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Inside Lagos: LASTMA, Police Probe Traffic Extortion, Withdraw Errant Officers

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The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority and the Lagos State Police Command have started investigations into the alleged extortion of motorists in the Berger-Isheri area of the state.

It was gathered that the state Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alabi, had summoned the divisional police officers in other areas where some motorists alleged extortion rates were high.

The development followed an investigation by The Punch on a suspected syndicate made up of policemen and LASTMA officers in the Berger-Isheri area.

A correspondent, who disguised as a hawker and sold popcorn and face masks in traffic, observed for four hours as the group exploited motorists seeking to connect from the Berger-Isheri Road to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The reporter noted that the green arrow of the old traffic light ran for about 20 seconds before indicating the amber and the red light.

Motorists, who left the waiting lane between 17th and 19th seconds, when the green light was still on, were arrested as soon as they got to the road linking the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The correspondent also observed as the LASTMA officers and policemen stopped motorists and pointed their attention to the traffic light, which by then had turned red.

It was noted that the motorists were stopped on the instruction of a pot-bellied man in mufti, who entered their vehicles.

The dark-complexion man, with two others also in mufti, entered at least two Toyota Camry cars and did not alight until after a stop at a Point-of-Sale terminal shop.

While the investigation lasted, our correspondent noticed coordination among the uniformed officers, numbering seven, as motorists were extorted.

Some Nigerians, who read the report on Tuesday, took to different social media platforms to share their ordeals in other parts of the state.

The state Police Public Relations Officers, Benjamin Hundeyin, said that the command had commenced investigation into the matter.

“We are taking steps to make sure this kind of thing stops,” he added.

A source at the command headquarters said that the state Commissioner of Police, Alabi, was angry at the conduct of the policemen.

The source noted that all the DPOs in the other areas had been summoned for a meeting.

According to the source, “The report has spurred the command to action, and the CP has ordered that the names of the places mentioned in the story be listed and the DPOs in those areas summoned to his office.”

Some of the spots mentioned by readers are Iyana Ipaja Motor Park; Apple Junction, Amuwo Odofin; Ikeja Underbrige inward Maryland by LASUTH; Allen Roundabout, Ikeja; Adeniran Ogunsanya, Surulere; Ajao Estate, via Osolo; Ajah Traffic Light, Lekki-Epe Expressway; FESTAC Town by First Gate, among others.

The General Manager of LASTMA, Bolaji Oreagba, when contacted on the phone, said he had ordered an independent investigation into the report.

He said, “We have begun our own covert investigation into the matter. It started today (Wednesday) and it will take days to conclude our findings.”

Meanwhile, checks on Tuesday and Wednesday revealed that the cops and LASTMA officers sighted by the correspondent during the investigation were no longer at the location.

However, a few LASTMA officers were seen inside the traffic warden box.

The Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotosho, said experts had been consulted to check “complaints people have about the traffic light” in the community.

On the traffic cameras the government announced in January 2021 to catch traffic offenders, Omotosho said the gadgets were only in few places, adding that efforts were on to deploy them across the state.

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My Wife Invited Her Friends To Our Home To Beat Me During Our Crisis — Oritsefemi

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Famous Nigerian singer, Oritsefemi has alleged that his wife, Nabila Fash, invited her friends to their home to beat him up during their marital crisis.

He said the ladies, numbering about 20, overpowered and physically assaulted him.

The ‘Double Wahala’ hitmaker disclosed this in a candid chat with media personality, Chude Jideonwo.

Oritsefemi stated that he has been unlucky with marriages, claiming that his first wife also dumped him after sponsoring her to Dubai.

“My wife [Nabila Fash] asked her friends to come and beat me up in my house. I said, ‘Look at me o; a whole me, lion na he women dey pursue.’ They were about 20. They dealt with me. I’m not lying,” he said.

Oritsefemi’s marriage to Nabila Fash hit the rocks in 2022, with Fash accusing the singer of incessant cheating.

