The Ogun State government has denied information being peddled around about the kidnapping of people in Kara, a border settlement between the state and Lagos.
A statement in Abeokuta on Wednesday by the State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Alhaji AbdulWaheed Odusile described the news as fake and urged the people to ignore it.
“The attention of the general public is being drawn to a fake news making the rounds about purported kidnappings taking place at Kara, a settlement in Obafemi Owode local government area of Ogun State.
“The information is not only fake, but also a calculated attempt by some unscrupulous elements in the society to create fear and panic in the people of the area in particular and the state in general, thereby causing chaos.
“There is no kidnapping taking place in Kara or anywhere in Ogun State.The state is peaceful, safe and secure for all law abiding citizens and businesses.
“The general public should ignore such rumour and go about their businesses normally and peacefully”, the statement said, adding that the state Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun has ordered the Police and other security agencies to be on their toes and ensure all round security and protection for all law abiding citizens.
While urging those spreading the rumour to desist from such, the statement warned that the full weight of the law will be brought down on those bent on causing chaos and crisis in the state.
The Oyo State Police Command had paraded 40-year-old Mutiu Idowu before them on Tuesday for the murder of Olusegun Rufus, a neighbor who had offered him a loan.
According to the State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Adewale Osifeso, who presented the suspect on behalf of the State Police Commissioner, Adebowale William, at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan, the suspect admitted to killing his benefactor for him to escape repaying the money.
According to him, the suspect left after killing the 70-year-old victim and taking the car that served as security for the loan.
He claims that following the inquiry, the suspect would face charges in court.
“One Adesope Adeolu reported at Eleyele Divisional Police Headquarters that on the same date at about 0900hrs he noticed that his neighbour’s entrance door was opened which was unusual.,” stated Osifeso.
“On further enquiry, he found his neighbour one Olusegun Rufus ‘m’ dead in the living room in his pool of blood. He stated further that he suspected that the deceased might have been murdered by an unknown person.
“Based on the investigation and credible intelligence, one Mutiu Idowu ‘m’ was arrested and confessed to having killed the deceased in order not to pay the money he loaned from the deceased.
“The vehicle that he used as collateral for the loan which he stole after the murder of the deceased has also been recovered.”
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu,SAN, has assured that his administration will continue to maintain peace in the State,stressing that it is the responsibility of government.
The Governor commended the security agencies over the arrest of terrorists involved in the June 5, 2022 attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.
Governor Akeredolu spoke in his office on Tuesday during a courtesy visit to his office by officers of the Federal Fire Service, led by the South West Zone L, Commander and Assistant Comptroller of Fire Service, James Olatunji.
The Zone comprises Ondo, Osun and Ekiti States.
While thanking the Almighty God for the arrest of the perpetrators, the Governor noted that the blood of the innocent worshipers spilled in a sacred place of worship and the fervent prayers of the people also contributed to their arrest.
Arakunrin Akeredolu, who reiterated his administration commitment to protecting the people and their property, reemphasised that the recent shooting in Owo had nothing to do with the June 5 attack.
He said:”We knew about this about a week ago. Arrest has been made over a week ago. I know there was ongoing investigation and because of that, there was no need for us to make it public so that the security agencies, especially DSS, who were majorly involved are not compromised.
“The arrest were made about last week, we were briefed, but we had a pact with them not to go public and as at this morning two other people were arrested.
“We know that now that it has been made public, the security work may be difficult. We must thank Almighty God that this arrest has been made. Where they attacked was a sacred place and the prayers of the people have been answered.
“The blood of the innocent people they killed are crying. What happened in Owo thereafter, the recent shooting, was not to maim or kill. By the grace of God, we will continue to find a way to maintain peace in this state. That is what we owe our people.”
The Governor while stressing the importance of the fire service, said if not for their timely interventions at different occasions, properties worth several billions of naira would have been lost to various fire incidents in different parts of the state
Earlier, the Zonal Commander, James Olatunji, appreciated Governor Akeredolu for the harmonious relationship among the State government, the Federal and State Fire Services as well as all the security agencies in the state, adding that Governor Akeredolu has consistently supported the Federal Fire Service in the state with logistics and other important needs to boost their activities.
He also applauded the Governor for making the state safe and habitable for the citizenry by improving on the security architecture across the state, just as he expressed the readiness of his team to key into the security architecture of the state to further secure the lives and property of the poeple.
Olatunji revealed that between January 1 and August 9, 2022, the Service saved five lives while one life was lost during fire incidents. He added that property worth N3.139bn were saved just as the state lost property worth N164.2m.
According to him, the properties included houses, shops, market, event centres, fuel tankers, trucks and others.
He said a total of 46 cases were recorded during the period under review.
