Justice Kehinde Ogundare of the Federal High Court in Lagos has ordered the final forfeiture of $16.5 million and ₦127 million, which were illicitly diverted from the Nigerian Maritime Administration and Safety Agency (NIMASA) to the federal government.

This order was granted following an application by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) lawyer, Sulaiman I. Sulaiman. The EFCC stated that the funds were proceeds of unlawful activities.

Previously, on May 23, 2024, Justice Ogundare had issued an interim forfeiture order for the funds. This decision was made upon an Exparte motion under the Advance Fee Fraud and other Fraud Related Offences Act and the Nigerian Constitution. The court directed the EFCC to publicize the interim order, which was done on June 6, 2024.

During the final forfeiture hearing, EFCC counsel Suleiman confirmed compliance with the court’s directive to publicize the interim order. The EFCC’s submission included the interim court order and the publication in The Punch newspaper.

Justice Ogundare, after reviewing the submissions, granted the final forfeiture as requested by the EFCC.

The EFCC’s investigation revealed that the funds were initially requested by NIMASA in 2013 for security projects. However, a significant portion of the funds was fraudulently diverted by individuals using various companies. These funds were converted to dollars and used for personal purposes without rendering any service to NIMASA.

The investigation led to the recovery of $16,500 in cash and the agreement by Uche Obilor, one of the key figures involved, to return ₦118 million through drafts made to the EFCC.

Despite the court’s directive for interested parties to come forward, no one contested the forfeiture. Consequently, the court proceeded with the final forfeiture, deeming it in the interest of justice.

The EFCC emphasized that the funds are reasonably suspected to be proceeds of unlawful activities and affirmed the court’s authority to order their forfeiture.

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Bode George, has called out President Bola Tinubu over the worsening economic conditions in Nigeria.

According to George, despite all the promises and theoretical declarations from the government about cushioning the effect of the harsh economic conditions on Nigerians, the people are not feeling any respite.

He added that from the richest to the poorest, no one is left out in the challenges being encountered as a result of the policies of the Tinubu government, which include fuel subsidy removal and floating of the naira.

The PDP chieftain, who spoke on Monday about the economy during an appearance on Channels Television, submitted that the people need to see results and not just talks and promises, but the economic policies of the Tinubu government look like they will take centuries to bear fruit.

The former military Governor of Ondo State charged President Tinubu to invite the leaders of the top banks in Nigeria, whom he accused of mismanaging the economy, to account for their actions instead of appointing them to manage the same economy or give advice on the same economy they destroyed.

George emphasized that the one-year grace given to President Tinubu to understudy the situation of things in the country is over, and what is expected from him going forward is only results.

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This year, 2024 is clearly the year of democratic elections, the. year that democracy is put to the test in virtually every continent of the world – at least 97 elections worldwide and so far, we have witnessed and reported some of the significant ones - India, the world’s most populous country which ran an election for 44 days, with over one million voters, Indonesia, Israel, Kuwait, Mexico, Russia, Iran, European Parliament, Brazil, Pakistan, Bangladesh, France, Britain, and here in Africa, we have Senegal, South Africa, Togo, Tunisia, Rwanda, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, Mauritius, Mauritania, Namibia; in the Americas - Jamaica, Dominican Republic, Brazil, Belize, Canada, Chile, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Uruguay, United States. We also have - Finland, South Korea, Thailand, Austria, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Turkey, Poland, Belgium, Georgia, Hungary, Finland, Italy, Iceland, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Portugal, Tuvalu, Solomon Islands, and so on and so forth. 

Nigeria held its own general elections in 2023, producing President Bola Tinubu as winner. For reasons owing to consanguinity or proximity, or shared historical affinity, or simply comparison, Nigerians have found themselves having to compare their own experience of democratic rule – 25 years of unbroken democratic rule since 1999 and the general elections in Nigeria in 2023. Most of the comparisons to put the matter in context, are with Senegal, South Africa, and now Britain, where a new Prime Minister, Labour party leader, Sir Keir Starmer has assumed office and power, and the Conservatives have packed out of Downing Street.  The reference to Britain is understandable: Britain used to be Nigeria’s colonial master, Everything Nigerian is linked to Britain, our common law heritage, history, culture, including the artefacts that the British stole from our people. 

