Traders affected by the fire outbreak that razed a commercial storey building at Computer Village in Ikeja Local Government Area of Lagos State have appealed to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for financial assistance to cushion the impact of their losses.

DAILY POST reports that goods valued at several millions of naira were destroyed in the inferno, which occurred in the early hours of Tuesday at Somoye Street, Ikeja.

The affected building housed dealers in computers and accessories, a major hub of commercial activity in the area.

The fire, which broke out shortly after midnight, completely gutted the upper floor of the building.

Preliminary reports attributed the incident to an electrical surge following the restoration of power supply. No loss of life was recorded.

When DAILY POST visited the scene on Wednesday, scavengers were seen picking through the debris in search of salvageable items, as affected shop owners stood by in distress.

Victims of the incident said they had lost virtually all their investments, including cash, laptops, and other high-value electronic devices.

They also called for improved fire safety infrastructure in densely populated commercial centres such as Computer Village.

One of the affected traders, Chucks, who said he had just restocked his shop a day before the fire, described the incident as devastating.

“I’m one of the shop owners and I’m badly affected. I just brought in new goods on Monday, and by Monday night into Tuesday morning, everything was gone.

“When I got to the scene, we couldn’t access the upper floor. Also, the firefighting equipment was not adequate. The water pressure was low, so they couldn’t pump water upstairs from ground level and had to climb ladders to reach the fire,” he said.

Appealing directly to the governor, he added, “We are begging Governor Sanwo-Olu to assist us with compensation. This is not the first time such an incident is happening. We are taxpayers and we meet our obligations.

“We also want the state to better equip its fire service. We are calling on members of the public to support us in any way possible to help us recover from this disaster, which was not caused by us.”

According to Chucks, none of the traders operating on the affected floors was able to save any item.

“There are about 12 traders upstairs and one downstairs, and none of us recovered even a pin. For me alone, my loss is about N130 million. I deal in laptops, which are expensive items, not to mention other personal gadgets. It’s a massive loss, and we don’t even know where to begin,” he said.

Another trader, Ebere Chimosor, said he lost goods worth over N10 million and also appealed for government intervention.

“I’m one of the shop owners in the burnt building. This has nothing to do with tribe. I’m from the eastern part of the country and I do my business here peacefully.

“All we are asking is for the local and state governments to come to our aid. When the fire broke out around 1 a.m., the fire service tried their best, and they helped reduce the damage. Otherwise, the situation could have been far worse,” he said.

The Chairman of Ikeja Local Government Area, Akeem Dauda, later visited the site to assess the extent of the damage and sympathise with the affected traders.

He the victims of the council’s support and urged business owners to strictly observe safety measures, particularly with electrical installations, to prevent future occurrences.

Former Kaduna Central Senator and civil rights advocate, Shehu Sani, has described Canada’s Prime Minister, Mark Carney, as a distinguished global statesman and a moral leader of the Western world.

Sani likened Carney to “the Churchill of the 21st century,” stressing that he consistently upholds and defends democratic values, human rights, respect for national sovereignty, and international law in his public engagements across the world.

In a post on X, the civil rights advocate noted that the Canadian leader’s positions are clear and unambiguous whenever he speaks on global issues.

He said history would ultimately document not only the words spoken at this critical moment, but also the silences, compromises, and acts of cowardice displayed by others on the global stage.

Sani wrote: “Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney has distinguished himself as a global statesman and a moral leader of the Western World.

“Wherever he goes and whenever he speaks, he unambiguously defends the values and principles of democracy, human rights, respect for sovereignty of nations and international law.

“He is the Churchill of the 21st century. History will keep records of all the words,all the silence and all the capitulations and cowardice of this moment.”

A chieftain of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, Austin Okai, has described the impeachment proceedings in Rivers State as an indication that the All Progressives Congress, ADC, has betrayed Governor Siminalayi Fubara.

Okai was also of the opinion that some elements in the presidency had scammed Fubara by refusing to intervene in the impeachment process.

He told DAILY POST in an exclusive interview that Fubara “is having problems; APC has betrayed him.

“If the presidency is protecting him as some people were making up to him, by now the whole impeachment process should have died down; now he has gone to a local court for survival, his hope is hanging on the judiciary.

