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Careless Welding Blamed For Inferno At Abuja Samsung Headquarters
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Fire Service has disclosed the primary cause of the devastating inferno that engulfed the two-storey Samsung headquarters in Wuse 2, Abuja.
The nightmare unfolded late Monday night and into the early hours of Tuesday, leaving the Samsung headquarters in ruins.
According to Mr. Ibrahim Tauheed, the FCT Fire Service spokesperson, the tragedy was the result of careless welding activities taking place near a pile of empty, combustible cartons within the facility.
While the blaze wreaked havoc, there were no casualties reported, but the two-storey building housing valuable Samsung products was utterly razed.
The prompt action of one Mrs. Ngozi, the owner of Mozini Spa, located behind Furniture House, played a crucial role in alerting the authorities.
She made a distress call to the Fire Service at 7:38 pm, which led to the Asokoro Fire Station being the first to reach the scene at 7:43 pm.
However, the firefighters encountered a hostile crowd of individuals who began pelting their fire truck with stones, posing a significant challenge.
To ensure the safety of the firefighters and their equipment, DSF Ahmed Katsina, the leader of the crew, directed the driver to take an alternate route to Ahmadu Bello Way and alerted the police control room.
The arrival of Nigeria Police personnel eventually led to the dispersal of the unruly crowd, allowing the firefighters to initiate their efforts.
Unfortunately, the delay caused the fire to intensify and spread throughout the building.
Despite the daunting circumstances, diligent efforts were made to prevent the flames from spreading to nearby structures and the adjacent filling station.
Many had feared the fire’s potential to engulf other buildings and the filling station, but with the combined efforts of multiple stations and agencies, this catastrophic scenario was averted.
The fierce blaze continued for over six long hours, from 7:38 pm on November 6th until 01:37 am on November 7th, before it was finally brought under control.
Notably, both the Federal Fire Service and FCT Fire Service maintained one station each on standby until the morning.
Engr. Zacchaeus Adebayo, the Acting Director of FCT Fire Service, closely monitored the operation from the beginning until the blaze was finally subdued.
He commended the firefighters for their unwavering commitment and pledged to enhance operational conditions promptly.
In this trying time, the unity and dedication of the firefighting teams and the support from various agencies played a crucial role in minimizing the extent of the disaster.
The Supreme Court has overturned the Court of Appeal’s decision that recognised Julius Abure as the National Chairman of the Labour Party (LP). In a decisive ruling, a five-member panel declared that the Court of Appeal lacked the legal authority to determine the party’s leadership matters.
In a unanimous verdict, the highest court in the land stated that the Court of Appeal had no jurisdiction over the matter. The panel observed that since the case revolved around the internal leadership structure of the Labour Party, it fell outside the jurisdiction of the courts.
The ruling reinforced the long-standing principle that leadership disputes within political parties should be resolved internally, rather than through judicial intervention.
The Supreme Court stressed that leadership struggles within political parties are purely internal matters. According to legal principles, courts should not interfere in such issues, as they fall under the party’s constitution and governance framework. By upholding this legal doctrine, the apex court reaffirmed that political parties must settle their leadership crises independently.
The Supreme Court upheld the appeal lodged by Senator Nenadi Usman and a fellow appellant, ruling that their claims were valid. Their appeal challenged the earlier judgment, arguing that it was flawed due to jurisdictional overreach. After thorough legal scrutiny, the Supreme Court found merit in their argument and ruled in their favour.
The legal battle also involved a cross-appeal filed by supporters of Julius Abure, who sought to challenge the decision against their leader. However, the Supreme Court dismissed this cross-appeal, declaring it unsubstantiated and lacking merit. The ruling effectively ended the legal contest over the Labour Party’s chairmanship, cementing the judiciary’s stance on non-interference in party leadership disputes.
Bitcoin experienced sharp fluctuations following President Donald Trump’s April 2 tariff announcement, initially surging to $88,000 before dropping to $82,000.
By April 3, it stabilized around $83,000, with the broader crypto market down over 4%. Major altcoins like Ethereum and Solana also declined over 6%, hitting multi-month lows.
Analysts see the tariff news as reducing market uncertainty, potentially attracting institutional investors.
Despite higher-than-expected rates, experts believe the clarity could help Bitcoin regain momentum toward $90,000. Bitcoin ETFs, led by BlackRock, recorded $218 million in inflows on April 2, reversing prior outflows.
Kraken’s Thomas Perfumo challenged the idea that institutional interest stabilizes crypto, emphasizing that volatility signals demand for a scarce asset.
Some analysts viewed the sell-off as an overreaction to trade policy concerns, highlighting Bitcoin’s resilience as a store of value.
With ETFs showing strong demand, Bitcoin’s price may stabilize and rise, though market participants remain cautious, monitoring trade policies and economic conditions.
Violent clashes between pastoralist groups and settled farming communities have long been a challenge in South Sudan.
However, the recent outbreak of violence in the northern Ruweng Administrative Area has further heightened concerns over the nation’s fragile peace. At least 30 people lost their lives after an armed youth group launched a brutal attack on a northern South Sudanese town, according to local officials.
The incident, linked to an escalating cattle raid, saw the town briefly fall under the control of the attackers before security forces regained control.
The violence began when a group of armed youth stole lambs earlier in the week. Security forces quickly intervened, forcing the raiders to retreat. However, instead of dispersing, the group reorganised and launched a more aggressive attack on Abiemnom the following day.
Local Minister of Information, Simon Chol Mialith, confirmed that despite resistance from local youth and security personnel, the town was overrun by the Mayom armed youth. The attack led to significant casualties and destruction before security forces were able to reclaim the town.
On Wednesday, the South Sudan People’s Defence Force (SSPDF) successfully pushed the attackers out, restoring a semblance of calm. However, the scale of the destruction was already severe, with over 40 individuals injured in addition to the fatalities.
Although reports suggest that some of the deceased were members of the armed groups, official confirmation remains pending.
The attack comes at a time of growing instability in South Sudan, with tensions between forces loyal to President Salva Kiir and First Vice President Riek Machar intensifying. This political rivalry threatens to unravel the delicate 2018 peace agreement that ended the nation’s five-year civil war.
Since gaining independence in 2011, South Sudan has struggled with continuous unrest. Despite its vast oil resources, the country remains impoverished, with conflicts like these exacerbating economic and social difficulties.