Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora of Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta, on Friday sentenced the duo of Mustakeem Balogun and Soliudeen Majekodunmi to death by hanging. At the same time, Lukmon Abdulgafar bagged life imprisonment over the murder of 16-year-old Sofia Okeowo at Kugba area, Abeokuta, on January 28, 2022.
The state Commissioner for Justice and Attorney General, Mr Oluwasina Ogungbade, disclosed this in a statement sent to journalists on Friday. Recall that Sofia had gone to visit her boyfriend, Mustakeem, who had sexual intercourse with her, after which he was said to have viciously attacked and strangled the deceased with the support of Soliudeen and then beheaded her.
They subsequently cut parts of Sofia’s thighs and stuffed her headless body into a sack, after which the deceased’s head was taken to Lukmon’s house to be burnt with a local burner. In a viral video that surfaced on the internet in January 2022, the trio were caught by community guards with Sofia’s head burning in the local burner.
They were also seen reciting incantations over her corpse. The commissioner’s statement read, “Today, July 11, 2025, the trio of Mustakeem Balogun, Soliudeen Majekodunmi, and Lukmon Abdulgafar faces the full wrath of the law over the gruesome killing of Sofia Okeowo.
“The dastardly act which occurred on January 28th 2022, around Kugba, Abeokuta saw Mustakeem Balogun lure 16-year-old Sofia to have canal knowledge of her and later kill her in preparation for a premeditated money ritual charms.
“The two other culprits are Soliudeen Majekodunmi and Lukman Abdulgafar. “Justice Olugboyega Ogunfowora of the Ogun State High Court has, however, found the trio guilty of the crime committed and has therefore sentenced Mustakeem Balogun and Soliudeen Majekodunmi to death by hanging while Lukman Abdulgafar received a life sentence.”
The commissioner further stated that the present administration does not allow crime to thrive, prompting the state to secure the conviction of the three criminals, which will serve as a deterrent to other ritualists.
Voting officially commenced across Lagos State today as residents head to the polls to elect their local government chairmen and councillors in the 57 Local Government Areas and Local Council Development Areas (LCDAs).
Our correspondents on the ground report that several polling units witnessed low voter turnout so far, with many centres appearing deserted despite the early arrival of electoral officers and materials.
Security personnel were stationed across key areas, and the voting process is ongoing peacefully in most locations.
Though, residents were seen coming out to vote in some local government councils but there was large record of low turnout in many local government council areas in Lagos.
The Coroner’s Court investigating the death of Nigerian singer Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly known as Mohbad, has ruled out foul play or homicide in the case. Delivering her findings on Friday at the Ikorodu Magistrate Court in Lagos, Magistrate Adedayo Shotobi concluded that the singer’s death was not the result of any criminal act.
However, the coroner found that the actions of the auxiliary nurse, Feyisayo Ogedengbe, who administered an injection to Mohbad without a doctor’s prescription, were both unlawful and professionally negligent. The court recommended that the nurse be prosecuted for gross negligence and illegal medical practice.
Citing Section 29 of the Lagos State Coroner Law, Magistrate Shotobi urged the Directorate of Public Prosecutions to take up the case against the unlicensed nurse.
The coroner also called for further investigation into a prior petition by Mohbad against Naira Marley and Sam Larry, alleging assault and intimidation—issues that resurfaced during the inquest.
In addition, the court criticized Mohbad’s father for burying him hastily without insisting on an autopsy, and faulted the singer’s wife for not taking him to the hospital promptly when he fell ill.
The court further noted that social media influencers and content creators had distorted facts about the case during the proceedings, in ways that could compromise the integrity of the judicial process.
Lastly, the coroner recommended broader reforms, including improvements in healthcare service delivery and stronger responses from law enforcement to protect citizens.
The Iyalode of Ibadanland in-Council under the leadership of the Iyalode of Ibadan, High Chief (Mrs) Theresa Oyekanmi on Thursday , 10th July 2025 paid a solemn condolence visit to the family of the late Olubadan of Ibadanland, His Imperial Majesty Oba Dr. Owolabi Akinloye Olakulehin, who passed on recently after a brief but dignified reign.
Led by the representative of the Iyalode, the delegation visited the late monarch’s family compound to express their heartfelt sympathies and support to the bereaved family. Speaking during the visit, the team described the late Olubadan as a father to all and a leader who embodied wisdom, patience, and a deep love for the culture and people of Ibadanland.
“We came, not to mourn , but to celebrate the life of Kabiyesi with the Olakulehin family, on the passing into glory of our illustrious patriarch. We remember him as a beacon of humility and service who has left an indelible mark in the history of Ibadanland. Kabiyesi lived an honourable life, and though his reign was brief, it carried the weight of peace and dignity,” the Iyalode said.