“You know that the presidency can scam somebody, they have scammed him. He cannot even have control of his own House of Assembly members representing the state, a sitting governor who does not have control of his own House of Assembly.”

The former Peoples Democratic Party candidate for the Dekina/Bassa federal constituency said the impeachment saga was aimed at making Fubara spend only one term in office.

He said: “There is a way out. If they don’t impeach him again and he does only one term is that not okay? I was expecting that by now, APC is supposed to have come to a stage of calling the Assembly members to order because as an APC governor, he is the leader of the party.

“Maybe they don’t need him; you will weigh the option, what does he have to offer when compared to what Wike has to offer? It’s a matter of choice at this moment, what does APC want?”

Meanwhile, a Rivers elder statesman, Wenendah Wali, has said it would be difficult to decide if the impeachment move against Fubara will scale through at this point.

Speaking with DAILY POST, Wali said: “You and I know that one plus one is not two in politics in Nigerian politics. So a lot of funny things happen that you can’t explain.

“But in the process of impeachment, it’s a purely constitutional matter and there are stages equally clearly stipulated to arriving at the point of impeachment.

“From the motions and the House of Assembly, to the notice of impeachment to the governor, to the third vote, to the CJ, committee and all of those, so those things actually limit the purvey of ordinary speculations.

“For example, if the assembly has written to the CJ to constitute a committee of seven Nigerians or people with integrity, I’m not in a position to begin to speculate on what their thinking will be, so it’s actually a difficult question to arrive at if they’re going to succeed or not.

“Everything squarely depends on the CJ right now and the panel that he constitutes. If they look at the terms or the grounds for impeachment and see that the governor actually breached those grounds, every member of the committee will vote.

“And the majority vote will determine whether the governor should be impeached or not. Don’t forget that their vote is final. The assembly cannot overrule them.

“But if they say the governor can be impeached, the governor is guilty of the offenses, then they finally return back to the assembly who will now say fine, we vote for his impeachment or can they decide to say, okay, we want him, he shouldn’t do it next time.

“That was what happened to President Trump in the U.S. He was impeached, but not removed from office, so that’s a bit difficult.

“It’s a bit difficult to say whether they are going to succeed or not. Is the assembly determined to remove him? At this point, the answer is yes.

“Have they been able to convince the CJ to consider a committee?

“So until the CJ decides to say, I’m going to institute the committee or not, every other thing will be widely speculated.”

The All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ebonyi State has ignited widespread controversy after announcing that the nomination form for local government chairmanship positions will cost aspirants a staggering N30 million.

The decision, revealed by the state party chairman, Chief Stanley Okoro Emegha, has sparked outrage among political observers, civil society groups and ordinary citizens, who argue that the exorbitant fee effectively excludes grassroots politicians and ordinary Ebonyi indigenes from contesting, turning local elections into an exclusive affair for the wealthy or well-connected.

The announcement came after a closed-door meeting with party officials from the state’s 13 local government areas and 171 wards.

According to Emegha, the N30 million fee covers both the expression of interest and nomination forms for chairmanship aspirants, while councillorship forms are priced at N250,000.

Sales of forms for delegates and councillors began on January 8, with chairmanship forms available from January 9 to January 19, ahead of the planned local government elections in August 2026.

According to data from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC), even if a local government chairman avoids all personal expenses and saves every kobo of official salary and allowances, the total earnings over a full four-year term would still fall short of N30 million.

This has led many to describe the fee as not just prohibitive but a direct incentive for corruption, as successful candidates may view their tenure primarily as an opportunity to recoup their “investment.”

Public reaction has been swift and sharp. On social media platforms such as X (formerly Twitter), users have condemned the move as “moneycracy” rather than democracy.

The controversy intensified after Osbourne Umahi, the 27-year-old son of former Ebonyi State Governor and current Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi, purchased the N30 million form to contest the Ohaozara Local Government Area chairmanship.

Supporters have praised him as a capable young politician committed to youth empowerment and infrastructure development, with the state APC chairman describing him as “intelligent” and capable of turning around the area’s fortunes.

However, critics see the move as emblematic of how the high fee favours political dynasties and those with access to significant resources or influential godfathers, further alienating average citizens.

The Ebonyi APC has defended the pricing, with some officials suggesting it ensures that only “committed” and financially viable candidates emerge.

