Street hawkers, buyers- to pay  N90, 000 or a six month jail term as fine

The Lagos State Government said on Friday that it had begun a total enforcement of the law prohibiting street trading and hawking.The state government said that the law would be implemented in every part of the state. The state governor, Mr. Akinwunmi Ambode, said during a live programme on Television Continental that the renewed enforcement was in line with Section One of the Lagos State Street Trading and Illegal Market Prohibition Law 2003. The governor, while sympathising with the family of a street hawker who was knocked down by an articulated truck while trying to evade arrest from officials of Kick Against Indiscipline  along Maryland Bus stop on Wednesday, regretted that the situation led to the destruction of public assets. He said, “It is not in our DNA to allow someone to just die by road accident or the way it happened in respect of the incident. But beyond the fact that we lost one person while crossing the road as a result of evading arrest by KAI officials, I need to tell Lagosians that over 49 buses were actually destroyed and it is costing us like almost N139m to put those buses back on the road.”

The governor added that the state executive council consequently resolved to enforce the law, which according to him, makes hawkers and buyers liable of the offence. Ambode said, “The issue is we need to enforce our laws because we already have a law in respect of that and then there is a clause in it which says the buyer and the seller are both liable and that we are going to fine them either N90, 000 or a six month jail term. “What we are doing on traffic is that we are introducing new strategies to eliminate traffic, but Lagos, being a cosmopolitan city, you cannot totally eliminate it but now this is the case, in the next few days, you will see on the street of Lagos signs that will be warning you that buyers and hawkers should be aware that there are consequences.”  He said his administration had also concluded plans to roll out a campaign which would warn motorists and hawkers of the restrictions and the penalty for defaulters.

Eighteen pilgrims injured in Mecca

Eighteen pilgrims have been injured in a stampede near Islam’s holiest site, Saudi media reported on Saturday, as the kingdom continues to review safety after a deadly crush during last year’s hajj. The incident happened on Friday night near the Grand Mosque in Mecca, the Al-Riyadh newspaper said, as Muslims gathered in large numbers to mark the Night of Destiny, one of the high points of the holy fasting month of Ramadan. All the injured were treated at the scene and none required admission to hospital, the newspaper cited a health official as saying.

Every year, hundreds of thousands of pilgrims flock to Mecca to carry out the lesser umra pilgrimage during Ramadan — especially during its last 10 days. They include the Night of Destiny, when the angel Gabriel is believed to have given the Prophet Mohammed the verses of the Koran. The incident comes as Saudi authorities continue to unveil new safety measures for this year’s hajj in September. A crush at last year’s hajj killed more than 2,000 pilgrims in the worst disaster to ever strike the annual ritual. According to figures from foreign officials, at least 2,297 pilgrims died. Saudi Arabia issued a death toll of 769. Newspapers reported on Friday that, among new security measures, hajj pilgrims this year will have to wear an electronic safety bracelet to store their personal information, including address and medical records. The hajj and umra pilgrimages bring millions of Muslims to the holy places in Saudi Arabia every year.

Timi Dakolo denied he stole Majek Fashek’s song

  

Music star Timi Dakolo has denied the claim that he stole veteran artist Majek Fashek’s song.
Majek Fashek had told Saturday Beats recently that Dakolo stole his evergreen hit, Send Down the Rain.
“He broke the rules of copyright. He is a thief because in music business, he must take permission before he works on someone’s song,” Fashek had said.

“That is why we have COSON. I did not give anyone the right to do anything with my song.”But Dakolo, who had done a remix of the song in 2013, said he got permission for that.“My people, it saddens me to see such. I always try to do things rightly and lawfully,” Dakolo, who is also a judge on The Voice Nigeria, said in an Instagram post. “I paid his manager to remake the song, I got my invoice, I even mentioned to him during our rehearsals at the Headies. So, honestly I don’t understand this write-up.
“Oga Majek Fashek. I respect and love you. Your voice gives life to lyrics. You are one of the best musicians I know. God bless you.”

Supplier of AK47 Rifles To Robbers Arrested

 Supplier of AK47 Rifles To Robbers Arrested

 

A suspected cross-border gun runner, Abdulazeez Amao, 47, has allegedly confessed to the police
how he supplies guns and ammunition to armed robbers. Amao was arrested in his house at Ayegun Adasun
in Ibadan, Oyo State, western Nigeria, after he was implicated by a suspected armed robber,
Olatunbosun Olatunji, 48, who alleged that Amao supplies him guns for operations.
Items recovered in Amao’s house include 10 AK47 rifles and 19 magazines all loaded with 30 rounds
of ammunition. The two suspects were paraded on Tuesday by the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Mr Umar Manko at the command headquarters in Ikeja, Lagos.  While making his confession, Amao denied that he was involved in armed robbery, admitting that he was only a businessman that deals in arms which
he buys from his customer known as Zakari Watara in Burkina Faso. He revealed that their network cuts across three countries- Mali, Burkina Faso and Niger Republic, while Nigeria is the destination for the weapons. Amao revealed that he smuggles the weapons into the country by packing them inside milk cartons and transporting them to Paraku town in Benin Republic. He said he repackages the rifles in Benin Republic
and hides them inside sacks containing yam flour (Elubo) and then transports them to Ibadan, Oyo
State capital, through Kabo border. Amao said he has many clients but his biggest customers are robbers who make him good offers, disclosing that most of his customers are from Onitsha in Anambra State, eastern Nigeria. He admitted that he had supplied various guns such as AK47 rifles, and English made pistols and
bullets to his clients. Amao revealed that he also services the weapons when they develop fault if the owners return them for such purposes. He, however, noted that none of his customers have ever introduced themselves as robbers to him but he knew some were criminals.
“They cannot come to me and tell me I am a robber and I will sell gun to them. But as an adult, such
demand for arms might be for robbery or to cause violence in the society.” While parading the suspects, Manko explained that Amao was arrested by the men of the State Anti- Robbery Squad, SARS, following the arrest Olatunji at Suberu area of Ikorodu, Lagos. According to him, Olatunji confessed that Amao
supplies gun to his gang and sells them for N320,000 each. Manko said following the confession, SARS decoy team was deployed to Ibadan and after eight days of intensive investigation, Amao was arrested in
his house where some arms were recovered. The police said the suspects will be charged to
court after investigation.