A fire incident occurred at the Jabi Lake Mall, Abuja in the early hours of Thursday.

The cause of the fire, which started around 3am, could not be ascertained as of the time of filing this report.

Our correspondent gathered that only the Adidas Sports shop was affected.

It was further gathered that firefighters from the Federal Fire Service, the Berger Fire Department, and the FCT Fire Service, as well as police officers, were deployed to the scene.

A resident of Jabi, Saliu, who informed our correspondent of the incident, said the fire had been contained.

He said, “Around 3am., this morning, there was a fire incident at the Jabi Lake Mall in Abuja. No loss of life or injury was recorded. Only the Adidas Sports shop was affected by the fire.”

The FCT police spokesperson, Josephine Adeh, confirmed the incident to our correspondent.

Adeh said police officers were deployed to the location to secure the area and prevent looting.

“We received a distress call at about 3:40 a.m. We immediately deployed our men there to secure the place and prevent any breach of public order,” she said.

PUNCH Online earlier reported the fire incident that rocked the Old Karu market in the Federal Capital Territory in Abuja.

The fire, which destroyed goods worth millions of naira, was put to an end by officials of the Federal Capital Territory Fire Service, Federal Fire Service and Julius Berger Fire Service.

The Defence Headquarters (DHQ) has intensified investigations into the alleged coup attempt against President Bola Tinubu’s led government, with the number of detained officers now put at 42.

Sources who spoke anonymously to Daily Trust confirmed the development on Tuesday, noting that the interrogations were aimed at uncovering the extent of involvement and determining if the discussions ever translated into a concrete plan.

“So far, 42 officers have been picked up. They are being interrogated to establish the depth of involvement and whether there was any concrete plan beyond mere discussions,” one of the sources revealed.

Another source added that the figure could rise as the Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA) and military police continue to trace communication links and funding trails connected to the alleged plot

Meanwhile, former Bayelsa State governor and ex-Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, has confirmed that military operatives raided his Abuja residence.

In a statement issued by his media aide, Julius Bokoru, Sylva admitted that the operatives stormed his Abuja and Bayelsa residences on Sunday, during which his younger brother was arrested.

The raid comes amid claims that the managing director of a federal agency in the South-South was also picked up and interrogated over the alleged transfer of funds to Sylva for purported coup financing.

Reacting to the reports, Bokoru dismissed any suggestion of Sylva’s involvement, describing the allegations as politically motivated.

“Chief Timipre Sylva remains a committed democrat and supporter of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. These rumours are the handiwork of political opponents trying to tarnish his image ahead of 2027,” Bokoru stated.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Bola Tinubu of encouraging impunity by favouring individuals with questionable records while sidelining Nigerians who have served the country with integrity.

Naija News reports that PDP made this claim after President Tinubu withdrew the pardon earlier granted to 175 convicts, including drug traffickers, kidnappers and fraudsters, following public outrage that trailed the initial clemency list released on October 11.

The party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, in an interview with Punch on Wednesday, said that the confusion over the list exposes the disorganisation within President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Osadolor stated, “This back and forth over the list of pardoned offenders further amplifies the level of disorganization within the ranks of the presidential aides and the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in general. These policy somersaults, which have continued to affect and turn the lives of ordinary Nigerians upside down, are also evident in the handling of this particular list.

“It is as though, one moment a decision is made in the morning, another is reversed in the afternoon, and by evening, the same decision is reviewed again. This back and forth is unacceptable. A well-thought-out policy process should not be subjected to such public ridicule and confusion as we are witnessing now.

“Again, this situation reflects where the steadfast loyalty of the President and his aides lies. It appears misplaced. While the government should be focusing on identifying and punishing hardened criminals, it seems instead to be protecting or rehabilitating them.

“Meanwhile, millions of soldiers who lost their lives defending Nigeria, and those who fought during the civil war, as well as nationalists and patriots such as environmentalist and humanitarian activists like Ken Saro-Wiwa, remain unrecognized and uncelebrated. Yet, known gunrunners, drug peddlers, murderers, and assassins are being pardoned or having their convictions reduced. The President is pardoning individuals previously convicted of heinous crimes, after initially granting them amnesty. Even with the outcry from well-meaning Nigerians, this would have been a disaster and a slap in the face of justice and national integrity.

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused President Bola Tinubu of encouraging impunity by favouring individuals with questionable records while sidelining Nigerians who have served the country with integrity.

Naija News reports that PDP made this claim after President Tinubu withdrew the pardon earlier granted to 175 convicts, including drug traffickers, kidnappers and fraudsters, following public outrage that trailed the initial clemency list released on October 11.

The party’s Deputy National Youth Leader, Timothy Osadolor, in an interview with Punch on Wednesday, said that the confusion over the list exposes the disorganization within President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Osadolor stated, “This back and forth over the list of pardoned offenders further amplifies the level of disorganization within the ranks of the presidential aides and the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in general. These policy somersaults, which have continued to affect and turn the lives of ordinary Nigerians upside down, are also evident in the handling of this particular list.

“It is as though, one moment a decision is made in the morning, another is reversed in the afternoon, and by evening, the same decision is reviewed again. This back and forth is unacceptable. A well-thought-out policy process should not be subjected to such public ridicule and confusion as we are witnessing now.

“Again, this situation reflects where the steadfast loyalty of the President and his aides lies. It appears misplaced. While the government should be focusing on identifying and punishing hardened criminals, it seems instead to be protecting or rehabilitating them.

“Meanwhile, millions of soldiers who lost their lives defending Nigeria, and those who fought during the civil war, as well as nationalists and patriots such as environmentalist and humanitarian activists like Ken Saro-Wiwa, remain unrecognized and uncelebrated. Yet, known gunrunners, drug peddlers, murderers, and assassins are being pardoned or having their convictions reduced. The President is pardoning individuals previously convicted of heinous crimes, after initially granting them amnesty. Even with the outcry from well-meaning Nigerians, this would have been a disaster and a slap in the face of justice and national integrity.

“These trends and misplaced priorities reflect a troubling regionalization of governance and a disregard for national cohesion. One wonders where the loyalty of the President, his aides, and his government truly lies, is it to serve the Nigerian people or to protect elements working against the nation’s progress?”

The PDP Deputy National Youth Leader urged President Tinubu to resign if he cannot effectively manage the country’s affairs.

He continued, “Some of these individuals, rumoured to be his friends or associates from past affiliations, appear to benefit unduly from government decisions.

“Nigeria is too great a country to be subjected to this kind of endless experimentation with the lives, emotions, and livelihoods of its people.

“Just as the government has wavered in addressing insecurity, food scarcity, and economic instability, its policies have remained inconsistent and ill-conceived. I would advise the President: it is neither a crime nor a shame to step aside. Even if he completes only one term, he will still be respected globally as a former President of Nigeria.

“On this note, I urge President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to search his conscience. If he truly means well for Nigerians, this is the time to step aside honourably. Let him not wait for Nigerians to vote him out of power, because by then, he may not even be in full control of the process.”

(more…)