NEWS
Bolu Bamidele: It took us 1hour, broke four windows, burglary before we could rescue him – Witness
An eye witness identified as Gabriel Adejare who was among the rescue team of Late Bolu Bamidele nicknamed Teebam has said it took them hours before they could save him from the burning house.
Recall, Biztellers had reported that a housewife identified as Ife Akanji who is on the run had set her husband ablaze for alleged extra-marital affair.
Our correspondent during a visit to the burnt house spoke with an eye witness who revealed that it took them much strength to quench the fire while all effort to reach fire fighters proved abortive.
According to the witness the incident occurred on Sunday 17th of July around 7:30 pm at Coker area of Osogbo, Osun State.
He explained that they spent hours breaking the house burglary after Bolu was perceived in the master’s bedroom, unconscious, as the wife locked every doors leading to the house.
After he was brought out, he was taken to the Osogbo central hospital but was denied access due to the magnitude of burns sustained.
He was later taken to Lautech where he referred to University Teaching Hospital (UCH) in ibadan.
He further said that Ife was seen at the junction in their area bare footed while putting only underwear.
He noted that people were oblivious of the incident as at the time she was seen.
Gabriel said she ignored everyone trying to speak with her.
In his words: “It happened that my wife and I were coming from town when we saw victim’s wife Ife at the junction but we don’t know what happened to her.
“On getting to the side of their house we noticed fire was coming from the house and we perceived that the fire isn’t like papper burning or burning of little little substances around the environment.
“So when we look inside, we saw that there is fire coming out from the sitting room side.
“Knowing that the house is always empty most times, I went in to check what is happening and on getting there I realized the house is truly on fire.
“Again I saw the younger sister of Teebam’s wife crying outside that her sister’s husband is inside the burning house.
“So with some men around we tried to make a rescue, we started to fetch water and sand to quench the fire but unfortunately we couldn’t locate the exact room the man (victim) was.
“It was after 30-40 minutes of quenching the fire that we noticed the man was still inside, so we broke like four windows, removed the burglary to make sure we save the man.
“We tried that for like 30 minutes before we could successfully broke the window and went through it to bring his out.
“We tried giving him first aid but unfortunately what we saw was much more than our power, so we called ambulance or fire fighter but none respond to us before we took him in our car to the hospital.
READ ALSO: Wife flees after burning husband over infidelity
“Through the fire, the house was completely burnt down and till now the wife who set the house on fire is nowhere to be found. Nobody has set their eyes on her since Sunday”
When asked how she was dressed when she was seen at Shasha junction, Gabriel said “Her dressing was suspicious, she was only wearing a short tight and bra without shoes, phone, bag, wig or anything, that was suspicious on it own.
Also she didn’t reply anybody asking her what the problem was, she was just focused on where she’s was going.
“Hopefully, the victim was rushed to down to Osogbo central but he was denied access because it is an emergency and it beyond their own measure. So he was transferred to Lautech and was there till Monday morning before he was transferred again to UCH in ibadan where he gave up the ghost.”
Bamidele passed away at UCH around 4 o’clock on Tuesday, according to Yemisi Opalola, public relations officer for the Osun State Police Command, who confirmed the occurrence on Wednesday. She noted that efforts to apprehend the evading wife were in high gear.
“At about 2330hrs of 17/7/22, one Bolu Bamidele of Koka Ibokun was set ablaze by his wife, Ifeoluwa Bamidele of same address. The victim was rushed to Osogbo Central Hospital. He was later referred to UCH, Ibadan for better treatment. The victim eventually died at the UCH around 4pm yesterday (Tuesday) 19/7/2022.
“Efforts are on top gear to arrest the fleeing wife,” Opalola said.
NEWS
N1.7trn Loan: Atiku Blames NASS For Worsening Nigeria’s Debt Burden
Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticized the federal government’s plan to secure an additional N1.7 trillion loan through Eurobonds to cover a shortfall in the 2024 budget, describing the borrowing as unsustainable and harmful to Nigeria’s economy.
In a statement shared on Thursday via his X (formerly Twitter) handle, Atiku accused the Bola Tinubu-led administration of burdening Nigerians with debt while failing to provide clear answers about the country’s fiscal challenges.
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He also faulted the National Assembly for enabling what he called a “voracious appetite” for loans.
The former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate expressed alarm over a recent World Bank report ranking Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), calling the development troubling.
“The recent report released by the World Bank, showing Nigeria as the third most indebted country to the International Development Association (IDA), is very concerning,” Atiku stated.
