Ondo State Governor, Mr. Rotimi Akeredolu, has raised the alarm that terrorists are moving southward to take refuge in the forest.
He reiterated the need for the creation of state police to ensure security of lives and property.
Akeredolu pointed out that the Nigeria Police Force is overstretched, understaffed and lacks the capacity to adequately secure the people.
The governor spoke in his office on Thursday, while hosting the new Assistant Inspector-General of Police in charge of Zone 17, Yunnus Akeera.
He said, “We do not run away from the fact that the police force is overstretched. The same thing, we do not run away from the fact that a single police command in Abuja will not be adequate to police the large populace of the country. This has led to our demand for state police.
“We can complement each other. I have had senior police officers who agree on state police. Maybe they can’t say it in public. Go to Ekiti and even here in Ondo State, most of the police stations have no vehicle. Look at the unfortunate incident that happened in Owo, police said they had no vehicle to pursue the perpetrators.
“Let us all sit down and agree that we should have a system that will create division of labour. We can have the federal police and then, the state police. You can face a major task like intelligence gathering and pass it to the state police to work on.
“What is happening, if not for lack of intelligence people will not go to Kuje and attack the place in Abuja. We need your cooperation too in this our cry for a dual police system that we can work together. People are moving down south to take refuge in our forest. You don’t have the men and officers to secure the country. Police is understaffed. We appreciate your limitations in terms of men, ammunition and so on.
Earlier in his remarks, the new AIG, Yunnus Akeera, who was accompanied to the governor’s office by the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Oyediran Oyeyemi, said he would carry on with the good work the governor has done on security and deepen it.
Lagos Police Crack Operatives’ attached to the Lagos State Police Command have recorded a major landmark achievement with the arrest of all the six member gang who participated in the robbery of Mambillah Hotel, Ikorodu where the guard was shot dead and all lodgers were disposed of their valuable including cash. Sources said the feat was achieve following painstaking intelligence and follow up after a matching order by the Commissioner of Police, CP Abiodun Sylvester Alabi to crack detectives attached to the command to ensure that perpetrators of the heinous crimes were brought to book .
A statement by the Lagos State Police Command PRO, SP Ben Hundeyin made available, said the six notorious armed robbers were intelligently trialled to their hideout, some in abattoir in Agege area of the state and arrested saying that Operatives were still on the trail of their armourer keeping their AK47 assault rifle used for the operation.
The suspects include Lekan Adeoye ‘m’ aged 19, Ojo Akeredolu ‘m’ aged 29, Quadri Balogun ‘m’ aged 23, Ahmed Oke ‘m’ aged 24, John Toluwalashe ‘m’ aged 23 and Azeez Akinpelu ‘m’ aged 20. The seventh suspect, Taye was neutralized during a gun duel with police officers. Items recovered from the suspects are two locally made pistols with 11 live cartridges. The suspects would soon be charge court.
As the 2023 general election beckons, Accord has declared a member of the House of Representatives representing Iseyin/Itesiwaju/Kajola/Iwajowa federal constituency, Honourable Shina Peller, as its candidate for the Oyo North Senatorial District.
The declaration was made today in Saki immediately after the initial candidate, Prince Michael Ademola Ojo, publicly announced his resolve to willingly withdraw from the race and wholeheartedly handed over the ticket to Honourable Peller.
The event tagged, “Official Affirmation of Accord party’s candidate for Oyo North Senatorial District” witnessed the presence of Oyo State party chairman, Prince Felix Kolade Ojo, State executive members of the party, party chairmen in all the 13 local governments of the district as well as representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
While publicly making his decision known at the event, Prince Ademola Ojo said, “In the overall interest of our people in Oke Ogun and Oyo North Senatorial District at large, I hereby willingly withdraw from the race and wholeheartedly transfer the mandate I have to contest for Oyo North Senatorial District seat on the platform of Accord to my dear brother, Honourable Shina Peller.”
Consequent upon this, the party’s returning officer for the district, Mr. Abdullahi Ayemojuba, declared Honourable Shina Peller as the Accord party’s candidate for the Oyo North Senatorial District in the 2023 general election.
In his remarks, the State Party Chairman, Prince Felix Kolade Ojo, expressed his gratitude to all members for their overwhelming support and cooperation, while he expressed confidence that Accord will produce the next Oyo State governor, all the three senators in the state, as well as House of Representatives and State Assembly members.
