TheNewsGuru

Tag: Collapse

  • Nigeria experiences first blackout of year as national grid collapses

    Nigeria experiences first blackout of year as national grid collapses

    The national grid on Thursday experienced its first collapse in 2020 resulting in blackout across the country.

    The Transmission Company of Nigeria (TCN) confirmed the development in a statement on its Twitter page on Thursday.

    “There was system disturbance which occurred at about 12.34 p.m affecting some parts of the country.

    “As at 1:10 p.m, supply was restored to Abuja and most parts of the affected areas. TCN is still working to completely restore and stabilise the nation’s grid,” it said.

    Ikeja Electric (IE) which also confirmed the grid collapse in a statement on its Twitter account, said another collapse of the grid occurred at 2.15 p.m after the previous incident.

    “Dear customers, the outage you are experiencing is due to a system collapse of the grid which occurred this afternoon at 12:36 p.m. All parts of IE’s network are affected.

    “Another system collapse was recorded at 2.15 p.m today. Restoration efforts are ongoing. Kindly bear with us,” the electricity distribution company said.

    Recall that the national grid collapsed more than 10 times in 2019.

  • Synagogue Church building in perfect condition before collapse, says witness

    Synagogue Church building in perfect condition before collapse, says witness

    An Igbosere High Court heard on Thursday in Lagos that the Synagogue Church of All Nations’ (SCOAN) building was in perfect condition before the deadly collapse of the building that killed 116 people in 2014.

    Dayo Fabiyi, a seventh witness in the ongoing trial of the trustees of SCOAN made the disclosure while being led in evidence by the fourth defendant Counsel, Mr Olalekan Ojo (SAN)

    The News Agency of Nigeria NAN) reports that the Lagos State Government had sued SCOAN over the building collapse that occurred on Sept. 12, 2014, killing mainly South African worshipers.

    The defendants are two engineers, Oladele Ogundeji and Akinbela Fatiregun, charged alongside their companies – Hardrock Construction and Engineering Company and Jandy Trust Ltd.

    They are facing trial on a 110-count charge of involuntary manslaughter while the registered trustees of SCOAN were charged with a count charge of erecting a building without approval.

    The Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecutions accused the defendants of violating Section 75 of the Urban and Regional Planning Law of Lagos State, 2010 as well as Section 222 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2011.

    They were arraigned on April 19, 2016 but they pleaded not guilty.

    At the resumed hearing, Fabiyi said that he worked as a volunteer in the maintenance department of SCOAN from February, 2014 till date.

    “I go round the facilities to check if there are any sort of cracks or deflections on the beams and I did such routine inspection on the collapsed building before it collapsed in 2014.

    “There was no sign of deflections or any stress on the collapsed building before it collapsed,” he stated.

     

    However, during cross-examination by the state prosecutor, Dr Jide Martins, Fabiyi affirmed that he was not involved in the investigation of the beams of the collapsed building.

    He maintained, however, that cracks and deflections on buildings were always visible to the eyes.

    Fabiyi also agreed that he did not use any mechanical device to check for deflections during his maintenance works.

    During re-examination, the witness told the court that it was not only civil engineers that could detect cracks in a building.

    He also noted that mechanical devices were only used to investigate deflections after the building had collapsed and not before.

    “A defective building must have shown signs that the building is under stress. The collapsed building did not show any sign of stress before it collapsed,” Fabiyi said.

    Earlier, the fifth defence witness, Ebenezer Ologuntoye, an engineer, had said that apart from foundational failure, other factors could be responsible for a building collapse.

    Ologuntoye made the statement while being cross-examined by the prosecutor.

    On March 21, Ologuntoye had in his evidence-in-chief, narrated that scientific test conducted on the foundation of the collapsed building indicated that the foundation of the building and the bearing capacity were adequate.

    But during cross-examination, the witness said: “as a civil engineer, apart from foundational failure, other factors can be responsible for the collapse of a building”.

    Answering more questions put to him by the prosecutor, he said that he was never contracted by the church to do any geo-technical work before the collapse.

    Ologuntoye, however, said that as a geo-technical expert, he was involved in the Mile 12-Ikorodu Road project, although he was not directly contracted by Lagos State Government.

    The witness said he had carried out work as a geotechnical expert only in support capacity and not as a chartered engineer.

