Author: oduduwanews

The Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Seyi Makinde has promised to review the controversial list of some local government areas should the stakeholders and aspirants fail to reach a compromise.

Meanwhile, the committee led by Arapaja has begun ratification of consensus candidates.

Recall Governor Makinde had on Saturday convened a PDP stakeholders’ meeting where he instructed the party leaders to go to their various zones and harmonize and agree on consesus candidates for the party.

ODUDUWA NEWS confirmed that the PDP Committee has ratified Party’s Spokesman, Akeem Olatunji, Ibarapa Kan, Onireti, Oshine Nominations, as well as 12 State Assembly Nominees

The committee chaired by Deputy National Chairman (South) of PDP, Ambassador Taofeek Arapaja Constituency has officially ratified the nominations of Engineer Akeem Olatunji from Oluyole, Femi Onireti from Ogbomoso North, South and Oriire, Oshine from Itesiwaju, Kajola, Iseyin and Iwajowa, ODUDUWA NEWS has learnt.

It was gathered that the State House of Assembly nominees ratified so far include, Oluyole, Saki West, Orire, Ibarapa East, Ogbomosho North, Iseyin/Itesiwaju, Afijio, Ibadan North West, Akinyele 1/2 and Lagelu.

Those whose nominations have been ratified would get there forms immediately.

A source close to government house told our correspondent that Governor Seyi Makinde during a meeting with stakeholders, aspirants and party members today at government house knocked off voting before leaving for Minna for an important meeting.

It was gathered that the Governor will review the ratified list of consensus candidates by Arapaja’s committee.

At the time of filling this report, no official pronouncement has been made by the Governor on candidates from troubled local governments.

Speaking with our correspondent, a member of PDP from Ibadan North local government said that people are still waiting for the Governor after excusing himself for five hours.

Another source said that it is only the Governor that have the final say to either accept all the names ratified by Arapaja’s committee or void some.

Recalls that some members of the Peoples’ Democratic Party have threatened a showdown with leaders of the Party over their choice of House of Reps Candidate for the 2023 election.

In some Local Governments, some stakeholders resulted in voting by allotting votes to their preferred candidates while others failed to reach consensus there by calling for primaries.

There was confusion between Friday and Sunday in Ayobo Housing Scheme Extension, Oshin area of Ayobo-Ipaja in Lagos State, as some gunmen invaded the area, allegedly kidnapped three persons and killed two others.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that some yet-to-be-identified gunmen on Friday allegedly kidnapped two married women before a repeat of the same incident on Sunday in the area.

The Financial Secretary of the Landlords’ Association in the area , Mr James Ojuade, told NAN on Sunday that the gunmen, who allegedly killed two men and kidnapped two sisters on Friday, allegedly kidnapped another man on Sunday.

He said that the gunmen came through the boundary between Lagos State and Ogun and escaped with their victims inside a boat.

“About 6.00 p.m. on Friday, four men, who were armed with guns, broke into the residence of one Mr Rashidi Salami, beat his wife mercillessly and took away his two married daughters who came to visit them.

“Two neighbours, who intercepted and wanted to prevent them from escaping with the women, were shot dead, before they escaped with their victims.

“The deceased: Messrs Nurudeen Olanrenwaju and Idris Olowolayemo were buried yesterday according to Muslim rites,” Ojuade said.

Ojuade added that the gunmen came again on Sunday at 1.00 p.m. to the building next to where they allegedly kidnapped the two women on Friday and kidnapped one Mr Kehinde, whom he said had just returned from church.

“Immediately Kehinde parked his car, the gunmen jumped into his compound and started shooting bullets into his building.

“They captured him and escaped again to Ogun through a canoe.”

He called on the state government to come to their aid and provide security for the area.

“We want the government to erect police post in Oshin to reduce criminality in the area.

“We want the police to help us rescue the three people who had been kidnapped,” he said.

Another resident, who only identified himself as Kunle told NAN that many residents had abandoned their houses in the area due to the incessant kidnappings.

“The community is now deserted as many residents had packed out of their houses for fear of the unknown.

“We can no longer sleep and close our eyes as our lives are not safe.”

He said that the parents of the two women allegedly kidnapped on Friday were currently receiving treatment at the hospital.

As at the time of filling this report, the Police Public Relations Officer, Lagos State Command, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, was yet to respond to calls and text messages sent to his cell phones.

NAN reports that, however, some police officers had been drafted to the scene of the incident.

The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Osun State Command, says two female children died on Sunday in an auto accident that occurred on Ipetu-Ijesa/Ilesa expressway.

Mr Paul Okpe, the Sector Commander, said this in a statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Mrs Agnes Ogungbemi, in Osogbo.

Okpe said the accident happened at seven kilometres from Iwaraja junction at about 2.44 p.m., involving a Howo Sino Truck and a Nissan bus with number plate WEN 397 AA.

“Three adult males and three female children were involved in the accident, killing two female children and injuring rest of the passengers.

“The accident occurred due to speeding, tyre burst and total disobedience to road traffic regulations by the motorists involved,” the sector commander said.

According to him, there was a tyre burst in one of the vehicles leading to loss of control before the accident happened.

He said that the command would sanction any motorists found violating the traffic rules and regulations, NAN reports.

Okpe said the corpses have been deposited at the morgue of the Wesley Guild Hospital, Ilesa, while the injured victims were taken to the same hospital for treatment.

A coalition of Islamic organisations has said that the recent calls by some Christian leaderships that the next president of Nigeria must be a Christian is both arrogant and disturbing.

