The Oyo State Government has declared Monday, October 5, 2026, a work-free day for teachers across the state to commemorate this year’s World Teachers’ Day.

The declaration is intended to allow teachers in public schools across Oyo State to join in activities marking the annual celebration, which recognises the contributions of teachers to education and human development.

World Teachers’ Day is observed globally on October 5 every year to highlight the rights, responsibilities and working conditions of teachers and to promote appreciation for the teaching profession.

The state government is expected to use the occasion to recognise the contributions of teachers to the development of the education sector and encourage continued dedication to teaching and learning across Oyo State.

•Ajaero carpets Atiku, Obi, Tinubu as ‘far-right’ market politicians

President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Joe Ajaero, has said the economic positions of Accord Party and Social Democratic Party presidential candidates, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim and Adewole Adebayo deserve serious public attention ahead of the 2027 presidential election.

Ajaero made the remarks during an interview, at the weekend , with Seun Okinbaloye on Mic On, where he was asked about the economic policy of former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar.

Rather than focusing on Atiku’s proposal, the NLC president said he had examined the positions of Hashim and Adebayo and found their approach sufficiently different to warrant engagement.

“I have looked at Gbenga Hashim’s position and I think he’s an expert to an extent. I also looked at Adebayo. I may listen to them.”

Ajaero contrasted their positions with those of Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar and President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, whom he described as sharing broadly similar economic thinking.

“Peter Obi, Atiku and Asiwaju, they all have the same position and they have shown that they are market people from far right.”

He said Hashim and Adebayo, by contrast, were bringing “new ideas worthy of engagement.”

Ajaero’s comments have drawn attention to Hashim’s economic platform, particularly his Energy First agenda, which places affordable energy, increased domestic production, industrialisation and productive capacity at the centre of his proposed economic transformation.

Hashim has proposed a ₦605 per litre starting petrol price, with a longer-term target of ₦200–₦300 through lower production costs, domestic refining, increased crude production and improved efficiency.

He has also pledged to raise Nigeria’s crude production to at least four million barrels per day within 24 months, while expanding domestic refining and energy infrastructure as part of a broader plan to make Nigeria a major global energy power.

The Imo State Commissioner of Police, Audu Garba Bosso, has disclosed that security operatives have located the suspected camp where 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted along the Owerri-Onitsha Road are being held.

Bosso said the security agencies were able to identify the location through intelligence gathering and the use of drones. However, the planned rescue operation has been delayed by reports that explosives have been planted around the suspected camp.

The prospective corps members were abducted on Thursday while travelling from Ibadan, Oyo State, to their respective NYSC orientation camps. Gunmen reportedly attacked the two buses conveying them at Umunoha in Imo State and took the victims into the bush.

The development has heightened concerns over the safety of the abducted graduates, whose families have reportedly been given a 24-hour ultimatum to pay a total ransom of ₦1 billion, with the kidnappers demanding ₦50 million for each victim.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has meanwhile deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the rescue operation. Security agencies are expected to carefully neutralise the reported explosives before moving into the area to secure the victims.

Authorities have assured the families that efforts are ongoing to rescue the prospective corps members unharmed, while further details of the operation remain undisclosed for security reasons.

Presidential candidate of the Accord Party, Dr. Gbenga Olawepo-Hashim, has paid a condolence visit to the family of late civil rights leader and labour activist, Comrade Bolakale Salihu, popularly known as CB.

Hashim visited the deceased’s family at Ikokoro Compound, Ilorin South Local Government Area of Kwara State, where he commiserated with members of the family, friends and associates of the late activist.

Comrade Bolakale was a prominent human rights activist, labour unionist and civil rights campaigner in Kwara State.

He was a leader of the Committee for the Defence of Human Rights (CDHR) and was actively involved in civic and democratic advocacy in the state.

He was also associated with Kwara Must Change (KMC), Kwara’s prominent pro-democracy and civic advocacy organisation, and played a leading role in the Otoge political movement, which became a defining chapter in the state’s democratic and political history.

Beyond Kwara, Bolakale was connected to organised labour and the wider civil society movement. He was associated with the Joint Action Front (JAF), the Lagos based pro labour civil society coalition that has historically worked alongside organised labour and participated in Labour and Civil Society Coalition (LASCO) activities.

Bolakale was also a close associate of the late Comrade Biodun Aremu, popularly known as Aremson, a Marxist Leninist thinker, socialist fighter and “organic intellectual” whose decades of activism were closely associated with workers’ rights, democratic struggles and Nigeria’s progressive civil-society movement.