    While being re-examined by Mr Diyun Oluseye, the first defendant counsel, the witness said: “while carrying out investigations on the collapsed building, he took some samples necessary for the investigation.

    “The samples enabled me to write reports on my findings which I have already submitted to the court.

    “From my investigation the building did not collapse, due to foundational failure”.

    Another defence lawyer, Mr Efe Akpofure (SAN), re-examined the witness.

    Ologuntoye responded that the Lagos State Government had once invited him to give a report in the case of a collapsed building at Lekki-Gardens in Lekki, Lagos.

    The witness affirmed that it was because he was experienced that made the government to invite him to work in such a high-profile project.

    The sixth defence witness, Mr Olusegun Jimoh, was called and was led in evidence by defence counsel, Ojo.

    Jimoh said he was the head of data unit in the Nigeria Metrological Agency in Abuja.

    The witness told the court that he was subpeoned to court to present the certified true copy of the maximum and minimum atomspheric temperatures collated over time in Lagos State.

    “We have a data processing unit which we use in sending such data to clients who requested for it.

    “In this case the data was sent by hard copy and the data sent covered the maximum and minimum temperatures of each month from January to December of 2004 to 2018 in Lagos,” Jimoh said.

    He was, however, cross-examined by the prosecutor and re-examined by Akpofure.

    The witness said: “it is from our office that media houses get all the weather forecast announced on television stations in Nigeria”.

    After listening to the three witnesses, who gave evidence before the court, Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo adjourned the case until June 28 for continuation of hearing.

  • Building collapse: Red Cross, others appeal for blood for victims

    Building collapse: Red Cross, others appeal for blood for victims

    The Nigerian Red Cross (NRC) has appealed for blood donations for victims of the collapsed building on Lagos Island.

    Mr Olakunle Lasisi, Secretary of NRC, Lagos made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Lagos.

    Publication trending on social media to appeal to the public for blood donations

    Speaking on the hashtags #DonateForItafaji and #savetheitafajichildren trending on social media, to solicit for blood donations from the public, he said Red Cross would partake in the exercise.

    Lasisi added that he spoke with the Lagos State Blood Transfusion Service on Wednesday, and confirmed that the information was true.

    “They said, yes, they are aware of it.

    “It was launched by the MD of the General Hospital, so they can have enough blood in the bank to assist the casualties of the collapsed building.

    “When an incident like this happens, blood donations is always required to meet the demand of those in need of blood transfusion.

    “It is a good opportunity for the blood bank to replenish because there are people who want to assist.

    “Some of our members who are due for blood donation will be available,” he told NAN.

    Lasisi commended the Red Cross volunteers and other agencies such as LASEMA, LASAMBUS, NEMA, FED FIRE and Nigeria Police, whose efforts ensured that lives were saved.

    “We left the point at about 12:30 am; we were moving out the debris there.

    “There are a lot of agencies and two construction companies also assisting.

    “The data we were able to collate tells us that we have about 45 persons that were evacuated and a good number of them are students,” he disclosed.

  • ‘APC brought untold hardship on Nigerians; party will collapse before 2019 elections’

    ‘APC brought untold hardship on Nigerians; party will collapse before 2019 elections’

    A former governorship aspirant of the Peoples Democratic Party in Delta State, Mr. Sunny Onuesoke, has oredicted the collapse of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) before the 2019 general elections in the country.

    Onuesoke, who is also a leader of the PDP, said the APC had brought hardship to Nigerians.

    This was contained in a statement by the ex-governorship candidate on Wednesday in his reaction to the call by the Minister of Information and Culture, Alhaji Lai Mohammed, for the deregistration of the PDP.

    He challenged the ruling party to conduct a national convention to elect new executives, if the party would survive the crisis that would greet the exercise.

    Onuesoke said, “I am not surprise that such a call is coming from the now infamous Minister of Information, whose name is now synonymous with propaganda. The APC as a party is currently grasping for breath, the only thing keeping them going, is the single fact that they are still the unfortunate ruling party.

    “I assure you that before the 2019 elections, the APC as a party, will collapse. This may come as a surprise to you but the signals are already there. There is no denying the fact that the ruling party is divided along different interests, coupled with the recent tenure elongation of the party’s executive committee, which in itself is a contravention of its own constitution.

