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.

The controversy surrounding the ancestry of the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Senator Solomon Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, has escalated, with APC member Abayomi Hunye challenging him to settle the matter in court.

Adeola had threatened legal action against Hunye and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chieftain Ambassador Folake Marcus-Bello over claims that he is originally from Ekiti State. Through his media adviser, Kayode Odunaro, Adeola gave the two individuals 24 hours to provide evidence supporting the allegation or face lawsuits. He described the claims as false and libellous.

Responding through his media aide, Femi Oyewale, Hunye said he welcomed the threat of litigation and was prepared to meet Adeola in court. He maintained that he had documentary evidence to support his position and alleged that the issue concerning the senator’s ancestry was already before a court.

Hunye described the 24-hour ultimatum as what he characterised as a political tactic and accused Adeola’s camp of attempting to intimidate those raising questions about his ancestry and eligibility ahead of the 2027 governorship election. These are Hunye’s allegations, not established findings.

He argued that questions surrounding the origin and eligibility of a governorship candidate are matters of public interest, particularly in the context of the 2027 Ogun governorship contest.

Adeola, meanwhile, has maintained that the claims about his alleged Ekiti origin are false and challenged his accusers to produce evidence to substantiate them. The dispute has therefore shifted from media exchanges toward a possible legal confrontation, with both sides indicating that documentary evidence could be central to the matter.

Former Deputy National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Taofeek Arapaja, has alleged that the political understanding reached with sections of the Muslim community ahead of the 2023 general elections has not been respected in the ongoing succession debate in Oyo State.

Speaking on the state’s political development, Arapaja recalled participating in a delegation that visited the Muslim community at Adogba Mosque, Ibadan, when some Muslim groups were advocating for a Muslim governor. He said the appeal at the time was for Governor Seyi Makinde to be allowed to complete his constitutionally permitted two terms, noting that former Governor Abiola Ajimobi, who was also a Muslim, had similarly served for eight years.

According to Arapaja, the understanding was that following the completion of Makinde’s tenure, the governorship would be ceded to a Muslim candidate. He, however, expressed disappointment over what he described as a failure to honour that understanding when discussions over Makinde’s succession began.

Arapaja also criticised what he described as an attempt to retain political control through a preferred successor, saying Oyo State should not be subjected to the influence of any individual. “We all kicked against godfatherism. We cannot now allow anyone to turn himself into an emperor in Oyo State. The people must remain the ultimate owners of the state,” he said.

Speaking at the event, Hon. Remi Oseni assured constituents of his commitment to effective representation if elected, promising to build on his existing interventions. The programme organiser, Pastor Ayodele Eleko, thanked political leaders and supporters for attending and urged APC members to remain united ahead of the 2027 elections.

The 2023 All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sarafadeen Alli, has warned Governor Seyi Makinde against diverting the state’s N85 billion French loan facility to finance political activities ahead of the 2027 elections.

Alli urged the governor to ensure that the funds are used strictly for the purpose for which they were obtained, particularly projects aimed at improving healthcare infrastructure and services across the state.

The former lawmaker also called for transparency in the disbursement and utilisation of the loan, demanding that the state government make public details of the projects, contractors and procurement processes associated with the facility.

According to Alli, the people of Oyo State deserve to know how the funds are being spent, stressing that resources obtained in the name of development must not be diverted for political purposes.

He urged the Makinde administration to prioritise accountability and ensure that the French loan delivers measurable benefits to residents, particularly in the healthcare sector.

Veteran musicians including Ebenezer Obey, Kollington Ayinla and Abass Akande Obesere are set to celebrate Nigerian music legend King Sunny Ade as he clocks 80.

The celebration, tagged “Celebrating KSA @ 80,” is scheduled to take place on September 20 at Platinum Lounge Social Club, Abule Egba, Lagos.

The event is being organised by one of King Sunny Ade’s sons, Biodun Adeniyi Adegeye, popularly known as PSA1.

The celebration is expected to bring together several prominent figures from Nigeria’s golden era of music to honour King Sunny Ade’s remarkable career and contribution to the country’s entertainment industry.

The “Celebrating KSA @ 80” event will serve as a tribute to his enduring legacy and his immense contribution to Nigerian and African music.

King Sunny Ade, widely regarded as one of Nigeria’s most influential juju musicians, has enjoyed a career spanning several decades. His music helped take Nigerian juju to international audiences and established him as one of Africa’s most celebrated musical icons.