The Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, has offered to help victims of the no fewer than 50 houses destroyed by the rainstorm in some communities on Wednesday evening, leaving many residents homeless.

The communities affected by the rainstorm which damaged residential buildings, shops, and educational institutions are Ipoti, Ejiyan, Owatedo and Odo Owa Ekiti, in the Ijero Local Government Area.

Oyebanji, who visited the affected communities for an on-the-spot assessment on Thursday, sympathised with the victims and promised to initiate a process that would lend a helping hand for them to repair their damaged buildings in record time.

Oyebanji, represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, during the visit, charged landlords “to always take precautions by repairing damaged roofs and changing weak planks that can predispose their residences to unwarranted wreckage.

“Regular maintenance of old buildings remains the best option to avert annual rainstorms being experienced in some towns, thereby rendering many homeless and scores being sapped economically.

“I am saddened seeing people being homeless as a result of rainstorms. Moving around the town, you could see that the disaster was too much.

“We are promising you, on behalf of the government, that the officers of the State Emergency Management Agency will visit here and do the enumeration of the buildings and value the damage. We are going to help you. God shall heal your wounds.”

He thanked God that there was no loss of lives, noting that “that is our joy in this matter. The ruins are much, but we need rains to make our lives and farming flourish. But we have to do what is necessary to prevent damage to our buildings.”

As part of the ways to mitigate such occurrences, Oyebanji encouraged residents to embrace tree planting around residential areas to serve as windbreakers during stormy rainfall.

He also urged the traditional rulers to propagate tree-planting practices among the people at the grassroots.

The Olupoti of Ipoti Ekiti, Oba Oladipupo Kolade and Oloja-Owa of Owatedo, Oba Adebayo Adewole, described the calamity as heartrending, saying people needed to manage their buildings to resolve such a crisis.

The Olupoti said: “I nearly cried while going round to assess the level of damage. Mostly affected are the women and children, which makes the matter so worrisome.

“I want to appreciate the governor for being proactive in attending to this emergency in record time. The governor has again demonstrated that he is after the welfare of Ekiti people. So, we are expecting the government’s help within a short time to give relief to the victims.”

The Lagos State Government has announced plans to remove all structures built under power lines and high-tension electric cables across the state to ensure public safety.

In a statement, on Monday, the Director of Public Affairs at the Lagos State Building Control Agency, Adu Ademuyiwa, emphasised that the initiative aimed to safeguard lives and property.

The agency disclosed that it had issued a seven-day ultimatum for property owners to remove any structure within restricted power line corridors, warning that non-compliance would result in demolition.

The statement partly read, “As part of proactive measures to protect lives and property, the Lagos State Government, through LASBCA, has directed the removal of all illegal structures erected under high-tension and power lines.

“Property owners have until January 31, 2025, to comply, after which enforcement actions will commence.”

The LASBCA’s General Manager, Gbolahan Oki, reiterated that the directive aligned with the Lagos State Urban and Regional Planning and Development Law, which prohibits construction within restricted zones such as power line corridors.

Oki further cautioned that failure to adhere to the directive would lead to enforcement actions, including demolition and possible legal sanctions.

“Removing illegal structures is a crucial step in preventing tragedies caused by electrical hazards,” Oki stated.

“High-tension power lines transmit electricity at extremely high voltages, and any structure within their clearance zone poses serious risks, including electrocution, power surges, fires, and infrastructural damage due to safety violations,” he added.

Beyond safety concerns, Oki maintained that unauthorised constructions under power lines negatively impact urban planning and environmental sustainability, emphasising the state government’s commitment to protecting lives and properties.

“Enforcing this directive is part of a broader vision to create a safer and more resilient Lagos,” he added.

Oki urged property owners, developers, and residents to comply with building regulations by voluntarily removing structures violating safety standards.

The TheNigerian reported that LASBCA also demolished a five-story building at 7 Breadfruit Street, Lagos Island, in 2023.

According to Oki, the demolition was part of the agency’s ongoing efforts to curb illegal construction and prevent building collapses in the state.

An eight-month-old baby is feared dead following a fire that gutted two self-contained buildings on Rumuowolu Street in Eneke, Obio/Akpor Local Government Area of Rivers State.

Though the actual cause of the fire which occurred on Monday is still unknown, two of the seven units of the self-contained apartments were affected as no item was salvaged.

TheNigerian Metro gathered that the mother of the baby, who had raced to the burning house to rescue her two children, sustained injuries in the process.

While the other, a two-year-old baby survived but with severe injuries, the eight-month-old did not make it, as the woman fainted when she came out.

TheNigerian Metro reports that the Rivers State Emergency Medical Service later arrived at the scene and took the two kids to the Rivers State University Teaching Hospital.

A neighbour identified as Charity who witnessed the incident told newsmen that there was no electricity when the fire broke out.

Charity said, “We don’t know how the fire came up. The mother was not around. She went to buy something when this happened.

“Suddenly, we heard somebody start shouting, ‘Fire, fire.’ They are two (kids), the first one escaped and came out dragging the gate.

“In the process, the flame of the fire burnt the boy and they rushed him to the hospital and their mother was also affected by the fire.”

She said while the boy was still struggling with the gate, the woman forcefully opened it but was herself burnt in an attempt to rescue her child, saying, “So that was how the fire burnt the boy.”

While noting that nothing was removed from the house, she called on the Rivers State Government to come to their aid.

According to her, “There was nothing left for them. Everything, even, the boy didn’t survive it. But we pray that God should heal the other.

“We are calling on the Rivers State Government to come and assist them because they are left with nothing, no clothes, nothing at all.

“We don’t know where they will start from. They should assist them.”

TheNigerian Metro however reports that neighbours were able to put out the fire and prevent it from spreading to other buildings.

When contacted, the spokesperson for the state police command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said she had yet to receive a report of the incident but promised to find out from the Divisional Police Officer in the area and revert.

She had yet to do so as of the time of filing this report on Monday evening.

A fire outbreak has caused significant damage to the Okokomaiko police station and surrounding buildings in Lagos, according to the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency.

Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, permanent secretary of LASEMA, said in a statement that a diesel tanker caught fire near the police station.

Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, LASEMA’s permanent secretary, reported that the fire originated from a diesel tanker carrying 10,000 litres of fuel. He said the tanker caught fire while supplying diesel to a network mast near the police station.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the fire quickly spread to nearby structures, engulfing offices in the police station, three bungalows, and parts of a nearby hotel.

The statement said, “Following distress calls received via the 767/112 Toll-Free Emergency Lines at 12:38 hrs, the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, LASEMA, activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans and its Emergency Response Team from the Igando Base,” the statement reads.

“Upon arrival at the incident scene, a loaded diesel tanker (registration number unknown) was found to have caught fire at the aforementioned location.

“Further investigation revealed that the diesel tanker, laden with 10,000 litres of diesel, was supplying a network mast at the aforesaid location when it caught fire while discharging its contents.

“However, the fire reportedly spread to adjoining buildings, one of which is Okokomaiko police station, due to negligence. No loss of lives nor injuries were sustained as a result of the fire incident.

“Three bungalows were completely burnt down when the fire reignited, with household properties worth hundreds of thousands of naira were affected. One lock-up shop and four containerised shops were also burnt down.

“A generator house of an unknown hotel and their kitchen was also affected. Cables of the PHCN transformer nearby were also affected.”

Oke-Osanyintolu said emergency response teams, including LASEMA, LASTMA, the fire service, the Nigerian Army, and the police, worked together to contain the incident.

Click the link below to watch the video below:

https://x.com/MobilePunch/status/1874205751184424979?s=19