In Iwo, Osun State, a five-year-old girl was found abandoned by the Oba River. The Osun State government has rescued her and currently in the custody of the government.
According to a statement by the government’s Coordinating Director for the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Affairs, Mr. Jide Falade, the ministry was informed about the girl’s desertion and was given care of her.
He claimed that on September 29,2022, “a decent samaritan reported the situation to the Ministry.
“All efforts by the Ministry and the Police to identify the mother’s relatives had failed.”
Police has begun investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding the incident.
The Court of Appeal sitting in Abuja yesterday had reserved till Wednesday ruling on an application seeking to strike out or dismiss an appeal filed by Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu against the judgment of the Federal High Court, Abeokuta, delivered on the 27th of September, 2022, which sacked him and ordered a fresh governorship primary election.
It would be recalled that some people filed a suit challenging the party’s primaries which birthed a judgement delivered by Justice O.O.Oguntoyinbo asking that the PDP to conduct a fresh primary within a stipulated period of 14 days. Another case was instituted by Hon. Segun Seriki against the Party claiming that he was denied participation in the primary elections.
The High Court sitting in Ogun State on 27th September, 2022, ordered that a fresh primary be conducted to cater for all interest groups in the party which led to a temporary stepped down of all the PDP Candidates in Ogun State by INEC ahead of 2023 elections.
The crisis rocking the PDP in Ogun State has been lingering for a long period of time and has caused several setback for the progress of the party.
Arise TV has accepted and paid the N2million fine slammed on it by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for airing a fake news on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The TV station ran a story that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was investigating Tinubu over a court case in the US, a claim which was later denied by the electoral body.
This caused the NBC to slam a fine of N2million on the TV station for breach of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
In a letter to the Director General of the NBC, Balarabe Ilelah by Arise TV General Counsel and Legal Adviser Ebunoluwa Awosika, the station said it accepted the fine for its error.
It also said all erring officers had already been punished, while also attaching the evidence of the payment of the N2million fine.
“We are in receipt of your letter on the Breach of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code dated 13th of November 2022 but delivered to us today the 14th of November 2022 at midday. There is no excuse for such professional glitch. The purported press release aired in error on Saturday the 12th of November 2022 should not have been aired and it was gross negligence that it was allowed to air. In realizing the error, the Managing Editor immediately withdrew the content and issued an unreserved apology for the unfortunate incident.
“At Arise News Channel, we have the highest standards of professional conduct, ethics, and excellence with a painstaking process for news verification and authentication. This process was breached last Saturday when most editorial personnel were not on duty. The Ombudsman of the Arise News Channel was called in by the Board to investigate the breach and appropriate sanctions have been meted out to all concerned, including the suspension of a Deputy Director of News, for flouting our very stringent news gathering and broadcasting process.
“At Arise News Channel, we have zero tolerance for unverified reports and we assure you and our audiences that we have reviewed and tightened all the processes through which the error slipped through on a weekend.
“We take no sides with any political party or candidate and will continue to give equal access and coverage to all contestants.
“Please find attached, a bank draft for ₦2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) in fulfilment of your sanction.
“We will continue to work with you to uphold all standards of professional excellence in journalism and broadcasting for the greater good of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the letter read.
Team Oyo has finished third in the Traditional Ayo Board Game at the just concluded 2022 National Arts and Culture Festival in Lagos, Nigeria.
The artistes also finished 4th position in Indigenous fabrics fashion and 5th place in Children Arts and Crafts at the competition.
The delegation saved their best for the last as the final day saw the team win the most disciplined delegation at the just concluded festival.
Speaking at the closing ceremony at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, who led the delegation said “it was a beauty to behold as our team displayed their indigenous arts and culture during the week long 35th edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) hosted by Lagos State in collaboration with the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC)”.
“They demonstrated the beauty of our culture and on behalf of H.E., Engr Seyi Makinde, I congratulate them for representing us well,” he said.