For more than two centuries, Nigeria and Britain have been linked almost umbilically. There is hardly any family or community in Nigeria that does not have any relative, immediate or distant, in the United Kingdom. In the just concluded election in the UK, there was even a Yoruba Political Party, with a Dr. Olusola Oni running for MP from Peckham on July 4. A total of 30 persons of Nigerian descent who may identify as British-Nigerian made a bid to be in the British parliament. In the end about six of them won election into parliament including Chi Onwurah (Labour MP for Newcastle Central and West), Kemi Badenoch (re- elected as Conservative MP from Saffron Walden and the past  immediate Business Secretary), Kate Osamor (Labour MP from Edmonton and Winchmore Hill since  2019, now re-elected); Florence Eshalomi (Labour MP since 2019, now representing Vauxhall and Camberwell Green, Taiwo Owatemi (Labour MP from Coventry West), and Bayo Alaba (MP, Southend East and Rochford). These Nigerians in Diaspora are not alone, there are many others serving as Councillors, or Mayors, not just in Britain, but across Europe and as far as Canada, the United States and Australia. Those who are not in politics, are doing well in sports or business and other professions, all linked to their motherland by blood and ancestry, and legitimately, we are proud of them. What is proven is that “Nigeria no dey carry last” and the ones who project us brilliantly like Bukayo Saka and Kemi Badenoch deserve to be celebrated, for showing that although Nigerians these days talk about the “Japa syndrome”, the Nigerian DNA has excellence in its imprints. 

However, the temptation to review the British election, and compare it has been strong and compelling. Whereas it can be said that the British democracy is one of the oldest in the world dating back to the Magna Carta, in 1215, the creation of the British Parliament in 1707, the Reform Act of 1832, the Representation of the People Act of 1918, and the UK General Election of 1950 pointing to a long history and tradition, with tested institutions, democracy in Nigeria has been relatively new, but the key argument about the government of the people for the people and by the people is that democracy is a symbol, a standard and a system of politics which does not require a reinvention of the wheel. Democracy in modern times is certainly not about the Age of Methuselah, but the values that each country presents as its own standards. This therefore explains some of the observations that Nigerians have made, by way of public education, and self-derision perhaps, about the 2024 UK elections.  The July 4 general elections in the UK has been two years in the making with people predicting that the way the Conservatives were carrying on, they were bound to lose the next general elections to Labour, even if no one could predict the exact date until some gamblers around the Rishi Sunak circle and the Conservative party were found to have placed bets on July 4, and as it turned out former Prime Minister Rishi Sunak announced July 4. The furore over the gambling over the date spoke to the moral content of British politics. In the course of the campaigns, the debate was about issues that are of interest to the British people: immigration, taxation, housing, public spending, NHS, Brexit and the EU. The character of the front-runners was clear. Starmer is pro-business, pro-reforms, pro-EU. He promised to drive economic growth, invest in green energy, overhaul the NHS, create safer streets, and deliver opportunity through a new skills agenda. The Tories had been in power for 14 years, with five Prime Ministers – David Cameron (2010 – 2016), Theresa May (2016 – 2019), Boris Johnson (2019 – 2022), Rishi Sunak (2022- 2024) with the most disastrous of them being Liz Truss who was PM for a historically short period of 49 days. The Tories presided over austerity, Brexit, the pandemic and high inflation. The people got tired of them and this was reflected in the various Polls – YouGov and Ipsos ahead of July 4, indicating that the British people wanted change. They were tired of the chaos that the Conservatives had introduced into public life.  The party itself was divided down the middle with many key members defecting either to Labour or to Nigel Farage’s Reform UK. It was certain that the Conservatives were on their way out, and that was exactly what happened, the party’s worst result in its 190-year history was announced on July 5. It wasn’t exactly a wipe out, but the scale of the landslide that the Labour party recorded was their best performance since Tony Blair entered Downing Street in 1997, and the Tory’s worst performance in recent history.

