A tortoise known as Baba, which the Alaafin’s Palace in Oyo said had lived for about 420 years, has died after a brief illness.
The ancient tortoise reportedly died on Monday after falling ill and stopping eating. The palace later buried Baba within its premises.
The Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Bode Durojaiye, announced the death in a statement issued in Ibadan on Thursday.
According to the palace, Baba was more than a palace pet, having become part of the oral history and cultural heritage associated with the Yoruba people and the ancient Oyo Kingdom.
Durojaiye said oral history traced Baba’s origin to Oyo-Ile, the ancient capital of the old Oyo Empire, from where the tortoise was reportedly brought to the present-day palace in Oyo town.
The tortoise was said to have been cared for by successive Alaafins and inherited as part of the historical relics associated with the palace.
The palace also said Baba became a notable attraction for visitors, with people travelling to the palace to see the tortoise because of its reported age, size and unusual history.
Two palace officials were reportedly assigned to care for Baba. Its diet included watermelon, corn pap wrapped in leaves and grass.
The palace described Baba as an “ageless companion” to the Alaafin institution and said its reported longevity enabled it to become a symbol of continuity between different generations of the Oyo Kingdom.
“In Oyo, Baba was regarded as the oldest indigene. It was the Alaafin’s most cherished pet. The monarch met it in the palace, while Baba was nourished by a succession of kings,” the palace said.
The name Baba, meaning “father” in Yoruba, was reportedly adopted because of the respect attached to the tortoise’s supposed age.
The palace said Baba fell ill on Monday and stopped eating before dying later that day.
“Baba fell ill on Monday, just a little sickness and couldn’t eat anymore. Then, he died. Just like that,” the statement said.
Baba’s reported age, however, has not been independently verified. Reports indicate that the 420-year figure is based on palace oral history rather than a documented birth record or scientific age determination.
Nevertheless, the death has drawn attention to the tortoise’s longstanding cultural significance at the Alaafin’s Palace and its role as a living link to stories surrounding the old Oyo Empire.
The palace also connected Baba’s symbolic importance with Yoruba cultural beliefs concerning the relationship between the living, the dead and the unborn, referencing Wole Soyinka’s Death and the King’s Horseman.
With Baba’s death, the Alaafin’s Palace has lost an unusual historical attraction that, according to the palace, had survived generations of monarchs and become an enduring part of Oyo’s oral tradition and heritage.
•Questions INEC’s fight to restore provisions Court of Appeal declared unconstitutional
Accord Party Presidential candidate and Co-Chairman of Movment for Democratic Renewal Dr. Gbenga Hashim, has called for the disbandment and reconstitution of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) over its blatant disregard of a Court of Appeal judgment on the Electoral Act.
The Court of Appeal had voided Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026, and held that the provisions were inconsistent with Sections 221 and 222 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended.
Hashim said the implication of the July 16, 2026 judgment of the Court of Appeal in Abuja instituted by the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) is far-reaching, arguing that actions taken by INEC under provisions subsequently declared inconsistent with the 1999 Constitution (as amended) could no longer stand.
The judgment followed an appeal by the Zenith Labour Party challenging provisions dealing with political party membership registers and candidate nomination including the timetable and schedule of INEC activities .
The Court of Appeal held that ordinary legislation cannot impose restrictions on political parties that conflict with powers already guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution (as amended).
The Court of Appeal also stated that, “no other condition contained in a subsidiary law could disqualify an individual already qualified by the Constitution.”
Dr. Hashim insisted that reconstitution of the electoral body is germane to a transparent and credible 2027 general election.
Furthermore, he described ‘everything INEC has done’ under the disputed legal framework as a nullity; pending the final determination of the matter by the Supreme Court.
Hashim questioned why the electoral commission would seek to sustain statutory provisions which the Court of Appeal had declared inconsistent with the Constitution.
“The Constitution is supreme. The National Assembly makes laws. INEC administers elections. INEC is not the Parliament and INEC did not make the Constitution.
“So when a competent Court of Appeal declares specific provisions of an Electoral Act inconsistent with the Constitution, why is INEC fighting in court to restore those provisions rather than working with relevant political parties to address previous infractions?”
