Tag: FG

LAGOS— MOTORISTS going to the Lagos Island axis in Lagos State, yesterday, got trapped in a gridlock for several hours as a result of the closure of the Independence/Mekwen Bridge (inbound Marina/CMS route) for repairs.

The repairs are scheduled to be completed in two months.

Recall that the Federal Government had announced the closure of the Independence Bridge (Marina bound) starting from April 1 for essential maintenance and rehabilitation works.

The Federal Controller of Works, Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, explained that the bridge would remain closed until the end of May 2025.

Kesha said: “The closure will affect traffic travelling from Ahmadu Bello Way and Adeola Odeku towards Marina, Eko Bridge, and Onikan by Zone 2.”

Following the closure, motorists heading back to the Mainland yesterday had a hectic time connecting to their destinations due to the traffic congestion along the alternative routes provided.

Though the closure commenced, yesterday, Vanguard gathered that motorists spent several hours navigating through the traffic stretching from Lekki, through Victoria Island all the way through Falomo Bridge inward the mainland.

There was a long stretch of vehicles around Victoria Island, particularly Falomo, Law School, Ahmadu Bello Way, and former Old Bar Beach areas as motorists struggled to get to their destinations.

Motorists lament chaotic traffic

A motorist, Mr Gbenga Aduloju, who lamented over the development said: “I left Island at 2 pm to exit the Island from Victoria Island. As of 4 pm, I was still stranded in traffic. Is this how we will suffer for two months? We are in for a long show. I learned both the Federal and State Governments are responsible for this. They should do something fast to alleviate this suffering before it is hijacked by hoodlums and undesirable elements.”

Another road user, who also narrated her experiences, Mrs Esther Alfonso, complained she had spent about two hours in the traffic navigating a journey that usually takes 15 minutes to her destination.
Alfonso said: “I spent close to two hours in the traffic since I left the event from Lekki.”

FG must reconsider closure—Commuters

Another commuter, who spoke with told Vanguard said: “When I thought the traffic would only be worse in the morning, the evening became worse. The Federal Government has to reconsider the road closure.” Another passenger said: “The road repairs haven’t even started, and they’ve closed the road. Now we are feeling the heat. The FG should reconsider this because we can’t continue like this until the end of May.”

A commercial driver also voiced his concerns, saying: “They should allow us to use a one-way. The Lagos State Traffic Management Authority, LASTMA, should support one-way driving at this point. We can’t take it anymore. All alternative roads should be opened.”

Lagos travel advisory

The Commissioner for Transportation, Oluwaseun Osiyemi said that during the repairs, the section of the road from the National Open University of Nigeria, (NOUN) through Bonny Camp Bridge down to Independence Bridge will be closed to vehicular movement.

Similarly, the service lane at Bonny Camp Underpass Bridge inbound Independence Bridge will not be available for motorists.

However, the service lane from Ahmadu Bello Way to Ozumba Mbadiwe will be open to traffic.
Consequently, the following alternative routes have been mapped out for motorists.

Motorists heading to Victoria Island from Ahmadu Bello Way are advised to use Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street and proceed to Falomo Roundabout, then link Obafemi Awolowo Road to access Ring Road to continue their journeys.

Motorists from Ahmadu Bello Way heading to 3rd Mainland Bridge should go through Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street, then link Alfred Rewane Road to Osborne Road, and connect to Ring Road to reach their destinations.

Motorists heading to Inner Marina and CMS from Ahmadu Bello Way will be diverted to Ozumba Mbadiwe Avenue inbound Akin Adesola Street to connect Falomo Roundabout, then link Obafemi Awolowo Road to access J.K. Randle Road/King George V Road to reach their desired destinations.

Motorists heading to Ahmadu Bello Way from Inner Marina/CMS will have through-traffic access.
Osiyemi reassured residents that the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) will manage traffic flow along the aforementioned routes for the duration of the project.

FG orders reopening of bridge

The Minister of Works, Senator David Umahi has directed the immediate reopening of the Independence Bridge in Lagos to vehicular traffic.

