Oduduwa News

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde on Tuesday stirred controversy at the commissioning of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secretariat in Ibadan, where he openly described the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, as a “vagabond.” The governor said the Oyo PDP would not allow external forces to destabilise its structure or hijack its affairs.

Speaking before party leaders and supporters, Makinde used a Yoruba proverb to criticise individuals he described as disruptive elements within the party. He said such figures dominated the PDP after it lost federal power in 2015 and engaged in what he termed “vagabondry” for nearly a decade before being expelled from the party in 2025.

Makinde questioned Wike’s moral authority to intervene in PDP matters in Oyo State, asking what the former Rivers State governor had done to strengthen the party in his own state. He added that the Oyo PDP remains united, focused and determined to chart its own course without interference.

The governor also admitted that he was once aligned with Wike’s faction but said he had since distanced himself from that camp. He stressed that the PDP in Oyo State is now repositioned ahead of future elections, declaring that there is “no more vagabond” within the party as it moves forward.

At least three people were feared dead in a tragic road accident that occurred on Tuesday morning at Iwo Road, Ibadan. The incident involved a commercial Micra car that was crushed by a trailer after the heavy-duty vehicle reportedly suffered brake failure.

Granule Bank Launches in Bashorun, Ibadan, Strengthening Financial Access and Local Growth

Eyewitnesses said the trailer rammed into the Micra, causing extensive damage to the smaller vehicle and leaving it beyond repair. While three occupants of the Micra reportedly lost their lives, the driver of the trailer was said to have escaped from the scene.

Officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) promptly arrived at the location and cleared the wreckage to prevent traffic gridlock along the busy corridor. The victims were evacuated and taken to a nearby hospital.

Authorities have urged motorists, especially drivers of articulated vehicles, to ensure proper maintenance of their vehicles and adhere strictly to safety regulations to prevent avoidable accidents.

Ibadan, Oyo State — In a significant boost to grassroots banking and financial inclusion, Granule Microfinance Bank has officially commenced operations in Bashorun, Ibadan, with a strong commitment to empowering individuals, micro-entrepreneurs, and small businesses through accessible and innovative financial services.

Established to serve the underserved and unbanked segments of society, Granule Microfinance Bank is positioned to become a trusted financial partner for traders, artisans, farmers, salary earners, and small-scale enterprises within Ibadan and its environs. The bank offers tailored savings products, micro-credit facilities, and financial advisory services designed to stimulate economic activities at the community level.

Speaking on the vision behind the new institution, the management of Granule Microfinance Bank stated that the bank was founded on the belief that sustainable economic development begins with inclusive access to finance. “Granule Microfinance Bank is not just about banking; it is about building financial confidence, supporting livelihoods, and creating opportunities for growth,” the statement said.

The bank operates with a customer-centric approach, leveraging efficient service delivery, ethical banking practices, and compliance with regulatory standards set by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN). Its strategic location in Bashorun positions it to effectively serve both urban and peri-urban communities in Ibadan.

Granule Microfinance Bank also emphasizes financial literacy, encouraging responsible savings culture and prudent borrowing among its customers. By supporting small businesses with affordable credit, the bank aims to contribute meaningfully to job creation and economic resilience in Oyo State.

As Nigeria continues to pursue deeper financial inclusion, the entry of Granule Microfinance Bank into the microfinance landscape underscores the growing role of community-focused financial institutions in driving inclusive growth and development.

For more info visit: granulebank.ng, support@granulebank.ng or contact +23409134447452.

The United States Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced plans to deport no fewer than 79 convicted Nigerians listed on its “worst-of-the-worst” criminal immigrants register.

Findings by PUNCH Metro on the DHS website on Monday revealed that the individuals were convicted of serious offences ranging from fraud, drug trafficking and robbery to assault and manslaughter, among others.

According to DHS, the arrests were carried out as part of a sweeping crackdown on criminal immigrants by the United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

An accompanying statement on the DHS platform read:
“The U.S. Department of Homeland Security is highlighting the worst of the worst criminal aliens arrested by the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Under Secretary Noem’s leadership, the hardworking men and women of DHS and ICE are fulfilling President Trump’s promise by carrying out mass deportations, beginning with the most dangerous offenders.”

