The Public Relations Officer of the Lagos State Police Command, Benjamin Hundeyin, has refuted the viral video claiming that a police officer shot a man in the Ketu area of the state on Monday.

The Police spokesman disclosed this while reacting to report, via his Twitter handle, that one of the officers of the Command shot a man simply identified as Yusuf in the Ketu area.

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Meanwhile, the controversy emerged when a video surfaced, showing a man with a bloodied hand being placed in a commercial bus after sustaining an injury after being allegedly shot by a police officer.

However, the officer in question was seen on the ground, with the onlookers claiming that he was assaulted by an angry mob while attempting to flee the scene after allegedly shooting the bloodied man.

Dismissing the claims, the Lagos PPRO said none of the people involved in the video was shot, adding that they were both victims of a road accident.

He said, “It often amazes me how ‘journalists’ will jettison fact-checking and conveniently adopt lock, stock, and barrel the sensational version of events narrated by passersby who themselves did not witness an event from the beginning.

“This was a road accident that occurred when a BRT bus hit a minibus that had been stopped by the police for illegally using the BRT lane.

“The person with the bloodied hand was not shot at all, let alone by the police. The person on the floor is a policeman, but was not beaten to stupor by anyone. They both were victims of the same accident.

“They have been rescued and are currently stable. Beating to stupor takes more than a second. How come there is no video/picture of the beating while it lasted?,” Hundeyin stated.

Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, OFR, has given the go ahead for the state to enter into discussion with a Hungarian company, Ortoprofil, to set up a manufacturing plant in the state.

This was the outcome of a meeting between senior officials of the Abia State Government, led by the Governor and top officials of the Hungarian Government, led by Mr. Gabor Kruss, Deputy Ambassador Embassy of Hungary, Nigeria, at the weekend.

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Ortoprofil is a Hungarian medical Service Provider with its own affiliate manufacturing custom-made, high quality limb prostheses (lower limb and upper limb prosthesis ranging from aesthetics to body-powered applications), electronic and mechanic wheelchairs and orthopedic/therapeutic shoes, insoles for flat-foot and diabetic foot.

The Hungarian delegation, who was received by Governor Otti in Isialangwa, came with various propositions in different sectors they expressed interest to collaborate and partner with the Abia State Government, ranging from Energy, Health, Education, Agriculture, Sports, provision of portable drinking water among others.

After presentations by Ambassador Kruss and Judith Beres, Economic Counselor Embassy of Hungary, Nigeria, the Abia Government team, which included commissioners for Trade, Commerce and Industry, Dr. Chimezie Ukaegbu; Education, Prof Uche Eme-Uche; and Health, Dr. Ngozi Okoronkwo, deliberated on the different options after which decision was made to go with Ortoprofil.

“The first time we met, we talked about cooperation in the area of healthcare development. I know that you spent over a million dollars retrofitting St. Charles Hospital in Anambra. We will be very interested in that kind of cooperation.

“The Ortoprofil manufacturing plant has been approved. The details will be worked out. I will direct the Commissioner for Trade, Commerce and Industry to liaise with the Commissioner for Lands, who is not here right now, so that we can provide the half hectare of land for them anywhere they choose,” Dr. Otti said, while voicing his seal of approval.

He continued, “That would be some form of partnership. We would provide the land without asking for payment for it, that will be our contribution. From what is stated here, they have 1.5 million dollars to invest. I’m actually looking at a company that will produce prosthetics for upper and lower limbs. I believe they can also produce a whole lot of things including shoes or raw materials.

“For us there are two important things, the production that is happening here and creation of jobs for our people. The production increases our GDP and hopefully our Internally Generated Revenue.”

Governor Otti said the government would also be looking at opportunities in the area of education.

According to him, “The area of scholarship is also something we want to take advantage of. We have a lot of our young people with various initiatives, they are inventors and very innovative in thinking even if they didn’t go to proper school. We will encourage them to go to school. They are better inventors when they go to school.”

However, the Governor described the rest of the discussions as bordering on “profit and loss”, adding that the government would have to put them on the table for proper Scrutiny.

