National
Fire razes 200 shops in C’River
No fewer than 200 shops were on Monday night razed by fire at Ikom main market in Ikom Local Government Area of Cross River.
Mr Chika Anya, Chairman of the Lagos line of the market, said the intensity of the inferno was such that nothing could be savaged from the affected shops.
According to him, the fire incident has been a reoccurring issue almost every year in the market.
He alleged that as with previous cases, the state fire service was unable to provide much support.
“All we want now is support from the government to enable us get our lives back.
“Government should also do the needful by having a functional fire service in Ikom and other council areas of the state,” Anya told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN).
One of the affected shop owners, Augustine Eze, said it was difficult to ascertain the cause of the fire as there was no electricity “and nobody is allowed to pass the night in the market.”
Eze said they got little support from the state fire service during the incident.
“This is not the first time we are having fire issue in the market and there is always no assistance to quench the fire since the state fire service lacks the equipment to fight one here,” Eze claimed.
Meanwhile, Mr Peter Okorebi, the state Director of Fire Service, said they would investigate the cause of the fire and take preventive measures.
Okorebi, however, said that the shop owners have for long formed the habit of cooking in the shops inspite of repeated warnings against such by the fire service.
According to him, the traders have refused to heed to safety precautions.
“Our safety officers have repeatedly advised them against this trend but they simply won’t listen,” he added.
The director debunked the claims that the fire service lacked the necessary facilities to contain fire outbreaks in the area. (NAN)
The Alliance of Sahel States (AES) comprising junta-led Mali, Niger Republic, and Burkina Faso have imposed a 0.5 percent import duty on goods from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) member nations.
The move further strains relations between the three junta-led nations and the ECOWAS, which they withdrew from earlier this year following a series of military coups and economic sanctions.
The AES, which began as a security pact between the military rulers of the three countries in 2023, has now metamorphosed into an aspiring economic union with plans for biometric passports and closer economic and military ties.
In a joint statement last week, the AES said the levy aims to generate revenue to fund the alliance’s activities.
The tax, which came into effect on Friday, applies to all imports from ECOWAS countries, except humanitarian aid.
The taxes also disrupt the free trade once enjoyed by all countries in the West African region.
The economic implications could be severe, leading to higher consumer prices, supply chain disruptions, and strained regional economic stability.
While it may provide short-term revenue for the junta-led governments, it risks other long-term consequences, including weakened regional integration.
ECOWAS has maintained that it will keep diplomatic channels open with the junta-led states until July, despite announcing their permanent expulsion from the bloc earlier this year.
Monday Okpebholo, the governor of Edo state, says 14 suspects arrested in connection with the killing of Kano-bound travellers in Uromi LGA of the state have been transferred to Abuja for further interrogation.
The suspects were detained after a mob attacked a group of hunters travelling to Kano for Sallah celebrations on Thursday.
Speaking in Abuja on Monday during a condolence visit to Barau Jibrin, the deputy senate president, Okpebholo condemned the attack and assured Nigerians that those responsible would be brought to justice.
Okpebholo also announced that his government had set up a committee to support the families of those killed.
“It’s unfortunate that it happened in our state. We are here to say, to let you and other people know that we are not happy,” Ismail Mudashir, media aide to Barau, quoted Okpebholo as saying.
“The president is doing something drastic about this. He’s not happy also.
“The IG has swung into action. The DIG CID is in charge. So far, they have arrested 14 suspects.
“So they are bringing them to Abuja for interrogation. We have also set up a committee to see that we take care of the families of the deceased.”
Responding, Barau said the perpetrators of the act must be brought to book to serve as a deterrent to others.
“We cannot undo what has been done. But we all want – all Nigerians, what they are looking forward to is to make sure that these people are arrested and brought to justice. And you are doing well in that direction,” Barau said.
“And I’m also glad you’ve spoken about the fact that your government is ready to assist the families of those affected.
“I want you to continue to pursue the case so that all those who were involved in these barbaric actions are brought to justice. It’s a barbaric action, to say the facts.”
He urged the Edo government to ensure all those involved were held accountable, adding that such attacks must never happen again.
Edo State Governor Monday Okpebholo, on Monday, paid a condolence visit to his counterpart in Kano State, Abba Yusuf, over the killings of 16 Kano-bound travellers last Friday.
Okpebholo arrived the Kano State Government House at noon and was received by Yusuf and other government officials.
The 16 travellers were killed at Uromi in Esan North East Local Government Area of Edo State by some members of a vigilante group who mistook them for criminals.
The 16 travellers said to be hunters were en route Kano State from Port Harcourt for Eid-el-Fitr celebrations when they were killed in Uromi.
The Edo governor and his team commiserated with the people of Kano and the families of those who were killed.
Okpebholo described the incident as sad and felt sad upon hearing the news. He acknowledged the cordial relationship between the Hausa community and the people of Edo.
He assured the people of Kano of swift justice and noted that 14 people had been arrested and moved to Abuja for interrogations.
On his part, Gov Yusuf demanded that those who perpetrated the brutal crime must be paraded for the whole world to see.
He maintained that Kano remained the most peaceful state in the north and accommodated people from diverse communities.
He thanked his counterpart for the prompt visit and called for immediate prosecution of those arrested for justice to be served.
Both governors called for peaceful coexistence as they visited Toronkawa village in the Bunkure Local Government Area of Kano State.
The heinous act has been widely condemned and President Bola Tinubu had given marching orders to security agencies to fish out those behind the killings.
“The President, who expressed shock at the dastardly act on Thursday, directed Police and other security agencies to conduct swift and thorough investigations and punish the suspected culprits,” presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said in a statement on Friday.