The Ogun State Police Command has initiated a manhunt for a hit-and-run driver who struck two pedestrians on the Benin-Sagamu Expressway, resulting in the death of 22-year-old Elizabeth James and serious injury to an unidentified male victim. The tragic incident occurred on Sunday at approximately 9:40 a.m. near a filling station in Sagamu.
According to eyewitness reports, the vehicle, which was traveling at high speed from the Ijebu-Ode area towards the interchange, hit the pedestrians as they waited for a commercial bus on the sidewalk. The driver fled the scene immediately after the accident.
A police document obtained on Monday detailed the accident: “There occurred a hit-and-run fatal pedestrian accident involving male and female victims. An unidentified vehicle rammed into the pedestrians, leaving them with varying degrees of injuries. Having realized what had happened, the suspected driver was said to have sped off.”
The victims were rushed to the hospital, but despite efforts to save her, Elizabeth James was pronounced dead upon arrival. Her body has been taken to the Fakoya Mortuary in Sagamu.
State Police Command spokesperson Omolola Odutola confirmed the incident and announced that an investigation is underway. “James was confirmed dead when they got to the hospital. Her corpse had been removed and deposited at the Fakoya Mortuary in Sagamu. Our men at the division have visited the scene of the accident. An investigation is underway,” she stated.
A landlord named Apeh Benjamin has been reported dead after a heated argument with his tenant in Aribabu village, Sotubo, Ogun State.
The argument was triggered by the tenant’s unpaid rent.
The tenant, simply identified as Emmanuel, had in the process, threatened to kill the landlord.
The Ogun State police command on Monday, said the landlord slumped and died at about 6:30 am on Sunday.
Omolola Odutola, the command’s spokesman, assured that investigations were on to ascertain the actual cause of the death.
“One Apeh Benjamin of Aribabu village, Sotubo Ogun State a landlord slumped, and died at about 0630hrs on 2nd of June, over a heated argument with one Emmanuel his tenant who threatened to kill his landlord, over indebted rent.
…..As W.O.R.K.S Feasts 100 Indigent Children in Iseyin
The Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Olawale Oyebola Adeyeri 111, Ajirotutu 1, has charged Nigerians to show genuine love to children from poor homes to create a just society.
The call was made on Sunday at the 2024 Children’s Day programme, organized by Women’s Organization for Resources, Knowledge & Skills (W.O.R.K.S) at the Aseyin’s palace in Iseyin, Oyo State.
The monarch said the absence of communal love for children that are orphaned or from less-privileged homes has led to a disorganized society, where the rich care only for their own children while the poor ones are forced into early marriage, illicit drugs consumption, child trafficking and criminal activities.
He advised that people should return to the old communal ways of caring for children from extended family whereby a privileged family member will sponsor sons and daughters of relatives to have good education and job opportunities.
“We now live in a society where everyone only cares for his or her own children, leaving the children of the less-privileged to suffer the consequences of global and national economic crises; this has led to these indigent children to be forced into early marriage, turned them into easy target for children trafficking, make them join bad gang to take illicit drugs and engage in criminalities.
“Why can’t we take on children of our relatives who have little or nothing to cater for their education and wellbeing? That is what used to be when our uncles who were teachers and earning averagely well would take into custody, children of their brothers and sisters that have little or nothing to send their children to school, it is what made many billionaires of today.
“If we continue to shut these indigent children out of opportunities, we are creating a horde of enemies for our own children that have every opportunity today; they will envy our children for having it all and hatred will grow. Therefore let us work towards having a just society,” Aseyin admonished.
The Founder of Women’s Organization for Resources, Knowledge & Skills (W.O.R.K.S), Mrs Titilayomi Ahmadu, who also is an indigene of the town charged the children to see the challenge of coming from poor homes as a leverage to strive more to achieve success in life.
She said the programme was meant to support the Oyo State government’s agenda to provide succor for children from less-privileged homes, adding that it will also extend to the entire Oke-Ogun region, whereby women and children would be given skills and other empowerment opportunities to overcome poverty.
Ahmadu said the organization also provides free sanitary towels for many female public school students annually around Nigeria, to mark the World Menstruation Day, calling on all girl children to live a hygienic life by using quality sanitary pads to ward off infections.
She urged philanthropists in Oke-Ogun area to join hands with the NGO to lift the standard of families in the zone.
Another indigene of Iseyin who took the children on health education session, Dr. (Mrs) Sinmisola Soyebo explained the importance of basic hygiene and need for the children to avoid drug abuse.
Highlights of the event include a tour of the palace by the children, quiz competition, dancing competition and distribution of special gifts, which was anchored by the wife of Aseyin of Iseyin, Olori Mariam Oyebola.
Fuel distribution, healthcare, banking, and other essential services across Nigeria will halt as labor unions begin an indefinite strike today over the minimum wage and increased electricity tariffs.
Despite the Federal Government’s warnings to the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) against the strike, calling it premature and illegal, efforts by top government officials to prevent it have failed. Various unions, including those in petroleum, banking, electricity, and education sectors, have mobilized their members for total compliance.
The labor centers had announced the strike following stalled negotiations on a new national minimum wage and unresolved electricity tariff hikes.
A woman, Omolara Oluwakemi, has been arrested for the murder of her husband, Seidu Jamiu.
It was gathered that the incident happened on Saturday night, June 1, 2024, in Akungba Akoko, Ondo State.
A source who spoke to newsmen said the suspect used a pestle to hit her husband on the head while he was fast asleep after she discovered he had a side-chick. The husband was rushed to the hospital but was pronounced dead on arrival.
Omolara was quickly arrested and is currently thinking about her actions as she wonders who will take care of their three children now that she’ll likely be jailed for murder. This incident is coming after the deceased bought a car for her and built her a house in Ondo State.