Aremu was a prominent figure in the Nigerian labour and civil society space and served as a leading figure in the Joint Action Front. His relationship with Bolakale reflected the wider connections between activists in Kwara and the national labour and pro-democracy movements.

Bolakale was also a staff member of the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria (FAAN), Ilorin Airport, combining his professional career with longstanding involvement in human rights, labour and democratic activism.

His death has therefore been widely regarded by associates as a loss not only to his family but also to the broader community of human rights defenders, labour activists and pro-democracy campaigners with whom he worked.

During the condolence visit, Hashim paid tribute to Bolakale’s commitment to public service and civic activism, while commiserating with his family and associates over his passing.

The visit also brought together members of the activist community who had worked with Bolakale across different periods of Kwara’s civic and democratic struggles.

Hashim was received by Bolakale’s uncle, Justice Toyin Kawu, who was class mate with Gbenga Hashim at school of basic studies, Ilorin.

For many of his associates, “CB” represented a generation of activists whose engagement with public affairs extended beyond electoral politics into the defence of human rights, workers’ interests, democratic participation and accountable governance.

Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as YAYI, and his wife, Mrs. Temitope Adeola, on Friday joined the family and hundreds of sympathisers and fans at the 40th-day prayer for the late Alhaji Hazzan Taiwo Ogogo in Ilaro, Yewa South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The solemn Islamic prayer, held at the Asade Agunloye Pavilion, Empire Ground, brought together family members, friends, colleagues, political leaders and well-wishers to honour the memory of the late thespian icon and pray for the peaceful repose of his soul.

The gathering also witnessed the participation of Muslim and Christian clerics, who offered prayers and messages of condolence to the bereaved family. The event provided an opportunity for the community and admirers of Ogogo to reflect on his contributions to the entertainment industry and his enduring legacy.

Senator Adeola reaffirmed his commitment to preserving and immortalising Ogogo’s legacy, assuring the family of his continued support and solidarity. He described the late actor as a personality whose contributions would continue to be remembered by generations to come.

Among dignitaries at the ceremony were the Minister of State for Health and Social Services, Dr. Kunle Salako; Sheikh Sugar; Ami Olohun; Alhaji Ibrahim Dende Egungbohun; as well as several serving and former government officials at the state and federal levels.

The 40th-day prayer marked another significant moment for the family as relatives, colleagues, religious leaders and admirers gathered to honour the late Ogogo and offer prayers for his eternal rest.

Two persons were confirmed dead on Friday in Osogbo, Osun State, following a clash involving suspected members of rival cult groups.

The incident occurred at a lounge in the Owoeba community, along the Osogbo–Ilesa Road, at about 5 p.m., when the victims were attacked by yet-to-be-identified assailants.

A resident of Owoeba, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the victims were drinking at the lounge when the attackers arrived.

“We heard gunshots and noise in the afternoon. The deceased were with some people drinking when the assailants arrived. They engaged in a fight before the two men were eventually subdued and killed. One of them was hit on the head and died on the spot,” the resident said.

“One of the deceased was called ‘Small Rugged’. We later saw a police van that came to evacuate the bodies.”

Pictures obtained by our correspondent showed one of the victims lying lifeless in a pool of blood with an open wound on his head.

A police van conveying two corpses was also sighted along Station Road, Osogbo, on Friday evening.

The resident added that the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Zungura, had directed tactical teams to move to the area and apprehend those behind the attack.

Parents of 20 prospective National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members abducted while travelling from Oyo State to their respective orientation camps have raised the alarm over a ₦1 billion ransom demand by their captors, who reportedly gave them 24 hours to pay or risk the lives of their children.

The affected parents made the disclosure on Saturday when they visited the Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, at his private residence in Bodija, Ibadan, alongside the Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, and the Aseyin of Iseyinland, Oba Sefiu Adeyeri, to seek urgent intervention for the safe release of the victims.

The 20 graduates were reportedly travelling from Ibadan to their NYSC orientation camps on Thursday when gunmen ambushed the two buses conveying them along the Owerri-Onitsha Road in Umunoha, Imo State. The abductors were said to have demanded ₦50 million for each victim, bringing the total ransom to ₦1 billion.

Speaking on behalf of the affected families, Alhaja Akande and Oyebola Akande said the kidnappers had been contacting them through the mobile phones of the abducted prospective corps members, threatening to harm them if the ransom was not paid within the stipulated period. They lamented that the families could not afford such an enormous amount and appealed to the Olubadan to intervene. “There is no way we can raise such an amount at this period. Baba, kindly assist us. Don’t let them kill our children,” they pleaded.