    “As a ruling party, the APC has failed on all fronts, not only as a government but as a party. The division within the ranks of the ruling party is glaring to all that is why the ruling party has failed to conduct even a non-elective convention since it was given birth to.”

    Onuesoke lamented that since 2015 when the APC took over, it had been doing its best to create a one party system by discrediting other political parties in the country.

    “I challenge them to conduct a national convention to elect new executives, if they will see the light of the day, I am telling you this now that the APC will crash like a pack of cards even before the 2019 general elections.”

    “In their almost three years as a ruling party nothing has been achieved, one begin to wonder what they intend to use to campaign in the 2019 elections, no wonder they are calling for the de-registration of the main opposition party, in order to create room for a one party state, which is now their main goal since they have been rejected by Nigerians,” he said.

     

  • JUST IN: Another 3-storey building collapses in Lagos [Photos]

    Another three-storey building on Tuesday collapsed at Ilufe road, Alaba International Market at the Ojo area of Lagos, TheNewsGuru.com authoritatively reports.

    Confirming the incident to TheNewsGuru.com, the General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), Mr. Adesina Tiamiyu said there was no life lost nor injuries sustained.

    JUST IN: Another 3-storey building collapses in Lagos [Photos]

    According to Tiamiyu, the three-storey building consisting of 8 blocks had shown early sign of collapse but was ignored by the occupiers.

    The building has since been sealed off by officials of the agency (LASEMA) and Lagos State Building and Construction Agency (LABCA), to prevent further collapse.

    ‘Investigations conducted at the scene of the incident revealed that the building had showed some signs of being distressed.

    No lives lost nor injuries sustained. Recovery operation is on going by LASEMA, LABCA and other stakeholders to prevent any secondary incident of full or total collapsed that may lead to unnecessary loss of lives,’ Tiamiyu said.

     

    Details later…

     

     

  • JUST IN: Panic as another four-storey building collapses In Lagos [Photos]

    A four-storey building has collapsed at Tokunbo Street, off Odunfa, Lagos Island, Lagos, Southwest Nigeria, with many people still trapped in the debris.

    The building is said to be owned by Kafo Family which was reportedly managed by Isola Costa. It collapsed around 3.00pm.

    Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe said five people had been rescued as at 3:39 pm on Tuesday, adding that operation is ongoing.

    JUST IN: Panic as another four-storey building collapses In Lagos [Photos]

    A source told newsmen that the structure was initially three-storey building before another one storey was added to make four storeys building.

    TheNewsGuru.com report that another building had previously collapsed on Saturday in Meiran, Agbado-Oke Odo Local Council Development Area of Lagos.

     

    Details later…

  • Building collapse: Lagos arraigns Lekki Gardens MD, others for manslaughter

    Building collapse: Lagos arraigns Lekki Gardens MD, others for manslaughter

    The Lagos State Government on Monday arraigned the Managing Director of Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Mr Richard Nyong before a Lagos High Court in Igbosere over alleged complicity in the events leading to the collapse of a building in Lekki area of the State on March 10, 2016.

    Nyong was arraigned alongside others before Justice Sybil Nwaka over alleged negligence resulting in the collapse of the building which reportedly killed 34 people.

    Other defendants are Lekki Gardens’ Executive Director, Mr Sola Olumofe; the firm’s contractor, Odofin Henry Taiwo; Omolabake Mortune, Omotilewa Oluwatosin Joseph, Lekki Gardens, Get Too Rich Investment Limited and HC Insight Solution Limited.

    Before the arraignment of the defendants, Justice Nwaka had ruled on an application contending the suitability of the criminal charges against the defendants on the ground that there was no seal of the counsel to the prosecution on the information as required.

    The Court held that the contention was a simple matter that only required a directive for the prosecution to affix the seal on the charges, and thereafter ordered the prosecution to do so, a directive which the prosecution led by the Lagos State Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Mr Adeniji Kazeem immediately complied with.

    After the charges were read to them, the defendants pleaded not guilty, while their lawyers including Bode Olanipekun and George Oguntade (SAN) urged the court to allow the defendants to continue enjoying the previous bail granted to them.

    In response, Kazeem said in as much as the court was now seized of the matter, it was important for conditions that would ensure the presence of the defendants for trial to be imposed.

    Executive Director, Lekki Gardens Estate Limited, Mr Sola Olumofe, after his arraignment before the Lagos High Court, Igbosere by the State Government on Monday.

