Headlines

The Lagos State Government (LASG) has announced that Eko Bridge will be shut down to make room for emergency repairs by the Federal Ministry of Works.

Oluwaseun Osiyemi, Lagos State’s Commissioner for Transportation stated that the repairs on the bridge will take place in four different phases.

According to Osiyemi, the repairs on the bridge will begin on Monday, September 16, and will last for eight weeks.

The LASG said the bridge will be reopened in the second week of November.

Osiyemi said that during this period, depending on the work schedule, the bridge will be intermittently, fully or partially closed.

He also urged motorists and commuters to use alternative routes for the movement across the state.

The Alternative routes provided ahead of the Eko Bridge repairs are as follows:

Island from Funsho Williams Avenue: Service lane at Alaka to connect Costain and access Eko Bridge.

Island: Access Costain to connect Eko Bridge and link Apongbon

Apongbon inwards Eko Bridge: Link Costain to access Funsho Williams Avenue

For Costain inwards Alaka/Funsho Williams Avenue: Pass through Apapa Road from Costain and link Oyingbo to access Adekunle then link to the Third Mainland Bridge

Surulere: Use Costain to link Breweries inwards the Abebe Village to connect Eric Moore/Bode Thomas

Niger Delta communities are seeking 505 billion naira ($310 million) in damages from Shell, alleging that the oil giant breached a court order by proceeding with the sale of its onshore assets in the Niger Delta.

The legal challenge, filed on Friday, accuses Shell of violating a December 2023 court ruling that barred any asset sales until a compensation lawsuit was resolved.

Shell, which has agreed to exit Nigeria’s onshore oil and gas sector, announced in January that it would sell its business to a consortium of five largely local companies for $2.4 billion.

The move is part of Shell’s broader strategy to divest from its onshore operations in Nigeria.

However, over 1,200 representatives from the Ilaje communities in the Niger Delta have petitioned the Federal High Court in Abuja to halt the transaction.

They argued that Shell’s actions contravened the court’s directive, which suspended the sale pending the outcome of the compensation case.

The communities are suing Shell over alleged environmental damage caused by oil spills, which they claim have devastated waterways and farmland.

Shell has consistently maintained that oil spills in the region are primarily due to theft and vandalism rather than operational failures.

Despite the claims, the communities argue that Shell’s decision to press ahead with the asset sale is a direct affront to the court’s orders and an attempt to evade accountability.

In their court filings, the community representatives assert that Shell should face penalties for disregarding the court’s preservative orders.

They contended that the ongoing suffering of their members is a direct result of Shell’s failure to comply with judicial directives.

The Kogi State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has suspended former Senator Dino Melaye. The suspension was carried out by the PDP ward executives in Ayetoro Gbede, Ward 1.

Melaye’s suspension was due to his failure to honor an invitation by the party, as well as allegations of anti-party activities and misconduct. The Ward executives took the decision during a meeting on Friday to review the report of the disciplinary committee set up to investigate Melaye’s actions.

The meeting was held in Aiyetoro/Luagba Ward 1, and the resolution was signed by Ward Chairman Abayomi Osamika and Ward Secretary Yodson Dayo. The resolution stated that Melaye’s conduct had brought embarrassment and disrepute to the party, making his continued membership untenable.

The resolution reads: “Senator Dino Melaye’s conduct has brought embarrassment and disrepute to the party and his continued membership is no longer tenable. Therefore, the Ward party exco hereby suspends Dino Melaye from the Peoples Democratic Party, effective immediately.”

The suspension is in line with the provisions of Article 59 (1) of the PDP constitution, which empowers Ward party executives to take disciplinary actions against erring members.

A former executive assistant who killed and dismembered his Nigerian tech CEO boss in New York City after stealing hundreds of thousands of dollars from him has been sentenced for the murder, authorities said.

The Manhattan District Attorney’s Office said in a press release on Tuesday, Sept. 10, that Tyrese Haspil, 25, was sentenced to 40 years to life in state prison for the 2020 murder of 33-year-old Fahim Saleh.

Today, Tyrese Haspil is facing accountability for brutally murdering and decapitating Fahim Saleh, a kind, generous, and empathetic person who positively impacted the world,” District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg Jr. said.

He added, “Even after the defendant stole from him to fund a lavish lifestyle, Mr. Saleh still gave him a second chance. While today’s sentence won’t bring Mr. Saleh back, I hope it provides his family a sense of closure as they continue to mourn his painful loss.”

Haspil’s sentencing comes a little over two months after he was found guilty by a New York State Supreme Court jury of first-degree murder and second-degree grand larceny among other charges in connection with the case.

On July 13, 2020, prosecutors said Haspil was seen on surveillance video entering Saleh’s apartment building in Lower Manhattan and following him into the elevator, which opened up into Saleh’s apartment. As Saleh got out of the elevator, Haspil tased him in the back and then stabbed him with a knife multiple times in the neck and torso, killing him.

The next day, Hapsil returned to the apartment, where he “dismembered and decapitated Mr. Saleh’s body using the saw and placed the body parts in pre-ordered construction bags,” according to the release.

The grim discovery was made by Saleh’s cousin, who came to check on him since she had not heard from him in 24 hours, prosecutors said. She subsequently called the police.

Haspil, who prosecutors said left the apartment looking for a saw battery charger and did not return after spotting a police presence in the building, was arrested four days later at an Airbnb he had reserved to celebrate his girlfriend’s birthday.

According to prosecutors, Haspil’s web history in the days after the murder showed searches for “dismembered body,” “Fahim Saleh,” and “murder of Tech CEO in New York.”

Prosecutors have said Haspil’s motive for killing Saleh was financial. Saleh, who was the founder and CEO of Gokada, a transportation company headquartered in Nigeria, learned that Haspil had stolen thousands of dollars from his financial accounts, which Haspil had access to since he began working as Saleh’s executive assistant in May 2018.

According to the district attorney’s office, Haspil set up a Paypal account and a corporate bank account to funnel Saleh’s money. He created bogus statements and used a name that resembled other financial transactions so Saleh would not become aware of the theft, prosecutors said.

“Haspil resigned in May 2019, knowing Mr. Saleh would learn about the embezzlement, yet continued to steal money [and] increasing the amounts,” prosecutors said. According to the district attorney’s office, Haspil paid Saleh back with stolen money through the PayPal scheme, but the theft continued, escalating to about $400,000.

In an attempt to hide the theft and prevent Saleh from potentially testifying against him in court, prosecutors said Haspil had plotted to kill Saleh on at least three occasions before carrying out the murder in July 2020.

Following his death, Saleh’s company released a statement, calling his passion for Nigeria and its young people “immeasurable.”

“He believed young Nigerians are extremely bright and talented individuals who would flourish if just given the right opportunity,” the statement read. “Fahim also believed that technology can transform lives and improve safety and efficiency. He built Gokada to act upon these beliefs.”