Author: oduduwanews

Tragedy struck across the country in the span of five days as stampedes during food distribution campaigns claimed scores of lives and left many injured. The incidents, which occurred in Ibadan, Oyo State; Okija in Anambra State; and the nation’s capital, Abuja, have highlighted the harsh realities of growing hunger and systemic failures in Nigeria.

The most recent tragedies took place on Saturday morning during events organized to distribute food to vulnerable communities. In Abuja alone, reports indicate that at least ten individuals lost their lives, with several others sustaining injuries. Similar chaotic scenes played out earlier in the week in other parts of the country, underscoring the desperation faced by many Nigerians in their quest for survival.

Reacting to the heartbreaking events, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s (LP) presidential candidate in the 2023 general election, expressed deep sorrow and concern. “I am deeply saddened and distressed by the tragic loss of lives in desperate searches for food,” Obi wrote on his official X account on Saturday afternoon.

The former governor of Anambra State noted that while the organizers of these food distribution campaigns had noble intentions, the incidents underscored systemic issues plaguing the nation. “While I will not cast blame, but instead appreciate the organizers of these respective events for their kind gestures in providing palliatives and support to society, especially the poor, these tragedies reflect the systemic failures that plague our society,” he said.

Obi linked the stampedes to the severe economic challenges currently affecting Nigerians, pointing to the desperation of individuals in their struggle for basic sustenance. “The desperate quest for survival in these harsh economic times has driven our people to extremes in their search for food, often at the cost of their lives,” he added.

The string of stampedes has reignited calls for comprehensive solutions to address poverty, hunger, and the widening inequality in Nigeria. Observers argue that systemic reforms, better coordination in the distribution of aid, and enhanced social welfare programs are urgently needed to prevent further tragedies.

For many, the images of chaos and loss from these events are a stark reminder of the deep socio-economic divides that persist in the country. As the nation mourns the lives lost, the spotlight turns to leaders and policymakers to find sustainable ways to address the root causes of such desperation.

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has declared that the new Alaafin will be installed once the aggrieved parties resolve the lingering crisis and withdraw their litigations.

Makinde said this while answering questions from Journalists in the recently concluded media chat.

Makinde said the delay in installing new Alaafin is caused by some unscrupulous people who are hellbent in bastardizing the selection process of the highly revered stool.

“They have gone to Court and I can only advise the interested parties to sheathe their swords and settle lingering issues amicably for the sake of peace to reign.

“Alaafin stool is very important in Yorubaland. The selection process is tainted with corruption as stakeholders need to withdraw their cases from court. They should also allow the kingmakers do their job without hinderance.

“The only thing I will not allow is to taint the highly revered stool of Alaafin with corruption. It is a sacred stool that needs to be properly guided and protected from being dragged into the mud”.

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has reiterated his position not to support old people as the governorship aspirants in 2027 general elections.

He made the disclosure known today while answering questions from Journalists in an ongoing media chat.

Makinde while speaking in a media chat said, while he was struggling to become the Governor, some political gladiators in the State said he was too young for Agodi seat and against all odds he was eventually given the mandate by the people of the State.

Makinde said, “Oyo State needs a very bright mind to steer the affairs of the State to the promised land against the archaic belief that political leadership must be rotated within the circle of old folks.

“I am not going to support any candidate that is not visionary. Any candidate older than me or closer to 70 years of age should not even bother to seek my support and I am only going to support a candidate that is not too old”.

No fewer than four persons lost their lives in Ore, Odigbo local government Area of Ondo State when they were crushed by a truck on Thursday.

According to information reaching Oduduwa News, the victims were three police officers and a female suspect.

It was also gathered that the officers who lost their lives were part of the Monitoring Units of the State Police Command and they were said to have left Akure, the state capital, to make an arrest in the area.

An eyewitness, who narrated how the incident happened, told Leadership that the truck lost control while descending Ore Bridge, and rammed into a Police vehicle, killing the Policemen inside their own vehicle.

It was also gathered that the three policemen and a female suspect died on the spot while another police officer who was seriously injured was rushed to an undisclosed hospital.

When contacted, the Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, confirmed the incident.

Odunlami-Omisanya disclosed that the Command has launched an investigation to unravel what led to the incident.