The list includes several Nigerians convicted across different states in the US, reflecting the administration’s intensified enforcement against undocumented and criminal immigrants.

The development comes amid renewed immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, which has triggered anxiety among immigrant communities. Saturday PUNCH had earlier reported that some Nigerians in the US have gone into hiding, while others are quietly returning home following the heightened deportation campaign.

Joy Osesanmi, a First Class graduate of Geophysics from Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, has attributed her academic success to deliberately locking herself out of social media to avoid distractions and stay focused on her studies.

She explained that excessive time spent on social media began to affect her concentration, prompting her to take the bold step of restricting access to the platforms, especially during examinations and intensive academic periods.

According to Osesanmi, the decision helped her regain valuable study time, improve discipline, and develop a consistent reading routine, despite the difficulty of staying disconnected in a digital-driven environment.

She emphasized that achieving a First Class degree requires intentional sacrifices, self-awareness, and prioritizing long-term goals over short-term pleasures, noting that social media will always be available after school.

Her story has inspired many students and drawn praise from education stakeholders, serving as a reminder that academic excellence is attainable through focus, discipline, and deliberate time management.

The Oyo State Government has approved the early closure of offices across all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) to enable public officers to fully participate in the grand finale marking the 50th anniversary of the creation of the state.

The directive was contained in a statement signed on Monday by the Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Musibau Adetunji Babatunde.

According to the statement, all state government offices are to close by 12:00 noon on Tuesday, February 3, 2026.
The approval was granted by Governor Seyi Makinde as part of preparations for the golden jubilee celebration, tagged Oyo@50.

Heads of MDAs have been directed to ensure strict compliance with the directive while making adequate arrangements for skeletal services in critical areas where necessary.

Prof. Babatunde urged that the information be given the widest publicity to ensure awareness and compliance across the state.

Nigeria’s Minister of Defence, Christopher Musa has said that the military officers arrested over an alleged foiled coup plot against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu were fully aware of the consequences of their actions and are prepared to face the law.
Speaking on the development, the minister stated that the 16 officers implicated in the plot—including a brigadier general and a colonel—“must have made up their minds” before engaging in what he described as a grave violation of military discipline and a direct threat to national security.

According to him, the Nigerian Armed Forces operate under strict codes of conduct, and any act capable of undermining constitutional order would be treated with utmost seriousness, regardless of the ranks of those involved.
The officers were arrested in October 2025, when the Defence Headquarters (DHQ) announced on October 4 that some personnel were under investigation for “acts of indiscipline and breaches of service regulations.” At the time, the DHQ did not disclose the full details surrounding the arrests.

However, on January 26, the DHQ confirmed that the arrests were connected to a foiled plot aimed at overthrowing President Tinubu’s administration, clarifying months of speculation surrounding the earlier announcement.

The defence minister stressed that the matter is being handled strictly within the confines of the law and military justice system, assuring Nigerians that due process will be followed. He added that the military remains loyal to the constitution and the democratically elected government.

The development comes amid renewed assurances from security authorities that Nigeria’s democracy is secure and that the armed forces remain professional, disciplined, and committed to defending the nation against both internal and external threats.

Says destruction is comparable to a financial sector collapse

The Foundation for Peace Professionals (PeacePro) has declared Nigeria’s agriculture sector to be in a deep structural crisis, warning that Nigerian farmers have lost nearly ₦5 trillion (approximately $4billion) in productive capital over the past two years due to policy induced price crashes, poor and misleading weather forecasts by the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NiMet), and severe market distortions.

In a statement issued by its Executive Director, Abdulrazaq Hamzat, PeacePro described the losses as direct agricultural capital destruction at the producer level, stressing that the estimate does not include secondary economic effects such as consumer inflation, GDP contraction, foreign exchange pressure, or security related costs.