INEC has appealed the judgment to the Supreme Court.
On Wednesday, September 16, 2026, the Supreme Court heard arguments in the appeal and reserved judgment.
A seven-member panel, led by Justice Adamu Jauro, said the date for judgment would be communicated to the parties.
Regardless, Hashim stressed that his objection was not against INEC’s legal right to appeal.
“Of course, INEC can appeal. The issue is not whether it has the right to appeal. The question Nigerians should ask is; ‘what institutional interest does the electoral umpire have in sustaining provisions which a competent appellate court has declared inconsistent with the Constitution?’
“Does this not raise questions about INEC’s complicity in the very process that Nigerians are asking it to be an umpire over?”
Hashim warned that the commission’s action could described as going against Nigeria’s democracy.
“INEC is fighting in all courts, including the Supreme Court, wasting public resources to hire big lawyers to sustain provisions of the Electoral Act that contradicts the Constitution. INEC is complicit in the perfidy to rape Nigeria’s democracy.
“INEC, as presently constituted, is a threat to Nigeria’s democratic order.”
According to Hashim, an electoral commission should be the first institution to insist on constitutional compliance rather than defend statutory provisions that have been judicially declared inconsistent with the Constitution.
“An electoral commission should be the first institution to insist on constitutional compliance.
“It should not be seen as defending a statutory arrangement that has been judicially declared unconstitutional designed primarily by the ruling party legislators to constrict the democratic space”
Hashim said the development reinforces warnings he had made before now that the 2027 electoral process could become a “coronation” rather than a genuine democratic contest.
“We warned ever before now that what INEC seeks to do in 2027 is a coronation, not an election.”
He said the danger was not limited to election day, arguing that democracy also depends on whether citizens and political party members are allowed to genuinely participate in selecting candidates.
“An election means that citizens and members of political parties genuinely participate in choosing their candidates and ultimately their leaders.
“A coronation is the presentation of a predetermined choice for public endorsement through a process that constricts rather than widens the political space,” and added that, “from all indication, INEC is supervising coronation, not conducting election.”
Hashim also criticised what he described as the silence of some opposition candidates who, according to him, had become less vocal after securing party tickets.
“Some opposition candidates are deceived because they have been given gate-pass to attend the coronation ceremony and so, have lost their voices.
“We shall continue to speak because we are not just politicians. We are democrats.”
Hashim also questioned what he described as the “conspiracy of silence” of major media organisations over the Court of Appeal judgment and subsequent Supreme Court proceedings.
“How can a Court of Appeal judgment declaring portions of the Electoral Act unconstitutional, followed by an appeal by INEC to the Supreme Court, not be one of the biggest stories in Nigeria?
“How can a matter with direct implications for the rules governing political parties and candidates nomination ahead of 2027 election receive so little sustained national attention?”
He said Nigerians deserve to understand the constitutional questions before the Supreme Court without any attempt to interfere with judicial independence.
“I am asking Nigerians to understand what is before the Court. Judicial independence does not mean public silence,” Hashim insisted.
He questioned why major media organisations had not made the case a sustained National story. “Where are the front-page investigations? Where are the prime-time constitutional debates? Where are the legal experts explaining to Nigerians what the Court of Appeal actually declared and what the Supreme Court has been asked to determine?
“Why are we discussing the politics of 2027 without sufficiently discussing the legal architecture under which the 2027 election will be conducted?”
Hashim said the fact that judgment had been reserved made sustained public attention even more important.
“The case is now before the Supreme Court. The parties have argued their positions. Judgment has been reserved.”
He warned against a situation where Nigerians would only begin to understand the significance of the legal dispute after the 2027 election.
Hashim said his intervention should not be viewed merely through the prism of his political ambition.
“I am not just a politician. I am first and foremost a crusader for the establishment and sustenance of the democratic order.
“My commitment to democratic governance predates this particular contest. I will continue to defend the Constitution and Nigeria’s democratic order; whether the issue concerns me personally or another Nigerian.”
