Tag Archives: Fireworks

Christmas: Police bans use of fireworks in Abuja.

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Ahead of the Christmas and New year celebration, the Police have banned the use of fireworks over security issues in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.

 

The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Muhammad Mustafa said the Police Command has put in place adequate security measures that will see to the seamless celebration of the Christmas and New Year.

 

He called on residents to be vigilant and partner with the Police by reporting all suspicious movements around them to the nearest Police formation or call the command emergency helplines on: 08032003913, 08061581938, 07057337653 and 08028940883.

 

The Commissioner of Police, tasked parents, guardians and residents of FCT to ensure their children and wards do not engage in the use of fireworks and Knock-outs as it ‘creates unnecessary panic, heightens tension and provide a conducive atmosphere for criminal activities.

 

He said, “All Area Commanders and Divisional Police Officers have been directed by CP Muhammad Mustafa to ensure a strict compliance to ban on the use of fireworks and knock-out in the Federal Capital Territory.

 

“Those arrested for violating the ban will face the wrath of the law.”

Sad Christmas: 31 Dead, 70 Injured As Fireworks Market Explodes.

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An explosion has ripped through a fireworks market on the northern outskirts of Mexico City, reportedly killing at least 31 people and injuring 70.

The explosion, which was caught on camera, sent a huge plume of charcoal-grey smoke billowing into the sky over the town of Tultepec, the Guardian reports.

Images broadcast by Milenio TV showed smoke rising from the scorched ground and fireworks stands.

“People were crying everywhere and desperately running in all directions,” said 20-year-old witness Cesar Carmona.

Crescencia Francisco Garcia said she was in the middle of the grid of stalls along with a few hundred others when the thunderous explosions began.

As she ran away she saw people with burns and cuts, and lots of blood.

“Everything was catching fire. Everything was exploding,” Francisco said. “The stones were flying, pieces of brick, everything was flying.”

More than a dozen children suffered burns to over 90% of their bodies and were being sent to the US city of Galveston in Texas for treatment, said Eruviel Avila, the governor of the state of Mexico. The state’s top prosecutor raised the death toll late on on Tuesday to 31.

Avila vowed to find and punish those responsible for the blast and provide economic assistance to those who had lost their livelihoods.

The explosion flattened the San Pablito market which is one of the mainstays of the economy in Tultepec and where many people make a living from manufacturing fireworks – often in clandestine workshops.

The Christmas season brings in brisk business, according to merchants at the market, as Mexicans stock up on pyrotechnics.

Police Reaffirm Ban On Street Carnivals, Use Of Fireworks

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CSP Adebowale Lawal, Public Relations Officer, Zone 2 Police Command, Onikan, Lagos, on Wednesday reaffirmed the ban on street carnivals and the use of fireworks during the Yuletide.

 

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Inspector-General of Police, Mr Solomon Arase, had banned such activities due to the high rate of robbery and insurgency in the country.

 

Lawal added that the ban would also help to avoid unnecessary bloodshed during the Christmas and New Year festivities.

 

“Following instructions from the Inspector-General of Police, any form of street carnival and the use of fireworks still remain banned.

 

The idea is to prevent undesirable elements from hiding under the guise of celebrating with fireworks to unleash mayhem on innocent members of the public.

 

We don’t want anyone to lose his or her life in the cause of celebrating this period.

 

The rivalry fights between cult members often start from some of these street carnivals and we do not want such incidences to happen during this year’s celebration,’’ he said.

 

 

Lawal added that for street carnivals to hold, the organisers should appropriately inform the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in the area.

 

 

The PPRO disclosed that policemen were regularly patrolling the markets to ensure that the sale of fireworks was not ongoing.

 

 

“We have our men everywhere, especially in the markets to ensure that fireworks were totally removed.

 

This is because fireworks have the same sound as some of the guns these criminals use and people cannot differentiate them.

 

The ban will help us to secure people during the Christmas and New Year celebrations,’’ he said.

 

 

Lawal also commended the media for their enormous contributions and for partnering with the police to curb crime in the zone comprising Ogun and Lagos State.

 

 

He added that the media had bridged the gap between the members of public and the police.

 

 

“The media have given the police a wide coverage and also helped to maintain a cordial relationship with the members of the public.

 

They have assisted immensely by publicising some of the jingles that inform the public of their rights.

 

Also, the media have helped to spread the Emergency Numbers of the police to the members of the public for them to call in case of any crisis,’’ he said.

 

 

NAN reports that Zone 2 Command has released 112 as it number for short messages.

 

It also released its Control Room numbers as 08065154338, 07055462708, 09052222296 and 07068880008.

Aregbesola’s N50m For Fireworks, Christmas Decor A Waste Of Scarce Resources– PDP

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Osun state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, yesterday described Governor Rauf Aregbesola alleged approval to spend N50 million on fireworks and Christmas decorations in some major towns of the state as “wasteful spending and mis placement of priority”

Since coming on board in 2010, the administration of Governor Aregbesola during festive seasons usually adorn strategic places in Osogbo the state capital and some major towns with lightings decorations and fireworks.

But the PDP in a statement issued in Osogbo by its director of media and publicity, Prince Diran Odeyemi, claimed spending as much as N50 million on fireworks and lightings when workers in the state are being paid half salary with 5 months salary outstanding, “is absurd, a waste of scarce resources that suggests some people are hiding behind the project to steal public funds”.

The statement further reads: “why would a sensitive governor at this critical period be planning to expend such a huge amount, that is only N5million short of the net Osun allocation after deductions of all debts for month of October, on fireworks, what are celebrating in Osun”

“In the past, Mr. Aregbesola had used this particular means to waste public funds and no one dare question him. But at this point that federal allocation of four years time had already been spent by Mr. Governor since last year August, then we are taking it upon ourselves to expose the shady deal.”

It then advised that, “if truly no one would benefit from the contract sum, the government should immediately suspend the plan because what people in Osun need at the moment is not Christmas decorations but their salary to buy food.”

“Obviously, Government House is not lacking food and other basic necessities. However, Mr. Governor should know majority of homes in Osun could no longer afford three square meal, no thanks to capital flight, irregular payment of salaries, non payment for services rendered for government and poor patronage of local contractors by the present administration. In the light of these, Mr. Aregbesola should give pay workers salary and not fireworks through which some people will milk the state,” the statement concluded.

Credit: Vanguard