One of the suspected killers of Sofiat Okeowo, a lady murdered for money ritual purposes in Abeokuta, Ogun State, in January, has died, ODUDUWA NEWS has learnt.
It would be recalled that following the revelation of the brutal killing of Okeowo by her lover and former boyfriend, four teenagers – Balogun Mustakeem, Majekodunmi Soliudeen, Abdulgafar Lukman, and Waris Oladeinde – were arrested by the police.
They were apprehended for slaughtering and burning the head of the victim, identified as a girlfriend to one of them, for money rituals.
In March, Oladeinde was discharged by an Ogun State magistrate’s court.
The court freed Oladeinde, who had earlier been remanded with others at the Oba correctional centre in the Obafemi-Owode Local Government Area (LGA).
Chief Magistrate I.O Abudu, stated that Oladeinde was discharged on the legal advice of the state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP).
According to Abudu, “no charge was recorded against Oladeinde in the legal advice.”
Our source said one of the three remaining suspects: Mustakeem, Soliudeen, and Lukman, has died at the Abeokuta Correctional Centre in Oba.
The actual cause of death of the teenage suspect cannot be verified as of the time of publishing this report.
SMS sent to Abimbola Oyeyemi, the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), seeking comments on the death of one of the suspects went unreplied days after
Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdul-Rasheed Akanbi, on Sunday told his subjects to give block votes to Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, in the forthcoming governorship poll.
Waterfield Luxury Hotel Akobo, Ibadan
Oba Akanbi, while speaking in his palace during an Inter-Religious Prayer he organised for Oyetola’s victory in the July 16 poll, said though more people have registered, currently all the over 90,000 voters in the town must vote for Oyetola.
According to him, he was canvassing support for Oyetola, the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, because he hoped Iwo would be given the opportunity to produce governor after the incumbent had completed his second term in 2026.The monarch said,
“I have a dream and a mission and my dream is for this place to produce the state governor come 2026. This governor has done his own. I want to use this as a prayer point for Iwo to produce the next governor in 2026.“I will deliver my block votes for Oyetola.
I’m declaring for him and I’m also calling on the people of Iwo to go and give their block votes to Oyetola. We must give at least, 90,000 votes to Oyetola from Iwo. We are registering more but right now, we have over 90,000 votes and I want all of them to go to Oyetola.
“We have to give our vote to Oyetola for the future of Iwo. We are not voting for Oyetola but the future of Iwo to have a chance at governorship. We’ve never had it and we want to have it in 2026.”
The Chairman of Agunloye Ruling House, Prince Yusuf Tella, has described as untrue the claim by a retired archbishop of Methodist Church Nigeria, Ayo Ladigbolu, that he was being urged by people to contest the race to become the next Alaafin of Oyo.
The Alaafin stool became vacant following the death of Oba Lamidi Adeyemi on April 22 at the age of 83.
Oba Adeyemi was produced by the Alowolodu Ruling House and Agunloye is believed to be the next to produce the next Alaafin.
Ladigbolu had said people were begging him to contest to occupy the vacant stool in a recent publication.
However Faulting Ladigbolu”s Claim Tella said there were too many qualified princes from Agunloye Ruling House, adding that it would be ridiculous for anyone to claim that people were pleading with him to contest the race.
He said, “It is wrong for him (Ladigbolu) to say that he was begged to contest. No prince begged him to contest.There are so many princes who are jostling to be selected to mount the stool. So, why will they be begging him? Even when you talk of age, he is older than the late Alaafin.
“So many have applied and this is in the public domain. There are so many qualified princes who have signified interest. So, who is now begging him? That claim is not true.’’
“Lawani Agogo Ija was the first born of Agunloye and his (Lawani Ago Ija’s) children have been the only ones occupying the throne out of the 29 children of Agunloye. Ladigbolu is even from the one ruling family that has been occupying the throne for long. Ladigbolu is not part of the remaining 28 children of Agunloye.
“The Agunloye family has presented 48 candidates and we are telling the Oyomesi again that out of 29 children, only one of them has produced Alaafin on three occasions. They should pick the next Alaafin from the remaining 28 families who have not had such an opportunity to mount the throne.”
Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife yesterday at Ile-Ife displayed his unknown talent as a drummer when he dazzled the teaming participants at the closing session of the annual Ayangalu Drum Festival during which he took up the symbolic African talking drum called ‘IYA ILU’ which he beat for peace and tranquility in Nigeria especially during this electioneering period in the country.