The character of the election race and the outcome is remarkably different from what we have seen in Nigeria and what obtains in the United States which goes to the polls on November 5. The UK election was for six weeks. There was no time to waste. In the United States, the race can take up to two years of campaign. In Nigeria, so much time is taken up by the time table of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), voter registration, voters register, delineation of wards and polling unit. In the UK, nobody heard of the Chairman of the Electoral Commission and there was no debate over polling units or wards. The British did not have to borrow and sell property to raise funds for political campaigns. Political advertising on radio and TV is restricted, and the spending limits on advertisement are strictly controlled. The American election is a bit more elaborate and expensive, but not the British.  Even at the height of the campaign in the UK, with Rishi Sunak being pushed by his allies to launch personal attacks on Keir Starmer and Nigel Farage, still there were no absurd diversions into personality attacks, insults and culture wars. If Rishi Sunak had been a candidate in a Nigerian election, he would have been told stories about how he came to England and how he is able to make it in life because he is married to a rich man’s daughter! There were no professional spokespersons fighting proxy wars in the media and claiming to know everything about almost everything. The British do not do God. There were no clerics offering predictions about who the eventual winner would be. The candidates were not going about proclaiming “God bless Britain”. There was no attempt to bribe God. 

In Nigeria, election time is boon season for clerics who distort the process with all kinds of dreams and visions, and shamanists who perform rituals and place sacrificial offerings at crossroads. Age was not an issue in the UK either. Sunak is 44. Starmer is 61. Age is a big issue in the forthcoming US elections but in the UK, the youngest candidate and elected Labour MP from Northwest Cambridgeshire is a certain Sam Carling, a 22-year-old Science graduate of Cambridge University – the first MP in British history to be born in the 21^st Century. He defeated Shailesh Vara with 39 votes. Vara had been in the Commons since 2005. Carling is now “Baby of the House” but the very confident Carling says his age is not an issue- he had been a Councillor before now and he knows his example will inspire other young people, but he wants to get on with the job. He has ideas he wants to pursue in parliament. I laugh in original vernacular. In Nigeria, he would not even have been allowed to buy a nomination form. He would have been advised to go and play with his mates.  

On election day, voting started at 7 am and ended the same day at 10 pm. By the following morning, all the votes had been counted and the result was in the public domain with Labour winning 412 seats, Conservatives – 121 (much better than the 61 that had been predicted; Lib Dems –72, Reform UK – 5 (a big gain for the Nigel Farage-led party), Scottish National Party -9, Plaid Cymru – 4; Green – 4: more or less a strong showing by the smaller parties. By Friday, July 5, Rishi Sunak tendered his resignation. Starmer was invited to Buckingham Palace and asked to form the new government and by evening a Cabinet had been announced.  Such a smooth, seamless transition is not possible in Nigeria. On election day in the UK, there was no such thing as the late arrival of voting materials. There were no BVAS machines or stories about technical glitches. No thugs on the streets. 49 million voters, 650 constituencies, turn-out of 60% and yet no policemen or soldiers at polling stations. No stories that touched the heart about voters’ cards: to vote in the UK, you only need a photo ID showing that you are of age. Nobody has gone to court to challenge the results. Even the persons who lost their seats in parliament like former Prime Minister Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg, Grant Shapps, Gillian Keegan and Penny Mordaunt - 175 Tory MPs- have accepted their loss in good faith. There has been no post-election throwing of tantrums in the UK because the institutions function, and the people understand what it means to live in an organized society. Nobody has had to wait for months before a cabinet would be announced. The very day that Keir Starmer assumed office work started; what we have seen is a clockwork relay race, indicating the efficiency of the British model. For the first time in British history, a woman – Rachel Reeves is Chancellor of the Exchequer. There are other high profile women in the cabinet as well: Angela Rayner is the new Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary for Levelling Up, Housing and communities. Yvette Cooper is Home Secretary. Lisa Nandy – Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport. Pat McFadden is Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster. In all, a total of 11 women Ministers. It is the most gender-balanced cabinet in UK history, relatively youthful and experienced but largely White. There has been no quarrel over the appointments. Nobody has protested that his or her constituency has not been represented. There have been no thanksgiving services in churches or notices to that effect nor has anyone placed congratulatory adverts in the media.  We have not heard that the King or his sons had a hand in the appointment of Ministers. 