On the State Government’s entourage were the S/A to the governor on tourism and culture, Mr. Akeem Ige; Chairman board of culture and tourism, Elder Adejumobi; Vice chairman board of culture and tourism, Alh Abass Oloko; member of the board Serah Sobowale and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Culture and tourism, Mr. Oye Oyedele among others.
As part of his administration’s efforts to continuously set a novel pace for socioeconomic sustainability and prosperity, Governor Adegboyega Oyetola of Osun on Monday inaugurated a multimillion naira ultramodern mall in Osogbo, the State capital.
The newly-inaugurated Mall was aimed at further extending the empowerment opportunities to the people and improve on their socioeconomic development.
This is even as Governor Oyetola reaffirmed that his administration would not relent in its efforts at setting a pace for others by continuously putting Osun on a budding and sustainable socioeconomic pedestal.
According to the governor, the concept of the project was first passed to for consideration and approval in August 2020 by the management of Omoluabi Holdings Limited. And that by last year, the foundation ceremony was flagged off, with a charge on the Omoluabi Holdings Limited to ensuring completion in record time.
While commending Omoluabi Holdings Limited for ensuring timely completion of the project, the governor said the mall was originally planned to be four blocks of One Hundred and Seventy Six (176) lockup shops and that additional eighteen smaller shops were introduced during the construction period to maximise the available space and business opportunities of the project.
Inaugurating the newly-completed Mall, Governor Oyetola, noted that giving empowerment and credit opportunities for the people to develop was part of his government’s Development Agenda, which was conceived to unleash development across sectors.
He said his administration has been faithful to the people-oriented policy, extending credit facilities to the people, especially women and the youth and collaborating with the Federal Government and other partners to provide social investment to the people.
He stated further that his government has been building the entrepreneurial skills of the youth, giving them monetary and other incentives to start small scale businesses and giving agricultural implements to the farmers to increase their produce.
“We have also rehabilitated and constructed over 500 kilometre roads to serve as a catalyst to the afore-mentioned programmes and to generally boost socioeconomic development in the State.
“Providing empowerment opportunities throughout our four years in government is an evidence of our commitment to giving the better life to our people and putting the State on a budding and sustainable socioeconomic pedestal.
“Government will continue to provide business and entrepreneurial opportunities until the last person is empowered in the State.
“It is our hope that all the beneficiaries will take advantage of our numerous business and credit programmes to improve their personal finance and the economy of the State.
“I urge you all to make judicious use of the mall facilities and to bring your business and entrepreneurial skills to bear on your respective endeavours in a manner that will catapult you from small business owners to big enterprises. Let me advise you all to take advantage of cooperative societies to grow and improve your businesses.
“I take this opportunity to commend the management and staff of Omoluabi Holdings Limited for their efforts and absolute commitment to ensuring the timely completion of the impressive shopping facilities to the benefit of the general citizens of our dear State and also the Osogbo branch of Unity Bank Plc for providing the required finance for the project”, he added.
Earlier in his welcome address, the Managing Director, Omoluabi Holdings Limited, Dr. Tunde Faleye, said the successful completion of the Mall has further given credence to the fact that Oyetola’s administration was noted for project development and people- oriented programmes.
He said the project was one of the many great achievements of the company under the leadership of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola as manifested in the successful implementation of myriad people-centred policies over the years.
Faleye said the purpose of the newly-inaugurated Mall was to stimulate the socio-economic activities in the State by creating business opportunities for the people and improve their standard of living.
According to him, the location of the Mall at the heart of commercial activity in the State is an added advantage to shop outlet occupants because of the high level of exposure and publicity which in turn guarantees high patronage.
“I am particularly filled with joy, fulfilment and satisfaction to be witnessing the inaugurating of this mall, which was nothing but a vision conceived three years ago. I would like to enjoin our clients to see the assigned space as personal property and maintain it as such”, he added.
In his remarks, the Commissioner for Finance, Hon. Bola Oyebamiji, described the project as a futuristic legacy targeted at transforming the socio-economic activities in the capital city, and as well impact tremendously on the lives of the people of the State.
