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Explosion alleged in Abia building collapse, lawyer urges expanded probe

Published

9 months ago

July 31, 2025

As the Abia State Government and the Council for the Regulation of Engineering in Nigeria are set to launch their separate investigations over the collapse of a three-storey building in Umuahia in the early hours of last Saturday, a Umuahia-based legal practitioner, Goodman Iheikwunacho, on Wednesday urged them to look beyond preconceived factors and dig deeper.

He had also alleged that reports indicated a boom or explosion sound was heard before the building crumbled.

The two teams have indicated their interest in investigating the incident, as the state government, through the Umuahia Capital Development Authority, has announced that it was going to carry out investigations as well as an integrity test on the rest of the standing 2-storey buildings belonging to the same owner in the compound.

Fielding questions from newsmen in Umuahia following concerns generated by the unfortunate incident in which a 35-year-old woman, Blessing Ugochukwu, and her two young children miraculously survived, Iheikwunacho advised, “The scope of investigations should not be circumscribed but expanded beyond the obvious factors so that the real cause of the building collapse will be unravelled and future occurrences prevented.”

While stressing the need for investigators to go beyond the usual technical issues of structural defects and non-compliance with building regulations, Iheikwunacho said, “There should be a check for possible sabotage, taking into consideration all the circumstances.

“I am aware that the owner of the collapsed building, Chief Ikechi Emenike, is a well-known political figure and governorship candidate of the APC here in Abia State in 2023. So, you can’t rule out the possibility that his enemies could be at work.

“I have also read reports in the media quoting residents of the area where the building collapsed as saying that they heard a loud boom (sound), which some said sounded like thunder; others said it sounded like an explosion.”

A property and commercial lawyer, Iheikwunacho stated, “As a top politician, you never can tell if there are people nursing grievances against him (Emenike) and might resort to doing all sorts of things to damage his name and image.”

He insisted that investigations should include looking out for extraneous factors that might have brought down the building, adding, “When an edifice crumbles like a pack of cards, a whole lot of things could have been responsible.

“So, let the investigators open their minds and approach their job from every angle and every possible lead, and in that way arrive at a conclusion that would not be questionable.”

The Abia State Government, which is set to carry out integrity tests on the two remaining buildings, has also announced that all new and old buildings in Umuahia that are above two floors will be subjected to integrity tests in order to forestall future occurrences of building collapse.

Meanwhile, COREN, Umuahia Area Office, is also poised to launch its own investigation, having already sent a technical team to the scene of the collapsed building for a preliminary assessment of the situation.

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Senate names new minority whip as two more senators defect to APC

Published

5 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Senate on Wednesday appointed Senator Tony Nwoye as the new Minority Whip, following a fresh wave of defections that has further boosted the numerical strength of the All Progressives Congress in the upper chamber.

Nwoye, who represents Anambra North Senatorial District, was unanimously selected by the Senate minority caucus to fill the vacancy created by the exit of his predecessor.

His emergence comes on the heels of the defection of former Minority Whip, Senator Osita Ngwu, from the Peoples Democratic Party to the APC on Wednesday, one of several high-profile crossovers that altered the balance within the opposition ranks.

In a letter read on the floor by Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Ngwu said his decision was driven by the need to align with Enugu State Governor, Peter Mbah and President Bola Tinubu.

He also described the APC as the most stable political platform in the country.

Nwoye was elected into the Senate in 2023 on the platform of the Labour Party before defecting to the African Democratic Congress in late 2025, positioning him within the opposition bloc prior to his new leadership role.

The reshuffle in minority leadership came amid a broader pattern of defections that has steadily eroded the strength of opposition parties in the Senate since the inauguration of the 10th National Assembly.

In a related development, Senator Anthony Siyako Yaro, representing Gombe South, also announced his defection from the PDP to the APC, citing internal crises within the opposition party.

Similarly, the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Accounts, Senator Aliyu Wadada, formally announced his defection from the Social Democratic Party to the APC.

Wadada, who has also been endorsed as the APC consensus governorship candidate for Nasarawa State ahead of the 2027 elections, said he had previously aligned with the ruling party but completed the formal procedures of his defection on Wednesday.

Reacting to the developments, Senator Adams Oshiomhole commended the lawmakers, describing their defections as voluntary and consistent with constitutional provisions.

He said the increasing movement of legislators into the APC reflects growing confidence in the party’s leadership and the administration of President Tinubu.

With the latest defections, the APC’s strength in the Senate has risen to 91 lawmakers—further consolidating its dominance and tightening its grip on legislative proceedings as political realignments gather pace ahead of the 2027 general elections.

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Lagos clarifies sanitation modalities, warns defaulters ahead of April 25

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Lagos State Government has provided further details on the reintroduced monthly environmental sanitation exercise, set to resume on Saturday, April 25, 2026, with movement restrictions and enforcement measures in place.

In a statement on Wednesday, the Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, said, “The exercise will hold every last Saturday of the month between the hours of 6:30 am and 8:30 am.

During this period, there will be controlled movement across the state to allow residents to carry out thorough cleaning of their homes, surroundings and drainage frontages.”

He stated that enforcement teams comprising officials of the ministry, Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency, Kick Against Indiscipline, Lagos Waste Management Authority, and local government sanitation inspectors would “conduct physical inspections during and after the sanitation window to ensure compliance,” warning that “defaulters will be sanctioned in accordance with the Lagos State Environmental Management and Protection Law of 2017.”

Wahab also stated, “LAWMA intervention trucks will go around to cart away bagged wastes generated during the exercise,” noting that “there will be rewards for the cleanest Local Government Area, Local Council Development Area, and the cleanest street as part of efforts to encourage healthy competition and community participation.”

He urged residents to cooperate with the initiative, saying, “We urge all residents to take ownership of this exercise and join hands with the government in building a cleaner, safer and more sustainable Lagos.”

The clarification follows the symbolic flag-off of the exercise along the Mushin–Agege Motor Road corridor on March 14, ahead of its full implementation later this month.

The state government had earlier announced in March that the sanitation exercise would resume nearly a decade after it was suspended in November 2016 following a legal pronouncement restricting movement during the programme.

While some residents have welcomed the move, saying it could curb indiscriminate waste disposal and reduce flooding, others have raised concerns about enforcement, warning that movement restrictions could be abused and calling for sustained public education on proper waste management.

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Court remands suspected coup plotters in DSS custody

Published

6 hours ago

April 22, 2026

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The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday ordered the remand of six defendants in the custody of the Department of State Services after they were arraigned on a 13-count charge bordering on alleged terrorism.

At the sitting, which commenced at about 1:46pm, the Attorney-General of the Federation, Lateef Fagbemi (SAN), informed the court that the charge was ready and sought leave to have it read to the defendants.

Proceedings were briefly stalled after the third defendant informed the court that his counsel was indisposed, while counsel to the sixth defendant said his client understood only Arabic and Hausa, prompting the court to stand down the matter to secure an interpreter.

When the court reconvened at about 2:18 pm, all six defendants took their pleas and denied the allegations, pleading not guilty to the 13 counts.

Following the arraignment, the prosecution applied for their remand in DSS custody and urged the court to grant an accelerated hearing of the case, a request that was not opposed by most defence counsel, although the first defendant’s lawyer indicated an intention to file a bail application.

Ruling, the trial judge ordered an accelerated hearing, directed that the defendants be remanded in DSS custody with access to their lawyers, and adjourned the matter till April 27, 2026, for commencement of trial.