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Fire destroys shops, shanties in Lagos, Plateau
Fire incidents have been recorded in Lagos and Plateau states destroying shops, offices and shanties in the process.
In the early hours of Wednesday, a fire ravaged some shops at Alaba Rago in the Ojo area of Lagos State.
The Permanent Secretary of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Damilola Oke-Osanyitolu, confirmed this in a statement obtained by PUNCH Metro.
According to him, the fire, which started around 10:23pm on Tuesday, was brought under control through the swift intervention of the emergency responders.
He however noted that no casualties were recorded during the incident.
“A joint response effort was launched following distress calls received by the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency and the Lagos State Government at 10:23 pm. The emergency response teams from LASEMA and LASG promptly deployed to the incident scene at Alaba Rago, Ojo.
“Upon arrival, responders found several shanty shops engulfed in flames. Fortunately, no casualties or injuries were reported. The cause of the fire remains under investigation,” the statement partly read.
While noting that the permanent structures at the incident scene were unaffected by the fire, he added that the shanty shops, however, were damaged.
He further stated that the agency’s Dolphin Response Team from Igando and the Lagos State Fire Service and Rescue Service responded to the distress call.
“The fire has been fully extinguished, and dampening down operations have been concluded. A post-disaster assessment was conducted to determine the true extent of the incident. Search and rescue operations have also been concluded,” the statement added.
In the Jos fire, an eyewitness disclosed that the incident, which affected shops and offices, started around 4:00 pm on Wednesday, prompting a resident to alert the Jos South and Jos North fire services.
“I came out of my office and I saw fire everywhere. I don’t know the actual cause but I was able to contact the fire service from Jos South and Jos North Local Government Areas. They were able to mobilise their people who came and right now, they are trying to quench the fire”, an eyewitness, John Michael, told our correspondent.
The Chairman of Jos South Local Government Area, Mr Silas Dung, also confirmed the fire saying, “I have just been told of the fire and I’m at the scene of the incident.”
An official of the fire service in Jos, who did not want his name in print, said his men had been deployed to the area to contain the fire and stop it from spreading to other locations.
Immediately we got the information, our people came and we have been able to put out the fire,” he said.
PUNCH Metro reports that a similar fire incident occurred last month at a timber market located in the Katato community in the Jos North Local Government Area.
The fire which started in the night affected over 200 people, a majority of whom were carpenters, and left about 107 shops burnt to ashes with goods worth over N1bn destroyed.
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Police bust syndicate behind nude photo blackmail in Lagos
Men of the Police Special Fraud Unit (PSFU), Lagos, have apprehended three suspects who allegedly run a cyber blackmail and extortion scheme in the state.
According to the spokesperson of the unit, DSP Ovie Ewhubare, the suspects get a hold of their victims explicit photos and then threaten to release them if a ransom is not paid.
He said that the suspects, two males and a female, were apprehended after a petition was filed by a complainant who reported being repeatedly threatened by unknown individuals demanding money.
“The complainant received several phone calls in which the callers threatened to release her nude photographs to the public if she failed to pay them. Acting out of fear and emotional distress, she transferred money to the suspects.
The situation escalated when the suspects demanded an additional N10 million, prompting her to formally petition the police,” he said
The police imagemaker state dthat upon receipt of the complaint, the Commissioner of Police, PSFU, Mr Kayode Ojapinwa, ordered the immediate deployment of operatives to investigate the matter.
“The investigation led to the arrest of the three suspects. Investigations revealed that one of the suspects gained unlawful access to the complainant’s mobile device and fraudulently transferred her nude photographs to his own device. Further findings indicated that he conspired with the other suspects and other accomplices currently at large to demand and receive money from the complainant in several tranches,” he said
According to him, the suspects are currently in police custody and are expected to be arraigned before a court of competent jurisdiction.
The image maker said that investigations were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing members of the syndicate and to recover all proceeds of the alleged crime.
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Catholic Priest Collapses And D!es In Front Of Congregation While Walking To Tabernacle To Return Holy Communion
A Catholic priest has tragically passed away after suddenly collapsing in front of the congregation during Sunday mass.
The tragic incident took place last Sunday, February 1 in Wiesmath in the district of Wiener Neustadt, Austria.
Shortly after administering Holy Communion, 59-year-old priest Raimund Beisteiner was about to return the host to the tabernacle when he “suddenly” collapsed, according to a statement from the Archdiocese of Vienna.
“Despite immediate professional assistance, he di£d in the church,” the statement said.
The mayor of Wiesmath, Erich Rasner, had also attended the Mass with many other believers and witnessed the dramatic scenes.
The shock in Wiesmath at the loss of the popular priest is great. Beisteiner had shaped the spiritual life of the parish for almost two decades and was highly regarded far beyond the community.
Rasner praised him as an “extremely conscientious, sensitive priest” and also emphasized the personal loss of a friendship that had grown over many years.
A prayer service was organized at short notice for the late priest. It was attended by numerous priests from the deanery as well as Archbishop Josef Grünwidl.

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Nollywood Actress, Angela Okorie Allegedly Re-Arrested Over Alleged Refusal To Pay Lawyer Who Secured Her Bail (Video)
Angela Okorie, the Nigerian actress, has reportedly been re-arrested over allegations that she refused to pay the lawyer who secured her bail from Suleja Prison.
Angela was re-arrested at the Suleja prison on Tuesday, immediately she was released on bail.
This came less than an hour after actor Stanley Ontop raised the alarm over an alleged plan to re-arrest the actress after release on Tuesday.
Speaking in a video on Instagram, actress Doris Ogala who said she is already on her way to the police station, stated that the actress was re-arrested by an unnamed Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, for refusing to pay the N5 million agreed fee to secure her bail.
Doris said; “You see, one thing is for someone to cut their clothes according to their size. Angela has been arrested again. As a matter of fact, I’m going to the police station now. You see, when Angela was arrested by Mercy, she called a friend of her or village person. I don’t know how they relate. To help her get a SAN.
“And the SAN charged them N5 million. I think the SAN was the one who even facilitated the bail and all that. Now when Angela knew that they have granted her bail according to the lady, Angela started saying that she didn’t ask her to get a SAN and she wasn’t going to pay the money, and meanwhile this lady has deposited.”
Recall that Angela, who was granted bail on Friday after her arrest by Mercy Johnson over alleged defamation, regained her freedom few minutes ago after perfecting her bail conditions.
Watch Doris Ogala speak

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