The Oyo State Government on Thursday through the Taskforce Team of the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA) on Thursday apprehended a number of cows grazing along the fence of the Oyo State Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The cows which were nine in number, grazing openly by the motorcycle park otherwise known as ‘Okada’ park beside the Secretariat gate, were closely monitored and captured thereafter.

The OYRLEA taskforce noting the violation as environmentally and agriculturally related immediately called the attention of the Oyo State Ministry of Agriculture and an official report was made to the State’s Parliament Police Division, Secretariat Agodi in the Secretariat.

Additional personnel were deployed and the cows were taken to the Ministry of Agriculture.

Speaking on the offence as tantamount to the extant laws on anti-open grazing of 2019, as established by the State, the Chairperson, Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority, Hon. Justice Aderonke Aderemi ordered for the prosecution of the offender without further delay.

Sitting at the Tribunal on the charge number OYRLEA/19/12/2024 which is held at the Ministry of Environment the same day, N.Y. Aderibigbe, the prosecuting counsel levied a four count charge on the offender, drawn from the anti-open grazing law of Oyo State, 2019.

The offender, Nurudeen Semiu on arraignment acceded to the first two of the charges and pleaded not guilty on others.

At the end of the trial, the presiding officer, Barrister Kunle Abimbola pronounced judgement as it relates to open rearing count charges and the option of #1,700,000 fine or five years imprisonment was admitted on the offender.

A fire incident has claimed the lives of a husband, his wife, and their grandson which affected a storey building at Ori-Eru, Idikan area of Ibadan.

According to reports, the fire incident occurred in the early hours of Friday.

Mr Yemi Akinyinka, General Manager of Oyo State Fire Services Agency, made this known in a statement made available to newsmen on Friday in Ibadan.

Akinyinka said the personnel of the agency received a distress call about the incident through a call made by one Hassan at exactly 3:46 am on Friday and immediately deployed personnel to the scene.

“On arrival, we met an upper floor of a residential storey building of six rooms well alight and we swiftly swung into action and the fire was completely extinguished,” he told NAN.

The general manager said three persons made up of a husband, his wife, and their grandson lost their lives in the fire incident while five persons were rescued alive from the building.

According to him, the ground floor of the building and other nearby properties were saved from the inferno.“From our investigation, we discovered that in their attempt to keep their house warm because of the cold weather they resulted to use naked fire which result to fire disaster after they had slept off,” he said.

Akinyinka said that a team of Policemen led by CSP Olaniyan Jibola from Mapo Division and that of Amotekun led by Mr Gbenga Akinyemi from North West Division were on the ground to prevent break down of law and order.

Dele Farotimi has been granted bail by the Magistrate Court in Ekiti on the following conditions:

30 million naira bail sum.

Two sureties, who are responsible citizens in the society.

Defendant shall drop his international passport with the court. The defendant shall not grant interview during the pendency of the case.

Details later.

Ogun State Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has called on security agencies to design and deploy workable strategies that would ensure adequate protection of lives and property during this Christmas period.

The governor made the call when he received the new Commissioner of Police, Ogun State Command, Mr. Lanre Ogunlowo, who paid him a courtesy call in his office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.

Abiodun commended the security agencies for ensuring peace and tranquillity, noting, however, that unscrupulous people are bound to take advantage of the period to cause security breaches in the state.

He said: “As we approach the yuletide period, we all know that this period comes with its challenges. Those who are bent on carrying out nefarious activities, the get-rich-quick schemes, will also get a bit desperate, so I want to admonish you to please develop or design strategies to ensure that this yuletide period is peaceful for everyone, allowing us to celebrate and enjoy with our eyes closed and not have to worry about the breakdown of law and order.

“I want to enjoin your colleagues to please join hands with you the way they had cooperated with your predecessor so that together we can continue to build the future of Ogun State to achieve the future of our dreams.”

Abiodun said the state is unique in terms of geographical location as it shares borders with four states and an international border, noting that this has brought about an influx of people to work and attend educational institutions, thereby raising numerous security concerns for the government.

The Governor, while informing the new State police chief about the steps taken to secure the State and its people, said his administration reinvigorated the State Security Trust Fund to provide modern equipment and logistics to the security agencies, noting that this has helped make Ogun one of the most peaceful states in the country.

