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Two Die In Stampede Over Tinubu’s Ramadan Gifts

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Two elderly women died on Saturday in a violent struggle for Ramadan gifts distributed on behalf of a former Lagos State Governor, Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, at Onikan Stadium in the state.

Sunday Punch learnt that a middle-aged man fainted in the commotion, while several others were injured during the distribution by the Iyaloja General of Nigeria and Tinubu’s daughter, Mrs. Folashade Tinubu-Ojo.

The Lagos State Police Command, however, said no deaths were recorded from the stampede.

Each gift pack was said to have included a package of rice, salt, noodles and sugar, as well as a sum of N1,500 contained in an envelope, which were given to each person.

It was learnt that the injured were rushed to the Marina General Hospital, while corpses of the deceased women, who were said to be in their sixties, were deposited at the hospital’s morgue.

An eyewitness, Musbau Adeyanju, who spoke with Punch on the telephone on Saturday evening, said a crowd had besieged the stadium around 8am to collect the gifts, with males and females maintaining separate queues.

He said the exercise was smooth until around 11.30am when it was disrupted by some impatient persons.

Adeyanju said, “We started entering the stadium with a pass as early as 8am. The distribution started at 10am and each person was collecting a bag containing rice, semovita, noodles, sugar and salt and a sum of N1,500. It was Iyaloja General that represented Asiwaju.

“Around 11.30am, people became impatient for the fear that the gifts might not get to them. There was a stampede and two persons died in the process. Their bodies were laid under a tent, while an ambulance that would carry them was being awaited. It was when the clothes that were used to cover their faces were removed that I discovered they were elderly women.

“Their bodies were eventually taken to the mortuary by an ambulance of the Lagos State Ambulance Services. Several people were also injured. I left the place after the women died.”

Another eyewitness, who identified himself only as Idris, said some hoodlums cashed in on the stampede to dispossess people of their valuables.

“Initially, the programme was well organised. A gate was opened for males and another for females. Suddenly, some hoodlums at the stadium started snatching phones from people. It was almost my turn when the distribution was disrupted. The age of the women that died should be around 60,” he said.

An emergency official, who spoke to Punch on condition of anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter, confirmed that there were casualties during the rampage.

He was, however, silent on whether there were fatalities among the casualties.

“I cannot say whether the casualties involved loss of lives. But some people were rushed to the hospital,” he stated.

General Manager of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency, Mr. Michael Akindele, denied knowledge of the deaths.

“LASEMA did not get any report of such,” he said.

The Lagos State Police Command’s spokesperson, Dolapo Badmos, said it was only a man who collapsed and was treated on the spot before he was taken to the general hospital for further treatment.

She said, “It was a Ramadan lecture organised by Asiwaju Bola Tinubu but he was not there. He was represented. The place became rowdy during the distribution of gifts and a man collapsed in the process. He was treated inside the ambulance at the stadium and was later taken to the hospital for proper treatment. No death was recorded.”

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Decimated Hezbollah says it is ready for cease-fire talks with Israel

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Hezbollah said Tuesday it is now ready to engage in cease-fire talks with Israel, after suffering serious blows to its leadership and ranks in recent months.

The terror group in Lebanon made the announcement after firing more than 100 rockets at the Jewish state hours earlier.

Hezbollah’s deputy secretary general, Naim Qassem, publicly endorsed a truce with Israel, the first such time the terror group has proposed a cease-fire not conditioned on the war in Gaza.

“We support the political efforts led by [Lebanese Parliament Speaker Nabih] Berri under the banner of achieving a cease-fire,” Qassem said, according to a CNN translation.

“Once the cease-fire is firmly established and diplomacy can reach it, all other details will be discussed and decisions will be made collaboratively,” he added.

Qassem’s announcement came within hours of a massive barrage that sent more than 100 missiles soaring from Lebanon at Israel’s northern city of Haifa, the third-largest metropolis in the Jewish state.

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“Absolutely Clueless And Easily The Worst Manager I Played Under” — Mikel Obi Blasts Sunday Oliseh; Blames Him For Vincent Enyeama’s Early Retirement

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He said’ “I remember the first day he came into the camp. Then we reported to the camp for International duties, then he came straight at me and Vincent Enyeama, the goalkeeper, who also was very powerful back then.”

“He came straight at us and Elderson Echiejile, and he said a few things. He said he heard there was a lot of player power with us.

“Then Enyeama was like, ‘What’s wrong with you? Where are you getting all of these from? We are a nice group, and you just come in, and the first thing is to attack us?

“He was like ‘I heard about you guys.’ And then Enyeama stood up and told him he couldn’t say that because we had been here for so many years. They started arguing, and literally, they were going to have a fight.

“He took Enyeama out of the team, and he came at us saying he was going to take us out of the team. He said he was going to take us out of the team; he said he was going to make sure we didn’t play anymore.”

“Enyeama could not take it, and despite my pleas, he left the camp angrily and never came back.”

“He (Oliseh) had absolutely no clue of how a manager is. He was a fantastic guy in his playing days, but as a coach, he was very terrible. He had no clue what he was doing.

“The players never understood anything he was doing, and he did not know what he was doing. He was just confused because he just came in and destroyed the team’s togetherness.

“His excuse when he got fired was that the people and FA did voodoo on him not to succeed. He was easily the worst manager I played under.

“He was so bitter with everybody, jealous with everybody, and had no respect for speaking to anybody, whether the physio or anybody,” he added.

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“She Took Care Of My Son When I Left To UK To Give Birth To My Twins” — Kindhearted Nigerian Woman Rewards Her Housemaid With Canada Sponsorship

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A Nigerian lady identified as Lioness Eze wrote: “Miracle is her name

She was a maid to me.
She’s here in Canada to do her first degree in IT innovation ( I’m her full sponsor). She’s 20

She took care of my son when I left to UK to put to bed to my twins. My son never for one day felt I wasn’t around him.

Each time my son asks of where the dad is, she’s always there for him to make sure no vacuum at all

When we relocated to Canada, I started pursuing her greener pastures.

I applied for her degree program into same university as mine in Ontario. She got the admission, I started applying for her visa, she was denied first time. But she was granted visa the second time and was given 3 years visa to study in Canada.

She has arrived😁😁 pictures bellow

She even traveled with us to UK for summer 😁

Isn’t her name speaking for her?(Miracle)

NB : she calls me mommy, ( her biological mother is late) she’s my older daughter now, anywhere U see her, tap her back and tell her she’s really a miracle to her generation

GRACE GOD has given me which is unique from others is, you can’t be around me and remain same. If you are around me and your life never changes, it means you need to change ur attitude.”

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