The Harbingerngr News

RESIDENTS of Lekki area of the Lagos Metropolis, under aegis of Lekki Estates Residents and Stakeholders Association (LERSA), have called on Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu to halt the proposed resumption of toll collection on the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge.  The Lekki Concession Company, LCC, had announced that the Lekki-Ikoyi Link Bridge Toll Plaza will resume April, 18 months after it was suspended The call was made to the governor in a letter titled "Position of Lekki Residents on the planned Re-introduction of Tolling". In the letter, LERSA questioned why tolling should resume on the 1.5km bridge in view of the harsh economic situation in the country.  Signed by the President and General Secretary of the association, Olorogun James Emadoye and Mr. Gbemi Adelekan, respectively, the letter stated that the resumption of tolling will impose great financial hardship on users of the bridge. "Your excellency, graciously permit us to exemplify our fears as follows:  For a couple ...

One of the burnt houses in Makurdi. THE narrow gauge train travelling from Lagos to Kano derailed at Farin Ruwa, near Jaji in Igabi Local Government Area of Kaduna State, killing the train driver in the process. Malam Abdullahi Alhaji, Public Relations Officer, Northern Regional District of the Nigeria Railways Corporation (NRC), Zaria, confirmed the incident to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Zaria, yesterday. According to Alhaji, Bala Kawu, the driver of the train died during the incident as the cargo train was conveying soft drinks to Kano. He said the incident happened as a result of vandalisation of the slippers and other accessories of the rail track in the area. Alhaji said rescue efforts are currently ongoing to recover the remains of the deceased to salvage the situation for the train to continue its journey to Kano. Houses razed, residents flee as rival cult gangs clash in Makurdi No fewer than five houses were razed at Adeke community, Mobile Barracks area in the outskir...

*Kidnap monarch, 3 others in Abuja *Abduct Benue pastor,  son, 5 others from Lagos-bound commercial vehicle *Raid Zaria Estate, kidnap Customs officer, others *Police shoot 2 , arrest  4  in Rivers l2  suspected kidnappers arrested in Ogun BANDITS went on rampage in several parts of the country, last Wednesday, abducting about 15 persons including a traditional ruler, a pastor and a customs officer. In Abuja, four persons, including the traditional ruler of Bukpe community in Kwali Area Council of the FCT, Alhaji Hassan Shamidozhi, were kidnapped, Wednesday. According to sources, the kidnappers invaded the community in large number and abducted Shamidozhi after shooting sporadically to scare away members of the community. The Chief Imam of the Bukpe Community Central Mosque, Malam Jibrin, who is said to be a sibling to the abducted traditional ruler, was also attacked and wounded during the invasion. The Head of Information and Protocol at the Kwali area council sec...

A 15-year-old student of Government Technical College, Ikorodu (names withheld) has revealed how one of her teachers,(name withheld), allegedly raped her in a hotel in the area and threatened to kill her if she told anyone. This is just as a woman, Mrs Happiness John, yesterday, reported her husband, Uwenzi John, at Ikorodu Police division, for allegedly having carnal knowledge of her 14-year-old sister, between November 2021 and February 2022. The 15-year-old student, who lives in the Lowa community in Ikorodu, as gathered, was on her way to school on Monday, when her teacher who was driving in his car offered to give her a ride to school. But he allegedly detoured and took her to an undisclosed hotel in Ikorodu where he allegedly forced his way into her. She was said to have opened up to her mother, who subsequently reported the case at the Ikorodu Division Police, consequent upon which the Divisional Police Officer ordered the arrest of the father of one. Explaining, the 15-year-old...

...As Court fixes April 13, 28 for mentions on suits filed on Osun, Ekiti LEADER of Ilana Omo Oodua , IOO , Professor Banji Akintoye, his deputy, Professor Wale Adeniran; Dr. Olusola Oni, Pastor Ayodele Praise, Mr. Hakeem Lawal, and 15 others, yesterday, faulted the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, on its plans to use the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, as amended, for the conduct of the 2023 general elections.  Akintoye, in a statement by its Communications Secretary, Mr. Maxwell Adeleye, said INEC failed to meet an essential requirement to be qualified as a valid constitution. He, however, said the two court cases instituted by the group on the forthcoming governorship elections in Osun and Ekiti states will come up for mention in April. The statement reads: "The two court cases instituted by the umbrella body of Yoruba Self-determination Groups, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, challenging the validity of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria as ame...

Oshodi-Isolo LGA chairman, Hon. Kehinde Oloyede during his visit to Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu. NO   fewer than eight persons were   feared dead in a motor accident involving a Picnic commercial vehicle and a Lexus, yesterday, on the Warri-Eku express road, Delta State. An eyewitness, who simply identified himself as Mr Eguono, said the driver of the Picnic bus and some of his passengers died on the spot.  He said: “I cannot say who was at fault now. But it was a close to Oha part of the road. I don’t think anybody survived in the Picnic vehicle. “The driver of the Picnic shuttles between Warri and Abraka. He wears eyeglasses. He is a regular face on the road.“ In a related incident, two members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, were crushed to death by a trailer in Ogbomoso North Local Government Area of Oyo State. Secretary of the party in the local government, Mr Tunji Alabi, who confirmed the incident, told Vanguard that the duo had been buried. Investigation...

