Oyo State Government has started airlifting intending Muslim pilgrims with the State Pilgrim Welfare’s Board (Muslim Wing) to the Holy Land of Saudi Arabia for the 2023 Hajj exercise as the first batch airlifted.
The First Batch who were airlifted on Thursday, aboard Aero Contractor Airline departed Muritala Muhammed International Airport, Lagos State to Medina, Saudi Arabia around 11:50pm.
The total number of the pilgrims airlifted is Four Hundred and Seventy-Five (475) comprises 236 male and 239 female.
Second batch of the intending pilgrims are expected to be airlifted on Friday and will be followed by third and fourth batches.
The Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, is currently bedridden in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital and is unable to sign official documents, top sources in the government revealed.
The Governor is in critical condition, and sources revealed he would be flown out of Nigeria for medicinal treatment. “All security agents and a few top politicians around were asked to put off their phones,” said sources.
Meanwhile, the governor according to the sources will hand over the affairs of the State over to his deputy.
“The governor of Ondo State, Rotimi Akeredolu has leukemia, he is really down,” one of the sources in the Alagbaka Government House had revealed at that time.
The family Court sitting in Iyaganku area of Ibadan, Oyo State has today remanded three boys for allegedly defiling a 13-year-old girl in Ibadan.
The culprits said to have been arrested following an intelligence report by ODUDUWA NEWS and made available to the Criminal Investigation Department of the Nigerian Police Force, Iyaganku, that a young teenage student was raped and was neglected by the whole community after the rape incident.
The case file was brought to the hearing of the Judge today at exactly 10am and subsequently referred the file to the Department of Public Prosecution DPP of Oyo State.
She thereafter ordered that the culprits be remanded at Abolongo Prison in Oyo Town pending the time that the Department of Public Prosecution will conclude with its legal advice.
The culprit identified as Abdulahi said to have perpetrated the dastardly act with two other accomplices at Alagogo, Ajibode Community, Akinyele Local Government.
The Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, has dispelled rumours that it devalued the Naira, describing the news as fake.
The CBN made the denial on Thursday in a statement by Isa AbdulMumin, CBN acting director, Corporate Communications.
The CBN was reacting to a viral news that it had devalued the Naira from about N465 to N630 to a dollar.
“The attention of the CBN has been drawn to a news report by Daily Trust Newspaper of June 1, titled “CBN Devalues Naira to 630/one dollar ”.
“We wish to state categorically that this news report, which in the imagination of the newspaper, is replete with outright falsehoods and destabilising innuendos,” he said.
According to Mr AbdulMumin, the report reflected the potentially willful ignorance of the media organisation as to the workings of the Nigerian Foreign Exchange Market.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the exchange rate at the Investors’ and Exporters’ (I&E) window traded this morning June 1, at N465/one dollar and has been stable around this rate for a while.
“The public is hereby advised to ignore the news report by Daily Trust in its entirety, as it is speculative and calculated at causing panic in the market.
“Media practitioners are advised to verify their facts from the CBN before publishing in order not to misinform the public,” he said.
The Oyo State House of Assembly has resolved at its Plenary today to refer the recommendations of the Committee on Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters on the removed Chairman of the Irepo Local Government, Sulaimon Lateef Adeniran (Santana).
The sacked Chairman of the Council was earlier suspended following the allegations of gross misconduct and anti party activities.
Recall, ODUDUWA NEWS had earlier reported how the sacked council chairman was alleged of anti-party activities by members of the Peoples Democratic Party PDP in the Local Government.
House in its resolution referred him to the Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency to investigate the alleged misappropriation and corruption leveled against him.
The House noted that the accused Chairman is removed from office in line with Section 21 of the Local Government Law, 2001as ammended.
It therefore directed the Vice Chairman to immediately assume the position of acting Chairman while the Leader of the House, Mr Busari Adegbenro is to fill the position of the acting Vice Chairman
The report found the Local Government Chairman culpable of allegations of diversion of public funds meant for the purchase of Toyota Camry 2016 model. Report said he purchased Lexus for his office without approval and also purchased substandard Toyota Corolla for the office of the Head of Local Government Administration.
Recall that the Chairman, Mr Lateef Sulaiman Adediran had earlier been indicted by the Office of the Auditor-General for Local Government in the State and the report of the special investigation was submitted to the House.