Hashim reiterated that he would continue to pursue the matter through lawful and constitutional channels and collaborate with individuals, political parties and organisations committed to true democracy.
“I will pursue every lawful avenue available to defend democratic choice. I will challenge, through constitutional means, any action by public institutions which I believe compromises the democratic rights of Nigerians.”
Hashim consequently called for the disbandment and reconstitution of INEC, describing the move as necessary to restore confidence in the electoral process.
“I believe INEC should be disbanded and reconstituted. “This is not a call to abolish elections or destroy electoral administration. It is a call to rebuild the institution responsible for conducting our elections.”
He said Nigeria needs an electoral commission that is institutionally independent and whose actions and activities are firmly anchored in the Constitution.
“We need an electoral commission that is constitutionally grounded, professionally competent, transparent and genuinely independent of the political interests of the government of the day.
“INEC must be stronger than individual politicians. It must be stronger than the government. “It must be stronger than the opposition. And, its first loyalty must be to the Constitution and the democratic choice of Nigerians.”
Hashim said Nigeria could not afford an electoral system in which citizens were invited to vote after critical political choices had already been determined through processes beyond their control.
“The 2027 election must not become a ceremony for endorsing decisions already made elsewhere.
“It must be an authentic democratic contest in which the constitutional rights of political parties, candidates and voters are upheld.”
Hashim said the central issue was ultimately whether Nigerians would be allowed to genuinely choose their leaders through a process in which constitutional rights and democratic choices were respected.
“Nigeria needs an election, not a coronation; constitutional supremacy, not administrative complicity with evil and impunity; and democratic choice, not institutional capture.”
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has approved a three-month extension of the wage award for state workers, assuring civil servants that the transportation subsidy introduced by his administration to cushion the effects of economic hardship will also continue.
Makinde announced the extension on Friday shortly after resuming official duties at the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Ibadan, following his annual leave.
Addressing civil and public servants who gathered to welcome him back to office, the governor said the decision was informed by the prevailing economic challenges confronting workers and residents of the state.
Makinde said his administration remained committed to workers’ welfare, particularly at a time when rising living costs and other economic pressures continue to affect household incomes.
The governor also assured workers that the transportation subsidy would remain in place as part of the government’s measures to ease the financial burden on residents and cushion the impact of the current economic situation.
Speaking further, Makinde highlighted his administration’s adherence to constitutional provisions, particularly the transfer of power to his deputy during his absence from the state.
He challenged President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to adopt a similar approach whenever he is outside the country or otherwise unavailable to personally perform the functions of his office.
The latest extension means Oyo State workers will continue to benefit from the wage award for an additional three months, coming amid continued concerns over the rising cost of living and demands for improved workers’ welfare across the country.
TRAGIC DEATH: A final-year student of Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Oluwole Oluwasegun, has reportedly died by suicide at his off-campus residence in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
Oluwasegun, a student of the Department of Materials Science and Engineering, reportedly died on Tuesday afternoon at a hostel around the Damico area of Ooni Layout.
According to the university’s Public Relations Officer, Olarewaju Abiodun, the institution’s Quick Response and Security (QRS) Team immediately responded after receiving the report and contacted the Nigeria Police.
Officers from the ‘A’ Division, Moore, Ile-Ife, joined university security personnel at the scene, after which the student was taken to the University Health Centre, where a medical doctor certified him dead.
The university said relevant information and items recovered from the scene were handed over to the police, who have commenced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding the death.
The institution also notified the appropriate student affairs authorities to provide necessary follow-up, particularly regarding the welfare and support of students affected by the incident.
Vice-Chancellor Professor Simeon Bamire expressed condolences to the deceased’s family, friends and colleagues and encouraged students facing severe emotional distress, relationship difficulties, financial pressures or other personal challenges to seek help promptly.
“No student should feel that he or she has to confront overwhelming difficulties alone,” the Vice-Chancellor said.
The death toll from the consumption of a suspected poisonous alcoholic substance in Ondo State has risen to 49, while the number of people affected has increased to about 170, according to the state government.