The coalition said this at the Annual Pre-Ramadan Conference of the Supreme Council for Shari’ah (SCSN) held on March 19 in Osogbo, the Osun State capital.

Themed, ‘State of the Nation: A Prognosis by the Muslim Ummah’, the event which drew massive participants comprising leading Islamic scholars, Imams, traditional rulers, judges and academics was chaired by the Asiwaju Musulumi of Yoruba land, Edo and Delta, Chief Tunde Badmus.

According to the coalition, “The Muslim majority in southwest (4 largest states) and the north (17 states out of 19) paved the way for Obasanjo and Goodluck Jonathan to be presidents.”

They welcomed the declaration of presidential aspirations by notable Muslims in the southwest, saying, “It will redress the injustice to the Muslim majority in the region, who have been marginalized by the Christian minority to political irrelevance; with control of political power at regional and national levels from Awolowo, Akintola, Dr. Majekodunmi, Gen. Adebayo, Olusegun Obasanjo, Chief. Ernest Shonekan, Oladipo Diya, all Christians, taking advantage of the silent Muslim majority.”

“For decades, the political benevolence of the Muslim majority has not been appreciated or reciprocated by Christians in the country. For instance, the Muslim majority in states like Gombe, Kaduna, Nassarawa, Kogi, Oyo, Osun, Ogun, and Lagos have been sharing political power with their Christian minority counterparts; while on the other hand, Muslims have been unfairly and completely denied both economic and political power in states like Ekiti, Ondo, Plateau, with the worst case being Taraba State, where a Muslim majority (70%) have now been completely marginalised,” the coalition added.

“Despite the existence of Islam in Yorubaland since the 14th century and the undisputable numerical majority of Muslims in the southwest, for decades since independence, the Christian minority has relegated them to a symbolic minority through perpetual and systematic exclusion and vilification. It is a brazen, awkward, and unacceptable situation that in the 21st century, faith is still the major factor that shapes opportunities and acceptability in this region.”

The coalition meanwhile charged Muslims to leverage on their dense network to silence the arrogant calls by some Christian leaderships through getting Muslims everywhere, especially the youths, to register before the end of the current Continuous Voter’s Registration.

“Since democracy is a game of numbers, Muslim leaders, the Ulamah, Imams and Muslim organisations should even more importantly address the issue of voter apathy.”

It was also noted at the meeting that the country is going through turbulent times characterised by escalating level of insecurity and excruciating economic hardship.

“Although the current administration inherited some of these challenges and has made notable efforts in decimating the Boko Haram and Niger-Delta insurgency, and even initiated several social safety net programmes to alleviate suffering; the situation requires more aggressive and concerted efforts by the government and the people to achieve success.”

Muslims were urged to take advantage of the holy month of Ramadan to pray for the country, seek Allah’s forgiveness, grace, benevolence, protection and guidance to the straight path, just as SCSN expressed gratitude to the Osun State Governor, Alhaji Ishaq Gboyega Oyetola for hosting the event.

SCSN also expressed displeasure at what it called mischievous misrepresentation in the print and social media that deliberately created a false impression that Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu was in attendance and even made a call on the Council to establish a political department.

“The call was actually made by the chairman of the programme, Asiwaju Musulumi of Yoruba land, Edo and Delta, Chief Tunde Badmus,” it clarified.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila has congratulated music maestro, Chief Ebenezer Obey, on his 80th birthday.

The speaker said Chief Obey has in the past decades used his genre of music to bring happiness to many Nigerian homes.

Gbajabiamila was delighted that the juju music ace is marking his 80th birthday in high spirit, noting that Chief Obey is a role model to many upcoming stars.

He said Chief Obey’s contributions to the Nigerian entertainment industry are legion, especially considering his positive influence among his colleagues.

The speaker wished Chief Obey more years in good health and increased wisdom from the Almighty.

The Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his words said, “on behalf of my dear wife Ibijoke, and the good people of Lagos State, I join your family, friends, associates and fans to congratulate you Evangelist Ebenezer Obey-Fabiyi, on the occasion of your 80th birthday celebration.

“You are an elder statesman, an apostle of God, a music maestro whose songs cut acr, oss generations, and is accepted globally, an evangelist and a man who has used music as a tool to spread joy across our country, and indeed the world.

“We thank God for His grace upon your life and that of your family.

“Here is wishing you the very best on your 80th birthday, as we continue to ask God to grant you good health, peace of mind, long life, and renewal of body, mind and spirit”.

Operatives of the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) in the early hours of today April 3, 2022 intercepted a busload of illicit drugs at the Mile 2 area of Lagos State.

Preliminary investigations reveal that the drugs which were loaded in a Lagos colour LT bus, with the registration number AGL 205 YD belonged to one Alhaji, better known as General in Mushin.

A member of the drug syndicate confessed that they picked up the consignment, which has a street value of about Ten Million Naira (10,000,000.00), at Alaba Rago around 2200hrs yesterday for shipment to Mushin.

Luck however ran out on them when RRS officials on patrol stopped the bus on a routine check at about 0400hrs today. Another member of the syndicate, Oluwole Omojuyitan aged 40 who had initially escaped the scene on bike was arrested by the operatives after he came back with a sum of Five Hundred Thousand Naira (N500,000.00) to bribe the officers to release the drugs and suspects.

Other arrested members of the gang include Ojukwu Omanogho aged 36 and Hope Jumbo aged 40.

The Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Alabi, fdc, mnim, psc while commending the Commander RRS, CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi and the team has since directed that the suspects and exhibits be transferred to the Command Headquarters for further investigations.