Responding, Oba Ladoja assured the distressed parents that efforts were underway to secure the victims’ safe release, expressing confidence in the capacity of security agencies to handle the situation. He said the police were working round the clock and promised to relay relevant information to the families as developments emerged.

The Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Olugbenga Abimbola, disclosed that he had been in constant communication with his Imo State counterpart, Audu Garba Bosso, since the incident occurred. He said the Imo police commissioner had assured him that the abducted graduates would be rescued unharmed, although he did not disclose details of the ongoing operation or whether any ransom had been paid.

Meanwhile, security agencies have intensified efforts to rescue the victims, with the Imo State Commissioner of Police reportedly confirming that operatives had used drones to locate the suspected camp where the remaining abductees were being held. However, the rescue operation was said to have been delayed by intelligence reports indicating that the camp had been planted with improvised explosive devices (IEDs). The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, has also deployed the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Shehu Nadada, to Imo State to coordinate the search-and-rescue operation.

The Ekiti State Government has commenced the deployment of 15 Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of measures to reduce transportation costs and ease the financial burden on residents.

Governor Biodun Oyebanji flagged off the buses at the premises of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency in Ado-Ekiti, describing the deployment as the pilot phase of a broader initiative aimed at making public transportation more affordable and accessible. The buses were donated to the state by the Federal Government.

Oyebanji said the administration was targeting a 50 per cent reduction in transportation costs, urging transport unions to ensure that the savings achieved through the use of CNG are passed directly to commuters. He said the initiative was part of efforts to cushion the impact of transportation costs on residents and respond to the Federal Government’s directive to state governments to explore measures for reducing fares.

The governor, who was accompanied by Senate Leader, Senator Opeyemi Bamidele, expressed appreciation to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for providing the buses. He said the intervention would help reduce the transportation burden on residents, while assuring that the state would work towards expanding the fleet to reach more commuters.

According to the Director-General of the Ekiti State Transportation Agency, Tajudeen Akingbolu, routes have been mapped out for the buses to operate between Ado-Ekiti and major cities including Lagos, Ibadan, Onitsha and Abuja. The service is expected to provide more affordable interstate transportation while helping to ease the pressure of high transport fares.

The flag-off coincided with activities marking Nigeria’s 66th Independence Anniversary and the 30th anniversary of Ekiti State. The state government said the CNG bus scheme would be expanded as part of its broader efforts to improve affordable public transportation and reduce the cost of movement for residents.

Former Rivers State Governor and African Democratic Congress (ADC) vice-presidential candidate, Rotimi Amaechi, has said he would withdraw from the party’s 2027 presidential ticket and campaign for President Bola Tinubu if petrol sells for ₦600 per litre.

Amaechi made the statement on Friday, October 2, 2026, during an appearance on Channels Television’s Politics Today, while reacting to President Tinubu’s Independence Day address and the administration’s economic policies.

The former Minister of Transportation questioned the President’s declaration that Nigeria had entered an “age of prosperity”, asking whether Nigerians were already experiencing reductions in the cost of living. He pointed particularly to the price of petrol and its impact on transportation and other household expenses.

Amaechi challenged the administration to demonstrate the claimed improvement by reducing the pump price of petrol to ₦600 per litre. He said he was prepared to personally visit a filling station the following morning to verify the price.

“If fuel has come down to 600, I will campaign for President Tinubu,” Amaechi said, adding that he would withdraw as Atiku Abubakar’s vice-presidential candidate if the condition was met.

The statement comes amid an ongoing political and economic debate over petrol pricing and subsidy policy ahead of the 2027 general election. Atiku has proposed a form of support for domestically refined petrol aimed at lowering pump prices, while the Tinubu administration has defended its decision to end the previous petrol subsidy regime and has promoted alternatives such as compressed natural gas and other measures intended to reduce transportation costs.

Amaechi is currently the running mate to former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on the ADC presidential ticket. His remarks therefore add a notable dimension to the continuing debate between the competing economic approaches being presented by the political camps ahead of the 2027 election.

The Lagos State Government has received 20 additional Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) buses as part of efforts to strengthen public transportation in the state.

The buses were handed over to the state government on September 30, with Commissioner for Transportation Oluwaseun Osiyemi stating that the vehicles would contribute to improving public transportation services.

The development comes amid continuing efforts by Lagos authorities to expand mass transit options and increase the use of CNG-powered vehicles in the state’s transportation system.