The Ondo State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Banji Ajaka, disclosed the latest figures while briefing journalists in Akure on Wednesday. He said the health crisis, which was initially reported in communities in Odigbo Local Government Area, had spread to Irele Local Government Area, where eight deaths were recorded.
The outbreak was first reported in Araromi-Obu and Odigbo communities in Odigbo LGA after residents reportedly consumed a locally produced alcoholic and herbal mixture. Earlier reports had put the initial death toll at 24, before the figure subsequently increased.
Ajaka said the total figure of about 170 affected persons includes people who have been admitted for treatment as well as those who have died. He added that health authorities had intensified surveillance, case management and contact tracing to prevent the situation from spreading to other parts of the state.
The commissioner said medical and health teams had been deployed to Irele and other affected communities to manage victims and investigate the source of the suspected poisonous substance. He also said the government was working with relevant agencies as investigations continue.
Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government had earlier imposed restrictions on the production and sale of unverified locally brewed alcoholic and herbal substances following the deaths. Police also arrested a suspected producer, identified as Oloruntoba Babatunde, while investigations into the circumstances surrounding the deaths continue.
Authorities have urged residents to avoid consuming unverified locally produced alcoholic or herbal mixtures and to promptly seek medical attention if they develop symptoms after consuming such substances.
Minister of Power, Joseph Tegbe, has revealed that some Nigerians asked him to “slow down” efforts to improve electricity supply because their freezers were now working continuously.
Tegbe made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja while commissioning a 3-megawatt solar hybrid power project at Yakubu Gowon University, formerly the University of Abuja.
According to the Minister, some areas that previously went without electricity for months are now enjoying up to 18 hours of supply.
“Places that didn’t have light at all for three months are now having 18 hours light. Some areas called me to say, look, I should slow down, that everything in their freezer is freezing. That is what freezer is meant to do. Let it freeze the food that needs to be frozen”, Tegbe said.
He recalled promising during his Senate screening that Nigerians would begin to notice improvements in electricity supply within three to six months.
However, Tegbe acknowledged that ageing infrastructure remains a major challenge, noting that some power facilities are over four decades old.
“Some of the infrastructure we have in the electricity and power sector are more than 40 years old. We’re systematically replacing them, phasing them out and bringing new ones,” he said.
He also disclosed that vandals had destroyed three major transmission towers in Birnin Kebbi by attacking their foundations and cutting parts of the structures for scrap.
“You will not believe how many towers get pulled down by vandals,” he said.
Tegbe said the government had formed a joint committee involving the EFCC, Police and NSCDC to protect critical electricity infrastructure and ensure vandalism is treated as a serious criminal offence.
The Presidential Candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Prince Adewole Adebayo, has warned that the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, could rise to as much as ₦5,000 per litre if President Bola Tinubu secures a second term in office.
Adebayo made the projection in a statement issued on Wednesday by his campaign’s Chief Communications Adviser, Mark Adebayo. He attributed the possible increase to the Federal Government’s deregulation of the downstream petroleum sector and the floating of the naira.
According to him, Nigeria’s continued dependence on imported petrol exposes domestic fuel prices to fluctuations in the foreign exchange market because petroleum products are priced internationally in US dollars.
Adebayo argued that if the naira depreciates to about ₦3,500 to the dollar, the landing cost of imported petrol alone could exceed ₦4,000 per litre, with transportation, financing, distribution and other costs potentially pushing the final pump price towards ₦5,000.
He also criticised the removal of fuel subsidies, arguing that consumers are now more exposed to increases in international crude oil prices. He said higher petrol prices would have knock-on effects on transportation and subsequently increase the cost of food and other essential commodities.
The SDP candidate further cited high interest rates, port-related challenges and distribution costs as additional factors that could raise the cost of importing and selling petrol.
“A ₦5,000 fuel price is not a myth; it is basic mathematics based on the direction the Tinubu administration is walking,” Adebayo said, while calling for a change in the country’s economic approach.
Adebayo said that if elected in 2027, his administration would seek to revive local refining capacity through public-private partnerships and introduce targeted measures to cushion consumers from the impact of fuel prices. Earlier this month, he separately said he would seek to bring petrol, cooking gas and aviation fuel prices down to ₦200 per litre within 12 months of taking office.