“Those impacts come later. What has already happened is the liquidation of farmer capital,” PeacePro said.

According to the organization, Nigeria did not successfully “control food prices” in 2024–2025. Instead, a combination of poorly timed policy interventions, price suppression mechanisms, weak market coordination, and unreliable weather forecasting by NiMet forced farmers to sell produce below cost, wiping out the capital required to sustain future production cycles.

“This was not a market correction. It was a policy shock that transferred value away from producers,” the statement added.

While Nigeria has an estimated 38–40 million people engaged in agriculture, PeacePro clarified that the most severe damage was concentrated among market facing producers, not subsistence farmers, although subsistence farmers were also adversely affected, particularly by poor and misleading weather forecasts issued by NiMet.

The most affected group includes 6–8 million producers, small and medium scale commercial farmers, storage poor price taking producers, farmers engaged in grains, tubers, vegetables, and legumes.

These producers supply Nigeria’s urban and regional food markets.

Hamzat explained that repeated price collapses across two consecutive production cycles resulted in aggregate capital losses approaching ₦5 trillion, even under conservative assumptions.

PeacePro maintained that the scale of destruction is comparable to a financial sector collapse, with one critical difference, “This crisis did not happen in banks or stock markets.
It happened quietly, in farms and rural communities.”

Hamzat also cautioned that depleted farmer capital will inevitably lead to reduced planting in 2026, lower domestic food supply, higher future food prices, increased rural poverty and social instability.

PeacePro therefore urged Nigerian authorities to publicly acknowledge the scale of agricultural capital destruction and immediately shift policy away from short term price suppression toward producer protection, capital preservation, and market stability.

“No country can bankrupt its farmers and remain food secure and Nigeria will soon pay the price for policy decisions that treated farmers as shock absorbers for inflation, if not corrected on time”

The Court of Appeal in Ilorin, Kwara State, on Friday dismissed the appeals of five men convicted for the 2018 Offa bank robbery, upholding their death sentences.

The appellate court, in an unanimous verdict delivered by Justices Ridwan Maiwada Abdullahi, Gabriel Kolawole and Abdul Dogo, affirmed the judgement of the Kwara State High Court, which sentenced the convicts to death by hanging.

The five men – Niyi Ogundiran, Salawu Azeez, Ibikunle Ogunleye, Ayoade Akinnibosun and Adeola Adeola Abraham – were found guilty of armed robbery, culpable homicide and illegal possession of firearms in connection with coordinated attacks on five commercial banks in Offa Local Government Area in April 2018.

The Kwara State Director of Public Prosecution, Mohammed Akande, said the Court of Appeal saw no reason to interfere with the trial court’s judgement.

He said the appellants failed to establish any miscarriage of justice. The Court of Appeal agreed with the High Court that the prosecution proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and upheld the convictions.”

It would be recalled that Justice Haleemah Saleeman of the Kwara State High Court had handed down the death sentences after a six-year trial that drew nationwide attention.

Tax expert and Chairman of the Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, Taiwo Oyedele, has reiterated that every individual in Nigeria—employees inclusive—must file annual tax returns on or before March 31, as required by law.

Oyedele explained that the Personal Income Tax Act (PITA) mandates all taxable persons to submit a return of income to the relevant tax authority, regardless of whether their taxes are deducted at source through Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE). According to him, PAYE deductions do not replace the legal obligation to file annual returns.

He noted that filing tax returns helps authorities reconcile income declarations, confirm compliance, and improve the integrity of the tax system. “The law is clear: earning income in Nigeria comes with the responsibility to file a return. This applies to salaried workers, self-employed individuals, and others with taxable income,” Oyedele said.

Oyedele added that widespread compliance would strengthen government revenue without increasing tax rates, enabling better funding for public services and infrastructure. He warned that failure to file returns by the March 31 deadline could attract penalties and enforcement actions by tax authorities.

The tax expert urged Nigerians to seek guidance from licensed tax practitioners where necessary and to take advantage of digital filing platforms provided by state and federal tax agencies to meet the deadline set.