The Nigerian Optometric Association (NOA) has condemned the murder of one of its members, Dr.Ogechi Ezeagu.

Ezeagu, a resident of Bwari in Bwari Area Council, Abuja, lost her life during a scuffle with her husband on July 10, 2023, according to the family.

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NOA, in a statement signed by its President, Dr. Anderson Chimeziri, sympathized with her family and the Optometry community in Nigeria.

Chimeziri called on the concerned authorities in the Federal Capital Territory and the Inspector General of Police to intervene.

Chimeziri also urged the National Assembly, the National Human Rights Commission, Law Enforcement Agencies, Ministry of Women Affairs, Civil Society Groups, Non Governmental Organizations and well-meaning Nigerians to join hands in ensuring that perpetrators of crime against vulnerable people as well as their enablers are punished.

“Nigerian Optometric Association will not let this lie low as we shall put measures in place to safeguard our women members.

“We are already collaborating with Women Optometrists in Nigeria(WON) to provide legal services that will protects our female members whether single or married from abuse of any kind.

“The welfare of our members is our utmost priority. NOA has set up a committee on Women Affairs to liaise with existing bodies and interphase with gender based activists to protect our women members from harassment and abuse.

“We are closely monitoring the case of Dr.Ezeagu’s murder and shall respond as the need arises. Enough is Enough,” the statement said.

Leader of the Islamic Movement of Nigeria (IMN), Sheikh Ibraheem El-Zakzaky, has joined Nigerians to ask President Bola Ahmed Tinubu not to go ahead with military action against the Niger junta.

The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) under Tinubu’s leadership had given the junta seven days to reinstate President Mohammed Bazoum or risk sanctions, including military action.

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But while addressing a group of Qur’an reciters during a visit to his Abuja residence at the weekend, El-Zakzaky said the bond between Nigeria and Niger Republic had gone beyond neighborhood, emphasizing that the affinity is that of brotherhood.

He said Nigeria ought to ponder on fraternal relations it has had with both the state and people of Niger.

El-Zakzaky said: “Borno territory was partitioned into four parts, Nigeria, Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Most of the territory was part of Borno. Furthermore, if you look at the territory of the Shehu Usman empire, from Borno up to Sokoto, each city was partitioned into two. If you look at the territory of Hadejia, some part of it was annexed to Niger. A part of Gumel’s territory is part of Niger. If you cross the border of Maigatari, you are still part of Gumel’s territory but were ceded to Niger. A part of Kazaure is also part of Niger.

“This is the same fate that befell Daura. A large part of Daura also became part of Niger. Katsina was also partitioned into two parts: Katsina Maradi and Nigeria’s Katsina. They are all partitioned. Moreover, the Gobir Empire was also partitioned between Niger and Nigeria. The hometown of Shehu Usman Danfodio, Marata, is located in Niger.”

“The cultural ties that Niger and Nigeria share are closer than people imagine. We are twin brothers, sharing the same roots and values. I hope this is clear.”

“They are our brothers, since the hometown of our founding father is located in their country. It is unimaginable that we would one day end up fighting against each other. It is shocking that these ruthless people want to use this country to attack our brothers, just to engage in fratricidal genocide, right?

“I heard that some Nigeriens claimed that Nigeria would attack them. I suggest that you perish the thought. Even if the threat of the invasion appears genuine, May Allah forbid this, we are not the ones attacking you. It was the handiwork of another power behind the scene in collaboration with the president who is going to attack you, but not Nigerians. We are not being consulted, we do not support it, and there is no way we can kill one another. Therefore, it is not Nigeria that is going to attack, it is other foreign powers who want to use Nigeria to do so. They are used to this.

“They once did it after the Islamic Revolution in Iran when they used Saddam Hussein to invade Iran. The war lasted for 8 years whereas the people of Iran and Iraq are one people. The cultural ties they share are so strong that a senior position in Iran is being fielded by an Iraqi. Ayatollah Sahrudi who is the Chief Judge of Iran, hailed from Iraq. He is the highest-ranking judge in Iran. You would see a lot of positions being fielded by Iraqis and nobody raises an eyebrow over the issue simply because they see each other as one.”