Author: oduduwanews

Governor Makinde made this declaration in Igangan, Ibarapa North Local Government, where he visited the families of last weekend’s attacks, stating that the state would empower local security guards and vigilantes in addition to other measures taken to ensure that insecurity becomes a thing of the past in Ibarapaland.

A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Governor Makinde, who was in Igangan with top government functionaries and the Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, deplored the loss of lives.

He added that the government has been able to identify areas where there are lapses, calling on the people to give his government the opportunity to address the situation and put in place the right architecture that will enable them to return to their normal lives without fear.

“I have told your chairman that all the vigilantes and security guards, the government will be responsible for them. This is your government, please give me the opportunity to do the needful so that a meeting like this would not come up again.

“I urge you to give me that chance to make the issue of insecurity here become a thing of the past. Don’t take laws into your hands. We have identified where there are hitches. We are supposed to be going to our farms by now because of the favourable weather. But hold me accountable, I have nowhere to go.

“I believe there are some certain things we put in place, which we think would work but unfortunately, they did not work. Please, give me some time, everything will be resolved.”

Governor Makinde, who promised that his government would work through the sad situation together with the people of the community, stated that it is the last time such a bad occurrence would take place in Igangan.

The governor said: “It is not a situation where there is any magic we can do. We have to work through this and work together through it. But I promise you, this is the last time anything like this will ever happen here. It is a promise I am making to you, and it is a promise I will come through with.

“Please, don’t take laws into your hands. I urge all the families that lost their loved ones to this attack, because sometimes, emotion can really be high. Please, give us the opportunity to resolve this and make this place better for you.

“You must have seen the Light-up project we embarked on. We are doing it for us to be able to see everywhere, whether it is day or night. Well, there are people who don’t want good for our state and country at large, but I believe that God will show us mercy.

“Once again, I beg of you; give us the opportunity to come back and rebuild things and put a more solid architecture such that you will be able to go to farms and do whatever you want to do without fear. But I should be held accountable. I am responsible for this and will do everything within my power to make sure that it will not happen again.”

Members of the group during the protest in Abeokuta, the nation’s capital on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.

Members of a group, Yoruba Appraisal Forum (YAF) on Tuesday staged a protest in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital rejecting calls for the disintegration of the country.

The group suggested constructive dialogue to address the current sociopolitical and economic challenges facing the country rejecting war and violence as being demonstrated in many parts of the country.

The national coordinator of the group, Adeshina Animashaun while speaking to journalists during the protest held at the centenary hall in the state capital, challenged political leaders to rise to the challenges and ensure peaceful coexistence of all Nigerians.

Members of the group during the protest in Abeokuta, the nation’s capital on Tuesday, June 8, 2021.

They however joined voices with those calling for a new constitution for the country, to ensure equity, fairness, and peaceful coexistence.

The group called on the people of the South-West not to fall for the deception by those claiming to be championing Yoruba’s self-determination and independence, eschew violence, live in peace with other residents of their states, and expose troublemakers in their midst.

The Forum, therefore, urged the police and the other security agencies to take appropriate and urgent steps to deal decisively with these elements bent on fomenting trouble in the South-West and Nigeria as a whole.

It has just been confirmed that 50 suspected internet fraudsters known as Yahoo Yahoo have been arrested in Oyo State by Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).

ODUDUWA NEWS gathered that they were picked up at Alaro Sango, Agbaje Ijokoro and Apete Aladura areas of Ibadan, the capital.

EFCC spokesman, Wilson Uwujaren announced the raid in a statement on Tuesday.

Uwujaren said thirty-four of the suspects have been indicted in the ongoing investigations.

They are Badmus Abeeb, Ibrahim Ahmed, Adeyemo Babatunde, Abdulrashid Ajagbe, Olajide Okiki Peter, Hassan Yusuf Atanda, Yusuf Olasupo Salaudeen, Bello Ahmed Bamidele, Adewale Damilola.

Tosin, Kolawole Yusuf Olawale, Nicholas Ferdinand, Keshiro Olanrewaju, Falana Victor Dapo, Abogunrin Emmanuel, Bosun Tomiwa Tunde, Shelter Chibundo, Banjoko Idris, and Adebayo Akorede.

Others are Awoyinka Afeez Ayodeji, Afonja Olarenwaju, Akingbade Taofeek, Ezekiel Adekunle, Ganiyu Sodiq, Abioye Abiodun, Ogunbayo Daniel, John Timileyin.

The rest: Ominiyi Daniel, Adeniyi Idris Sodiq, Joseph James, Adeyemi Segun Oluwaseun, Adeleke Rasheed, Saliu Tomiwa Rasheed, Itoro Edet Ime and Oseni Nasirudeen

“Some items used in perpetrating the crime were recovered”, Uwujaren added.

The suspects will be charged upon the conclusion of full investigations.

The apex leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua, Professor Banji Akintoye, on Monday, issued an alert to the Yoruba people, saying that the early Sunday attack of the people of Igangan, in Ibarapa North Local Government Area of Oyo State by Fulani is a declaration of war against the peace-loving Yoruba people.

In a statement personally signed by him and made available to journalists by his communication manager, Mr Maxwell Adeleye, he commended Governor Rotimi Akeredolu of Ondo State on his stand on Igangan mayhem.

Akintoye called on the South-West governors to put aside constitutional objections to defend their people, saying “Yoruba land has been surrounded, and we must act now.”

He also urged the younger Yoruba people to rise to the occasion by coming out to defend their land via technological, spiritual and physical warfares, warning that “the Fulani herdsmen attack must never be allowed to succeed anywhere in Yorubaland again.”

