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Fire Razes Shops In Oba Lipede Market

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A late-night fire on Saturday razed 10 shops and destroyed goods worth millions of naira at the Oba Lipede Market in Kuto, Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

The blaze, which began around 10:15 pm, was reportedly triggered by a gas-powered generator explosion owned by a market businessman. 

Ogun State Fire Service Director Fatai Adefala confirmed the incident, stating that firefighters were alerted immediately and rushed to the scene.

“There was a fire incident at the market on Saturday night. We were contacted at about 22:15 and we quickly raced down to bring the situation under control. 

“Ten shops were affected and the fire affected some goods inside these shops,” Adefala said.

He explained that the fire started due to a power surge in the gas-powered generator used by a businessman involved in palm kernel shaft extraction. 

“Fortunately, no lives were lost, though one person sustained minor injuries and was taken to a hospital.

“Among the destroyed goods were foodstuffs such as rice and beans, and household items like pots.” 

Basiru and Tolani Moses, a couple who lost two shops in the fire, revealed that N500,000 cash kept for bank deposit and goods worth over N1.5 million were consumed by the flames.

High-ranking officials, including the Commissioner for Special Duties, Funmi Efuwape, and the Director of the State Emergency Management Agency, Wale Sonde, visited the site on Sunday to assess the damage. 

Efuwape noted that the fire was exacerbated by shanties outside the main market building and announced plans for their demolition to prevent future incidents.

“The fire outbreak was just because of these shanties erected outside the main market building,” Efuwape said. 

“Now that they (traders) have seen it for themselves, I am sure when the government comes in and tells them that all these shanties must go, they will definitely agree with us that they have to go. About 10 shops were affected outside and five inside. 

“The five would not have been affected if the ones outside were not there. The fire started from the illegal structures outside and erupted to the main building.”

She confirmed that the main market building would undergo an integrity test to ensure its safety, and plans for market renovation would be implemented.

SEMA Director Wale Sonde mentioned that officials from the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) would visit on Monday to evaluate the damage and determine assistance for the victims.

 He acknowledged the “physical, economic, and psychological damages” caused by the fire.

Market leader Mrs Tejumade Bakre lamented that looting occurred shortly after the fire, but security agents intervened and chased away the miscreants.

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Society

Man Found Dead in Ogun Hotel

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32 year old Lanre Ogungbe has been found dead in a hotel at Soyoye axis of Abeokuta, the Ogun state capital.
He was found lying helpless with empty bottles of alcohol and insecticide in a room, in the hotel on Thursday.
The receptionists at the hotel named Authentic hotel said after noticing that the deceased, who booked for a short time, failed to check out, raised concern.
They later found him lying helplessly on the bed, with empty bottles of alcohol and insecticide besides him.
Spokesperson of the state police command, Omolola Odutola said the manager of the hotel reported the incident to the Lafenwa police station, which deployed detectives to the hotel.
She said the detectives did not find any form of violence on the body, which had been deposited at the morgue of the state hospital, Ijaye, Abeokuta, for post mortem examination.
Odutola also said a thorough investigation of the incident was underway.

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Why I prefer traditional worship to Christianity, Islam — Wole Soyinka

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Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has disclosed why he prefers traditional Orisa worshipping to Christianity and Islam.

He said the deepness of faith in Islam and Christianity doesn’t match that of Orisa worshipping for him, adding that Orisa fascinated him a lot more.

According to him, Orisa worshipping is one of the African religions that eschews violence and is more creative.

“I was fortunate to be born in two worlds – the Christian world and traditional Orisa worshippers. My grandfather, until he – poor man – also got converted – he was an Orisa person and a chief, and his (grandfather’s) side (of Orisa) fascinated me a lot more,” the playwright told CNN’s Larry Madowo, during an interview.

He added, “For me, it (Orisa worshipping) was more artistic, creative, and also more mysterious. I don’t find much of the mysterious in Christianity and even less in Islam and that is for a simple reason that I didn’t grow up in a Muslim environment.

“Orisa is open, and very ecumenical and that is why these foreign religions were able to penetrate it and even distort the truth. Because of the generosity of this spirit (Orisa), it is not violent. It is one of those African religions which eschew violence.

“I don’t believe in the Islamic or Christian God and for the adherents of these religions if that makes me an atheist, so I say, I am an atheist. I insisted that all human beings have a certain spiritual core in their being, I believe myself to be a more spirit-sensitive person.”

The literary icon also revealed that he said he doesn’t like to watch anything adapted from his life or works.

“Let me put it this way, turning anything in my life into what other people can watch pains me. It makes me extremely uncomfortable. It’s wrong to say it’s terrific, let me just say I’m detached from it.

“It takes me a while to bring myself to watch me.”

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Abiodun Felicitates With JAMB Registrar, Oloyede at 70

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Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun state has congratulated the registrar of the Joint Admission Matriculation Board (JAMB), Professor Ishaq Oloyede, on his seventieth birthday.
He described him as a remarkable scholar and distinguished administrator, who had redefined public administration space in Nigeria.
The governor, in a statement by his chief press secretary, Lekan Adeniran commended Professor Oloyede for his immense contribution to the transformation of jamb through transparency and professionalism.
Abiodun also celebrated Oloyede for his exemplary blend of scholarship and religious values.
According to the governor, the dedication of Oloyede also brought integrity and efficiency to jamb.

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