The suspect. A 17-year-old boy, identified as Isah Hassan, yesterday, narrated how he plucked the eyeball of a 12-year-old, Mustapha Yunusa, to prepare charms that would make him invisible to gunmen and bandits in the forest where he goes to fetch firewood in Bauchi State. Hassan, an indigene of Tarauni Local Government Area of Kano State, said after luring the almajiri boy to a silent environment, he used a knife to remove the eyeball. The suspect made the confession before newsmen when he was paraded by the Police. Public Relations Officer, SP Abdullahi Haruna, at the Bompai Police headquarters in Kano. He said he carried out the act under the instruction of an alleged herbalist, Furera Abubakar, who demanded the human eye to make the charm. According to him, "The woman told me to get the human eye to prepare a charm that would make me disappear. "She is in our neighbourhood, in Dan Tsinke. I got to know that she does the charm through her grandson, Sani Abdulrahman, w...

  Vice President Osinbajo (right) and others during a visit to some of the victims of Abuja-Kaduna train attack at St. Gerald's Hospital, Kaduna, yesterday. Photo: Vanguard. Survivors and  families of victims of Monday night’s terrorists attack on the Abuja-Kaduna train,  yesterday recounted their ordeals in the hands of the attackers. The survivors relived their accounts as Nigeria Railway Corporation confirmed eight casualties in the attack that also left 26 injured and  scores missing. Recall that the terrorists had blown the rail track with an explosive at about 7.45 pm at Dutse village in Chikun Local Government Area, just a few kilometres from the Rigasa train station, forcing the train with 362 passengers to derail. Those killed, injured Among those confirmed dead at press time yesterday were the secretary-general of Trade Union Congress of Nigeria, TUC, Musa-Lawal Ozigi, Kwara State chairman of the union, Akin Akinsola and Dr. Chinelo Megafu Nwando. ...

Three members of a kidnapping gang that reportedly killed the All Progressive Congress, women’s leader recently were killed by the combined team of the police and local vigilantes during a gun battle. It was gathered that after the kidnappers were overpowered in a forest in Ejiu, Obbo Ile and Osi forest others fled with wounds from gunshots. The exhibits recovered from the kidnappers included one cut-to-size locally made pistol, one locally-made gun, four cutlasses, a bunch of criminal charms, and Six expended cartridges. According to the spokesman of Kwara State police command, Okasanmi Ajayi, the gang of kidnappers were responsible for the killing of the kidnapped APC Women leader who was killed during the collection of ransom two weeks ago and other high profile kidnapping cases in the area. Okasanmi said that one Dogo, who has been on the wanted list of the police, was among the suspects, adding that efforts were on to arrest the fleeing suspects. He said in a statement, “While on ...

A Lagos High Court sitting at Tafawa Balewa Square, TBS, has sentenced two Senior Secondary School (SSS 3) leavers Udochukwu Anyanwu and Udo Chibike (also known as Lasis), to seven years imprisonment each for breaking into a church and stealing a piano. Justice Yetunde Adesanya sentenced them after they pleaded guilty to a plea bargain agreement. The judge held that the term of the imprisonment will start from the day they were first remanded in prison on January 19, 2017. The convicts were first remanded in prison on January 19, 2017, by a Lagos Magistrates Court and were later charged and arraigned on 27 June 2018, before Justice Yetunde Adesanya on several offences of conspiracy to commit a felony, to wit rob and robbery preferred against them and they pleaded not guilty. The trial commenced on December 4, 2018, and the Lagos State prosecuting counsel, Mrs A. O. Oluwafemi, Deputy Director of Public Prosecution, called three witnesses and tendered exhibits. But halfway through the tr...

A passenger train conveying over 970 passengers was reportedly attacked by suspected terrorists between Rijana and Katari in Kaduna State, yesterday. It was gathered that the bandits after the attack tried to force themselves into the cabins of the train, but they did not succeed. A passenger on board the train, Anas Iro Dan Musa, sent messages out to his followers on facebook, saying all passengers were lying on the floor as the terrorists were shooting at the train sporadically. Dan-Musa  wrote , “ please, this an emergency.  we are inside the train at the moment. Kidnappers  planted explosives on the train tracks and the train engines have been ruined , we are helpless.  “Gun shots still being fired around us. We are just under the seats praying to God while waiting for help.  He later added: “Since 8pm we have been here between Katari and Rijiana. I am a living witness. Please share the news we need help  “There is bad network where we are at the moment...

FOUR unidentified persons were confirmed dead when a 45,000-litre tanker laden with Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, known as petrol, ran into a heavy-duty vehicle conveying cement, Sunday evening. It was gathered that the two vehicles burst into flames due to the impact of the collision at the scene of accident that occurred at Kaiyetoro end of Lekki-Epe Expressway by Eleko bus stop, Ibeju-Lekki, Lagos. An eyewitness said the two vehicles went up in flames and that a motorcycle rider was also caught up in the inferno. Director, Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Mrs Margret Adeseye, said the state fire service, Epe Station, on arrival at the scene discovered that both vehicles had head-on collision as they travelled in opposite directions to Lekki and from Epe respectively. “The crew swiftly doused the raging fire from the accidental spillage of contents from the tanker and recovered four bodies suspected to have died from both vehicles,” Adeseye stated. It was gathered that three of the bodie...