Former Senate Leader, Victor Ndoma Egba, is bereaved.

His wife Amaka died in a fatal accident along Benin-Akure road on Friday.

Egba confirmed her demise to Blueprint in Calabar.

Amaka was reportedly going for a function in Akure, Ondo State.

The Cross River politician has lost three relatives within a few months.

Between June and August, his mother-in-law, his own mother and media aide died.

His residence was attacked in late October by hoodlums after the End SARS protest went awry.

Officers of the disbanded Federal Special Armed Robbery Squad are feared to have disappeared, avoiding the inquiry set up by the Lagos government to probe their activities.

Proceedings were adjourned today when lawyers for the Nigeria Police said they could not find the officers, whose activities are under scrutiny

The lawyer then told the Lagos State Judicial Panel of Inquiry for Restitution for Victims of SARS Related Abuses and Other Matters to step down two cases.

The cases arose from the petitions of Mr Ndukwe Ekekwe vs SARS and Mr Olajide Fowotade vs FSARS.

Ekekwe, a 34-year-old trader petitioned that he became paralysed when he was pushed from a two-storey building by men of the disbanded Special Anti-Robbery Squad (SARS).

The police counsel, Mr Emmanuel Eze who had been cross-examining Ekekwe had asked for an adjournment because the legal team of the police were unable to get in touch with the officers of the disbanded SARS.

Ekekwe provided the photograph and phone number of Haruna Hamza, the SARS officer who was a member of the team that allegedly pushed him from the building.

“We will apply for a very short adjournment. The reasons are because of the disbandment of SARS and other tactical teams, we have difficulty getting in touch with them.

“We are in the process of getting there and the phone number of the that the petitioner provided here did not go through.

“I apply that the panel tries the number, it did not go through, in the overall interest of justice we apply for this adjournment,” Eze said.

In the Fowotade matter, the petitioner in his testimony on Oct. 31, told the panel that a policeman called ‘Ayo’ of the Ketu Police Station had brutalised him during a traffic dispute.

The petitioner said he lost his front teeth due to the police brutality.

During Friday’s proceedings, the police legal team said it was unable to contact the police officer.

“The petitioner did not mention the surname of Ayo, we could not trace the name to Zone 2 where he claimed to have reported the incident. We could not make headway.

“We need to get the case file of Ayo and his contact. We are constrained to ask for an adjournment because we are without the Ayo or the case file,” Eze said.

Reacting, Fowotade who appeared distressed, challenged the submission of the police counsel.

“There was the DPO Mr Akpan that took me to the hospital and there is Madam Dolapo Badmus that took me to Kayode Aderanti, the AIG’s office.

“How come you do not know the Ayo, don’t you know the station, don’t you know the DPO. How come you don’t know Ayo, is it not the Nigeria Police Force?

“Madam Dolapo Badmus knows everything, how come you do not know Ayo, is he a ghost?,” Fowotade said.

Chairman of the panel, Justice Doris Okuwobi (Rtd) said that police were not making enough effort defending the allegations, though three police officers were mentioned by the petitioner.

Eze told the panel that the legal team is encountering challenges tracing the officers.

“Akpan the DPO is retired, Mr Aderanti is retired and he did not mention Ayo’s surname.

“Dolapo Badmus has handled so many matters and it will be difficult to get in touch with the retired officers,” the police counsel said.

Justice Okuwobi noted that it will not augur well for the respondents (police) not to contact the police officers mentioned by the petitioners.

The retired judge said that the panel will no longer entertain adjournments made at the instance of the police.

She adjourned both cases to Dec. 1 for hearing

The Federal Government on Thursday announced the completion of the first phase rehabilitation of the Third Mainland Bridge and a planned 18 hours total closure of the bridge.

The Federal Controller of Works in Lagos, Mr Olukayode Popoola during an inspection of the bridge said that the fixing of six expansion joints on the Oworonshoki bound carriageway had been completed.

He commended road users for their patience.

Popoola said that debris would be cleared from the section and construction would move to the Island-bound carriageway, warranting a total closure of the bridge for 18 hours.

He said that the 18 hours closure would begin from midnight on Saturday through Sunday to move construction materials to the new portion and return to the partial closure before Monday morning.

He said by midnight of Sunday, the total closure would be removed and the partial closure would return, which gives priority for huge traffic in and out of the Island.

“The diversions will still be at the same previous points.

” Work is to commence on the Island-bound lane of the bridge with the partial closure of Adekunle to Adeniji Adele Phase B.

“The repair work is to commence between 22nd of November, 2020 and 22nd of February, 2021 for a duration of three months.

“Consequently, Adekunle to Adeniji-Adele part of the bridge on the Island-bound lane measuring 3.5 Kilometres will be partially closed throughout the period of repair works and there will be a diversion of traffic,” he said.

He listed the traffic diversion timings and routes which had not changed from the existing schedule given by the traffic regulatory agencies when the construction started in July.

Popoola explained that rehabilitation works on the first section dragged for an additional one month beyond October due to the slowdown caused by the EndSARS protests and increased rainfall.

“On behalf of the Honorable Minister of Works and Housing, Mr Babatunde Raji Fashola (SAN), I thank Lagosians and the motoring public for their cooperation during the last four months that the rehabilitation work has started,” he said.

Mr Paulo Prono, the Executive Director, Borini Prono, contractors on the project, promised that the firm would do its best to complete rehabilitation of the second phase of the Third Mainland Bridge ahead of schedule.

Prono said that the steel for the construction was ready and three expansion joints were also ready.

He said they were on the ground for immediate commencement of installation on the Island-bound carriageway.

“We are used to the job and we would do better,” he said.

The FRSC Lagos Sector Commander, represented by Mr Zango Matthew, Deputy Corps Commander Operations, Lagos, appealed for understanding of road users, promising adequate traffic regulations.

“Our men would always be on the ground 24/7 to ensure the free flow of traffic,” he said.

NAN reports that the Third Mainland Bridge is going through repair.

It was partially shut on July 24 for the repair.

The repair was expected to last for six months.

It was divided into two phases of three months on each carriageway, starting with the Oworonsoki-bound carriageway.

The 11.8km bridge is the longest of the three bridges connecting Lagos Island to the mainland.

The bridge starts from Oworonshoki, which is linked to the Apapa-Oshodi Expressway and the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway and ends at the Adeniji Adele Interchange on Lagos Island.

Constructed in 1990, the bridge was adjudged as the longest in Africa until 1996 when the Oct. 6 Bridge in Cairo was completed.