He added that just last Friday afternoon, he personally led a crew of fire service to Sijuwade area where properties worth N50m were saved.
Osun State House of Assembly has passed into law the bill seeking to upgrade the College of Education Ilesa to a full fledge university.
The lawmakers passed the bill titled, Osun State establishment Bill 2022, at their plenary on Monday. Commenting on the upgrade of the College to the university, the Speaker of the Assembly, Timothy Owoeye said,
“Now that the Bill has been passed into law, the Governor may appoint a working Committee to see to the making of the University anytime from now.”
Talking on the rising insecurity within the state, Owoeye charged the youth to not enable politicians use them as brokers of destruction.
Owoeye in a press release by his Press Secretary, Kunle Alabi, additionally enjoined mother and father and guardian to make sure that their wards weren’t engaged to destroy peace of the state.
The Speaker, who made reference to Minority chief of the Home, Mr Kofoworola Adewunmi whose father’s home was torched in the course of the weekend, said, “I wish to cost our youths to not enable themselves for use as brokers of distabilisation.
“Don’t enable yourselves for use for thuggery, you have to be sure that the peace that the state is thought for stays. The peace loved earlier than and in the course of the administration of Governor Oyetola ought to be guarded for it to not erode the state.”
In a meeting held at the Council Legislative House on Tuesday, the legislative arm of the Ido Local Government Council suspended the Executive Chairman of the Council, Hon. Sheriff Aderemi ADEOJO.
Ido Council Chief was accused of being unaccountable and having poor infrastructure throughout the 10 wards that made up the Local Government Council by the Deputy Leader of the House, Hon. Omotosho Rafiu of ward 3.
The motion to suspend Hon. ADEOJO indefinitely was seconded by the Chief Whip of the House, Hon. Adebowale Adedeji of ward 7.
All nine of the honorable councilors voted in favor of the motion when the Leader of the Legislative Council, Hon. Abidoye Trimisiyu, called for a vote.
The leader therefore ruled for the indefinite suspension of Hon. Sheriff Aderemi ADEOJO.
Earlier, the house observed a minute silent over the demise of one of their colleagues who passed on recently.
Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde has done a minor reshuffling of his cabinet, assigning new portfolios to two Commissioners.
The reshuffling was announced at the Executive Council meeting at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, in Ibadan.
A statement by the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun indicated that the Governor directed Barrister Olasunkanmi Olaleye to henceforth head the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, while Hon. Bayo Lawal will be in charge of the Ministry of Trades, Industry, Investment and Cooperatives.
The Ruling People’s Democratic Party, PDP, has called on the Inspector-General of Police, IGP Alkali Baba Usman, to as a matter of urgency call the Senator representing Oyo Central Senatorial District, Teslim Oloye Teslim Kolawole Folarin to order before he turns the state into another field of political crisis.
This was as the ruling party also carpeted the state chapter of the All Progressives Congress, APC, over what was described as raising false alarm with its press release two days ago, Oyo state PDP said the opposition party is now synonymous to Folarin’s hooliganism and rascality.
It would be recalled that the opposition party had in its press release alleged that the state Governor, Seyi Makinde and the Chairman of the state Park Management System (PMS), Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi were to be held responsible should anything happen to Folarin.
The ruling party in a press statement by its State Publicity Secretary, Akeem Olatunji today, said it was rather unfortunate that Folarin, who has continued to bring the office of a Senator of the Federal Republic to serious ridicule by his gutter politics and has continued unrestrained in his self imposed hallucinations. The ruling party said, “Folarin is being chased and tormented by his own shadows and that is gradually taking a toll on his mental health.
“Folarin who was allegedly involved and arraigned for being involved in the gruesome murder of late Eleweomo who was until his death the leader of the now proscribed National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), opened his mouth to threaten a sitting governor, Seyi Makinde, during the preparation for local government election saying that he had set three traps that Makinde could not escape from.
“If Folarin and his likes deliberately decide to feign forgetfulness, the people of Oyo state do not, It is on record how members of the APC in the state with the full backing of Folarin and his cohorts attempted to forcefully occupy local government secretariats across the state in a bid to provoke a reaction from the PDP members but failed because sheep’s can not go into the swamp because of an aggression from a swine of pigs.
“It is also on record how Folarin’s thugs; Hamidu Were, Afeez Ejeoto, Tiri Olowoposi and others laid ambush for Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi sometime not too long ago in Ibadan with the sole motive to assassinate the PMS boss like he allegedly did to Eleweomo but failed.
“We have on good authority how Folarin and his cohorts are recruiting and raring political thugs and hoodlums especially in Ibadan, the state capital all in his desperation to become governor and we’re not oblivious of the fact that he may start springing up surprises in form of attacks on popular individuals not on the same political page with him just as he is notable for and then raise false alarm as a diversionary measure to sway suspicion against him.