After every election season in Nigeria, we tend to spend months agonizing over the outcome of the elections, with politicians and their lawyers seeking to win the election at the courts of law. Nobody trusts the process; every politician becomes an emergency lawyer. Our democracy is significantly court-determined. But what we have seen in Senegal, South Africa, India. Iran, Britain, and even just over the weekend, in France, is that it is possible for democracy to work. Some commentators have suggested that in seeking a solution to the contradictions in the Nigerian system, there should be electoral reform every cycle, but it would appear that the problem is not the complexity of the democratic process itself but the underdeveloped nature of Nigeria’s political machinery and the character of the people themselves. Democracy is seen as a form of coronation in Nigeria which grants access to public resources and other privileges. This is why when our leaders get to power, they seem to be more interested in exotic vehicles, choice accommodation, yachts, brand new aircraft, chieftaincy titles and fat security votes. 

Last Friday, Sir Keir Starmer, the 58^th Prime Minister of the UK, promised the people of the United Kingdom that he will lead a “government of service” on a mission of national renewal. Times will tell as they say, but whatever happens the British desired change, they have voted for it and now, they have it. In Nigeria, one year after the general elections, Nigerians are still wondering what happened to their country.  

The Kwara State Police Command has arrested a 46-year-old ritualist while attempting to slaughter a 10-year-old boy hawking pepper in Ilorin, Kwara State capital.

The suspect identified as Isiaka Adeniyi was arrested on Tuesday, July 2nd, 2024, at the Oke-Foma area in Ilorin West Local Government Area of the state.

The incident which was confirmed by the state Police Public Relations Officer, Ejire-Adeyemi Toun, in a statement on Sunday said the suspect allegedly lured the hawker (name withheld) into a room under the pretext of attempting to buy pepper from him.

“According to information received from the police at the C Division, on July 2, 2024, at about 1800 hrs, a report was received from Onidoko Police Post indicating that at about 1730 hrs, an incident occurred in the Abab Oke-Foma area of Ilorin.

“It was reported that a 10-year-old boy (name withheld) resident of Abab area Abayawo, Ilorin, was hawking pepper when he was lured into a room by a suspect identified as Isiaka Adeniyi, aged 46, from Ifedapo Community, Oke-Foma area, Ilorin.

“The suspect allegedly lured the victim under the pretext of purchasing pepper but instead covered the victim’s face with a cloth and attempted to slaughter him with a knife.

“Thanks to the swift action of vigilant community members, the suspect was apprehended and brought to the station. Preliminary investigation is underway, and the case has been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation Department for thorough and discreet investigation”, the PPRO said.

The Kwara State Commissioner of Police, CP Victor Olaiya, commended the proactive efforts of the community members in apprehending the suspect and ensuring that justice was served in the grievous matter.

“We urge the public to remain calm as we continue our investigation and assure them that the police will leave no stone unturned in ensuring the safety and security of all residents of Kwara State.”

Meanwhile, the Kwara State Police Command said that it had deployed tactical teams for public security in the state with effect from Sunday, July 7, and beyond.

The state Police Command in another statement said that it took this action in light of past incidents observed on July 7, where cult-related activities resulted in harm and violence within the area.

The command while assuring the citizens of their safety in the state said that “it has implemented comprehensive strategies to prevent any recurrence of such activities.

“To ensure the security of our community, we have intensified our surveillance measures and increased the presence of visible policing across all key areas in the state. Our officers will be conducting thorough patrols and security checks today, July 7, tomorrow (Monday), and thereafter to detect and deter any suspicious activity.

“We have deployed additional resources, including tactical teams and intelligence units to ensure a swift and effective response to security threats. These efforts are aimed at safeguarding the lives and property of all residents and maintaining public order.”

He urged all citizens to remain vigilant and report suspicious activities or persons to the nearest police station or through their emergency contact lines: 0812 527 5046 or 0703 206 9456, noting that their cooperation was vital in the collective effort to maintain peace and security within the community.

Nigerian-born French football star, Michael Olise completed his move from Crystal Palace to Bayern Munich on Sunday, July 7, 2024.

Bayern Munich paid Crystal Palace the sum of €60 million to complete the signing of Michael Olise.

Olise spent the last three seasons of his career at Crystal Palace. He joined the club from Championship side, Reading, for a transfer fee worth £8 million in July 2021.

The 22-year-old forward, who is eligible to play for France, England, and Nigeria, played 90 times for the Premier League club before he made the switch to the German Bundesliga.

Michael Olise snubbed other suitors like Newcastle United, and Chelsea to sign a five-year deal with coach Vincent Kompany’s side, which means he is expected to remain at the club until June 30, 2029.