The House also directed the Executive Arm of Government through the Ministries of Local Government and Chieftancy Matters and Justice to ensure that Mr. Lateef Sulaiman Adediran refund a sum #4,616,800.00 to the coffers of Irepo Local being the difference between unreasonable #5.8m spent on replacement of covers of exercise books.
The leader of the Council Mutalubi Adigun whose account was credited with the sum of #2,676,000,00 as deduction of party dues from salaries of political office holders from February, 2022 to March, 2023 should immediately refund the sum of #2,676,000,00 to the coffers of the Peoples Democratic Party, Irepo Local and the evidence of payment be submitted the House within one week
Kayode Fayemi, former governor of Ekiti state, is under interrogation at the office of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
The ex-governor is at the zonal command of the anti-graft agency in Ilorin, Kwara state capital.
According to sources privy to the development, Fayemi arrived at the EFCC facility at about 10am on Thursday.
Operatives of the anti-graft agency, ODUDUWANEWS understands, are grilling the former governor over allegations of N4 billion misappropriation.
The probe is said to be connected to the handling of funds during his tenure as governor of Ekiti state.
Fayemi, a member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), was governor of the state from 2018 to 2022. He handed over to Biodun Oyebanji after the latter won the governorship election in June 2022.
The former governor had reportedly written the EFFC seeking to delay his invitation over the alleged misappropriation of funds.
The Ogun State Police Command has got a new Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola.
Odutola’s appointment followed the redeployment of the erstwhile spokesman of the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, to Oyo State.
Announcing his redeployment on Thursday, Oyeyemi appreciated newsmen for their support throughout his stay in office as the PPRO in Ogun State.
“You people made my job easier as i enjoyed the best of reportage from your various platforms. You people made me to be very popular beyond my own expectations,” he said.
Oyeyemi noted that there is time for everything, adding that, “it’s time for me to leave, as my service is needed elsewhere. Kindly extend the same cooperation to my successor.”
VOA News reports that the new Ogun PPRO, SP Odutola, a trained lawyer and a criminologist, enlisted into the Nigeria Police Force as a Cadet Assistant Superintendent of Police as a member of ASP Course 25, 2012.
Odutola has served at the Ondo State Police Command and was the first Public Relations Officer of the Maritime Command, Force Headquarters Annex, Kam Salem House, Obalende, Lagos.
An alumnus of Olabisi Onabanjo University, Ago Iwoye, Ogun State, Odutola is a member of several professional bodies which include the Nigeria Bar Association (NBA) and the Nigeria Institute of Public Relations (NIPR).
It was learnt that the residents of Ibadan area flee for safety as sporadic gunshots rented the air along Iwo road axis Wednesday evening.
In a report gathered from an anymonous source, members of the recently sacked PMS Chair’ fondly called Auxiliary on Wednesday evening resurfaced and stormed Iwo road to take back their parks after being sacked by Governor Seyi Makinde.
Reports have it that Auxiliary boys reportedly attack car drivers and residents around Wema, Iwo Road Ibadan.
The details of this incident is still sketchy as at the pressing time.
Governor Seyi Makinde, on Wednesday, approved the appointment of Miss Ololade Ajibola as the Senior Special Assistant (Special Duties); Alhaji Akeem Azeez as Personal Assistant (1); Mr. Samson Adejumo as Personal Assistant (2) and Mr. Isah Kabir as Principal Secretary to the Executive Governor.
This was contained in a statement signed by the Chief of Staff to the Governor, Otunba Segun Ogunwuyi.
According to the statement, the appointment is with immediate effect.
The governor, while congratulating the new appointees, asked them to see their appointments as a further call to service and urged them to discharge their duties with absolute loyalty, dedication and diligence.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited on Wednesday said it has adjusted pump prices of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as fuel or petrol, across their retail outlets, in line with current market realities.
The corporation made this known in a press statement signed by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba Deen Muhammad, and shared on its Twitter page.
The statement said, “NNPC Limited wishes to inform our esteemed customers that we have adjusted our pump prices of PMS across our retail outlets in line with current market realities.
“As we strive to provide you with the quality service for which we are known, it is pertinent to note that prices will continue to fluctuate to reflect market dynamics. We assure you that NNPC Limited is committed to ensuring a ceaseless supply of products.
“The company sincerely regrets any inconvenience this development may have caused. We greatly appreciate your continued patronage, support, and understanding during this time of change and growth.