In continuation of their condolence visit, the Iyalode Chiefs also visited the Olubadan-in-Council at the Olubadan Palace, Oke Aremo, to express their shared grief and reaffirm their solidarity with the traditional leadership of Ibadanland. The chiefs were received by members of the Olubadan-in-Council, who appreciated the gesture and noted that the unity and reverence shown by the Iyalode Chiefs during this period of mourning reflects the enduring strength and harmony of Ibadan’s traditional institutions.
In the entourage were;Oloye Iyalode of Ibadanland (Iyalode in council); Oloye Yewande Durosaro – Osi Iyalode of Ibadanland; Oloye Onikepo Akande – Iyalaje Iyalode of Ibadanland,; Oloye Kudirat Adeleke – Ekerin Iyalode of Ibadanland;Oloye Mojisola Ladipo – Ekefa Iyalode of Ibadanland; Oloye Olanrewaju Otiti – Agbaakin Iyalode of Ibadanland; Oloye Tawakalitu Sharafadeen Alli – Aregbe Omo Iyalode of Ibadanland; Oloye Folake Akande – Bada Iyalode of Ibadanland; Oloye Ayo Alaga – Ajia Iyalode of Ibadanland; Oloye Onibiyi Scott – Jagun Iyalode of Ibadanland
The All Progressives Congress (APC) is reportedly considering welcoming Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, into its fold amid growing speculation about his plans to defect from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).
Sources familiar with the matter told SaharaReporters that Adeleke’s interest in joining the APC is not new, but the party is now seriously weighing the move, believing his defection could strengthen its grip on Osun State.
“Deliberations are ongoing about Adeleke joining the APC,” a party chieftain disclosed. “The thinking among APC leaders is that, as the sitting governor, his defection would be a strategic advantage in Osun. But the decision is still pending.”
Another APC insider in the state emphasized that the final call would come from President Bola Tinubu. “If the President gives the green light, the party will likely support Adeleke’s move. After all, he’s the party leader,” the source said.
However, concerns remain within APC ranks. Some members fear Adeleke’s entry could trigger internal conflict, especially among former PDP members who defected to the APC due to disagreements with the governor.
“The question now is, how will those who left PDP because of Adeleke react if he joins APC?” one source asked.
When contacted, the Osun APC Chairman, Sooko Taju Lawal, said the state chapter is not part of any ongoing discussions regarding Adeleke’s defection and has no official knowledge of such plans.
“We are not aware of, or involved in, any process of Adeleke joining the APC,” Lawal stated. On whether the party would accept him if he decides to move, he responded cautiously: “Let it happen first, then we’ll know how to handle it. I don’t want to say too much for now.”
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has called on all members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), to remain steadfast and committed to the shared vision of progress, unity and development.
He urged other opposition politicians that are in the coalition, especially members of the PDP, to return to the Party, likening their alliance as people who abandoned a house due to internal challenges.
Speaking at the end of the Party’s South West Zonal Caucus meeting in Ibadan, Oyo State, the Governor emphasized unity, urging coalition members to address issues collaboratively rather than leaving due to temporary setbacks.
“You can’t abandon your house because of a leaking roof,” Governor Makinde declared. He added that the PDP is built on solid foundations, and like any structure, it may face wear and tear. It is the responsibility of all Party members to fix the leaks, strengthen the foundation, and keep the house standing for the people of this country.
Governor Makinde acknowledged the sacrifices of all Party members and leaders and reaffirmed his commitment to working together with other critical stakeholders in the Party towards the success of the PDP in future elections. “Let us fix the roof together and keep this house strong for the future,” Governor Makinde concluded.
The Oyo State Emergency Management Agency (OYOSEMA) has issued a flash flood alert for residents of Ibadan, particularly those living in Akinyele, Egbeda, and Oluyole Local Government Areas (LGAs).
The agency is urging residents in these areas to take proactive measures to mitigate the impact of potential flooding.
In a statement released on Friday afternoon, SEMA’s Administrative Secretary, Mrs. Ojuolape Busari, said the Flood Early Warning System’s latest weather forecast indicates heavy rainfall is expected in the affected LGAs.
Mrs. Busari, who noted that the agency works hand-in-hand with the Ministry of Environment and Natural resources, advised that some areas could receive over 100mm (about 4 inches) of rain in the next 24 hours.
Mrs. Busari highlighted that the heaviest rainfall is expected North-East of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA) and the airport.
Her words, “The advice has become imperative to activate the concerned Local Government Authorities and communities to take necessary actions to mitigate the risk of flooding and avoid loss of lives, displacement, and significant damage to property and infrastructure.”
She added that areas around IITA (Akinyele), the airport (Egbeda), and the Cocoa Research Institute of Nigeria (CRIN, Oluyole) will experience significant rainfall.