This directive follows the earlier closure of the bridge for planned maintenance and rehabilitation works.
The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mrs Olukorede Kesha, in a statement, said “The Ministry expressed regret for the inconvenience caused to the motoring public by the closure and appealed for their understanding and cooperation.

“The Federal Ministry of Works clarified that the necessary repair works on the bridge would be carried out at a later time.”

ABUJA: The federal government has rehabilitated no fewer than 3,030 inmates across prisons in the country, training them in various skills and vocations.

Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, who disclosed this at a ministerial briefing organized by the Ministry of Information and National Orientation in Abuja yesterday, said the government had also boosted security across some of its facilities to ward off external attacks.

He said: “3,030 inmates were rehabilitated between July and December 2024 in various vocational skills including: carpentry, tailoring, poultry, fishery, hairdressing and others.

“Violent extremist offenders, VEOs, were rehabilitated under the Dr radicalization Programme of the Nigerian Correctional Service within the last quarter of 2024.

“Over 50 inmates in the various prisons across the country are currently undertaking academic courses at the NOUN Special Study Centres.

“The Service empowered over 32 discharged inmates with after care materials to facilitate their reintegration back to the society in 2024.

“The Service has successfully emplaced measures to safeguard our prisons against external aggressions.”
He also disclosed that the Service has concluded arrangement with the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, for the inmates’ biometrics data capturing.

According the him, the ministry has also commenced full operations in its newly established federal marriage registries in Jalingo, Taraba State; Akure, Ondo State; Ibadan, Oyo State; Makurdi, Benue State, Asaba, Delta State and Uyo, Akwa Ibom State.

He also recalled that the ministry had recently rolled out the enhanced e-Passport at various missions abroad, including Italy, Sweden, the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Russia, Kingdom of Saudi-Arabia and others
The minister said the Federal Fire Service had undertaken comprehensive measures to modernize and enhance its firefighting capabilities.

“Key accomplishments in this area include enhancement of communication systems, implementation of an advanced communication network to ensure seamless coordination during emergency operations, including the integration of Geographic Information System, GIS, technology for better incident mapping and response planning,’’ he said.

Earlier in his remarks, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said Dr Tunji-Ojo had brought remarkable innovation towards repositioning the interior ministry, in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.

“Under his leadership, the ministry has undergone transformative changes that have significantly enhanced the ease and efficiency with which Nigerians engage with and access its services,” Idris said.

ABUJA–A panel that was mandated to carry out extensive audit of all the prisons in the country, on Wednesday, submitted its report to the Federal Government.

Report of the audit exercise which was conducted from January 13 to  March 14, 2025, was received by the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, at the Federal Ministry of Justice headquarters in Abuja.

Head of the panel, Mr. Olawale Fapohunda, SAN, before the presentation, lamented that most prisons in the country are in very  deplorable conditions.

He further decried the swelling number of awaiting trial inmates in the country, adding that his team discovered that some have been on remand for over 10 years without a case file or legal representation.

Fapohunda, SAN, said the audit process included physical visitations to the custodial centres as well as interaction with inmates.

He said: “In the course of the audit, the working group reviewed the detention warrants of the inmates and, in some cases, visited the specific courts on whose orders the inmates were remanded to further authenticate the detention warrants.

“The mandate of the working group was mainly to focus on the legal status of Section 35 inmates (inmates that have been kept in detention for a longer period than the maximum period of imprisonment prescribed for the offence).

“Under this heading, the working group identified two distinct categories of inmates. There were those inmates in remand for non capital offences who, after being arraigned, their cases were caught up by the slow judicial process and would require the active intervention of the State Ministries of Justice.

“The second category was those inmates remanded for capital offences, including terrorism. Indeed, in one custodial centre, the working group discovered at least seven inmates remanded for offences relating to terrorism who have been on remand for upwards of 10 years from date of detention.

