UP AT DAWN FOR FRONT-ROW SEAT TO HISTORY AT FRANCIS’S FUNERAL. (PHOTO).
Up at dawn for front-row seat to history at Francis’s funeral Many had woken up at dawn while others slept in their cars before Catholic faithful poured into St Peter’s Square from all corners of the globe on Saturday, fuelled by a desire to honour Pope Francis. As the first rays of the day rose over the sprawling Baroque plaza, mourners rushed towards empty chairs once they had passed through metal detectors, anxious for a front-row seat to history. Among them was Jean-Baptiste Leclezio, a 22-year-old from Lyon, who slept on the ground overnight at the seat of the Catholic Church to be among the first to enter for the funeral of Francis, who died on Monday age 88. “We took floor mats and sleeping bags and we slept there with 400 people, a lot of young people, scouts,” he told AFP. “There were people singing all night but we managed to sleep,” he said. Australian Eloise Bird, 38, said she was tired but happy to have made it into the square after having queued up since 5:15 am with...
The Lagos State Government today thursday denied the unsubstantiated claims being circulated in some sections of the media and on social media of its involvement in the fire incident that took place in Otodo Gbame Community in Lekki area of the State last wednesday.The State Government specifically puntured media reports suggesting that it authorized the burning down of the community,saying that the allegation was far from the truth.The State's Commissioner for Information and Strategy,Mr Steve Ayorinde,in a statement,said the State Government shared in the painful loss of the residents but explained that from Police reports and evaluation by the government,the waterfront community was razed by the fire incident that happened as a result of the ethic clash that occurred between the Egun and Yoruba residents within the community.Ayorinde said while the Police succeeded in bringing to a halt the deadly clashes which occurred as a result of continued disagreement over tolling and other sundry issues,the large part of the shanties had already been torched and razed down before the combined team of fire brigade and emergency rescue officers got to the scene on the night of Wednesday,November 9th.''It is therefore unfortunate that a few aggrieved persons and fifth columnists will choose to blame the government and law enforcement officers that rose to the occasion in ensuring that the clashes did not degenerate further and more importantly that the arson did not spread into Lekki Phase 1.While we condemn in its entirely every form of crime and jungle justice,it is important to plead caution whenever a human life is involved.So far,there is no indication that the dastardly act being peddled on social media happened anywhere in Lagos State or that it is a recent case.The Police have promised to carry ou further checks and will welcome every useful information,but available information at the moment does not suggest that such killing happened last saturday at either Orile-Iganmu or Badagry.There is no any corpse that fits the description in any area being touted; just as the location of anyone with useful information to corroborate the sad tale being peddled cannot be established'',-Ayorinde.
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