A pastor, Mr Gbenga Obaleye has revealed that about 20 persons were kidnapped early this morning by bandits around Kara area between Lagos and Ogun State.
In a post on his Facebook page, Obaleye urged the police and other security agencies to do something urgent, saying he could not believe that the criminal elements were now operating everywhere.
According to him, “This is not spoiling any tribe, my members in my church were coming from camp this morning at 5:30am, the fulanis came out from the KARA where they use to sell cows, 20 people have been taken into the bush, that little bush, my members left the car and ran back, shooting, they came back all money, laptop ATM have been taken, the phone they stole we used now to locate where they are as at 7am, pls police in Ogun axis pls help us not to disturb people in that area, truly they are all over I can’t believe this.”
In another post, Obaleye said he was sure that the bandits were targeting members of the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG) returning from the Redemption Camp along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
“Kara is dangerous now when you are coming from Camp, the fulanis almost kidnapped members of my church 30mins ago, am sure they are targeting people coming from camp,” Obaleye said.
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has released the May/ June 2022 WASSCE results.
76.36% of the candidates obtained Credits and above in English Language and Mathematics while 88.04% made Credits and above in a minimum of five subjects with or without English Language and Mathematics.
True to the resolve of the regional examination body to release results of the examination, now reversed to its traditional May/June schedule, the result is coming barely 45 days after the completion of the last subject.
The examination was held in The Gambia, Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria and Sierra Leone.
A total of 1,607,985 candidates from 20,221 schools registered for the 2022 examination and about 30,000 teachers participated in the examination as supervisors.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has dissociated himself from a video showing some members of the National Association of Seadogs, popularly known as the Pyrates Confraternity, mocking the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) for the 2023 election, Bola Tinubu.
In the video, members of the Confraternity during a procession gyrated to an anti-Tinubu song and poked fun at the former Lagos State governor for a speech he made in June in Abeokuta, Ogun State, where he asked that power should be handed over to him.
The members of the Pyrates Confraternity sang, “Hand dey shake, leg dey shake, Baba wey no well, e de shout emi lo kan (Hands are shaking, legs are shaking. A sick old man is shouting ‘it’s my turn’). “Emi lo kan (2ce), Baba wey no well, him dey shout emi lokan (It’s my turn (2ce), a sick old man is shouting ‘it’s my turn’”. Tinubu, who seemed desperate during the speech, said, ‘Emi lo kan’, meaning ‘It’s my turn’.
Tinubu narrated how he consoled President Muhammadu Buhari after he had failed three times to become Nigeria’s President. Eventually, a political alliance spearheaded by Tinubu ensured Buhari won the presidential election in 2015.
However, Soyinka who founded Pyrates Confraternity as a university student in Ibadan, Nigeria, described making a mockery of Tinubu due to his ill-health as distasteful.
He said, “My attention has been drawn to a video clip making internet rounds, of a dancing and chanting group, in red and white costume, purportedly members of the Pyrates Confraternity.
“The display acidly targets a presidential candidate in the awaited 2023 elections. Since the whole world knows of my connection with that fraternity, it is essential that I state in clear, unambiguous terms, that I am not involved in that public performance, nor in any way associated with the sentiments expressed in the songs. Like any other civic group, the Pyrates Confraternity is entitled to its freedom of expression, individually or collectively.
A Nigerian HND graduate has risen beyond several obstacles to win fully-funded Ph.D. scholarships to 7 top US universities.
The young lady, Islamiyat Ojelade, was the 2017/18 overall best graduating student at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro, Ogun state, Nigeria.
Her recent feat has attested to the fact that admission seekers can also break the huddle and get foreign University scholarships without the Bachelor Degree certificate requirement.
Islamiyat, who studied Science Laboratory Technology (Chemistry Major) for her HND, shared the good news via a LinkedIn post.
The residents and citizens of Ogbomosho had trooped out in the early hours of Monday to protest pervading insecurity in the community.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo, Ibadan
According to our correspondent, it was gathered that Ex-Oyo State Military Governor, Gen. Oladayo Popoola Rtd, late ex-Gov Alao Akala’s son, Olamiju, among other notable persons joined other indigenes of Ogbomosho to lend their voices in support of the protest against incessant rate of kidnapping and killings in the town.
Recall, ODUDUWA NEWS had reported how a LAUTECH student, Racheal Opadele and one Hotelier were abducted and later killed by their abductors having collected N5m ransom.
The protesters converged at Taki Roundabout and marched down to Ogbomoso town to express their grievances.
The residents of Ariyibi/Ajibode axis have lamented poor state of the road linking the area to Ajibode/UI axis, Ibadan.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo, Ibadan
Recall, ODUDUWA NEWS had reported how many community roads in Oyo State have been in the dilapidated state calling the attention of the State government for rehabilitation.
A tricycle rider who spoke today with ODUDUWA NEWS correspondent under the condition of annonymity, decried the poor condition of the road. He claimed that motorists find it difficult to ply the road as most of their cars and motorcycles get damaged and often taken to the mechanic workshops everytime.
A motorist, Abdulateef Olamide in his words, said, “we are begging Gov Makinde to come to our aide because the road is no longer motorable”.
He lamented poor state of the road especially at the time people have taken the route as alternate access to their various destinations due to the ongoing repair of Apete Bridge.
The residents of the area who spoke with ODUDUWA NEWS all lamented the effect of the bad road on their economic activities.