Yet, the backlash highlights broader concerns in Nigerian politics about the commercialisation of elective offices, where nomination fees for even modest positions now rival or exceed those for higher national roles in previous election cycles.

As the form sales window closes and primaries approach, the debate rages on: is this a necessary measure for party discipline, or a deliberate barrier that undermines democratic inclusion at the most local level of governance?

For many in Ebonyi, the N30 million price tag sends a clear message — local leadership is no longer within reach of the common man.

Whether this sparks reforms or deeper divisions remains to be seen, but the uproar shows no signs of fading soon.

Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State and former Minister of Education, Mrs Oby Ezekwesili, have engaged in a public exchange over the legality and humanitarian implications of the recent demolition exercise in the Makoko area of the state.

Ezekwesili faulted both the Federal and Lagos State governments, describing the demolitions as unconstitutional, inhumane and a form of state-backed oppression against vulnerable communities.

In response, the governor rejected the accusations and instead alleged that some local and international non-governmental organisations, NGOs, were exploiting the situation for financial gain.

In a detailed memorandum addressed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and Governor Sanwo-Olu, Ezekwesili accused authorities of abusing state power to dispossess some of the country’s poorest citizens under the pretext of safety concerns and urban renewal.

She raised questions about governance and citizenship, asking whether Lagos operates as a community of equal citizens or as a space where economic value outweighs human dignity. She further questioned whether Nigeria’s democratic framework protects all citizens or only those with economic privilege.

According to Ezekwesili, residents of Makoko, many of whom rely on fishing, informal trading and small-scale businesses, are not illegal settlers but Nigerian citizens whose rights have been consistently undermined because of their socioeconomic status.

She argued that years of neglect and repeated demolitions have fostered a pattern where poverty is treated as grounds for exclusion from citizenship rights.

The former minister, who founded the School of Politics, Policy and Governance, SPPG, stated that the latest demolition contradicted earlier assurances by Lagos State officials.

She said community leaders were initially informed that only structures located within a 30 to 50-metre safety buffer around high-tension power lines would be affected, an understanding under which residents reportedly cooperated.

However, she alleged that the scope of demolition later expanded significantly, extending hundreds of metres beyond the agreed limits and affecting homes, schools, clinics and sources of livelihood that posed no safety threat.

“A government that alters agreed conditions mid-operation and widens demolition boundaries without notice is not enforcing the law but abusing its authority,” Ezekwesili said.

She further claimed that the operation resulted in fatalities and likened the incident to a forceful land seizure designed to serve elite interests.

According to her, the demolitions were not genuinely motivated by safety or urban planning considerations but amounted to what she described as “class cleansing” of poor communities from valuable waterfront areas.

Ezekwesili warned that the exercise had triggered a humanitarian emergency, displacing thousands of families, disrupting children’s education and exposing vulnerable groups to hunger, disease and insecurity. She argued that once government actions create homelessness, the state bears an immediate constitutional and moral responsibility to provide care and protection.

Responding to the criticism, Governor Sanwo-Olu told journalists that the state government was scrutinising the activities of certain NGOs involved in the matter and would present evidence to support its claims.

“We are aware that some local and international NGOs are attempting to profit from this situation. We are monitoring them and will provide evidence,” the governor said.

He alleged that the organisations had secured significant funding from international donors in the name of supporting affected communities but failed to deliver tangible assistance.

“They have received substantial grants and resources, yet they have not fulfilled the commitments they made. What we are seeing is an attempt to cover up those failures,” Sanwo-Olu stated.

According to the governor, the alleged profiteering partly explains the intensity of criticism directed at the state government.

“That is why some people are protesting louder than those directly affected. We are prepared to confront these issues and explain why certain decisions had to be taken,” he said.

Sanwo-Olu maintained that the demolition exercise was necessary and justified, insisting that it was carried out primarily to safeguard lives due to the dangers posed by illegal structures erected beneath high-tension power lines.

Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria, CAN, in 19 Northern States and the FCT, Joseph John Hayab, has thrown more light on the alleged abduction of over 170 worshippers in three Kaduna churches.

Speaking during an interview on ‘Prime Time’, a programme on Arise Television, Hayab stated that the moment the abduction happened, security agencies were informed.

