City Crime
Environmentalist Tasks Building Experts On Professionalism
Following the incessant building collapse in Nigeria, an environmentalist, Mr Gafar Odubote has urged building experts to adhere to standard building practice to avoid re-occurrence.
Odubote, an environmental advocate told Newsmen that building collapses could be avoided.
The expert said that building collapses were not necessarily natural occurrences or disasters but indicators of structural failure and poor maintenance that could be avoided.
“Building collapse is a risk that can be prevented. Most building collapses are not from natural causes or disasters but as a result of structural failure and lack of proper maintenance.
“It is time professionals that are not adhering to the international best standard in building practices should not just pay penalty fines but be jailed and lose their licenses permanently.
“The environmental measures that can be taken by the government and constituted authorities are to identify buildings that do not meet up the standards and ensure they are brought down.
“With the recent building collapse in Lagos Island, it shows that a gradual depletion of the building has been going on over the years, which the constituted authorities failed to bring down even though they allegedly claimed that they marked it for demolition,” he said.
Odubote called on stakeholders in the building industry to advocate and sensitise local builders and Nigerians on the need to put up quality standard structures.
“The Nigerian Society of Engineers (NSE); Building Collapse Prevention Guild (BCPG); Nigerian Institute of Builders (NIB); and other civil societies should unite in creating advocacy on raising awareness for people to carryout proper design of their buildings.
“Adequate subsoil tests should be carried out before designs are done and the engagement of certified professionals for the building construction should be engaged.
“The government should be effective in monitoring the building construction process, both before and after.
“The advocacy should also target the professionals not to compromise quality, supply sub-standard materials and also contractors engage untrained builders, and the Nigerian construction industry should be totally sanitised.
“People should learn the basics of concrete mixing for buildings and not to cut-corners or give contractors unrealistic timelines, when the foundation is wrong the building will definitely collapse,” Odubote said.
The expert also urged Nigerians to do a feasibility study on any building or apartment they choose to rent to avoid being victims of collapsed buildings.
“Before renting an apartment; request for the structural plan/design of the building and request for professionals to help in reviewing.
“The tenant should request for the report of any structural stability tests carried out by professionals in the building; which will show the state of such buildings.
“A tenant should look for any major structural cracks in the wall or gaps in the floors.
“He should understand the history of the area, the terrain and typography. A building does not suddenly collapse without any prior warning signs,” he said.
City Crime
Monarch Recommits To Peace, Security Of Ekpeye Land
City Crime
Delta Attorney-General Laments Hike In Human Trafficking
Delta State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Ekemejero Ohwovoriole (SAN) has lamented the increasing rate of human trafficking, especially the girl child in the state.
Ohwovoriole decried the increase in his office in Asaba when the zonal commander of the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons (NAPTIP), Mr Nduka Nwawenne paid him a courtesy visit.
The Attorney-General stated that it was against the dignity of the state and disheartening to see that Delta State now ranked first in human trafficking, overtaking Edo State.
He stressed the need for stakeholders to tackle the menace, adding that if it was one single victim that was rescued, they would be rewarded for their efforts.
Ohwovoriole stated that young girls were the most vulnerable ones in the issue of human trafficking, stressing that children from poor family backgrounds also fall victim to human trafficking.
While saying that their request for an office space in the state would be looked into, to see how the government could be of assistance to them, he assured them of his ministry’s partnership in the fight against human trafficking.
He said that the Task Force on human trafficking and irregular migration, which he chairs, should be having regular meetings.
Earlier, the Zonal Commander of Naptip, Mr. Nwawenne informed the commissioner that Delta state had overtaken Edo state as the foremost state in human trafficking in nigeria.
He told the Attorney-General that their Zonal Command was the first to be established in Nigeria because of the prevailing issues of human trafficking in the area, noting that ika south was the highest in cases of human trafficking as a result of its proximity with edo state.
Nwawenne appealed to the Commissioner and the State Government to provide office accommodation for their officials to operate in Asaba.
City Crime
Army Arrests 50 Foreigners, Others For Job Racketeering
The Nigerian Army said it has arrested 50 suspects, including foreigners, for alleged international job racketeering in Lagos.
The Director, Army Public Relations, Brig. Gen. Onyema Nwachukwu, who addressed journalists in Abuja, on Wednesday, said the suspects were arrested during an operation jointly conducted by the Army and the Nigeria Immigration Service.
He also disclosed that no fewer than 13 criminals were killed and 88 arrested during various operations across 20 states of the federation.
Among those arrested include 50 suspects comprising foreigners who were nabbed for alleged International job racketeering.
Onyema said, “In the South-West region, on November 2, 2023, troops of 9 Brigade Nigerian Army in conjunction with personnel of Nigerian Immigration Service, Lagos State Command, conducted a raid operation on a suspected criminal hideout at Ifako Ijaye.
“During the operation, 50 suspects, including foreigners who specialise in international job racketeering, were arrested. In a similar development same day, the same troops arrested two suspects at a hotel in Ogba in the Ikeja LGA.
“The arrest was in connection with the murder of one Mallam Idris Ardo, the Ardo of Panya Village in Plateau State. Preliminary investigation revealed that one of the arrested suspects masterminded the killing of Ardo and fled the community since the incident occurred.”
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