“The working group was unable to find any record that showed that they were brought before any court since the date of their detention. The intervention of the Honourable Attorney-General of the Federation is urgently required in this instance

“It would have been odd in the extreme if the working group had simply focused on the status of Section 35 inmates and ignored the plight of other inmates deserving urgent attention.

“This category of inmates includes those without legal representation. Indeed, several inmates continue to be kept in detention for periods longer than the maximum period of imprisonment prescribed for the offence because they do not have legal representation.

“The working group found that an alarming high number of inmates in the custodial centres under review were without legal representation.  The HAGF is invited to note that although the legal aid council of Nigeria is mandated to provide free legal services to inmates without legal representation, it is presently under resourced and thus barely able to make a significant difference.

“There were also inmates with life-threatening ailments who required urgent medical attention, the cost of which was outside the budget of the Correctional Services. The Working Group also identified several minors, including those whose ages as stated on their warrants of detention were incompatible with their physical outlook.

“In addition, the Working Group recommends that the HAGF convenes a meeting of the Body of Attorneys-General, with a view to achieving a coordinated response between Federal and State Governments on the legal status of all inmates including but not limited to those who have overstayed without trial,” he added.

The AGF said the government would study the report and come up with reforms that would strengthen the criminal justice system in the country.

“The mandate of the working group is crucial to achieving the standards we have set for ourselves in our effort to reform our criminal justice system.

“The vision of Mr. President is for a criminal justice system that maintains law and order, deters crime, punish offenders, and at the same time strives to rehabilitate those offenders in order to facilitate their recovery and reintegration to society,” the Justice Minister added.

The Federal Government has pledged its commitment to implementing the End-of-Life Vehicle (ELV) Regulation. This aims to protect the environment and transform waste into economic opportunities.

Minister of State for Industry, Trade and Investment, Sen. John Enoh, made this known at a stakeholders’ engagement organised by the National Automotive Design and Development Council (NADDC) on Wednesday in Lagos.

He stated that Nigeria has the potential to develop a multi-billion-dollar industry from waste, creating a vast and valuable economic chain.

“I don’t think this sector will be sidelined. Instead, it will be empowered. If we establish it now, we will have waste collectors and green entrepreneurs.

“A sector worth about 60 billion dollars globally is growing, and Nigeria cannot afford to be left out. Considering our circumstances, we must take a central role.

“Of the 500,000 vehicles imported into Nigeria annually, about 400,000 are used. This leaves the country highly exposed to environmental hazards.

“This waste is inevitable. It is crucial that we adhere to this regulation, which is designed to protect our environment from the dangers posed by ageing vehicles.

“In today’s world, waste is no longer just waste; it is an untapped resource. Used vehicles are no longer discarded but repurposed to create value,” he said.

The minister praised NADDC Director-General Joseph Osanipin for his dedication to advancing Nigeria’s automotive industry.

“We must move beyond mere discussions. We need results and immediate action. I commend the DG for his efforts, which are truly commendable.

“Today officially marks the implementation of the ELV regulation. I urge industry players, government agencies, and the public to work together for its success.

“We must unite to build a cleaner, safer, and more prosperous Nigeria. This initiative will improve public health and overall well-being.

“I commend everyone involved. This sector is vital. In the past, we only paid lip service to it, but now is the time for action,” he said.

Experts, including Dr Fyneray Mbata, Mr Idowu Oresanya, Dr Chimere May, and Dr Kemjika Ajoku, presented papers on ELV’s environmental impact and scrap industry transformation.

In his welcome address, Osanipin expressed appreciation for stakeholders’ support in making ELV a reality.

“Today is a significant milestone in our journey towards a sustainable and environmentally responsible automotive sector in Nigeria.

“We are officially launching the ELV regulation, a framework designed to tackle the challenges posed by ageing vehicles.

“Nigeria’s automotive industry is evolving rapidly. We must adapt to these changes by aligning with emerging technologies and modernising our approach.

“We aim to increase the number of vehicles and locally produced components. However, this growth will also lead to more waste reaching the end of its lifecycle,” he said.

Osanipin highlighted that implementing the ELV regulation would create jobs and wealth for at least 40,000 Nigerians.

