliseh, who stripped him of the captaincy for reporting late to
camp.
There has been talk in some quarters that Enyeama may return
to the team but he has hinted that the decision is not in his hands, or
in other words the Nigerian Federation and manager Rohr will have to
decide whether they want him or not. A Twitter user, @Past_laur asked Enyeama : ‘’are you coming back to the eagles?’’
Enyeama answered : ‘’Hmmmmm.dat (that) question is not mine to answer. As of today.’’
The 33-year-old has officially been named the best
goalkeeper in Africa three times in the last seven years, and was part
of Nigeria’s squad at the 2002, 2010 and 2014 World Cups.
