Author: oduduwanews

Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, has warned Ebiras living in the State to flush out criminals among them.

The Governor urged them to join hands with the government in ridding the State of crime.

Governor Akeredolu, who stressed that the Ebira people have lived together with the indigenes of the State for too long, charged them not to deviate from the farming trade.

The Governor spoke on Saturday at a meeting with the leaders of the Ebira Community in the State at the Cocoa Conference Hall of the Governor’s office, Alagbaka, Akure.

They were led by the Odeyani Anabira, Zubair Dan Musa and Alhaji Chief Abdulazeez Majeobaje Akure, State Chairman of Egbira.

The Deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa; Assistant Inspector General of Police, AIG Zone 17, Mr. Yusuf Mohammed Akeera; Heads of Security Agencies; members of the State Executive Council; and Chairmen of the six Local Government Councils in the Northern Senatorial districts of the State were in attendance.

Addressing reporters shortly after the closed door meeting, Governor Akeredolu informed that the meeting was summoned in the light of the recent development of the June 5 attack in Owo and other kidnapping cases in the State.

He disclosed that the leaders of the Ebira Community have been urged to rid themselves of criminals and deal with the situation the best way, so as to protect their name and integrity in the State.

“We summoned this meeting with our brothers. They are not new here but because of the recent developments that have to do with the Owo massacre and kidnappings, we have to call ourselves.

“I can assure you all that we have had very frank discussion with ourselves and the leader of the Ebiras in Ondo State spoke on behalf of Ebiras and few other persons

“It is clear that the message from us to them is well understood and we have assurance from the Ebiras who are living in Ondo State that they would corporate with the security agencies and that the incident in Owo was something that they themselves felt very bad about.

“I also have received a letter from Ohinoyi of Ebiraland, that is the leader of Ebira in the World, commiserating again and expressing his own embarrassment on what happened.

“So, we leave here today with the belief that our brothers, Ebira that are here, would at the least work to ensure that there is security in Ondo State and in doing that, we have charged them to discus with all their people.

“They have assured us they would do that and we want to call on our people that at least, let us continue with our brotherliness and maintain the good relationship we have had with them in the past.

“We believe that it is not those who are residing here that came to perpetrate this crime. That is what they have said and wq should give them another chance.

“Let us live together ice and I hope and pray that the Ebiras who are here in Ondo State will work with the government and security agencies to make sure that criminals are flushed out within our midst and they have our cooperation in whatever way they wish,” he noted.

Gunmen, on Friday, killed a point of sale (POS) operator in Apata, Ibadan, the Oyo capital.

The attackers took away the operator’s bag containing food, and witnesses said they suspected the gunmen assumed the bag contained money.

A resident, who identified himself as Ojikutu, said the POS operator, simply referred to as ‘Pastor’, had just opened his shop when the gunmen attacked him.

“Pastor normally comes early in the morning. He did the same today and soon after he opened the shop, the two gunmen on a motorcycle approached him,” he said.

“At gunpoint, they asked him to give them the bag in his hand and he did immediately.

“However, unknown to the robbers, the bag contained Pastor’s food, while the one containing money was somewhere in the shop.

“They took the food bag and as they were about to leave, I think Pastor told them that they would be apprehended. That was when they shot him at a close range.

“The sound of the gun brought the robbery to our attention, but before we could come out, they had sped away.

“He was taken to a hospital nearby but a doctor told us they would not admit him as he was already dead.”

Taiwo Badmus, a resident close to the scene of the incident, told TheCable that the POS operator was also taken to a herbal clinic that specialises in treating gun wounds in the community.

“After he was rejected by the hospital, people took him to a native doctor that is known for conjuring bullets from victims’ bodies. But he was gone before any major intervention,” Badmus said.

“Pastor was a well-loved person in this community. He also ran a charity organisation that helped widows in need and orphans.

“He moved to this area from a street close to the present shop about a year ago. He also had other POS outfits in other communities in Ibadan.”

The development comes months after four residents were shot dead by gunmen who attacked POS operators in Ladeowo area of Ibadan.

The killings, which occurred in March, led to protest by youths who accused the operators of attracting robbers to the community.

Kiosks and other properties belonging to the operators were destroyed during the protest, and the youths called on the Oyo government to regulate the activities of POS operators in the State.

When contacted, Adewale Osifeso, public relations officer of the Oyo police command, said he would comment after the command receives official information from the police covering the area.

He, however, said the command will continue to work hard to fight crimes and provide security for people in the state.

An Oyo State High Court sitting in Ibadan has prohibited curfew for the annual celebration of Oro festival in Iseyin Local Government Area of the state by adherents of the faith.

ODUDUWA NEWS rcalls that crisis brewed on the Oro festival celebration in 2019, when the adherents and the Oro masquerade followers attacked some people in Iseyin and massacred them. The attacks were reported the same day to the Police and notified Governor ‘Seyi Makinde on a letter dated October 12, 2018 by the Chambers of A. A. Olowonjaye Esq, while some of the attackers were arrested but later released without arraignment.

While delivering his judgement on suit no HSY/MISC/6/19 instituted by Alfa Yusuf Muyideen (for himself and on behalf of the League of Imams and Alfas, Iseyin (applicant), Justice S.L Akintola held in the terms of settlement of the case that the parties involved should settle the dispute between them on the terms that neither the applicant nor the respondents shall disturb, harass, intimate, attack or do any act calculated to disturb, harass, intimidate or attack either in the exercise of their religious beliefs.

