A massive fire razed a warehouse at Global Crystal Foam Nigeria Limited in Oko-Oba, Oyo State, on Thursday night, destroying property worth millions of naira, officials confirmed.

The blaze, which broke out along Akinmorin Road, prompted a rapid response from state and federal fire services, who managed to contain the inferno within 15 minutes.

Hon. Maroof Akinwande, Senior Adviser on Fire Service Reform to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde, visited the scene and urged the company’s management to prioritise fire safety measures to prevent future incidents.

“The governor places immense value on the safety of lives and property,” Akinwande said, calling on the public to cooperate with firefighters during emergencies.

The Oyo State Fire Service Agency, led by General Manager Akinyemi Akinyinka, was alerted to the fire at 8:50 pm by a retired fire officer, Mr. M.O. Adewuyi.

“Upon arrival, we found the warehouse engulfed in flames,” Akinyinka said.

“Our team, supported by the Federal Fire Service, Oyo Command, applied firefighting chemicals to restrict the fire from spreading to other sections of the company.”

Akinyinka noted that the fire, caused by overheating foam blocks igniting nearby combustibles, had raged for an hour before the agency was notified by a passerby who spotted smoke.

Despite the delay, the coordinated response prevented the blaze from consuming the entire facility, saving property worth millions.

Security was provided by a team from the Oyo East Division of the Amotekun Corps, led by CFS Adeduntan, who ensured no looting occurred during the operation.

MTN Nigeria, a leading telecommunications company, has invested N3.5 billion in corporate social investment (CSI) in 2024, bringing its total CSI spending to N31.9 billion since its inception, the company’s Chief Sustainability Officer, Tobechukwu Okigbo, announced on Thursday.

Speaking at the Nigerian Exchange Ltd (NGX) during the presentation of the company’s Facts Behind the Sustainability Report, Okigbo highlighted the tangible impacts of MTN’s initiatives.

“Our efforts have benefited over 663,300 individuals, supported 628 small businesses, and improved educational outcomes in 62 schools across Nigeria,” he said.

The company also launched the Sustainability in Action, Value for the MTN Everyone (SAVE) campaign to enhance employee engagement in sustainability efforts.

To improve global accessibility, MTN’s 2023 sustainability report was digitally tagged with extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL), making it easier for investors and stakeholders to access.

MTN Nigeria made significant strides in reducing its environmental footprint, cutting Scope 1 and 2 emissions by 11% from its 2021 baseline of 113,826 tCO²e to 101,300 tCO²e in 2024.

The company expanded renewable energy use by adding 194 solar-powered rural telephony sites and became the first telecom operator in West Africa to introduce eco-friendly SIM cards.

On the social front, MTN reaffirmed its commitment to gender equality through its Yellowpreneur platform, which provides women access to low-interest loans.

“No fewer than 600,000 women have benefited from this initiative,” Okigbo noted, adding that the loans, facilitated through partner banks, carry an interest rate not exceeding N3.00.

Justice Chukwujekwu Aneke of the Federal High Court in Lagos has approved a N20 million bail for music producer Ezekiel Onyedikachi, popularly known as EeZeeTee, who is facing allegations of forex transaction fraud amounting to $255,000, as brought forth by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

In a concise ruling delivered on Friday, Justice Aneke stipulated that the bail conditions include the requirement of one surety residing in Lagos, who must possess property valued at the bail sum. The judge had previously granted release to EeZeeTee into the custody of his attorney, Mr. Ojukwu Chikaosolu, and provided a 72-hour timeline to fulfill the bail requirements.

Initially, the EFCC lodged a 14-count indictment against EeZeeTee for purported fraudulent conversion, which was subsequently revised to seven counts, alleging that he conducted foreign exchange transactions without the necessary license.

Prosecuting attorney Bilikisu Buhari-Bala informed the court that in June 2023, EeZeeTee engaged in a foreign exchange transaction valued at $52,895 with one Mr. Oladotun Olaobaju Mureke, without the authorization of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

This action, she contended, contravened Sections 5 and 29(1)(c) of the Foreign Exchange (Monitoring and Miscellaneous Provisions) Act, Cap F34, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, and is subject to penalties under Section 29(2) of the same legislation.

EeZeeTee has entered a plea of not guilty to the charges. The court has scheduled the next hearing for June 20, 2025, to commence the trial.