After completing his move to the German Bundesliga giants, Michael Olise said: “I’m very happy to now be playing for such a big club – it’s a great challenge and that’s exactly what I was looking for.

“I want to prove myself at this level and play my part in ensuring we win as many titles as possible in the coming years.”

In reaction to his exit from Crystal Palace, the club’s chairman, Steve Parish said: “We are hugely proud of what Michael has achieved at Crystal Palace, a club where he has developed greatly as a player.

“We respect his desire to further test himself at the highest level of world football.”

Super Eagles captain, Ahmed Musa, has cleared the air on his purported retirement from the national team.

The former Leicester City forward has not featured in a competitive match for the Super Eagles since 2021.

He started his last game for the national team three years ago during a World Cup qualifier against Cape Verde, he played 67 minutes in the 2-0 victory.

Musa did not play in any of Nigeria’s seven matches at this year’s Africa Cup of Nations, AFCON, where the team finished as runners-up.

His most recent appearance was a seven-minute cameo in a friendly game against Guinea in January.

Musa has also been without a club since he parted ways with Turkish side Sivasspor after his contract was terminated in February.

But speaking with reporters after a friendly match he organized, Musa disclosed that he has not drawn the curtain on his Super Eagles’ career, adding that he was only on a hiatus.

He explained: “I only took a little break from the national team.

“But I didn’t exit the team.”

Governor Charles Soludo of Anambra State has recounted his experience spearheading the consolidation policy of the Nigerian banking system, describing it as a dangerous war. Soludo, who served as the governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) from 2004 to 2009, detailed his challenges during this transformative period.

The consolidation policy aimed to reduce the number of banks and other deposit-taking institutions while increasing the size and concentration of the consolidated entities in the sector. This often involved mergers and acquisitions, resulting in fewer but larger and more robust institutions.

Speaking at the launch of a book titled “Power of One Man: How the Soludo-Engineered Consolidation Transformed Nigerian Banks to Global Players,” Soludo shared his harrowing experiences, including threats and attacks that led his family to exile.

Soludo said, “Let me start with a disclaimer: I have not read the book. My gratitude goes to the author of this book, and I appreciate my incredible team. I also thank the Nigerian stakeholders for their massive support because it was like a revolution; today, we are celebrating the possibility of Nigeria.”

He highlighted the lasting impact of the consolidation policy on the Nigerian banking system, noting, “The revolution changed the Nigerian banking system forever. As a leader, you must be self-sacrificing and ready to pay the price to avoid personal interest.”

Soludo emphasized the policy’s success by pointing to now-giant institutions like Access Bank and Standard Trust Bank. He concluded, “The major message today is the revolution for the banks themselves, who are now giants. What is stopping and limiting us from developing is our mindset. If we can dream it, we will achieve it.”

Mr. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), has appealed to President Bola Tinubu to address the country’s high cost of food items urgently.

In a chat with newsmen on Sunday in Osogbo, Oyintiloye expressed concern that Nigerians were hungry and living below the poverty line. He highlighted that many citizens are disillusioned and worried about where their next meal will come from due to the extreme economic hardship.

Oyintiloye also urged the president to heed the United Nations’ prediction that 82 million Nigerians, approximately 64 percent of the country’s population, might face hunger by 2030. He cited data from the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), which revealed that the food inflation rate in the country hit a record high of 40.66 percent in May, surpassing the previous month’s increase of 40.53 percent.

As a former member of the defunct APC Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Oyintiloye noted that the hike in prices is making common household food items increasingly unaffordable for the average Nigerian. Despite the country’s abundant natural and human resources, successive governments have failed to drive the economy productively.

He pointed out that corruption and overdependency on the distribution of crude oil revenue by the government tiers are hindering the establishment of a productive and self-sufficient economy for the benefit of the masses.

While acknowledging that President Tinubu is trying to address the situation through various intervention programs, Oyintiloye emphasized that the impact of these interventions has been insufficient in alleviating the economic distress. He noted that prices of basic household food items such as rice, beans, garri, and spaghetti are becoming increasingly unaffordable for the masses.

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested Ige Babatunde, the Ba’ale of Akarabata in Ile-Ife, for alleged drug trafficking.

In a statement on Sunday, Femi Babafemi, NDLEA spokesperson, said 50-year-old Babatunde was apprehended on Friday with 5kg of “fresh cannabis plants”.

