One of the sewer workers with the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) has been trapped in an underground drainage at the Onipanu area of the state.

On Monday, Olufemi Oke-Osanyintolu, Lagos Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA) permanent secretary, said the adult male sewer worker was caught between the tunnel while dislodging and evacuating waste from the underground drainage.

He said the agency received a distress call to which LASEMA officers at the Onipanu base quickly responded to, adding that officers of the Lagos Fire and Rescue Service, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), and LAMATA, were also deployed to the scene.

Oke-Osanyintolu said the agency provided sophisticated equipment to save the worker’s life, adding that the inflow of water was also diverted to reduce the underground water volume.

“Following an SOS message on the distress situation of a Drainage Worker, LASEMA activated the State’s Emergency Response Plans from its Onipanu Base,” he said.

“Upon the arrival of the emergency responders at the incident scene, investigations revealed that an adult male de-silting drainages along that axis in an attempt to clear a blocked portion accessed the underground tunnel and got trapped.

“Further investigation at the incident scene revealed that the man was a Drain Ducks worker employed by LAMATA, while trying to dislodge and evacuate debris from the underground drainage, unfortunately, got trapped in between the tunnel.

“In conducting the Search and Rescue Operation, the LASEMA Response Team and all Emergency Responders are working together assiduously to rescue the trapped victim from inside the underground drainage which commenced at 1625hrs.”

Providing update on the incident on Tuesday, Nosa Okunbor, LASEMA head of public affairs unit, said all efforts to rescue the drain duck worker has proved abortive.

“The rescue operation was suspended at 09:36hrs yesterday to resume today since all efforts to rescue him proved abortive. Rescue operations still ongoing,” he said.

The Lagos State Government has announced its plan to remove over 100 shanties housing several people at Adeniji Adele Underbridge from Monday.

The Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on Sunday.

He said the removal comes after the expiration of a 48-hour removal notice served on all occupants of the shanties to move out their belongings.

The commissioner said operatives of the Kick Against Indiscipline (KAI/LAGESC), and officials from the ministry’s Monitoring Enforcement and Compliance (MEC) department will be given security backup to conduct the operation.

Wahab emphasised that the exercise is part of Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu administration’s commitment to reclaim all ungoverned spaces that dot the Lagos landscape.

The Lagos State Government will undertake enforcement action to remove over 100 shanties at Adeniji Adele underbridge from tomorrow, Monday, 6th of May, 2024.

The removal is coming after the expiration of a 48-hour removal notice served on all occupants of the shanties to move… pic.twitter.com/rKCH0Qflhc

— Tokunbo Wahab (@tokunbo_wahab) May 5, 2024

He stressed that unsightly shanties located in the heart of Lagos Island, represent a distorted image of what a smart city like Lagos should be.

The commissioner also said apart from the unsanitary conditions of residents in the shanties, they also serve as hiding places for criminals, and points for peddling hard drugs and substances which is injurious to the well-being of law-abiding residents.

He advised all the occupants of the shanties in their interest to voluntarily move out with their belongings before the commencement of the enforcement operations on Monday.

Similar enforcement operations to reclaim uncovered spaces have already taken place at Ijora, Apongbon, Obalende, and Dolphin.

Meanwhile, the commissioner said property owners whose structures hindered the flow of drainage in Mende in the Maryland area of the state were served “requisite notices” before their buildings were removed from the System 1 Drainage Right of Way.

Residents of the area had faulted the government for not giving them proper notice. But the commissioner has disputed that claim.

Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, he said the structures were removed to “avoid the flooding of the whole of the Mainland”.

“They claimed they were not served notices, they were served. They had come for meetings severally. The residents’ association had met with the Permanent Secretary, Engr Mahmood Adekunle Adegbite severally in my office. So, on what basis were they having meetings if they were not served?” Wahab queried.

“The first notices were served on them in 2021. Each of the property owners on Systems 1 were duly written that they should remove their encumbrances because they were sitting on Systems 1. That led to engagements with my predecessor in office, Mr Tunji Bello.”

The Nigerian Air Force (NAF) says many terrorists were killed during airstrikes conducted in Allawa village, Shiroro LGA of Niger state.

In a statement on Sunday, Edward Gabkwet, NAF spokesperson, said the airstrikes were conducted by the air component of Operation Whirl Punch on May 3.

Gabkwet said the terrorists attacked a primary school in Allawa while another group of insurgents also invaded Galapai village in Shiroro LGA on May 1.

“Similar airstrikes were conducted same day, 3 May 2024, when the air component of Operation Whirl Punch conducted pre-emptive air strikes over terrorists hibernating in Allawa village, near Shiroro in Niger state,” the statement reads.

“The mission was conducted following credible intelligence, which had revealed the migration of terrorists into the village after the mass exit of locals for fear of their safety.

“These terrorists had, on 1 May 2024, stormed the deserted Allawa community in Shiroro Local Government Area (LGA) and torched the Central Primary School.

“In the evening of the same day, another group of terrorists also arrived at the location, wielding AK-47/49 rifles after invading Galapai village in Galadima Kogo district of the same LGA.

“Accordingly, to prevent further occupation as well as pursue the terrorists from the location, the air component scrambled a formation of its platforms to attack the location.

“On arrival at the location, several terrorists were sighted and engaged effectively.”

He said the troops raided Allawa forest and destroyed a cache of arms hidden in the location by the terrorists following credible intelligence.

He added the troops in another operation, conducted an air strike at Chinene in Mandara mountain and killed several terrorists.

Mandara mountain is located along the northern part of the Nigeria-Cameroon border from River Benue.

“Within the same location, 7-gun trucks were also observed parked under trees. Accordingly, air interdiction was authorised and conducted over the assembly area and tree coverings to decimate the terrorists and destroy their weapons and mobility,” Gabkwet said.

“After the strike, battle damage assessment footages as feedback received later revealed that the strikes were successful as several terrorists were neutralised and logistics destroyed.”