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Stranded Passengers Lament As Lagos Drivers, Louts Raise Fares Amid Fuel Scarcity

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Chaos erupted at Berger Bus Stop on Sunday as levy collectors, notorious as Agberos, drastically hiked transport fares, stranding passengers traveling from Lagos to Ogun State.

According to The Punch, the Agberos informed incoming drivers from Lagos of the new fare prices, causing widespread disruption.

Passengers, including churchgoers and children, were left pleading with drivers to reduce the fares, which had skyrocketed to unprecedented levels.

Drivers were charging commuters traveling to Mowe a flat fare of up to N1000, regardless of their destination along the route.

This represented a staggering increase from the previous fares:

– Mowe: N1000 (up from N300)

– Arepo and Magboro: N1000 (up from N400)

– Ibafo: N1000 (up from N500)

The sudden hike, implemented around 3:00 pm on Sunday, left many travelers stranded and frustrated.

A passenger named Adewale, heading to Arepo, had refused to board a bus charging N700 to Mowe, but was left in shock when the fare was further raised to N1000.

However, he lamented that after the vehicle departed, subsequent buses were instructed by the agberos to start charging N1000 for the trip.

“I was here when they charged N700 for any stop on the way to Mowe and Ibafo. I didn’t board because I thought the agberos would instruct the drivers to lower the price once more buses arrived.

“But unfortunately, as more buses arrived, the agberos kept telling the drivers to raise the fare. I’m shocked. This is pure wickedness,” Adewale lamented.

Joshua, a worshipper, who returned from church, said that the agberos were the main cause of the fare hike and urged authorities to find a lasting solution to the problem.

He said, “These individuals were dictating the fares to the drivers to increase their earnings. As the fares go up, they collect more from the drivers, leaving the passengers to bear the burden.”

A lady under anonymity lamented the hours she had spent at the park because she couldn’t afford the increased fare.

“I didn’t budget for this when I left home this morning. I’ve been here for hours, and the drivers keep increasing the fares,” she lamented.

When asked (by The Punch) about the sudden fare hike at the bus stop, a driver who identified himself as Kazeem said he had filled his bus tank with fuel purchased from the black market.

“There’s no fuel available; the queues are too long. The fuel I’m using now was bought at black market prices. Do you expect us to charge the same rates?” Kazeem queried.

BIG STORY

NAFDAC Shuts Down N50 Million Worth Counterfeit Cosmetics Manufacturing Facility In Lagos

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The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has successfully shut down an illegal cosmetics manufacturing facility located at Benue Plaza, Trade Fair Complex, Lagos State.

This significant enforcement operation targeted counterfeit products.

In a post shared on X (formerly Twitter), NAFDAC revealed that its officers discovered large quantities of unregistered chemicals, expired products, and packaging materials intended for the production of fake cosmetics during the raid.

The operation resulted in the seizure of over 1,200 cartons of counterfeit goods from the location. Alarmingly, expired cosmetics were being revalidated for sale, raising serious concerns about consumer safety.

The agency also confiscated equipment used in the illicit manufacturing process, such as mini-mixing containers, unlabelled chemicals, batch coding materials, and thinners.

These materials were transported to NAFDAC’s office for further investigation. The agency estimates the street value of the confiscated goods at approximately N50 million.

NAFDAC has reiterated its commitment to protecting public health by clamping down on illegal and unregulated products in the Nigerian market.

In a statement, the agency urged consumers to exercise caution when purchasing cosmetics, particularly from unverified sources, and to report any suspicious products to NAFDAC for further action.

This operation underscores NAFDAC’s ongoing efforts to combat the production and distribution of counterfeit goods, which pose significant risks to public health and safety.

The agency has emphasized that such enforcement actions are part of a broader strategy to ensure that only regulated and certified products reach consumers, safeguarding the integrity of Nigeria’s cosmetics market.

In a related development, about 5 months ago NAFDAC sealed several unregistered bakeries and water-packaging companies operating without the agency’s approval in Plateau State.

According to Mr. Shaba Mohammed, Director of NAFDAC’s North Central Zone, the closure followed inspections that revealed substandard Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) in the water-packaging firms.

As a result, these companies were shut down to prevent the circulation of potentially unsafe products.

In addition to this, numerous patent medicine stores were sealed for selling expired and unregistered medical products.

The raid, part of NAFDAC’s routine inspections in local government areas such as Dengi, Wase, Yelwa Shendam, and Namu, was aimed at enforcing compliance with safety standards and protecting public health.

Mr. Mohammed emphasized that NAFDAC remains committed to ensuring only certified and safe products are available to Nigerian consumers.

He urged the public to be vigilant, choosing only NAFDAC-registered goods, and to report any suspicious or expired products.

He also reiterated that businesses found violating the agency’s regulations would face appropriate sanctions, while advising aspiring entrepreneurs to seek guidance on product registration to avoid penalties.

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BIG STORY

Crisis In PDP Is Creation Of APC, They Want Us To Be In Disarray — Bauchi Governor Bala Mohammed

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Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, has attributed the crisis within the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to interference by the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He made this assertion while receiving members of the PDP Board of Trustees at the Government House in Bauchi.

“Any challenge is not insurmountable, it is insurmountable by the grace of God and we will find a solution to that,” he stated.

“It is only PDP with the experience of governance that is being challenged.”

“You will notice that this is the creation of the other side. They want us to be in disarray, it is the creation of APC. They always want to have moles within us, they want to have knowledge of what is going on.”

“Even the Wike that is in APC is in PDP, he is performing very well. They don’t have people that will perform like our members and that is why they chose to pick him and gave him a state-like structure to run.”

“To us, it is a commendation. The press will see that at least irrespective of the bizarre situation, it is a recognition that PDP has the human capital to deliver Nigeria.”

Gov Mohammed also acknowledged the challenge posed by Wike’s dual role and attributed the party’s crises to opposition from the APC but assured that they have a strategy to navigate the situation.

To him, the PDP’s primary focus was on unifying the party to take over leadership in 2027 and ensure effective governance.

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IGP Appoints Tunji Disu As FCT CP, Redeploys Two Others

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Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has reassigned Police Commissioner Tunji Disu from the Rivers State Police Command to lead the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command.

As part of the redeployment, Abaniwonda Olufemi, formerly Delta State’s Commissioner of Police, will now head the Rivers State Police Command, while Peter Opara, the previous FCT CP, will take over the Delta State Police Command.

In a statement on Thursday, Force spokesman Muyiwa Adejobi said the redeployment was “to strategically emplace a Police Force well efficient for effective policing”.

Also, following the approval of the Police Service Commission, the IGP deployed four CPs as Commissioners of Police for Abia, Lagos, Ebonyi, and Akwa-Ibom State Commands.

“The deployment includes the posting of CP Danladi Nda to Abia State Command; CP Olanrewaju Ishola Olawale to Lagos State Command; CP Anthonia Adaku Uche-Anya, fdc to Ebonyi State Command and CP Festus Eribo to Akwa-Ibom State Command.

“The posting of these strategic managers reflects the mission of the Inspector-General of Police to strategically reposition the Police Force and ensure maximum utilization of human resources available to the Force.

“The IGP has, however, urged the new CPs of State Commands to ensure diligence in the discharge of their lawful duties and adopt innovations that could mitigate security challenges in their respective areas of responsibility,” the statement read.

He further encouraged them to key into the police reform plans, which will help the progress of the Nigeria Police Force and the growth of the country in general.

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