The quest of Ogun State to be an oil producing State would soon materialize as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), sets to begin oil and gas exploration in the Gateway State.
Stakeholders in the oil industry, including the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri, Managing Director, SHELL Petroleum Development Company Ltd, Mr. Osagie Okubor; Chief Executive, Nigeria Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Engr. Gbenga Komolafe and the Group Chief Executive Officer, NNPC Ltd, Mr Mele Kyari, stormed Ogun State on Friday on plans by the Federal Government to start oil exploration in the state.
They were received by Governor Dapo Abiodun and his Deputy, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele.
Hon. Lokpobiri, who spoke at the governor’s office, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta said Ogun State has always been part of the Dahomey Basin with prospect of having huge deposit of hyrdro-carbon.
The Minister said: “We decided that we are going to resume exploration in the different Basins; we decided to come to Ogun State to reassure the people that we have very high potential of discoveries here. Ogun has always been part of the Dahomey Basin and our presence underscore the seriousness the federal government attaches to the exploration activities that we want to carry out in Ogun State.”
Hon. Lokpobiri who added that oil and gas remain the quickest way to Nigeria’s economic prosperity, said his team is in the State in continuation of the campaign for exploration activities.
He said the visit was also to demonstrate the seriousness and commitment of the federal government to shore up its revenue through the oil and gas sector.
“Today we are here to tell the people of the federal government’s commitment to ensuring that we continue our campaign and exploration activities across the country. We are doing this exploration activities in several places across Nigeria and today we are in Ogun after which we will proceed to Sokoto State,” he added.
The Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited,(NNPCL) Mr. Mele kyari, while speaking, said Ogun State is blessed to be in the Dahomey Basin corridor with expected high deposit of oil, assuring that the corporation is coming back in ernest to commence exploration activities, even as he expressed the hope that oil would be found in commercial quantity.
In his remarks, the Executive Director, Nigerians Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, Mr. Genga Komolafe, said the coming of the team to Ogun State is to further demonstrate the commitment of the Federal Government to grow the oil reserves and enhanced federation revenue.
“We all understand that Nigeria is very prolific in oil and gas, but then there is still need to grow the reserves through exploration activities given our huge hyrdro-carbon as a bench mark,” he noted.
Komolafe informed that the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) makes provision for the funding of the development of the Frontier Basins, adding that in line with the commitment and the aspirations of the government, the Nigerian Petroleum Regulatory Commission is working in synergy with the NNPCL to leverage on the PIA to aggressively carry out oil exploration in the Dahomey Basin.
“The Dahomey Basin stretches up to Delta, Edo, Ogun and Ondo states. We intend to in the course of this exercise, cover all those states leveraging on the provision of Section 9, Subsection 4 of the PIA. This is good opportunity for the people of Ogun State and it would be complementary to the reforms and transformation initiatives of the governor. We want to congratulate the governor and the people for being the beneficiaries of this initiative,” Komolafe said.
Responding, Governor Abiodun said Ogun State is part of the OPLs 302,303 306, 307, saying the acreages present unique opportunities for the qualification as a Frontier Exploration State as defined in the PIA section 9.
He observed that the history and studies over the years allow any investment under the frontier exploration basin funding to not only realize the oil and gas potentials, but also acquire data that would aid Bitumen exploration and exploitation in Nigeria.
The country, Abiodun maintained holds the second largest resolves in the world of 42,b tons, adding that a lot of studies have shown the potential of the basins, which brings Ogun State to the fore and projecting it towards becoming a beneficiary to achieve commercial success and derive economic benefits from exploration and production within a minimum time schedule.
“It is noteworthy that this is a region of the country that provides ease of access, low entry and operating costs, a safe and welcoming community and a very active state government support and participation.
“Ogun State therefore presents some unique opportunities towards the realization of the full intentions of the PIA section 9 on frontier exploration as it will contribute to guarantee additional petroleum production of additional petroleum products for the country and afford more supply to potential refineries in the area.
“As a low hanging result, this area also presents the opportunity for Bitumen extraction, thereby reducing import dependency and bringing with its savings in foreign exchange expenditure on this single line item,” governor said.
In a bid to strengthen security in all nooks and crannies of the State, the Governor of Oyo State, Engr Seyi Makinde has approved a fresh recruitment of able bodied local hunters and others into Oyo State Amotekun Corps as members of Amotekun Forest Rangers.
Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd) State Commandant, Oyo Amotekun in a statement said interested applicants are to register on https://www.jobportal.oyostate.gov.ng/ He added that the online registration portal will open with effect from Saturday, 1st June 2024 and closed on 30th June 2024.
According to the statement, all application forms MUST carry Registration Number at the Top Left with AMOD prefix.
“Interested applicants who are between the ages 25 and 50 years, medically and physically fits with no criminal records or an Ex convicts are advised to seized the opportunity to register online.”
“All successful applicants are to be deployed as Amotekun Forest Guards. Therefore, they are to work in the State vulnerable forest areas to secure life and properties of citizens, prevent unauthorised economic activities as well as other illegal criminal activities within the State forest resources.”
“Applicants are advised to print out completed online forms on successful submission. They are to use ONLY recognised Government Hospital facilties for their medical test, signed by a competent Medical Officer in such facilities. The guarantor’s form Must be endorsed by the relevant traditional leaders and elected Local Government Chairpersons of the applicants. All print out copies of applicant’s forms MUST be duly endorsed by the Commissioner of Oath in any competent law Court.”
“The agency therefore enjoined all applicants to adhered to this instructions so as not to lead to outright disqualification of such applicants. Applicants are to report to designated screening centres at a date to be announced later with their duly completed and signed forms.
All dismissed Oyo Amotekun operatives are exempted from applying