While narrating that the talking aspect of drumming originally came from animals, the African foremost monarch who at the closing ceremony held at the OJAJA ARENA inside Ife Grand Resort along Ibadan road Ile-Ife described drum as a vital tool for communicating peaceful coexistence globally had earlier during the flag-off ceremony of the festival, held on Wednesday, at his Ile-Oodua Palace, in Ile-Ife said the Oduduwa race was the first tribe to beat the drum in the whole world, saying the festival has to do with rhythm of drum which has to do with connection of the spiritual connotations. .
“Globally, people usually called our ancestors animists, because they had a strong relationship with them.
“The Ayan Agalu festival has been in existence from a time memorial as one of the deities. No matter the tribe, either black, white or brown, the world cannot do without the drum.The whole world has done a lot in the rhythm of drum as it concerned.
“Basically, We are just remembering our ancestors and giving them the honour that it’s due to them, I urge the Oodua race worldwide, Yorubas in particular to jointly continue celebrating Ayan Agalu so as to let the whole world know that the the drum originated from us.” Ooni expressed.
According to him, Ayangalu descended next to Oduduwa place called Atiba in Ile-Ife from where Oranmiyan moved to found Oyo Kingdom stating that Atiba has since remained the hub of traditional drummers in Ile-Ife till date.
Oba Ogunwusi who is the natural head of Oduduwa race also emphasized roles played by Orunmila in the drumming communication being the deity that first decoded the meaning of the drum and things that had to do with it.
“Our ancestors used drum majorly for communication, for it goes beyond entertainment and till date Yoruba people use drum for communication and as a vital tool for preaching peace and harmony..
“By the spirit of Ayangalu festival, we use the rhythm and tone to communicate peace and peaceful coexistence to our people.
“We are like the barometer in the next electioneering campaign in Nigeria, Osun gubernatorial election is coming up in the next two to three weeks and that will lead to major election in Nigeria by next year January.” Oba Ogunwusi stated. . “We know that things are hard especially in the issue of security in Nigeria, celebrating Ayangalu will make us focus on peace and peaceful coexistence. Let’s remain steadfast in promoting our cultural heritage for our collective progress.” Ooni opined.
Also, the Ayangalu Ambassador, who doubles as Chief Executive Officer (CEO), Adire Oodua Hub, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi, commended Ooni for celebrating our female deities and other heroines such as Moremi, Olokun, Osun, Osara and Ayan-Agalu among others.
Ademiluyi said that Ayan-Agalu was a patron deity of drumming who deserves to be celebrated. She also lauded Ooni for championing gender equality by letting the whole world know that Ayan-Agalu was a female deity.
Stressing that over 200 children would be trained during a planned workshop on how to make drums and how to become a drummer with a view to sustaining the traditional drumming culture of Ayan-Agalu.
Ms Ayoola Ibukun Bisola, popularly known as Bisola Omoge Bata who is the Face Of Ayan-Agalu Festival 2022 expressed her gratitude to the Ooni for making her Face of the Festival and enjoined Nigerians to show interest in showcasing the African drumming to the world.
“Let me start by thanking my father, the Ooni of Ife to have found me worthy as the Face of this Ayan-Agalu Festival 2022. I also thank our team leader and ambassador, Princess Ronke Ademiluyi for her leadership, May I enjoin our people in Nigeria and Africa to show interest in this African drumming brand so that the legacy of our ancestors is well sustained. Omoge Bata said.
The Ogbomoso, Oyo State born Award-winning Nigeria’s first female “Bata” drummer maintained that Ayan-Agalu festival essentially celebrates of a uniquely significant communicative aspect of the Yoruba culture as manifested in the use of proverbs which are associated with the sounds of the drums in their various forms and components.
Equally, the foremost female talking drummer in Africa, Aralola Olamuyiwa popularly known as ARA who was appointed 6 years ago Cultural Ambassador to the Ooni described African Drums as inherent importance of communication which valued by the indigenous African peoples saying that every sound produced by the drum is a form of art and beauty that motivates happiness lasting excitement of the Africans.
“Ayan is popularly described as the drumming spirit. Anywhere the drum is sound, it will be appropriate to assume that the Orisa of Drum and Music Ayan is around to give us happiness and lasting excitement.” Ara said.
Ayan-Agalu is one of the cultural festivals annually held in the ancient city of Ile-Ife, the cradle and spiritual headquarters of the Oduduwa race in celebration of the uniqueness and craftsmanship of Ayan Agalu, the deity of associated with drums, sounds and celebrations.