She warned residents that flash floods could affect streets, with low-lying areas flooding rapidly.
Mrs. Busari also added that roads may become difficult or impossible to use, stressing that heavy rain will make driving hazardous.
She advised residents to avoid driving or walking through floodwaters.
“Turn around, don’t drown”, she said.
Busari added, “If you live in a flood-prone area, be prepared to move to higher ground if instructed.
The threats began shortly after he publicly vowed to stop more than 60 government agencies from illegally collecting taxes and levies, Mr Oyedele said.
Taiwo Oyedele, the Chairperson of Nigeria’s Presidential Fiscal Policy and Tax Reforms Committee, says he was forced to flee his home and now lives under police protection after receiving death threats for leading efforts to reduce tax-related extortion in Nigeria.
The threats followed his public comments about stopping more than 60 government agencies from collecting taxes and levies illegally.
Speaking in an interview on Nigeria Info on Wednesday, Mr Oyedele said he never imagined the scale of backlash that would follow his policy reform efforts.
He disclosed that he had to abandon the house he built over more than a decade and move to a secret location under the watch of armed police officers.
“My family got a death threat… I had to pack out of my house,” he said.
“I rented a place in a secret location where I live now. I’m not the kind of person that wants anybody carrying gun to follow me around, but I had to accept mobile police protection.”
Safety Concerns Mr Oyedele said the impact of the threats went beyond him. His wife, he explained, now observes fasting every night due to fear for his safety, often losing sleep and struggling to function at work the next day. His mother who is close to 80 years, distressed by media reports, began fasting as well and eventually developed an ulcer.
“There’s this bit of sacrifice that people don’t see,” he said. “If you’re not in the public sector to steal money, it is not attractive at all.”
He added that the goal of his public service is to make a national impact, not personal gain. “The only consideration for someone like me is the opportunity to make an impact on a large scale,” he said.
The fiscal reforms spearheaded by Mr Oyedele’s committee were given legal backing on 26 June, when President Bola Tinubu signed four new laws,the Nigeria Tax Act, the Nigeria Tax Administration Act, the Nigeria Revenue Service Act, and the Joint Tax Board Act.
These laws consolidate earlier tax reform bills and are designed to simplify tax collection, eliminate illegal , and improve transparency across all levels of government. The reforms take effect from 1 January 2026.
Mr Oyedele said many of those who resisted the reforms were not low-level tax collectors but highly connected individuals who had turned government-backed levies into private revenue streams.
“The bulk of the money they were collecting was for themselves,” he said. “They have principals, and those principals are not small boys and girls. They’re big people that have resources. They are connected. So they will fight normally.”
Although police and the Department of State Services investigated the threats, authorities were unable to identify those behind them. Mr Oyedele said he believes the risk has reduced now that the laws have been passed.
“Now that the laws have been signed, there’s really no point for anybody to hurt me,” he said. “Even if anything happens to me now, I will die a happy person, because Nigerians will remember there was a guy who was trying to help his country.”
PAYE changes One of the central changes in the new law is a restructuring of the personal income tax system. Under the new framework, Nigerians earning N110,000 or less per month will no longer pay any Pay-As-You-Earn (PAYE) tax.
Those earning between N110,000 and N2 million monthly will pay less than they currently do, while only those earning above N2 million a month will see slight increases in their tax rate.
The top PAYE rate will rise to 25 per cent, mainly affecting high-net-worth individuals.
Mr Oyedele defended the rate increase, saying it targets those with more capacity to give. “Even for these high-net-worth individuals that we are asking to pay a little bit more, they also are the ones that mostly own businesses or are the executives,” he said.
He also clarified that the rates will apply uniformly across all states, given that the laws were passed by the National Assembly and are binding nationwide.
The committee plans to embark on a six-month campaign to raise awareness, especially among small businesses and low-income earners, to ensure they benefit from the waivers and are not extorted by uninformed or unscrupulous officials.
No VAT hike Despite earlier proposals, Mr Oyedele confirmed that the government has dropped plans to increase the VAT rate. Instead, the new laws remove VAT from key goods and services that account for over 80 per cent of Nigerians’ household spending.
These include food, education, healthcare, accommodation and transport. The zero-rating means these items will not attract VAT, and producers can now reclaim VAT paid on inputs, which is expected to lower production costs and possibly prices.
He explained the difference between VAT exemption and zero-rating, noting that zero-rated goods allow producers to recover input VAT and reduce the final cost.
“When you make bread to be zero-rated, bread does not carry VAT, and any VAT that you incur in producing bread, you recover it back from the government,” he said.
The reforms also allow businesses to reclaim VAT on capital goods, services and inventories, a move expected to reduce operating costs across sectors.