The ₦5,000 projection is Adebayo’s forecast, rather than a confirmed future petrol price. Its realisation would depend on factors including exchange rates, crude oil prices, domestic refining capacity, import costs and government policy.
The Federal Government is set to re-arraign five alleged members of the Jama’atu Ansarul Muslimina fi-Biladis Sudan, popularly known as Ansaru, over their alleged involvement in the abduction of pupils and teachers in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State.
The fresh proceedings are connected to the May 15, 2026 attack on three schools in Oriire, during which about 46 pupils and teachers were abducted. Two of the victims were later reported killed, while security agencies rescued most of the captives after nearly two months in captivity.
The five defendants are Mahmud Muhammad, also known as Abu Bara’a or Abbas Mukhtar; Abubakar Abbas, alias Isah Adam and Mallam Mahmuda Al-Nigeri; Abdulrazak Umar, also known as Abu Khalifa or Abu Khalid; Yunusa Musa, alias Abu Yunusa Bin Musa; and Shamsu Adamu Sani, also known as Abu Itisar.
They were previously arraigned before the Federal High Court in Abuja on a six-count charge bordering on terrorism, conspiracy, aiding terrorist activities and concealment of information. They pleaded not guilty to the allegations, after which Justice Salim Ibrahim ordered that they be remanded in the custody of the Department of State Services (DSS), with access to their lawyers, immediate family members and medical care.
The Federal Government alleges that some of the defendants issued directives to members of the Ansaru group to carry out kidnappings and killings in different parts of the country in the event of their arrest, allegedly to compel the government to meet the group’s demands. The prosecution also linked the defendants to the alleged killing of two victims following the Oriire abduction.
The latest re-arraignment follows earlier proceedings involving senior Ansaru commanders who were sentenced to life imprisonment over terrorism-related offences. The fresh case concerning the five defendants is expected to further clarify the allegations surrounding the Oyo school abduction as the Federal Government pursues the prosecution of those it links to the attack.
Veteran Nigerian actor and film executive, Oludotun Baiyewu Jacobs, popularly known as Olu Jacobs, has died at the age of 84.
His death was announced by his son, Olusoji Jacobs, in an Instagram post on Wednesday, September 16, 2026. In the family’s announcement, Olusoji described the late actor as a beloved husband, father, grandfather and uncle, while paying tribute to him as “The Lion of Lufodo.”
“It is with gratitude to God for a life well lived and fought, that we announce the passing of our dear husband, father, grandfather and uncle. The Lion of Lufodo.”
The family subsequently appealed to bloggers and social media influencers to respect its privacy during the period of mourning
The family statement also identified him as Oludotun Baiyewun Jacobs (MFR) and gave his dates as July 11, 1942 – September 16, 2026.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has clarified that the “Rainbow Coalition” he is promoting ahead of the 2027 general elections is not an arrangement with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Wike said the coalition was conceived as a multi-party platform to mobilise support for President Bola Tinubu’s re-election, stressing that members of different political parties could participate in the initiative.
The former Rivers State governor made the clarification in a statement issued by his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, following concerns raised by APC governors over political alliances outside the party’s formal structures.
According to Wike, his decision to support Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election does not mean that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) will abandon its participation in other elections. He said he never promised that the PDP would not field candidates for governorship, National Assembly and State House of Assembly elections.
Wike said the Rainbow Coalition was not established to help politicians secure electoral victories in their respective states, arguing that political disputes and contests at the state level should be handled locally.
“Politics is local and those having problems in their states should resolve them instead of using the re-election of the President to whip up sentiments,” he said.
He also recalled that he and other members of the G5 supported Tinubu in the 2023 presidential election without first meeting with APC governors, using the development to argue that voters could support different political parties at presidential and legislative levels during the same election.
Wike maintained that his immediate political focus is mobilising support for Tinubu’s re-election, while political parties remain free to contest other positions. The clarification comes amid an emerging disagreement between the minister and APC governors over the role of the Rainbow Coalition ahead of the 2027 elections.
