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Early morning fire has engulfed a part of the Justrite Superstore in the Akowonjo area of Lagos State.

The Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, however, said the incident, which happened at a store around Jimoh Bus Stop, Egbeda-Akowonjo, Lagos, was extinguished by firefighters.

“The incident involves the second floor of the commercial building, housing the electronics section of the store,” the Controller General of the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Margaret Adeseye, said in a statement on Thursday.

“Upon arrival, firefighters swiftly deployed firefighting equipment and commenced coordinated operations to contain the fire, prevent its spread to adjoining sections of the building, and safeguard lives, property and the environment.

“The Fire has been put out, and recovery of the remains is ongoing to bring the mop-up exercise to a wrap. The cause of the fire is suggestive of an alternative power source solar inverter system, while no casualty has been recorded.”

Footage of the inferno, shared on social media and by the agency, showed smoke billowing from the rooftop.
See more photos from the fire outbreak below:

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The Federal High Court, Abuja, has sentenced three suspects in the abduction of students and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State to life imprisonment.

According to the court, the sentencing of Abdulrazak Umar, alias Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, alias Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, alias Abu Itisar, will start from the date of their arrest.

Before the verdict by Justice Salim Ibrahim, counsel for the defendants pleaded with the court to sentence them on liberal terms. He added that they were first-time offenders and had pleaded guilty.

Ibrahim pointed out that this showed that they were remorseful of their actions, and all the counts they were charged with are not related to the kidnapping.

He added that the convicts were married men who have children and have aged parents who are dependent on them. He pleaded with the court to give them a second chance at life and sentence them on liberal terms.

Counsel for the prosecution, however, pointed out that the convicts were aware of the people on the battlefield, and as true Nigerians, they should have reported it to the authorities.

After the charges were read to them, they pleaded guilty to membership of a proscribed terrorist group.

At their arraignment on alleged terrorism at the Federal High Court, Abuja, the three defendants also pleaded guilty to concealing information on the planning and execution of the abduction.

However, only the first accused person, Abdulrazak Umar, alias Abu Khalifa/Abu Khalid, pleaded guilty to counts 7, 8, 9 and 10, which bordered on training and passing instructions and inciting terror group members on a particular religious ideology.

The three accused persons were on trial by DSS on a 10-count charge bordering on kidnapping, concealment of information, and terrorism-related offences.

According to the charges, the defendants, all from Niger State, are accused of knowingly withholding information about individuals linked to terrorist activities, participating in kidnapping, and using a messaging platform to facilitate terrorist training.

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Nigerian survivors of human trafficking have recounted how they were lured from Nigeria with promises of jobs and a better life in Côte d’Ivoire, only to end up in forced labour, prostitution and sexual exploitation.

The rescued victims include Monica, 17; Juliet, 18; Rejoice, 25; Joy, 22; and Monica, 38, who said traffickers exploited their desire for a better future with false promises of employment.

In a statement issued on Thursday by the founder of the Global Anti-Human Trafficking Organisation, Prosper Michael, the victims were rescued in a joint operation involving the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking in Persons and relevant authorities in Côte d’Ivoire.

Recounting her ordeal, Monica said she accepted a bakery job offer in Abuja before being taken through Lagos to Côte d’Ivoire.

“I informed my parents because I believed the offer was genuine. We later realised there were no jobs after we were locked in a room,” she said.

She added that the victims were instructed to tell anyone who contacted them that they were safe despite being forced to work.

“When I spoke to my mother, I started crying, and they immediately collected the phone from me. They kept deducting money from the little we earned without explaining why,” she said, adding that she and another victim eventually escaped with the help of local residents and contacted GAHTO.

Another survivor, Monica Tamah, said she travelled abroad hoping to provide for her family and fund her daughter’s education, only to be forced into prostitution.

“When we got there, we discovered there were no jobs. Instead, we were told we had been brought for prostitution and had to repay transportation debts through sex work,” she said, adding that she remained in captivity for about six months before she was rescued.

Monica claimed that she and other victims were forced to sleep with as many as 15 men daily.

“They made about 50,000 CFA francs every day from us, but we received little or nothing. I remained there for about six months before I was rescued,” she said.

GAHTO said its representative in Côte d’Ivoire carried out the rescue with support from local authorities and disclosed that three other victims from Benue State were rescued in a separate operation.

The organisation described the operations as a major breakthrough in its campaign against human trafficking and the protection of vulnerable Nigerians across West Africa.

“We urge Nigerians to verify overseas employment and migration offers through appropriate government channels, remain vigilant against suspicious recruiters and promptly report suspected trafficking cases to law enforcement agencies.

“We also call for stronger collaboration among governments, security agencies and international partners to dismantle trafficking networks, rescue victims and ensure perpetrators are brought to justice,” the statement added.