He was speaking on conflicting reports that trailed the alleged kidnapping of Christians.

The cleric said: “I think one of the reasons you are seeing figures flying today is because in the communication yesterday, in order to refute the story, there was a claim that, okay, if it really happened, show us the name.

“And before 5am the names were already flying everywhere. The truth is that a lot of people were kidnapped.

“So what we keep discussing with the government is that let’s not debate too much about number. Let’s focus about- ‘were people kidnapped?’ Yes! Some had to escape and return.
“The moment the incident happened, security agencies were informed. I think that’s why we were worried and angry. How could security agencies be informed and only to come out later and deny?

“Although these security agencies were informed, they later issued a denial. They sent a signal about this, but they keep denying it happened.

“The Council chairman of the area was even the first to give us the figure because we didn’t have the figure. The Christian Association has a fantastic network.

“Before I will ever say a word, I have more than enough evidence to prove that the story is true. I have done that for decades and never failed and won’t fail even on this one.

“Let me say the security agencies are mistaking information because if I say they are withholding, it will be bad for their image. However, sensitive issues like this must be treated thoroughly.”

Benue State House of Assembly has given its approval to a new bill establishing the Benue State Widows Commission, aimed at ending abusive cultural practices targeted at widows and shielding them from all forms of exploitation.

The legislation, officially titled “A law to establish the Benue State Widows Commission and for Related Purposes, 2025,” scaled through its final reading on Tuesday during plenary in Makurdi.

During deliberations, Beckie Orpin, who heads the Committee on Women Affairs and Social Welfare, stressed that the proposed commission is crucial because widows remain among the most at-risk groups in the state.

She noted that the assembly, through the passage of the bill, has reaffirmed its constitutional mandate to defend vulnerable citizens.

Thomas Dugeri, the majority leader, thereafter moved the motion for the adoption of the committee’s report, recommendations, and every clause contained in the bill. Following this, Speaker Alfred Emberga instructed the clerk, Bem Mela, to conduct the third reading, after which the bill was passed.

In another development, lawmakers reviewed the report of the standing committee on women affairs and social welfare after its assessment visit to the Benue State Rehabilitation Board in Apir.

Presenting the findings, Orpin disclosed that the law establishing the board is outdated and needs to be replaced. She further pointed out that the present monthly contribution of N100,000 from local government councils is insufficient for the board’s operations.

According to her, the facility is grappling with a lack of essential amenities, including a functional sick bay, learning materials, and operational vehicles.

Contributing to the discussion, Dugeri described the facility’s state as deplorable, lamenting the widespread structural decay and inadequate feeding of children as a result of poor funding.

McClinton Manger, representing Tarka constituency, added that the already meagre N100,000 contribution is often not released, calling on the government to urgently intervene to safeguard the welfare of the children housed at the centre.

After considering the submission, the speaker instructed the committees on women affairs, business and rules to initiate a new bill that will repeal the 1996 edict under which the rehabilitation board currently operates.

He also revealed that the assembly had approved an increase in the board’s monthly funding from N100,000 to N1.5 million.

Additionally, he directed the commissioner for finance to ensure prompt disbursement of funds and ordered the procurement of a Toyota bus for the students and a Hilux vehicle for official duties.

Emberga further emphasised the need for adequate instructional materials to enhance teaching and learning within the facility.

Arise Television host, Rufai Oseni, has urged President Bola Tinubu against allowing the planned impeachment of Governor Sim Fubara of Rivers State to scale through.

Oseni disclosed that impeaching Fubara is an indictment on Tinubu’s inability to protect governors on the platform of the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Posting on Facebook, Oseni wrote: “If Fubara is impeached, then it’s a big indictment on President Tinubu’s ability to protect APC governors.

“Also, for those government officials that say the state of emergency was to save Fubara, that argument has been nullified by this impeachment notice.

“Despite the state of emergency, no peace and settlement, President Tinubu’s state of emergency didn’t save Fubara because an impeachment is still going ahead.

“One thing is certain currently: Wike is leading in this fight. Wike 100, President Tinubu 50.

“Will President Tinubu be able to save Fubara from Wike? Will President Tinubu side with Fubara?

“Will the Chief Judge go ahead with the process? Will the court order hold?

“Will Wike work against Tinubu and probably join the opposition? Time will tell.”