6 confirmed dead in fireworks explosion at Lagos

No fewer than 6 persons have died, and a dozen injured as fireworks explosion rocked Lagos Island on wednesday.

The incident which affected three buildings located at Okoya/Ojogiwa, Lagos Island, Lagos, occurred at about 8:00am.

It was gathered that trouble started when a locked-up shop under one of the three buildings stocked with fireworks popularly called 'bangers' suddenly exploded and went up in flames.

As a result of the explosion, it was learnt that the building which had d shop under it and two others adjoining collapsed.

Residents of the three buildings who were still celebrating the Christmas festivity mood but, were still on beds to witness the boxing day, were affected during the explosions.

6 persons, it was said, were feared dead and a dozen others injured.

A score other residents were said to be currently trapped in d debris of the collapsed three buildings.

As at press time, officials of the Lagos State Emergency Management Agency (LASEMA), fire service, police, Nigerian Security Civil and Defence Corps (NSCDC) and others had visited the scene for rescue operations.

Leadership

Gunmen kill five in church attack on Christmas Eve

Gunmen on Christmas Eve attacked a church in Peri, Yobe State, killing at least five people, including the pastor, and setting the building on fire, residents and police confirmed yesterday.

No fewer than 20 houses were also allegedly burnt down in the attack.

Peri, near Potiskum, is the economic capital of Yobe State.

"A group of gunmen came into the village at midnight and went straight to the church. They opened fire on them (the worshippers) and then set fire to the church," said Usman Mansir, a resident of the village, according to Aljazeera online.

A senior police official in Yobe State also confirmed the incident to the AFP news agency, but declined to be named.

Yobe State Commissioner of Police Sanusi Rufa'i said the attack was "a security issue" and refused to comment further.

It was not clear who was behind the attack, but fighters belonging to the Boko Haram sect have carried out several attacks in the state and environs, which borders Maiduguri state where the activities of the group is most pronounced.

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Related stories: 11 confirmed dead at explosion in church at Army base in Kaduna, Nigeria

Video report on suicide bomb blast at Church in Kaduna

Video - Christmas travelers forced to trek the Asaba-Onitisha expressway

As the yuletide season approaches commuters who travelled to the South Eastern part of Nigeria to join their families in celebrating this season are contending with heavy vehicular movements and poor state of the roads.

In this report, Channels Television's correspondents spoke with some commuters who recount their experiences on the road which is a major gateway to the southwest, including the Enugu-Onitsha Road, the Onitsha-Owerri Road, 9th Mile-Obollo Afor Road, as well as the Enugu-Port Harcourt Expressway.

Mass failure in 2012 WAEC exams - 62.3 don't make grade

Two hundred and sixty two thousand, six hundred and fifty one candidates, representing 62.3 per cent of the 406,108 who sat for November/December 2012 West African Senior Secondary School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) failed to score up to five credits including English Language and Mathematics.

Head, Nigeria National Office of WAEC, Charles Eguridu disclosed this while addressing newsmen in Lagos yesterday. He said 413,266 candidates registered for the examination, but 406,108, representing 98. 27 per cent had their results processed.

Eguridu said "150,615 candidates, representing 37.97 per cent obtained credits in five subjects and above including English Language and Mathematics." If that figure is deducted from the number of candidates whose results were processed which is 406, 108, then it would be safe to conclude that over 62 per cent of the candidates who participated, actually failed.

A comparative analysis of the 2012 result with that of candidates who sat for same examination in 2010 and 2011, however, showed marginal improvement as only 24.16 and 36.07 per cents actually scored five credits including English Language and Mathematics for 2010 and 2011, respectively.

The WAEC boss said 47, 289 candidates' result, representing 11.04 per cent, are still being withheld over various cases of examination malpractices.

"Such cases are being investigated and the reports of the investigations would be presented to the Nigerian Examinations Committee (NEC) shortly for consideration. The Committee's decision will be communicated to the affected candidates through our zonal and branch offices," Eguridu said.

Eguridu also said out of the 49 blind candidates who registered for the examination, 23 of them, representing 46.93 per cent actually obtained credits in five subjects including English Language. He noted that blind students are not allowed to sit for Mathematics and science practical in WASSCE diets.

Daily Trust

Related stories: 70 percent of students fail WAEC exam

57 percent of varsity lecturers don't have PhDs'

Nigeria's top google searches of 2012

Jamb - the Joint Admissions And Matriculation Board - is the most-searched term in Nigeria, according to Google’s Year-End Zeitgeist list.

The education system in the country is reportedly under review due to the "lack of reading culture, unqualified teachers, quest for money and lack of dedication to duty".

Mercy Johnson was listed as the top Nollywood celebrity while Davido was listed as Nigeria's top musician.

While Whitney Houston was the most searched person - she died on February 11, 2012, Victor Moses who plays for Chelsea came in as the second most-searched person followed by Brazilian soccer star Ronaldinho.

Boko Haram, the Islam sect that is reportedly planning on overthrowing the government and impose strict Islam, laws is rated third on the searches category on the google search result 2012 in Nigeria.

Love topped two categories - the "How...?" and "What is...?" - showing that Nigerians do have a softer side...

Google's Year-End Zeitgeist, which means “the spirit of the times", revisits the most viewed searches around the world.

Top 10 Searches

Jamb
Mozat
Boko Haram
Asuu Strike
Google news
Eskimi
Whitney Houston
Vanguard news
NNPC recruitment
Facebook

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