Some Gunmen have kidnapped a popular local pain balm maker, Ero Arike Alhaja Falilat Oyetunji.
Her product, produced in Osun state had gained wide acceptance among consumers who rely on the balm to kill pains.
Oyetunji was kidnapped at Olorunda village, Iragbiji, Boripe Local Government where she went to visit her mother, on Tuesday.

But the businessman was rescued by policemen about 20 minutes after she was kidnapped.

It was gathered that three of the kidnappers were arrested by officers of the Anti-kidnapping squad of the State of Osun Police Command.

An indigene of Iragbiji and two northerners were part of the suspects arrested, it was gathered.

Police Public Relations Officer, Osun Command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident.

Confirming the incident, Ero Arike stated that she was kidnapped by two hooded gunmen inside her mum’s house and taken through bush before some policemen came to her rescue.
She said: “I had been having strange feeling for the past few days and I had reported to the police. On Tuesday, August 9, when I wanted to visit my mother at Olorunda village, Iragbiji, I contacted the police to provide me security.

“Immediately I got to my mother’s house and I was greeting everybody, two young men who covered their faces and armed with gun suddenly came from nowhere and gripped me. They whisked me away into the bush and I was shouting.

“Luckily for me, the police came on time and they chased the kidnappers. They shot the person that was carrying me on his shoulder. The other suspects fled but some of them were arrested.

“One of the arrested suspects is an indigene of my hometown, Iragbiji. Two others are either Fulani or Hausa. I must thank the police for their prompt response. I however want to appeal to them to please do thorough investigations and prosecute the suspects.

“The government should not sweep the case under the carpet.”

Six people were feared dead and seven missing after members of the Odu’a Peoples Congress (OPC) and Fulani cow sellers clashed at the Kara market in Ajasse Ipo, Kwara State.

The clash, which erupted due to a broken side mirror of one of the OPC members’ vehicle also left 17 persons injured and the market deserted.

The Kara market is usually busy every five days, mainly for cow buyers across Kwara state.

On Friday, one of the market days, the influx of buyers led to a traffic congestion.

According to the Seriki of the market, the side mirror of one of the vehicles of the OPC members, who were returning from the just concluded Osun-Osogbo river festival was broken either by a drunken commercial motorcyclist or a buyer transporting a cow.

An official of the Miyetti Allah association said six corpses had been recovered, seven missing and 17 others receiving treatment for various degree of injuries.

The police in a statement confirmed the incident but said only four persons died.

In a statement signed by spokesperson Ajayi Okasanmi, the police said normalcy has been restored to the area.

The Oyo State Government has hinged the delay in the outcome of workers’ audit and verification on failure of about 12, 000 workers in the State Civil service to participate in the exercise.

Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, who made the disclosure in Ibadan, also confirmed that the State Government has mandated the yet-to-be registered workers to do so in ernest.

He stressed the commitment of the Governor Seyi Makinde-led administration to establish a comprehensive database and proper identity management system that would aid effective payment and verification of its workforce.

He said, “despite critics castigating the registration and verification of its workforce, the Oyo State Government has expressed continued commitment to the entire civil service”.

Dr. Olatubosun insisted that after completion, the registration will block every loop hole in the state civil service and guard against the menace of ghost workers.

Olatubosun who confirmed that the process started over a year ago, expressed displeasure over the insinuation that the exercise was a scam, saying such rumour was made without facts.

He announced that having completed the process, the State Government will fish out ghost workers and ascertain the number of workers and retirees on government payroll.

“Except for the unfounded insinuations from some quarters, the Oyo State Government is encouraged by the response of citizens, residents and workers to the ongoing exercise. Many Civil servants have registered so far and those who are yet to, have been given the opportunity to. In the work-force, this will block so many loopholes’ Olatubosun stated.

‘I am aware that new registrants are at the ICT office, participating in the audit exercise for workers’, he stated.

“With the development, civil servants, public officials, teachers, local government employees and retirees have been screened in phases during the exercise that commenced over a year ago at the state secretariat in Ibadan”.

Dr. Olatubosun said the exercise which is aimed at ascertaining the people drawing money from the government’s coffers, added that the exercise was not basically about verification of certificates, but for the government to curb wastage, plug leakages in its payroll and have valid data for planning.

The Nigeria Police Force has dismissed Force No. 509745 Corporal Opeyemi Kadiri attached to Dolphin Divisional Headquarters, Lagos Police Command for gross misconduct, disobedience to lawful order, and assault on a member of the public captured in a viral video on August 3, 2022.

The dismissed officer who, enlisted into the Force on 6th December, 2016, was caught searching a commuter’s phone by the road side contrary to the directives of the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Usman Alkali Baba, psc(+), NPM, fdc, to that effect. He equally assaulted the commuter who attempted to bring the order to his notice. His dismissal takes effect from today the 12th of August, 2022.

The Police hereby calls on officers and men of the Force to maintain professionalism and civility to members of the public in the discharge of their duties in line with extant laws.

The Force equally calls on members of the public to ensure proper conduct in all encounters with police officers to avoid infractions which may be subject to prosecution.