A 3-YEAR-OLD BOY WAS STRUCK BY GUNFIRE AS POLICE BURST INTO A BARRICADED ROOM, ENDING A FRIGHTENING HOSTAGE SITUATION.(PHOTO).

Image
 A Mother's Day Nightmare in Princeton, Illinois. A 3-year-old boy was struck by gunfire as police burst into a barricaded room, ending a frightening hostage situation. Multiple agencies responded to the Hummingbird Mobile Home Park in Princeton, Illinois, on Sunday, May 10th at 2:42 a.m. The initial call went out as a domestic disturbance but officers discovered much worse.  42-year-old, Anthony Rodriguez, had barricaded himself in a room armed with a knife. Anthony had taken several people as hostages, including Aurora Almanza and her 3-year-old son.  Multiple agencies were on the scene, including the Bureau County Sheriff's Office, Illinois State Police and  the Princeton Police Department.  Authorities attempted to negotiate but ultimately rushed the room when they heard screaming coming from inside.  Officials have reported that officers fired shots as they entered the room. Anthony Rodriguez was hit and was neutralized.  Sadly, Aurora Almanza's t...

NPA BIRTHS FIRST WHOLLY NIGERIAN-OWNED CONTAINER VESSEL. (PHOTO).


 NPA births first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel


In a development that signposts readiness to maximise the gains derivable from the African Continental Free Trade Area (AfCFTA), the Nigerian Port Authority (NPA) on 2nd July, at 5:05 AM, berthed the first wholly Nigerian-owned container vessel.


The container vessel with International Maritime Organization (IMO) number 9508770, christened MV Ocean Dragon and owned by Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, has a capacity of 349 Twenty-Foot-Equivalent Units (TEUs).


A statement by NPA on Friday said the vessel boosts a concerted investment drive geared towards reaping the cost and time-saving benefits of short-sea shipping by plying in-country maritime trade routes across Nigeria, and the West African sub-region, and offers an efficient alternative to road transport. The vessel is scheduled to operate across West Africa and beyond, servicing ports in Nigeria, Benin Republic, Togo, Ghana, Cameroon, Sierra Leone, Ivory Coast, Egypt, South Africa and others, with expressions of interest for business already being established.


Responding to the milestone, Managing Director/ CEO of the NPA, Abubakar Dantsoho said, “This development is a testament to our relentless commitment towards deepening efficiencies required for maximising our Marine and Blue Economy potentials in line with the prompting of the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Alh. Gboyega Oyetola, whose tenacity of purpose culminated in the recent FEC approval of the national policy on Marine and Blue Economy”.


On her part, Vice President of Clarion Shipping West Africa Limited, Bernadine Eloka, described the acquisition as a bold solution to the high-risk, road-dominated movement of cargoes within Nigeria and a strategic move to deepen regional trade under the AfCFTA. She said that the Clarion Group aims to offer more efficient intra-African shipping services while opening up new business opportunities across ports in Nigeria, Ghana, Ivory Coast, and beyond.


“We acquired MV Ocean Dragon to offer a seamless alternative to container haulage by road. Rather than struggling to move containers from Lekki to Onitsha, Port Harcourt, or Calabar by trucks, Ocean Dragon can move up to 349 containers by sea and deliver within two days from port to port,” Eloka said. According to her, enforcement of the cabotage regime would encourage local investment, create jobs, and reduce Nigeria’s dependency on foreign-owned shipping lines.

Comments

Popular posts from this blog

SHAKIRA COVERS WOMEN'S HEALTH MAGAZINE,APRIL ISSUE.

THE NEW OONI OF ILE-IFE,WILL NOT EAT THE HEART OF THE LATE OONI-PALACE CHIEFS.

INNOSON GIVES OUT BRAND NEW IVM G5 AND SALARY FOR LIFE TO THE MAN WHO PROPHESIED ABOUT HIS VEHICLE MANUFACTURING IN 1979.(PHOTO).