The Presidential Campaign Council of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has petitioned the National Broadcasting Commission, asking for sanctions against Arise News and Channels TV over their fake reports on the APC Presidential Candidate Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
In a petition signed by the Special Adviser, Media, Communications and Public Affairs of the PCC, Mr. Dele Alake, which was addressed to the Director-General, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah both television stations were accused of breaching broadcast codes with their actions.
According the Alake, the purported indictment against Asiwaju Tinubu as reported and discussed on Arise News and Channels TV had already been cleared in a correspondence between then Inspector General of Police Tafa Balogun and the US government.
The PCC said continued broadcast of a non-existing ‘indictment’ violated the NBC code.
“The case in question, which did not indict our candidate, has since been overtaken by events after interrogation and correspondences between the then Inspector General of Police, Tafa Balogun in 2003 and the United States government. The US Justice Department in a letter dated 4th February, 2003, issued by the Lagos Consulate of the United States Embassy cleared our candidate. The letter was signed by Michael Bonner, the Consulate’s legal attache.
“The Campaign Council was therefore surprised that certain media houses, such as ARISE News and Channels TV among others, went ahead to transmit and broadcast issues purportedly indicting our candidate in violation of section 3,3 I of the Code which says that:
“The Broadcaster shall
(a) Ensure that any information given in a programme in whatever form is accurate’,
“We believe that the operators of the stations, by their professional standing, should have access to research platforms to verify information before dishing it to the public,” the petition read.
It further accused both stations of using the already cleared document in their interviews of Festus Keyamo SAN and spokesman of the opposition PDP respectively.
Both stations, the petition said, went further to broadcast a fake letter in circulation, purportedly issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission, stating that the electoral body was investigating Tinubu.
This was also against the NBC code, which forbids broadcasting fake news in the words of Mr. Alake.
“Notwithstanding the broadcast of the falsehood peddled by opposition elements, ARISE TV and Channels TV went ahead to transmit and circulate a fake letter insinuating that the Independent National Electoral Commission has initiated an investigation of the APC Presidential candidate premised on the fake letter in circulation.
“Section 5.1.2 states that ‘The Broadcaster shall present news as factual and in correct and fair manner without (a) Distortion, Exaggerations or Misrepresentation.
“Section 5.1.3 further states that ‘Fake News is prohibited’. “The fake INEC letter has been proven to be fake and this breach is tantamount to disinformation.”
The APC Presidential Campaign Council listed other infractions against Arise TV which has been known to carry fake reports against Asiwaju Tinubu.
“Arise TV has admitted guilt to this in a broadcast few days ago. We make bold to say that in 2014 the AIT transmitted a TV documentary “The Lion of Bourdillon” to which the NBC sanctioned it and it apologized to the victim.
“However, only last week Chief Bode George, a chieftain of the PDP in an interview on Arise TV referred to materials from the documentary to vilify our Presidential candidate in breach of the Code and the apology granted the victim.
“These breaches attract a sanction of Class B and we implore the National Broadcasting Commission to invoke the aforementioned sections to penalize ARISE TV and Channels TV for breach of the Broadcast code. Section 5.3.3 of the code states that “The Broadcaster shall (b) in using Political materials for News and current Affairs Programmes avoid hate speech, inflammatory, Derogatory and Divisive remarks or Allusions’.”
The party said the events “vilified and denigrated” Asiwaju Tinubu as an indicted offender and law breaker in the US”.
As a matter of seeking justice for the APC presidential candidate, the PCC is asking the NBC to invoke the appropriate sanctions against the offending television stations.
“Our Presidential candidate was vilified and denigrated as an indicted offender and law breaker in the US court case by ARISE TV and Channels TV during their broadcasts in the last week, such as The Morning Show and Politics Today respectively.
“Section 3.1.2 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code also states that- ‘The Broadcaster shall not transmit any programme, programme promotion, community service announcement or station identity which is likely in any circumstance to provoke or perpetuate in a reasonable person intense dislike, serious contempt or severe ridicule against a person or groups of people..