“This initiative promotes a circular economy, generates employment, and fosters technological innovation.

“We anticipate the creation of 40,000 direct and indirect jobs, alongside recycling valuable materials and generating substantial revenue.

“With this regulation, we will protect the environment and improve road safety. Today’s engagement reflects the collaborative spirit necessary for success.

“We are here to work together with all stakeholders,” Osanipin said.

ABUJA: The Federal Government on Tuesday hinted of plans to reduce the number of custodial facilities in the country, declaring that Nigeria does not need the current figure of 256.

Noting that some facilities are only utilising about 30 to 40 percent of their carrying capacities, the government said there is need to identify inmates with federal offences with a view to redistributing across the custodial facilities since virtually every state has a Federal High Court.

Minister of Interior, Dr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja at the “Public Hearing on Alleged Corruption and other Violations against the Nigerian Correctional Service”, organised by the Independent Investigative Panel on the Alleged Corruption, Abuse of Power, Torture, Cruel, Inhumane and Degrading Treatment against the Nigerian Correctional Service.

The minister again warned against the inhumane treatment of inmates across the nation’s custodial facilities, saying such will not be tolerated in 2025.

No need for 256 Custodial Centres

Addressing the committee and other stakeholders, the minister said, “How many correctional centers do we even need? It is part of what you should cover in Nigeria.

“Realistically speaking, do we need 256 correctional centres that we have? The answer is no because the more correctional centers, the more pressure and stress in terms of supervision and control. And when there is problem of supervision and control, abuse becomes inevitable.

“So, in so many climes today, you have 3,000 capacity correctional centres. How many do we actually need? We need to look at that.

“Number three is, even with what we have today, there are some correctional centers that are densely populated or overcrowded, let me say that.
“And there are some that are not too populated. If there are criminals, if they are federal offences, there is federal jurisdiction. If I am not wrong, federal jurisdiction is everywhere, federal high court.

“So, can we critically look and analyse every correctional centre and look at those (inmates) who have committed federal offences and move them to less populated areas? Because it will shock you that there are correctional centres with about 30%, 40% occupation rate and there are some with about 200%. So how do we look at it? We think those are short-term gains that we can do like now and be able to reduce the space,” he stated.

Inhumane treatment

Noting that this is 2025 and not 1825, the minister said the time has come to also conduct psychological evaluation of personnel of the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

He said no government will ever be judged by how it treats the strongest, but by how the weakest are handled.

“That is the key. It is the way you handle the weakest in the society that determines the efficiency of the government.

“For us, as a government, under the leadership of Mr President, we have decided not to toe the path of business as usual, but we have decided to make it business unusual.

“The era when a man goes into a custodial centre and all that happens is incarceration and condemnation should be gone. This is 2025. This is not 1825.
“We must treat people with respect regardless of where they are. That a man is in a correctional centre doesn’t make him less human.

“A lot of these reforms, beyond infrastructural reforms, beyond strategic reforms, have to also happen within the context of our correctional offices. The core responsibility of a correctional officer is to be an agent of rehabilitation, restoration, reformation and correction and never to be an agent of condemnation.

“That a man loses his freedom by virtue of being an inmate does not mean he should lose his dignity as a human being. It is your responsibility to protect the dignity of even the least in our society.

“When condemnation takes the place of correction, then the system must have failed. There is a huge responsibility for this committee. Responsibility number one is for you to look inwards and cure yourself of the disease or else it becomes contagious. Our correctional officers, their psyche, it is important. I think a lot of them really need psychological evaluation, without being disrespectful. Because a man who will handle a man that is already feeling deprived should be psychologically sound, and I mean that without an apology. There are people, even if the wives do not give them breakfast, they will go and use it to attack others. It’s the truth. If they sleep and if they go to bed unable to find sleep, the next person is the helpless person that the system and the institution is supposed to protect becomes the target. When the vulnerable, when the subject of protection becomes a target, then there is a problem, and that is where we are,” he said.