Mr Oyedele urged businesses to pass on the benefit to the public by lowering their prices. “We should not overburden businesses with cost,” he said. “Those costs have now been removed.”
Boosting productivity Mr Oyedele said the ultimate goal of the reforms is to expand productivity and protect the vulnerable, not to generate quick revenue.
“We didn’t set out to do reform so that we can collect more revenue for government,” he said. “That would be placing the cart before the horse. The objective was to make the system work for everyone, particularly people below the middle class.”
He acknowledged that while macroeconomic indicators such as debt service-to-revenue ratio have improved from 97 per cent in 2022 to under 50 per cent the real impact on individuals will come once the new laws take effect.
“As people collect their salaries in January 2026, they will see that their net pay has increased, even though their salary hasn’t changed,” he said. “That’s the micro effect.”
He added that the reforms are designed to boost consumer spending, stimulate business expansion, and reduce inequality over time.
Praise for Tinubu He credited President Tinubu for showing political will, even when the reforms became politically sensitive.
“Most of the things we did, we didn’t discuss with Mr President in advance,” he said. “They were blaming it on him, and he took all of it. He never, for once, blamed us.”
He said Mr Tinubu’s leadership ensured the reforms could move forward, despite resistance rooted in tribal, regional and religious sentiments.
“I don’t know whether any other president since our independence would have been able to put through what we have done,” he said.
Two former governorship candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Eyitayo Jegede and Chief Agboola Ajayi, have officially joined the African Democratic Congress (ADC), aligning with a growing coalition seeking to challenge President Bola Tinubu’s administration in 2027.
Other prominent defectors to the coalition include former Senator representing Ondo South, Nicholas Tofowomo; former House of Representatives member, Prof. Bode Ayorinde; ex-PDP State Chairman, Tola Alabere; and former PDP Publicity Secretary, Kennedy Peretei, among others.
Speaking at the inauguration of the state chapter of the coalition, the coordinator, Prof. Bode Ayorinde, declared that the movement is gaining momentum across Ondo’s local government areas.
“All the local governments are with us. Our numbers are increasing, and we will continue to build on the momentum,” Ayorinde said.
He clarified that the coalition is not distributing money but is focused on grassroots mobilization and inclusive politics, stating that membership cards will soon be shared across wards and local government areas.
“The former PDP governorship candidates for the 2020 and 2024 elections — Eyitayo Jegede and Agboola Ajayi — are with us. Senator Nicholas Tofowomo, Mr. Tola Alabere, and Mr. Kennedy Peretei are also part of this movement,” he added.
Ayorinde emphasized his disinterest in elective office, urging leaders at the ward level to embrace inclusive politics as the state prepares for the next governorship election.
“We started with just 25 members. Today, we are over 300. This shows the failure of the ruling party. Ondo will be the first to take advantage of the ADC platform.”
In his remarks, former PDP Publicity Secretary Kennedy Peretei described the coalition as a necessary response to the current political climate nothing that necessary is dragging to one party State which is not good for democracy.
Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of Ondo state has inaugurated the Ondo state youth parliament, a platform for youths of the state to actively participate in the democratic process and horn their leadership skills.
Speaking at the ceremony, which was held at the Ondo State House of Assembly complex in Akure, on Monday, the governor reiterated his administration’s commitment to youth-friendly programs and policies.
Represented by his deputy, Dr Olayide Adelami, the governor emphasized his administration’s vision behind the resumption of the youth parliament.
According to him, “As we inaugurate the third Ondo State Youth Parliament, I want to reiterate our administration’s commitment to nurturing the young people of our state as responsible citizens and future leaders.
“This vision is at the heart of our youth development agenda and the Youth Parliament serves as a vital framework for achieving this goal.
“It is imperative to note that the objectives of this esteemed institution are mainly to equip young people with essential social skills, deepen their understanding of democracy and empower them to contribute meaningfully to public decision-making”
The governor highlighted the achievements of his administration with respect to job creation and youth development.
Earlier in his address, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Youth Empowerment and Job Creation, Orioye Gbayisemore, said the youth parliament would serve as a training ground for young people, who aspire to leadership positions.
Gbayisemore thanked the governor for running an inclusive government that ensures no young person is left behind, urging the newly-inaugurated parliamentarians to focus on their core mandates of protecting the overall interests of the Nigerian youths.
Remarking, Speaker of the newly-inaugurated Ondo state youth parliament, Ayo Shadrach, appreciated the governor for bringing back the state youth parliament, promising to contribute meaningfully to the development of the state.
The ceremony was witnessed by principal officers of the Ondo State House of Assembly, led by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Olamide Oladiji, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on ICT, Hon. Tomide Akinribido and Permanent Secretary in the state ministry of youth and sports, Mrs Tolu Adeyemi, among others.