“For the effect of reference of powers to sanction erring broadcasters, The Code states in Chapter One, Section 1.1 (h) ‘The Power to establish and disseminate the code is derived from the provisions of Section 2 (1) (h) of the NBC Act, which is its enabling law.
“We hereby request the National Broadcasting Commission to sanction the offending Stations in the name of justice and in protection of the rights of our candidate as well as avoidance of future reoccurrence,” Alake said in the petition.
Bayo Onanuga Director, Media & Publicity Tinubu-Shettima Presidential Campaign Council November 14, 2022
Ten days after he was declared wanted, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have arrested fleeing Lagos socialite and owner of Adekaz Hotels, Alhaji Ademola Afolabi Kazeem (a.k.a Alhaji Abdallah Kazeem Muhammed) over offences bordering on exportation and trafficking of illicit drugs as well as money laundering.
The Agency had on Tuesday 1st November declared the suspect wanted following his failure to honour NDLEA invitations and an order granted by a Federal High Court in Lagos. The wanted drug kingpin was uncovered as the sponsor of some traffickers arrested by the anti-narcotics agency in their recent attempt to export cocaine to Dubai, UAE and other destinations outside Nigeria.
The search for him however paid off on Thursday 10th Nov when he was successfully taken into custody where he is currently being interviewed. His lid was blown open after the arrest of one of his mules, Bolujoko Muyiwa Babalola, a Lagos BRT driver on 27th June at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport, MMIA, Ikeja, when he named Alhaji Ademola Kazeem, alias Adekaz as the owner of the 900grams of cocaine he ingested. Following Adekazs failure to honour invitations sent to him, the Agency approached a Federal High Court in Lagos with three prayers: to attach and seal his identified properties in choice areas of Lagos island and Ibadan; declare him wanted and block his bank account with a cash balance of Two Hundred and Seventeen Million Naira (N217,000,000.00), all of which were granted.
In a related development, NDLEA operatives also arrested a businesswoman, Okefun Darlington Chisom over her links with two Pakistanis: Asif Muhammed, 45 and Hussain Naveed, 57, arrested at the Lagos airport with 8 kilograms of cocaine concealed in a sound system while attempting to board a Qatar Airways flight to Lahole, Pakistan via Doha on Saturday 5th Nov.
An automobile parts dealer, Omeje Oliver (a.k.a David Mark) who was arrested on Monday 31st October in Enugu where he fled to after abandoning his business at Aspanda, Trade Fair Complex Lagos since 16th April in connection with the seizure of 600 grams of heroin concealed inside soles of ladys footwears going to Liberia, has been linked to another drug seizure. A further look at the Agencys database reveals Omeje was also involved in a case of 1.580kg Methamphetamine that was seized from one Victor Nwobodo Friday, who was arrested at the MMIA during his aborted trip to Jakarta, Indonesia on February 6, 2018. Charges have been filed against the suspect at the Federal High Court Lagos in respect of the old seizure in addition to that of the recent one.
Meanwhile, NDLEA operatives attached to the SAHCO import shed of the MMIA Lagos have intercepted another consignment of Tramadol from Karachi, Pakistan. A total of 6 cartons comprising 497,900 tablets of Royal Tramaking brand of Tramadol 225mg with a gross weight of 304.90 kilograms were recovered after a joint examination by stakeholders on Friday 11th Nov.
Operatives in Ogun state in the early hours of Saturday 12th Nov raided a warehouse at Ogere area of Ikene LGA where they seized 273 jumbo bags of cannabis sativa weighing 3,533 kilograms (3.533tons) from a couple, Mr. and Mrs. Jesutofunmi Solomon. This came on the heels of the seizure of 176kgs of C/S at Ogere trailer park on Wednesday 9th Nov and the destruction of 15 hectares of cannabis plantation in Gbamgbam area of the state.