“We are appealing to State Govt to come to our aide as the road has been badly damaged, many people find it difficult to get to their shops on time and when they close they get home late hours especially when it rains”, concluded Mr. Olapade.
Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State has assured residents of his government’s resolve to finish the Red Rail Line project.
He gave the assurance on Sunday during an extensive inspection of construction activities around the Lagos Rail Mass Transit (LRMT) Red Line project.
“The Red Line is a project conceived and started by our Government, which will be delivered in the lifetime of this administration,” the governor, accompanied by his deputy Dr. Obafemi Hamzat, and members of the cabinet, said.
“We have given our commitment to ensure the project is completed by the end of this year as promised. This is our fourth inspection trip on this project within the year alone and each time we come, there is significant progress that the contractor achieves along the rail corridor.”
A statement from Governor Sanwo-Olu’s Chief Press Secretary, Gboyega Akosile, quoted the Lagos leader as saying that the project is nearing its completion stage.
“Along the rail corridor, there is massive regeneration that is taking place and we have paid extensive amount in terms of compensation, far more than anyone else, for those affected by the construction activities,” he added.
“That is why we don’t have problems with members of the communities on this corridor. After inspecting the Agege station, we went on to check the Ikeja terminal, which happens to be the iconic station of the Red Line. Its size is almost about the size of three football fields together.
“As we have seen, all the stations inspected are at the roof level, moving into the completion stage. The civil work has been completed, it’s just the finishing job we are doing at the moment. All the activities are on schedule and we are hoping the best entire project will be completed by the end of the year.”
The 11 stations Mass Transit project is being constructed as part of the state’s intermodal transportation arrangement, expected to move more than seven hundred thousand passengers daily.
In April, the Governor, during the inspection of the blue line project, reassured Lagos residents that the state government is on track with its efforts to complete works on both the Blue and Red lines rail projects.
Soldiers attached to the Joint Security Task Force in Oyo State codenamed Operation Burst and personnel of the Amotekun Corps have started combing forests in the Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo State for criminals.
The security agents were deployed following the abduction and killing of a final year student of LAUTECH, Rachael Opadele; a United States-based hotelier, Mr Olugbenga Owolabi; and a motorcyclist, Mr Idowu Ajagbe, who conveyed the person bearing ransom to the kidnappers.
The three persons were killed after the hoodlums had collected a ransom of N5million and the bearer of the ransom luckily escaped with injuries.
Residents of Gambari community told our correspondent on Sunday that some suspected criminals were killed during the operations while some guns were recovered from where they were hidden by the criminals.
It was gathered that the security agents demolished the fence of a hotel and broke its window panes and doors. The hotel was said to be used as a rendezvous by criminals after their operations.
A resident, who did not want his name in print as a result of fear for his safety, said, “I went out to the farm where I was working around 6.30am and they stopped me and asked where I was going. I told them I was going to the farm. They searched my motorcycle and when they did not find anything on me, they asked me to go.
“But we started hearing gunshots far from our place since around 1am. The soldiers made some discoveries at around Sabo – Igbon.”
The Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Adewale Osifeso, could not be reached on the telephone to comment on the operation.
However, the Oyo State Amotekun Commandant of Amotekun in Oyo State, Col. Olayinka Olayanju (retd.), confirmed the development, saying security agents were on clearance operation in the area.
“We are on clearance operation there. That is what I know for now,” he said.
The Director General of Operation Burst, Col. Oladipo Ajibola ( retd.), also confirmed the operation in the area.
“The operation started few days ago and it extended to Gambari but I won’t say more than that,” Ajibola also said.
There are reports that a relative of the slain hotelier has been arrested by the police and that he blamed the killing on the devil.
But the Police Public Relations Officer for Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, when contacted told our correspondent that “the command will update you soon.”
Meanwhile, a former Military Governor of Oyo State, Major General Oladayo Popoola; Justice Afolabi Adeniran and a member of the Board of Trustees of the Peoples Democratic Party, Dr Saka Balogun, will lead other prominent indigenes of Ogbomoso as well as the youth of the town in a protest on insecurity in the town on Monday (today).
The President of Ogbomoso Community Youth Forum, Rev. Kayode Olaleye, said this in a statement made available to our correspondent that the rally was to sensitise the people on security situation and to be vigilant.
Wife of the Presiding Bishop of Living Faith Church, LFC, Worldwide, Pastor Faith Oyedepo, has urged winners to obedient in the affairs of the Kingdom (of God).
On his part, the husband, Bishop David Oyedepo, said obedience is better than sacrifice.
The couple spoke at the church’s monthly leadership conference.
The declarations were yesterday, interpreted as a subtle endorsement of the presidential candidate of the Labour Party for the 2023 general elections, Mr Peter Obi.
Obi’s supporters have been campaigning under the alias ‘Obi-dients’.
The candidate himself visited the Oyedepos at the Ota-based church after which photos from the visit went viral as supporters lavishly shared them on social media.
Oyedepo’s wife, while citing Isaiah 1:19-20, stressed the need for Christians to be obedient to spiritual instructions to enjoy the good of the land.
Her words: “If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it” (Isa. 1:19-20).
She urged the church to pray for God’s Spirit to serve and be obedient.
In his own sermon, Bishop Oyedepo, while unravelling the mystery of the covenant of obedience, said: “To be obedient is better than sacrifice. Obedience may be costly but the end result is always priceless.
“When you live your life as a seed, its impact lives for generations after you”