This just concluded 2-day edition kicked off on Wednesday 29th and ended on Thursday 30th June 2022 with over 200 drummers and drumm performing groups out of which best 48 groups were screened for competition which led to 6 outstanding winners;
Ogunjimi Cultural Group from Osogbo came first and got a million Naira(#1m) prize. Ayangbayi Bata came 2nd and got N500,000, while Esin Oye Cultural group from Ile-Ife came 3rd with N250,000 cash prize.
Itesiwaju Entertaining Group from Lagos exhibited a beautiful performance adjudged by the cheering audience to have won the competition but failed due to their choice of western dress to the cultural event. They however got the Ooni Ogunwusi consolation prize of N250,000, while Onilu Kishi Drummer Group from Oyo and Ayangbayi Cultural Group emerged Best Entertainers and Best dressed respectively with #150,000 each. In addition to the prizes won, all other participants were rewarded with cash prize of #40,000 each.
The Olofin Iseri Awori, HRM Oba Adekunle Bamgbade, Apetu of Ipetumodu, HRM Oba(Prof) Olugbenga Oloyede, the Salu of Edunabon, HRM Oba Kehinde Oladepo, the Atta of Ayede-Ekiti, HRM Oba Abdumumini Orisagbemi, the Alara of Araodaye-Ife, HRM Oba Olusegun Layade and Atayero of Aramoko Ekiti, HRH Olusegun Aderemi were among traditional rulers and dignitaries who graced the occasion.
The police in Ondo state have arrested the pastor of The whole Bible deliverance Church, for allegedly abducting over thirty persons including children
The arrest followed complaints of some parents who reported the case to the police in Ondo town.
The spokesperson of the Ondo state police command, Funmilayo Odunlami confirmed the arrest.
It was gathered that the pastor and his assistant camped the children in the church under the pretense that they are waiting for the second coming of Jesus Christ.
Parents of the children forcefully mobilized at the church and invited the police to arrest the pastor and his assistant.
The pastor and his assistant and those in their custody were moved to the state police headquarters
She said the command is still investigating the matter.
Asisat Oshoala, four-time African Footballer of the Year and FC Barcelona Femení star, announces the launch of the ‘Asisat Oshoala Academy,’ (AOA) in partnership with Nike and Women Win.
AOA, which is designed to provide access to football and lifeskills for underprivileged schoolgirls in Lagos State.
The Academy is another initiative of Asisat that will build upon her mission of providing access to sport and education for young girls in her community.
“I have always strived to give back to the girl child in my community and I believe this football academy will provide opportunities for more girls to excel through the combination of sport and education. I want to thank our partners Women Win and Nike for helping bring this platform to life. Together we can go further and achieve a lot more” Oshoala stated.
Meanwhile, the Asisat Oshoala Foundation, established in 2015, will be responsible for the day-to-day management of the academy. Women Win, the Amsterdam-based global women’s fund dedicated to advancing girls and women’s rights, will also bring their expertise to the Academy’s development.
“Women Win is very proud and excited to be partnering with our longtime partner Nike, Asisat and the Asisat Oshoala Academy to leverage the power of sport to support girls in Nigeria to become better equipped to exercise their rights. This partnership and program will be key in ensuring girls can thrive as they face the most pressing issues of adolescence and realise their inherent leadership potential.” Yvonne Henry, Women Win, Brands Director declared.
Also, AOA will provide 30 girls (age 12 – 18) with access to 90 mins of football training three times a week. The program will be complimented with life skills education covering a range of empowerment and rights-based topics. Graduates from the academy will be encouraged to convert their leadership skills to make a positive impact in their respective communities.
In addition to the weekly programming, the Academy will host 4 ‘She Plays’ events a year. These events will broaden the reach of the academy’s activities and will host up to 100 schoolgirls, aged 12 to 18 years, every session. The Asisat Oshoala Foundation The Asisat Oshoala Foundation, which was launched in 2015, is a non-governmental, nonprofit organisation, established with a mission to Give hope to the girl child through education and sports.
The former President of the federal republic of Nigeria, chief Olusegun Obasanjo drove a commercial tricycle, popularly known as Keke NAPEP, to pick intra-city passengers in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, on Saturday.
This was done in commemoration of his 85th birthday anniversary.
Obasanjo said that his action was informed by the desire to show the teeming youths that there were many opportunities to legitimately make a living in the country.
The former president added that his action was to further stress what he said earlier that with ‘Keke NAPEP’ business, which his government launched in November 2002, Nigerian youths could still be self-reliant.