    In her ruling, Justice Nwaka ruled that the defendants except the second defendant (Olumofe) should continue enjoying their formal bail conditions, but added that they should deposit their international passports with the court.

    With respect to Olumofe, who is an Executive Director of Lekki Gardens, Justice Nwaka granted bail to him in the sum of N100, 000 and two sureties in the like sum. The sureties, according to the court, must be gainfully employed, while the Lagos State Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) must verify the sureties.

    The court also ordered Olumofe to deposit his international passport, while he is to be remanded in prison pending the perfection of his bail conditions.

    Tragedy had struck on 10 March, 2016 when a six-storey building under construction by Lekki Gardens in Lekki area of the State collapsed and killed 34 people.

    The developer was said to have added additional floor to the building against what was approved by government for construction.

    Specifically, the defendants are facing six-count charges for failure to obtain building approval for the collapsed building and involuntary manslaughter, offences contrary to and punishable under Section 75 (1) of the Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law of Lagos State 2010, and Section 229 of Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015 respectively.

    The government also listed some of the victims to include William Akpati (M), Kazeem Ilesanmi (M), Raphael Ezeh (M), Saminu Umar (M) and Sunday Ezeh (M).

    The matter has been adjourned to October 26 and 30, 2017 for definite hearing.

  • Photos: Panic as heavy rain fall collapses Jebba road bridge

    Residents and motorists plying the Jebba/Mokwa/Kontagora road in Niger State have been advised to use alternate roads as the bridge in Tatabu and Gida Moin village collapsed due to heavy down pour with several vehicles trapped inside.

    The alternative link road pending the time the bridge will be reconstructed is Abuja/Lokoja road.

    Officials of the Federal Road Safety Commission, FRSC, have visited the scene for on the spot assessment of the collapse.

    See pictures below:

  • Just in: Another two-storey building collapses in Lagos

    Just in: Another two-storey building collapses in Lagos

    Barely three days in which a 3-storey building collapsed at Ilasamaja area of Lagos, another two-storey building collapsed on Saturday at Ebute Meta area of Lagos, Southwest Nigeria.

    The building, located at Cole Street, Ebute Meta according to an eye witness account was under renovation when it collapsed during the heavy downpour of Saturday.

    A woman was said to have escaped death as the building caved in. She was rescued and treated, an emergency responder said.

    The building was said to have collapsed around 2pm on Saturday.

    Spokesperson, National Emergency Management Agency, NEMA, Ibrahim Farinloye confirmed the collapse of the two-storey building at Ebute Meta, saying that the building was under renovation.

    He said only one person was affected and that the woman was rescued after she sustained injuries, adding that no life was lost.

    Director, Lagos State Fire Service, Rasak Fadipe added that also that the building was under renovation when it collapsed, adding that operation was ongoing.

    On Wednesday, a three-storey building under construction collapsed at Ilasamaja area of Lagos, killing three people while 19 others who sustained injuries were rescued.

    Two weeks ago, a two-storey building under construction collapsed in Lekki area of Lagos, killing two people and several others injured.

  • BREAKING: 2 dead, many injured as Lagos police college building collapses

    A police sergeant and another person lost their lives when a building collapsed at Highway police Barracks in Ikeja, Lagos State, on Christmas Day.

    The General Manager, Lagos State Emergency Maganement Agency (LASEMA), Mr Adeshina Tiamiyu confirmed the death.

    Tiamiyu said that the agency had earlier received a distress call on the collapsed building at High Way Police Barracks opposite Area F, Ikeja.

    He said that the toilets and stairways of wing `D’ of the building collapsed at about 4.00a.m.

    Tiamiyu said the agency’s officials in collaboration with men of Lagos State Fire Services, the police and the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) recovered the two bodies of the dead men.

    He said one of the corpses was simply identified as Danjuma while the name of the other one was yet to be known.

    “Their bodies had been deposited at the Mainland Hospital Mortuary, Yaba,” Tiamiyu said.

    Tiamiyu also said that the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Fatai Owoseni, had visited the barracks and ordered the evacuation of residents living in the affected building as well as those in other dilapidated buildings.

    He added that Owoseni also ordered the immediate demolition of the affected block.

    Tiamiyu said LASEMA with other stakeholders had commenced the demolition of the affected building following the directives of the Commissioner of Police.