“We want to use this medium to call on the Oyo state Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Williams, and the IGP, Alhaji Alkali Baba Usman to immediately bim security searchlights on Folarin in order to prevent his desperation from raring its ugly head as it allegedly did with the late Eleweomo.
“It is on record that Honourable Shina Pella, a member of the House of Representatives who has since parted ways with Folarin and his faction of APC recently raised an alarm over a failed assassination attempt on his life by Folarin’s political thugs but for prompt and swift response of the police the case would have been a sad one by now.
“For the sake of emphasis, we want to state unequivocally clear that absolutely nothing untowards must happen to the PDP Governorship candidate, Governor Seyi Makinde, or any of the state government officials under this present government including Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi as our party will not hesitate to deploy every means within the confines of the law to fight Folarin and his APC.
“It is even more worrisome that Folarin’s desperation has blindfolded him so much that he is yet to mention to the good people of Oyo state what he and his party have to offer the state after leaving the people with sheer terror, unpaid salaries, pension and gratuities for many months leading to untimely deaths and paralysis of many, humongous debt burden, and other unforgettable atrocities under APC between 2011 and 2019.
“Folarin is not the only individual to contest the next Governorship election but his unrrstrained desperation has made him a serious element of security threat to not just the good people of Oyo state but other participating contestants at the coming election therefore, the Oyo Commissioner of Police and IGP are enjoined to give this call all the needed attention it deserves before the Senator return us to the Eleweomo era.
“The Oyo state PDP has continued to tolerate the excesses, rascality, and recklessness and political brigandage of Folarin and his faction of Oyo APC because we believe two wrongs can not make make a right but this level of civil disposition to politics should not be mistaken for weakness.
“We understand that Folarin’s poor public image has compelled him and his APC to resort to smear campaign and all forms of vituperations against Makinde and PDP even at the slightest bite from a mosquito but we urge them to be decorous and not throw caution into the wind in trying to seek for public attention using Makinde’s soaring public image as their ladder to climb to the top because the people of Oyo state are now wiser and now know better between false propaganda and a genuine leader.” The party stated.
Oyo security will be worsen if Makinde is re-elected in 2023, according to the Oyo State branch of the All Progressives Congress, security in the state will be completely out of control.
The party made this claim in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan on Monday and released by the State Secretary, Alhaji Tajudeen Olanite.
The governor was accused by the opposition party of utilizing state resources to support thugs who have been implicated in the murder of certain state residents.
He added that Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, fondly called ‘Auxiliary’, who was appointed in February 2020 by Makinde as the chairman of the disciplinary committee for the Park Management System of the Oyo State Government, issued the threat to Folarin’s life in a viral video and the governor was silent on it.
According to the party, the threat to Folarin’s life by Auxiliary has become a matter of public knowledge via video clips that have gone viral on the social media space within the past few days.
The statement read in part, “Governor Seyi Makinde does not deserve a second term in office. During this outgoing first term of his, he has made our dear state retrogress in terms of thuggery and hooliganism, which the immediate past governor, the late Senator Abiola Ajimobi, tamed effectively for eight years.
“Apart from the threat to the life of the Distinguished Senator Folarin, the same Mukaila Auxiliary and scores of his thugs have clamped down on the billboards and posters of the opposition parties, especially the leading opposition party in the state.
“Auxiliary has been leading heavily armed thugs to destroy APC billboards and posters in different parts of Ibadan and the state.
“The billboard destruction by Auxiliary and his thugs, engaged by the PDP government in Oyo State is tagged: ‘Operation Destroy APC Billboard and Posters’. They have also started the destruction of shops at Dugbe Alawo and Ogunpa, being operated by people they believed are not favorably disposed to the second-term bid of Governor Makinde.
“It is an attempt to silence opposition and turn Oyo into a one-party state. The PDP-led administration is very intolerant of opposition in the state because they know that they have failed woefully, and they don’t have any good thing to offer the good people of the state.
“But we have a mandate to rescue the state from the hands of these clueless, distracted, promise-breaking rookies in governance and promoters of thuggery fellows. We shall not be deterred by their antics. We shall ensure the liberation of the good people of this state from the claws of these political hawks that have been reported to be in government to steal, kill and destroy.”
Defence Headquarters has arrested those behind St. Francis Catholic Church attack at Owo Ondo State.
The Chief of Defence Staff, General Irabor disclosed this during a parley with executives and Media organisation editors in Nigeria on Tuesday.
Recall that gunmen stormed St. Francis Catholic church on June 5, opened fire on the congregation and also detonated explosives as the worshipers run for their lives