According to the statement, “while commiserating with our people in Igangan, we hereby issue a red alert to all Yoruba people at home and in the Diaspora. It must now be clear to all Yoruba people of all classes and economic circumstances that war has come in a big way to our homeland.”

The Governor, on Monday, said a long list of abandoned buildings across Local Government Areas (LGAs) and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs), which may serve as safe haven for criminals, have been compiled.

Sanwo-Olu said the State Government would be taking proactive action towards ensuring that the buildings do not become security threats in communities where they have been found.

The popular thinking is that such buildings are occupied by criminals who use them to plan attacks. The government plans to take control of such buildings.

Sanwo- Olu spoke of the development during a live interview on Arise TV, where he shared details of his administration’s achievements in the last two years. Sanwo-Olu was 731 days in office on May 29.

At a consultative meeting on security held last month, participants requested the Government to take control of uncompleted buildings and abandoned vehicles to boost security.

The Governor, who spoke against the background of rising spate of kidnapping and criminalities in some States across the nation, said the State Government remained at alert to prevent the spillover of criminalities from neighbouring States into Lagos.

To this, he said his administration was on the verge of recruiting additional 1,500 men into the Lagos State Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC) to boost intelligence gathering in local communities and aid security agencies to quickly respond to crimes.

He said Lagos, in the last six months, had collaborated with the police to strengthen community policing in addressing localised crimes and checking activities of cultists. The State gave the police 1,250 men from the state’s Neighborhood Watch.

He stressed that the strategy would be effective if residents remained vigilant and offered information on strange activities in their neighbourhoods.

He said: “Two days ago, I receive report of abandoned buildings across the State from Neighbourhood Watch. The list is about 250 pages with addresses and pictures of the buildings. These are some of the places where the criminals and miscreants hide to launch their activities. We are passing this list to the security for immediate response and actions. This surveillance speaks to the necessity of state police. All the preventable criminalities happening are because we have not agreed as a nation that there should be state police.

“We have been an advocate of state police and it is one of the submissions I made at the recent public hearing on constitutional amendment in Lagos. State police is a force whose time has come. Whether it is Amotekun or Neighbourhood Watch, these are all pointers to the necessity of States to have police to make them stronger. All the kidnapping and killings we have been witnessing can be nipped in the bud. Our challenge in Lagos is not having forests where kidnappers hide; it is more about cultism. I need to think global but localise my response to these challenges.”

On whether the State would ban commercial motorcycles, popularly known as Okada, Sanwo-Olu said the Government was providing an alternative to the motorcycles with the First and Last-Mile minibuses; thousands of them will be pushed into the system.

The Governor, however, disclosed that transport unions had reached out to the State Government on regularisation of informal transport services, including Okada. He said efforts were underway to leverage biometric data for approval of commercial motorcycle operation in areas where it had not been proscribed.

On the recent progress recorded by the State in its response to infectious diseases, Sanwo-Olu revealed that Lagos now has the capacity to detect new variants of Coronavirus (COVID-19), given procurement of latest PCR machine. This, he said, came ahead of the move by the State to build a world-class Infectious Disease Centre in Yaba to support research for diagnosis and treatment of contagious diseases in future.

Sharing his opinion on the suspension micro-blogging site, Twitter, by the Federal Government, Sanwo-Olu said: “Mr. President, who is the Commander-in-Chief, may have some security information, which I do not have as a sitting Governor. I won’t say what the Federal Government or Twitter has done is right or wrong. What I see is that, on both sides, there are issues that can be resolved.

“So, in this period of suspension, let us sit and have a conversation. Had it been Twitter has an office in Nigeria, issues would have been resolved a lot quicker. In other climes, Twitter signs agreements on the rule of engagement. I don’t think that has happened here. The Federal Government, I believe, can handle the issue a lot better, because of the number of e-commerce firms and youths that are engaging in digital stuff.

“I believe there should be a lot of restraint and better management from both sides. I’ll plead that both sides come together in next one or two days and resolve this. We should not politicise this issue. People are losing money and economies are being destroyed, but there are also security issues. I am ready to give quality advice on what needs to be done if I’m called upon.”

The Governor said the repeal of Pension Act for former Lagos Governors and military administrators was a popular action taken by his administration to cut spending and improve good governance.

“There is no need for any pension for ex-Governors in Lagos. I won’t be earning any pension after my tenure,” he said.

The Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II, has condemned the recent midnight attack in Igangan town, Oyo State by some suspected criminal herdsmen, during which many lives and properties were lost,

This was contained a press statement released on Monday by Director of Media & Public Affairs at the Ooni’s Palace, Comrade Moses Olafare.

Ooni Ogunwusi who blamed the successful perpetratelion of the Invasion on negligent management of security Intelligence described the attack as devilish and provocative, adding that such dastardly acts if allowed to continue unbated will ruin the unity and prosperity of Nigeria.

“So worrisome is that there was a tipoff recently by Oyo State Chairman of Amotekun Security Corps, Gen. Ajibola Togun (rtd)
recently raising the alarm that some foreign Fulani herdsmen and bandits of Tuareg extraction have perfected plans to invade communities in South-West.

Such an attack in which victims credibly traced some perpetrators from a particular section of the country is capable disintegrating this country. That is why those behind it must be smoked out of their jungles and dealt with accordingly.

“There is no better time for robust security measures than now because security of lives and properties of Nigerians is the basis upon which government is being constituted.

“We Yorubas are disciplined people and law abiding but not fools. We are prepared to defend ourselves without resorting to anarchy.

The African foremost monarch who is the natural head of the Oduduwa race worldwide said the Invasion is a height of criminality which must not go without strong consequences for the perpetrators.