The agency also said Yusuf Abdulrahman, a 25-year-old youth corps member, was arrested at Corpers Lodge in the Sumaila area of Kano, with 1.250kg of Loud. 

He added that the NDLEA also raided the Lagos base of a “high-profile cocaine syndicate” headed by Agbakoba John Mmadu and his wife. 

He said large consignments of cocaine meant for export and local distribution were recovered during the raid.

“Seven parcels of cocaine with a total weight of 7.652 kilograms were recovered from Mmadu at Ago Palace Way,” the statement reads. 

“One hundred and twenty-two (122) compressed pellets of the same drug weighing 2.42kg were seized from Ijeoma and Ifeoma at Lilly Estate, bringing the total seizure to 10.1 kilograms valued at over N2.1 billion in street value.”

Babafemi added that NDLEA operatives in Benue intercepted a consignment of 350 grams of cocaine at a checkpoint along Enugu Road on Thursday.

“The illicit drug was concealed in an MP3 speaker sent as a waybill parcel. A swift follow-up operation at Flight motor park in Otukpo led to the arrest of the owner, 25-year-old Odeh Anthony,” the statement added.

“Meanwhile, NDLEA officers on a stop-and-search operation along Ngurore-Yola road in Adamawa state on Wednesday, July 3, arrested a Chadian, Yves Ahmat Gali, in a commercial bus coming from Kano to Yola.

“The suspect was found with a loudspeaker used to conceal 20 compressed blocks and nine plastic containers of Loud, a strong strain of cannabis weighing 5.200kg.

“In Kano, operatives on Wednesday, July 3, arrested a youth corps member, Yusuf Abdulrahman, 25, at Corpers Lodge, Sumaila area of the city, with 1.250kg of Loud, while in Osun state, the head of Akarabata community in Ile-Ife, Ba’ale Ige Babatunde, 50, was on Friday, July 5, arrested with fresh cannabis plants that weighed 5kg.

“Two suspects, Monday Ali, 49, and Jimoh Alewi, 37, were arrested when NDLEA operatives raided Ikota forest in Ifedore LGA, Ondo state, where a total of 42,500kg of cannabis was destroyed on 17 hectares of farmland while 73.5kg of the same substance was recovered for the prosecution of the suspects during a five-day operation that ended on Monday, July 1.

“In Abuja, the FCT, NDLEA operatives on Saturday, July 6, arrested the duo of Sanusi Mamman, 28, and Usaini Ibrahim, 20, in a vehicle along Abaji-Gwagwalada with 1,132 bottles of codeine syrup; 13,540 pills of tramadol; 50,000 pills of diazepam; and 59 pills of rophynol. The suspects claimed they were bringing the opioids from Onitsha, Anambra state.

“With the same drive, commands and formations of the agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse (WADA) sensitization activities in schools, worship centres, workplaces, and communities among others in the past week.

“These include WADA enlightenment lecture for students of Community Grammar School (Junior), Aroro, Ibadan, Oyo state; students of Candy Secondary School, Agu Awka, Anambra state; students of Community High School, Umuida, Enugu Ezike, Enugu state; students of School for Arabic and Islamic Studies, Kofar Nasarawa, Kano state; and WADA sensitisation lecture organized by Zone M Zonal Command of NDLEA at Sabo motor park, Kaduna, among others.”

The statement said Buba Marwa, NDLEA chairman, commended the officers and men of the special operations unit in Osun, Benue, Ondo, Kano, and FCT commands for the arrests and seizures, while charging them to “maintain the tempo”.

A 40-year-old mother, identified as Rafiat Sheriff and her seven-year-old daughter, Asisat, on Saturday, lost their lives in a gas explosion that occurred on Ebute Road, Ibafo area of Ogun State.

Vanguard gathered that Rafiat had instructed her seven-year-old daughter to cook their dinner.

Confirming the incident, yesterday, spokesperson for the Ogun State Police Command, Omolola Odutola, said: “The incident occurred last night (Saturday night) when the mother told her seven-year-old daughter to cook.

“The girl was attempting to light up the gas cylinder when the entire house went up in flames.

“The mother and the child lost their lives in the explosion. Two other girls, including one of the children of the deceased, are currently receiving treatment in the hospital.”