A night fire that broke out at the Mayegun Cement Store Market in Araromi, Agodi-Gate, Ibadan, on Thursday, April 10, 2025, destroyed no fewer than 12 shops and goods worth millions of naira.

According to eyewitnesses, the fire started around 10:55 pm at Block A, No. 64 of the market and raged for more than three hours before firefighters managed to put it out.

Traders and residents in the area described the incident as devastating, noting that the intensity of the fire made rescue efforts difficult at the early stage.

READ MORE: Tear Gas Fired As Police Disrupt Peaceful Protest In Abuja

Investigations point to an electrical surge near combustible materials as the likely cause of the fire.

The General Manager of the Oyo State Fire Service, Mr. Yemi Akinyinka, confirmed the incident in a statement on Friday.

He revealed that the agency received the emergency call shortly after the fire began.

“The agency’s control room received the distressed call at exactly 23:02 hrs on Thursday, April 10, 2025, through telephoning and Mr Young to report a shop fire at the above address,” Akinyinka said.

He explained that fire service personnel, led by CFS Jimoh, were swiftly deployed to the scene.

“On arrival, we met some lockup shops well alight, and we swiftly swung into action and restricted the fire from spreading to other nearby shops,” he said.

While 12 shops were completely affected, the fire service reported that they were able to save property valued in billions of naira. The firefighting operation ended at about 3:18 am on Friday.

The fire service has urged traders to observe safety precautions, especially when dealing with electrical installations and flammable materials.

A suit challenging President Bola Tinubu’s controversial appointment of a Sole Administrator for Rivers State suffered a setback on Thursday as the President and the Attorney-General of the Federation, Prince Lateef Fagbemi, SAN, failed to appear or send legal representation before the Federal High Court sitting in Abuja.

The matter, brought before Justice James Omotosho, was instituted by Abuja-based legal practitioner, Mr. Johnmary Jideobi, who is urging the court to declare the appointment of Vice Admiral Ibok-Ete Ekwe Ibas (Rtd) as unconstitutional and to nullify the suspension of the state’s elected Governor and Deputy Governor.

READ MORE: BREAKING: HURIWA Urges Supreme Court To Dispense Justice Quick On Rivers Emergency Rule

Although the Attorneys-General of Lagos, Bayelsa, Taraba, and Edo states were present and announced their appearances, the absence of legal representation for both the President (1st Defendant) and the AGF (2nd Defendant) drew attention during the proceedings.

Plaintiff’s counsel, Mr. Chimezie Enuka, confirmed to the court that all parties—except the Attorneys-General of Zamfara and Bauchi states—had been properly served with the originating processes and hearing notice.

Following a consensus among the present legal teams, Justice Omotosho adjourned the matter to June 11, 2025, and ordered that fresh hearing notices be issued to all defendants.

The suit, filed under number FHC/ABJ/CS/572/2025, has Tinubu, the AGF, and the 36 state Attorneys-General listed as defendants. Jideobi is asking the court to set aside all decisions and actions taken by Ibas in the name of a Sole Administrator, arguing they lack any constitutional basis.

In his affidavit in support of the suit, the plaintiff asserted that President Tinubu does not possess the constitutional powers to suspend elected state officials or to appoint unelected figures to govern in their place.

“As a Nigerian lawyer and all through my years of practice, I have never seen the word ‘Sole Administrator’ in the amended 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” Jideobi stated.

“I know that neither the 1st Defendant nor the 2nd Defendant appointed the Governor and Deputy-Governor of Rivers State of Nigeria and that no Governor or Deputy Governor in Nigeria is an appointee of the 1st and 2nd Defendants,” he added.

The plaintiff contends that the only constitutionally recognized grounds for removing or interrupting the tenure of elected Governors and their deputies are outlined in Sections 180, 188, 189, 305, and 306 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.

He is therefore seeking a declaration from the court that the President has “NO constitutional authority to either remove, suspend or otherwise tamper with the tenure of a duly elected Governor and Deputy Governor of a State and appoint a sole Administrator [or any other substitute howsoever called or described].”

Jideobi warned that unless the court intervenes, “removal of duly elected Governors and Deputy-Governors may become the pastime of the President, thereby opening the floodgate of anarchy capable of consuming this nation.”

He added: “I have instituted this suit in the public interest, in the defence of the Rule of Law and accentuation of the supremacy of the Constitution… It will be in the interest of justice for this Honourable Court to grant the prayers contained on the face of this Originating Summons.”

Among the specific reliefs sought are an order setting aside the suspension of the Governor and Deputy Governor of Rivers State, a nullification of Ibas’ appointment, and a directive ordering him to vacate the Government House immediately.

In a dramatic show of solidarity, members of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) staged a picket outside the Federal Ministry of Mines and Steel Development’s headquarters in Abuja.

The protest was sparked by the ministry’s refusal to comply with a court order for the reinstatement of Comrade Victor Ekpaha, who was dismissed from his position more than 20 years ago.

READ ALSO: Tariff Hike Protest: Telecoms Union Backs NLC’s Suspension Of Protest

The workers’ action resulted in the shutdown of the ministry’s operations, as they called for Ekpaha’s immediate reinstatement and the payment of his full salary, allowances, and other benefits for the over two decades that the case has been unresolved.

The NLC has expressed its determination to continue pressuring the ministry until the court ruling is respected and Ekpaha is fully compensated for the years of unpaid entitlements.

The union has also emphasized the broader issue of labor rights and justice, urging the government to address such longstanding grievances.

More to follow………………