In October 2022, Fash officially filed for divorce from Oritsefemi over infidelity and domestic violence.

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Chain Reactions In 7 Star Performance At 2024 SABRE Awards

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It was a seven-star performance for Chain Reactions Africa (CRA), one of Africa’s leading Public Relations and Integrated Communications Consultancy as it took home seven African SABRE trophies, more than any other public relations firm in Africa in the 2024 competition.

The awards which were held at the end of the annual African Public Relations Association (APRA) Conference, were presented by Provoke Media, organizers of the awards in Basam, Abidjan, Cote D’Ivore on May 16th 2024.

The work covered campaigns for the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA), and its Lagos Blue Rail, 9mobile’s The Hack – Expand Your Hustle’, ‘Taming the Bull’ for the Presidency, ‘Next Era of Happiness’ for leading biscuit company, Pladis Foods Nigeria Limited.

Receiving the awards on behalf of Chain Reactions and its clients, was its Managing Director/Chief Strategist, Israel Opayemi, who noted that this is a seven-star performance by Chain Reactions Africa at the 2024 SABRE Awards.

In his comments Opayemi said “to emerge as the highest winner at the 2024 edition of the award with seven SABRE Awards is humbling as well as exciting for us at Chain Reactions Africa. We are immensely proud to be honoured on such a global platform like the SABRE awards which is the holy grail of Public Relations globally as the awards programme is dedicated to benchmarking the best PR works across the globe.”

He continued, “I am making a three-fold dedication of these multiple trophies to our clients who believe in us, my team members who do the brave works relentlessly and our dear country Nigeria. Ten years ago, we were at the SABRE Awards in Miami, Florida in the United States watching and applauding as winners took turn on stage. Ten years ago, we were asking for a seat at the table. Today, we are sitting in creative resplendence at the head of the table. Today, we are flying the Nigerian flag on the global stage. We are now a territory of reckon and relevance in the global PR space.”

It seems winning awards is just a Chain Reactions thing, chuckled Arun Sudhaman CEO and Editor-in-Chief of Provoke Media, organizers of the SABRE Awards as Opayemi rose up seven times to receive the awards. The PR consultancy also picked up four Certificates of Excellence in recognition of its work launching the Nigerian Youth Trend Report 2024 known as ‘ARAMANDA’, ‘Next Era of Happiness’, ‘Lagos Blue Rail’, ‘The Hack – Expand Your Hustle’, and ‘Taming the Bull’.

In his reaction, President and Chairman of Council of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR) described the awards by Chain Reactions Africa as “a harvest of honours for Nigeria”. He thanked the Chain Reactions Africa team for their outstanding works saying, “thank you for making us proud.”

Chain Reactions Africa has over the years won several prestigious SABRE awards and has been awarded more than 15 Certificates of Excellence. At last year’s award, the company won CEO of the Year category for the Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu for use of public relations to tell the story of his administration’s achievements and scooped two Certificates of Excellence in the Corporate Image category for the ‘Momentum Campaign’ for Cellulant, a flagship payment solution provider; and ‘Marketing to Consumers’ category for ‘The #NaijaHighlandah Campaign’ for William Lawson’s, Scotch Whiskey brand.

The 2024 Africa SABRE Awards shortlist included more than 120 campaigns, selected from over 500 entries in this year’s competition, which recognizes Superior Achievement in Branding, Reputation and Engagement. The campaigns were evaluated by a jury of industry leaders.

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BREAKING: Court Denies Binance Executive Tigran Gambaryan Bail

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Tigran Gambaryan, Binance executive, had his bail plea dismissed by a Federal High Court in Abuja on Friday.

In his verdict, Justice Emeka Nwite stated that the bail application is denied because, after carefully reviewing the application, he concluded that, should bail be granted, the defendant will violate it.

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission filed charges against Gambaryan, his business Binance Holdings Limited, and another high-ranking executive who is presently fugitive, Nadeem Anjarwalla, for money laundering and supporting terrorism.

 

More to come…

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