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Namnai Bridge: Senator Manu, other Taraba prominent indigenes raise alarm, ask Tinubu to intervene

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The Senator representing Taraba Central Senatorial District, Haruna Manu and other prominent indigenes from the state have called on President Bola Tinubu to urgently come to the rescue people of the state with the construction of the collapsed bridge at Namnai, along Jalingo- Wukari Federal High Way.

The bridge which collapsed in August last year, linked southern part of the country with the North East region as well as the Federal Capital Territory and other border states of Benue, Plateau and Nasarawa, serving as vital gate way for economic and social activities.

With the collapse of the bridge, motorists were left stranded for weeks before some individuals mobilised canoes and ferries to the river to provide a temporary succour to cross the vehicles.

The bridge which was completely washed away after a heavy rainfall has exacerbated economic strain on the local community and other road users.

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Similarly business activities were crippled and caused a set back to the area because vehicles conveying goods and services have to divert to Garba-Chede-Mutum and Jalingo road which is about 120 kilometres before reaching their destination on both sides.

Our correspondent reports that since the collapse of the bridge five months ago, there has not been any form of intervention either from the state government or the Federal government.

Motorists were left to their fate to carry their cross.

As the possibility of reconstruction of the bridge still hangs in the balance, the people of the state wonder why the case of Taraba is different from other states in the North East whose bridges collapsed the same time with that of Taraba.

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They sited two bridges in the North East zone that collapsed almost at the same time with the Namnai bridge in Taraba but wondered how the two bridges located along Yola-Gombe and Gombe-Bauchi roads were all attended to and reconstructed by the Federal government.

Senator Haruna Manu wondered why the bridge along Yola-Gombe road near Savannah sugar company is being reconstructed while the one along Gombe-Bauchi road was reconstructed ,but nothing was done on the Namnai bridge in Taraba.

On efforts by Taraba lawmakers in the National Assembly towards the reconstruction of the bridge, Senator Manu disclosed that there are on going efforts aimed at ensuring that work on the Namnai bridge commences before the rainy season.

Manu said that apart from raising the matter on the floor of the Senate under matters of urgent importance, he has personality visited Federal Road Maintenance Agency (FERMA) to discuss the need for the speedy reconstruction of the bridge.

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“As you know this bridge links the eastern part of the country to all the states in the north East, if the bridge is not reconstructed before the next rainy season it will ground economic activities in all the states in the North East.

The Senator further disclosed that stakeholders from the state are concerned about the bridge and called on President Bola Tinubu to listen to the cries of the people of Taraba by giving approval for the immediate construction of the bridge just like the Larmurde bridge in Adamawa state.

Also, Hon. Ja’faru Yakubu Chiroma, member representing Bali/Gassol Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives said he has equally raised the issue of the collapsed bridge at Namnai on the floor of the House of Representatives under matters of urgent importance and begged the federal government to urgently reconstruct the bridge.

The lawmaker disclosed that immediately after the bridge collapsed in the middle of rainy season on 23rd August last year, he mobilised two ferries to the site of the bridge to assist motorists cross the river without costs.

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“Apart from all these efforts, I also visited the North East Development Commission and requested their intervention, they came to the site and took the assessment of the damage and with the promise to come to our rescue,” he said.

Chiroma stressed the need for urgent action towards the reconstruction of the bridge which he said was strategic to the people of North East and the entire northern Nigeria.

Meanwhile, prominent Taraba indigines hold that the two members in the National Assembly from the area would have to intensify lobby, including meeting President Ahmed Tinubu urgently before the commencement of the rainy season otherwise Taraba State would be cut-off from other parts of the country.

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BREAKING: Jubilation As PDP Wins All 30 LGs In Osun State(See winners)

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won all the local government and councillorship positions in the just concluded local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this announcement via a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday evening.

Abioye stated that PDP candidates secured all the councillorship seats in all 332 wards in the state, as well as the chairmanship elections in all 30 local government council areas.

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The names of the PDP chairmanship candidates and their respective local government council areas:

Babalola Wasiu Kayode – Boripe

Okunade Oluwafemi Adesanya – Egbedore

Adeyenuwo Rotimi John – Ife Central

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Agboola Francis Olajire – Obokun

Azeez Lateef Adeniran – Isokan

Aina Abayomi Adesina – Boluwaduro

Sodiq Samuel Oluwapelumi – Ola Oluwa

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Ajibade Oluwatoyin S. – Irepodun

Adebanjo Oladiti Tunmininu – Ilesa West

Ibironke Alade Adegboye – Atakumosa East

Aroke Muyiwa Aderemi – Ife South

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Kolade Obafemi Kolawole – Olorunda

Moshood Adekunle Kabiru – Iwo

Awotunde Abiodun Sarafadeen – Ifelodun

Akande Taiwo Adekunle – Osogbo

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Dada Feyisayo Ajibola – Atakumosa West

Amodu Taiwo – Ede North

Atolagbe Kayode Olayinka – Ifedayo

Akande Michael O. – Ife North

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Adeyekun Taiwo Adebayo – Oriade

Adeniran Adenike Felicia – Ayedaade

Afolabi Oyekola Lukman – Ede South

Odunyemi Haruna Bukola – Ife East

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Jooda Ambali Babajide – Irewole

Adewale Adeyinka Oluwaseun – Odo Otin

Ogunbiyi Solomon Akinyemi – Ayedire

Raimi Adenike Nafisat – Ejigbo

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Adebisi Jayeola Nasir – Ila

Ilesanmi Taiwo Sunday – Ilesa East

Alade Aderemi Fatai – Orolu

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DSS arrests three for assaulting operatives during LSHA crisis

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested three persons linked to the alleged assault on its officers during the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal Mudashiru Obasa, as Speaker

Apparently sensing danger, some lawmakers had mobilized their supporters to the Assembly Complex, but these supporters allegedly attacked some DSS officers who were invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the facility. Security sources revealed that “after extensive analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to clearly identify three of the suspects”.
“The suspects, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer and two others attached to the Assembly’s Seargent at Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, a lady, were consequently tracked and arrested during the week in different parts of Lagos,” The trio have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court, the source said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos Assembly had in a leaked memo dated 14th February, 2025 and addressed to the DSS Director in the State, and Heads of other Security Agencies in Lagos State, told the Security Agencies in Lagos that, there was credible information to the effect that, Obasa had planned to forcefully reinstate himself today, February 18, 2025.
Accordingly, the Assembly management, held the view that, the development posed “a potential security threat” to it and its members.

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Police seal OSSIEC office, officials nabbed, says chairman

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has claimed that the police have sealed off the headquarters in Osogbo.

In a video post on the OSSIEC X handle, Abioye accused the police of also arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government election.

According to him, several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

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Attempts by our correspondent to reach Abioye for further details proved abortive as his telephone line was switched off.

The OSSIEC chair, in the post, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas.

So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

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“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy of the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

Abioye’s comments come after police had called for the local government election to be called off by the state government, citing a security threat.

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In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, the Police said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned elections proceed.

The police explained that reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, are mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.

However, the Osun State government acknowledged the police’s advice but insisted on going on with the election.

Channels Television reports that the election eventually went on as scheduled on Saturday.

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