He raised further concerns about the government’s decision to benchmark the proposed loan at an exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, despite the Central Bank of Nigeria’s official rate being over N1,600.
“What makes this particular loan proposal even more concerning is that it is benchmarked at the exchange rate of 1 USD to N800, whereas the current exchange rate from the Central Bank of Nigeria stands at over N1,600 to 1 USD,” he said.
Atiku questioned the need for additional borrowing, given the government’s earlier claims of record-high revenue collection.
“In July this year, Tinubu boasted that the FIRS and Customs under his watch had collected all-time high revenues to finance the budget. Why are they still borrowing?” he said
He accused the government of a lack of transparency, describing the borrowing spree as detrimental to Nigerians already struggling under economic hardship.
“There is something that they are not telling Nigerians, even as they are being crushed by a combination of their failed trial-and-error policies and loan rackets.”
Atiku also referenced a report by BudgIT, a budget monitoring group, which criticized the 2024 budget for its inefficiencies.
He alleged that corruption, rather than infrastructure or development needs, was driving the government’s borrowing decisions.
“These loans are powered by corruption and not for infrastructure and development needs. This voracious appetite for humongous loans is deeply concerning,” he said.
Reflecting on Nigeria’s financial history, Atiku lamented the return to significant foreign indebtedness just years after former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration cleared the country’s debt.
“It is agonizing to see that just a few years after the Obasanjo administration took us out of foreign indebtedness, we are today back at the top spot in the same conundrum,” he stated.
He called for a more cautious approach to borrowing, urging the government to prioritize fiscal responsibility and transparency to avoid worsening Nigeria’s economic challenges.
International News
ICC Issues Arrest Warrants For Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu, Others
The International Criminal Court (ICC) has taken a historic step, issuing arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant.
The charges include crimes against humanity and war crimes allegedly committed during Israel’s recent assault on Gaza.
In a detailed statement, the ICC accused the Israeli leaders of “intentionally and knowingly depriving the civilian population in Gaza of objects indispensable to their survival, including food, water, and medicine and medical supplies, as well as fuel and electricity.”
READ MORE: Osun Govt Decries Attempted Murder Of Park Mgt Chairman By Police
The ICC’s move marks a significant escalation in international scrutiny of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Netanyahu and Gallant are alleged to have orchestrated policies that caused severe harm to the civilian population in Gaza, leading to widespread condemnation from human rights organizations.
Alongside the charges against Israeli officials, the ICC also issued an arrest warrant for Hamas military commander Mohammed Deif. Deif has long been a central figure in Hamas’s military operations. Israel’s military claims to have killed him in a July airstrike, although this has not been independently verified.
The warrants highlight growing calls for accountability amid the ongoing conflict in the region. The ICC’s actions are likely to provoke heated debate and may complicate diplomatic efforts aimed at resolving the crisis.
With the warrants issued, global attention now turns to how the international community will respond and whether any practical steps will be taken to enforce them.
NEWS
Edo State Governor Sets Up Committee To Recover Missing Gov’t Vehicles
Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has inaugurated a 12-member committee tasked with recovering government vehicles reportedly in private hands.
The committee, led by Kelly Okungbowa, has been given a two-week mandate to retrieve the vehicles and ensure their return to the state government.
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Speaking during the inauguration ceremony in Benin City, Governor Okpebholo emphasized the importance of accountability in the management of public resources.
He urged the committee to carry out its assignment thoroughly and within the bounds of the law.
In his response, Okungbowa expressed gratitude to the governor for entrusting the team with the assignment, vowing to deliver results within the stipulated timeframe.
“A lot of vehicles used by the past administration are missing, as those in custody of the vehicles have refused to return them,” Okungbowa said.
“The governor deemed it fit to inaugurate us today with a mandate to recover all government vehicles in private hands.”
The committee, which includes representatives from Edo’s three senatorial districts, is set to investigate and recover the vehicles based on credible intelligence already at their disposal.
“We already have vital information regarding some persons still holding government vehicles,” Okungbowa stated. “We will do the job according to the law, and both the government and the people will be satisfied with the outcome.”
He also called on members of the public to assist the committee by providing information about any government vehicles that may still be in private possession.
“We want to appeal to members of the public who might be aware of anyone still keeping government vehicles in their houses to please inform us to enable the committee to recover such for the Edo State Government,” Okungbowa said.
The committee’s vice chairman, Rt. Hon. Victor Edoror, a former Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, will work alongside other members to ensure the success of the initiative. The public can reach the committee at 08110165121.