He emphasized the importance of inter-agency synergy, which he said has contributed to the peace being enjoyed in the state.

Prince Abiodun maintained that the State’s position as number three in Internally Generated Revenue would not have been possible in an atmosphere of insecurity.

“Like they say, you cannot have any socio-economic development in an atmosphere of insecurity. You can build all the roads, all the airports and seaports, but if there is an atmosphere of insecurity, or even if there is a perception of insecurity, nobody will come to that State,” the governor noted.

The governor pointed out the issue of cultism, which is prevalent in some parts of the state, urging the new police chief to liaise with his colleagues from other agencies to find a final solution to it.

Governor Abiodun commended the Inspector General of Police (IGP) for deploying a highly intelligent and professionally sound officer to the state and equipping him with two Armoured Personnel Carriers, adding that the new CP’s practical training and qualifications have prepared him for the position.

“I want to thank the Inspector General of Police who has found you worthy of this deployment. I want to thank him because he remains one of our proud illustrious sons who has not let us down. Ogun State is known for exporting such human capital, and he is one of those we exported to the federal government, and he is up to our expectations,” he added.

While pledging to do all it takes to keep the State peaceful, the State helmsman assured that his administration would continue to support the State Police Command and other security agencies to maintain peace and order across the State at all times.

Speaking earlier, the new Commissioner of Police, Mr. Lanre Ogunlowo, said he is in the State to add value to what he met on the ground, assuring that with the support of the state government, cooperation from sister security agencies, and the additional Armoured Personnel Carriers given by the Inspector General of Police, he would work to secure the people and gain their trust.

“I had the privilege of working in the tactical intelligence unit of the Nigeria Police Force in the past, and I have a good understanding of the situation regarding cultism. As I mentioned when the governor was speaking to me, the Inspector General of Police graciously approved logistics, including Armoured Personnel Carriers (APCs), for Ogun State when I was coming. They would soon be here.

“I have a good team on the ground. As I said, I will improve on what I met on the ground. Before I left yesterday, I had a conversation with our anti-cultism unit, and we have some strategies in place.

“What I can assure you is that we will do all that is needed to address this issue, especially at a time like this. We will engage all stakeholders; we know we can’t do it alone, but we’ve got the wherewithal to deal with it,” he said.

Ogunlowo pleaded with the people to support the police and other security agencies in achieving their mandates, adding, “Let’s enjoy the season, let’s be careful, let’s respect the rights of others. We want peace; criminals should stay away and let the people of Ogun State enjoy the moment. We will be on the ground for that.”

NDLEA Destroys Six-Hectare Hemp Farm in Ogun, Arrests FourThe National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Ogun Command, has successfully destroyed a six-hectare hemp farmland in Alaka village, Ogun.

The agency’s state commandant, Mr Tijani Rabe, revealed the tactical operation at a news conference organised in Abeokuta on Thursday while presenting the agency’s 2024 scorecard.

Rabe said four persons were arrested and being investigated in connection with the hemp farming.He said the command also recorded other significant success stories in its efforts to curb the hard drug trade.

According to him, the command arrested 675 drug offenders with 9.7 tons and 537.81 litres of liquid-base illicit drugs.He said the command’s special operation, “Operation Closed Gates”, arrested a person with a seizure of 100 bags of hemp, weighing 1.3 tons, in November.

“Operation Closed Gates was launched as part of our Yuletide initiative and has been a resounding success. It targeted drug merchants and syndicates, sealing all entry roads into the state,” he said.

He said the command intensified sensitisation and advocacy initiatives by conducting lectures and programmes in schools, communities, and workplaces to educate the public about the dangers of drug abuse.“In the year under review, the command conducted 128 sensitisation programmes in institutions.

Through this sensitisation programmes, about 27,648 people were impacted,” he said.Rabe further said the agency secured 221 convictions and sentences to various terms of imprisonment against drug offenders.“Many cases are also at various stages of prosecution,” he said.

President Bola Tinubu has expressed deep sorrow over the tragic incident at the Children’s FunFair in Ibadan, which claimed lives and left many injured.

In a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, the president directed relevant authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.

Tinubu stressed the importance of identifying whether negligence or intentional actions played a role, ensuring transparency and accountability throughout the process.

He also called on the Oyo State Government to implement measures to prevent a recurrence of such incidents.