In the same vein, operatives in Osun state have raided a cannabis plantation at Obada sawmill, Owena Ijesa in Oriade LGA where they destroyed 1.2hectares, recovered 2,823kgs of processed C/S and arrested 13 suspects on Sunday 6th November.
In Ondo, operatives seized 78kgs of cannabis from a dealer, Beauty Godwin at Ofosu along Benin-Ore express road, and another 264kgs from Abdul Rasheed Mohammed, and Abdul Rasheed Haruna at Sanusi camp 2 in Owo, while in Rivers state, anti-narcotics officers of the Agency arrested Damion Onuoha during a raid at Elele Alimini community, Emuoha LGA, where he was found with 1.6kgs of Methamphetamine as well as monetary exhibit amounting to six hundred and fifty thousand, seven hundred naira (N650,700.00). A joint operation with the military at Habour road, Port Harcourt City also led to the arrest of Sandra David and seizure of different quantities of cocaine and heroin as well as two million, fifty five thousand, seven hundred and fifty naira (N2,055,750.00) cash exhibit from her home.
In Edo state, operatives located and destroyed 10 clusters of cannabis sativa farms measuring 14 hectares at Igwalor forest, Uhunmwonde LGA where five bags of processed C/S weighing 47.7kgs were recovered, while a raid at Obadan village, in the same LGA also led to the recovery 11 bags of cannabis sativa seeds weighing 399kgs and 34 bags of processed substance weighing 431kgs, bringing the total weight to 830kgs. Two suspects: Enododia Sunday and Osayaba Paul were arrested at the scene.
While commending the officers and men of the MMIA, Ogun, Osun, Ondo, Rivers and Edo Commands of the Agency for the successful operations in the past week, Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd), CON, OFR urged them and their counterparts across the country to intensify the heat on drug barons and cartels.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is set to embark on a one-day nationwide protest rally over the implementation by the Federal Government of a “no-work, no-pay” policy for lecturers in the country.
The protest will be organised at the branch level of the union across public university campuses nationwide and it will take place as a free-lecture day for all lecturers who are members.
The chairman of ASUU, University of Lagos (UNILAG) branch, Dr. Dele Ashiru, confirmed this to news men, on Sunday.
According to him, every university where ASUU has members has been directed to choose a day within the week to hold a special congress and also go on protest rally within their campuses.
A renowned Lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Wole Olanipekun, wants the new administration in Ekiti State to focus more on infrastructure, Education and Security.
Olanipekun, who was speaking to newsmen in his hometown, Ikere Ekiti, also appealed to those who have cases in court against the governor to sheath the sword in the interest of the State.
The occasion was the Annual Wole Olanipekun Scholarship for Ekiti Students where governor Biodun Oyebanji was in attendance.
He explained that, though it was in their right to fight for perceived injustice, but urged them to prioritize Ekiti’s development and allow the government of Oyebanji to settle and perform for the next four years.
The legal luminary expressed his readiness to broker peace, as he described governor Oyebanji as a young man who had been extending olive branch to all, adding that the uplift of the state should be paramount to all.
Speaking on his expectation from Oyebanji’s administration, Olanipekun said that infrastructure should be given more attention, which, according to him would in turn bring industrial revolution to the state.
He told the governor to also prioritize internal security by utilizing the Amotekun Corps effectively to curb insecurity.
The legal icon was of the view that the government should be people driven and encouraged the administration to maximize the opportunity in people of letters that abound in the state.
Silifat Wuraola, wife of the murdered Lagos based popular trado-medical doctor, Alhaji Abdulfatai Yusuf a.k.a. Oko-Oloyun, has remarried.
She reportedly wedded a popular socialite known as Aremu Abiola in a quiet society arrangement.
She now bears Wura Abiola.
Meanwhile, people have began talking about Wura’s ‘early’ remarriage. They argue that she was too quick to pick a new man barely three years after her husband died.
Oko-Oloyun was killed by suspected assassins on January 23, 2020 while on his way to his hometown in Oyo State.
