Category: News

Oguntona Seun Olunloyo, the political leader of the Atiba Local Government Area’s Soro Local Council Development Area, LCDA, has been suspended by councilors.

Olunloyo is allegedly involved in anti-party actions in addition to being inefficient and careless, according to Fadiran Sunday, leader of the house, who made this public.

Olunloyo is the most recent political head to be suspended after the expiration of the vacation embarked on by Gov. Seyi Makinde.

Details later.

The Oyo State Police Command has arrested a 20-year-old suspect, Tosin Kolade, who raped and murdered a 17-year-old girl, Ifeoluwa Apanpa, inside a church at Olodo area of Ibadan, the state capital.

It is reported that the deceased was said to be on her way to church for service when the suspect under a false pretence sought her assistance in his own church that was close by.

The suspect who was paraded before the newsmen at the State Police Headquarter, Eleyele, Ibadan on Tuesday, September 20, said his mother is a member of the sanitation department in the Church, hence his access to the key of the church.

“On 17th September, 2022, I went back home from work around 1pm because we didn’t have work that day. We were just sleeping at the shop. I told my boss that I wanted to go and ease myself, and he said I shouldn’t stay long. When I got home, i took the key of our church because my mum is the cleaner of the church and went to church. I packed all the chairs in the church together; I already knew the time Ifeoluwa will pass through our church to her own church. She eventually came and I asked her to assist me to carry some of the chairs I packed.

“I brought out the knife in my pocket and told her not to shout. I wanted to scare her to collect her phone but she dragged the knife with me and the knife fell to the floor. She also fell down and hit her head on the floor while trying to escape. She couldn’t stand up because she was weak. I raped her and took her phone. I requested for her password but she gave me the wrong password. When I discovered, I strangulated her,” the suspect explained.

The Senate has confirmed Justice Olukayode Ariwoola as the substantive Chief Judge of Nigeria.

Motions to confirm the Chief Judge were approved by the legislators when they were put to a voice vote by the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan.

Details later.

Ibadan, a woman was shot by gunmen on the 21st of September, 2022.

A middle-aged woman was shot by some assailants in the community of Ibadan.

The assailants shot the woman known as Aunty Dupe in the Ologuneru section of Ibadan’s Aafin Iyanu neighborhood.

According to sources, the woman was operating a white Toyota Venza at the time of the incident on Tuesday about 8 o’clock. She was shot twice on the left side of her neck at close range, according to ODUDUWA.

It was discovered that some patrolling police officers arrived at the spot right away.

Later, the woman was transferred to an unnamed hospital for treatment.

Adewale Osifeso, the State Police command’s public relations officer, confirmed the occurrence.

The Police has begun investigation to unravel the mystery behind the incident.

Osun State Commissioner for Education, Mr Oladoyin Folorunso has disclosed that 47 teachers across various public schools in the state with mental health problems are undergoing a rehabilitation programme.

He also disclosed that the Ministry of Education in the state has eliminated examination malpractices in public schools across the state.

Fielding questions from newsmen at the Ministry in Osogbo on Monday, he said his team while on supervision across the state discovered that apart from surrogate teachers existing in public schools, some teachers are also suffering from different health challenges.

“We also discovered that 47 active teachers at various schools were suffering from different mental health challenges. Rather than disengaging them, we place them on rehabilitation programme after which two have resumed their duty post.

“We are also tackling the problem of quack teachers, especially deployment of National Youth Service corps members as main teachers as well as N-Power teachers to ensure that our students get quality service delivery, hence, recruitment of 2500 teachers to deliver on our vision”, he said.

Folorunso added that contrary to previous years when 266 public secondary schools were caught to be involved in examination malpractices by the West African Examination Council, WAEC, officials out of the 308 that presented candidates for the exams in 2019.

According to him, only one public secondary school was caught in the same act in 2019 which is a great success in the bid to tackle examination malpractices and enhance quality education in the state.

“We have also discovered great truancy among teachers in the state. During one of the supervision exercise, we discovered that some teachers were no longer leaving in the state but earning salaries. A teacher has relocated abroad for over two years, yet drawing salary on monthly basis. Another is practicing legal profession only to schedule student to come for lessons on weekends.

“We also discovered that a female teacher has relocated to Ogun state and only come around weekends to take classes while another one has been employed as lecturer a federal university, but engaged a surrogate teacher and paying him N10,000”, he added.

Former Governor of Ekiti State, Dr Ayodele Fayose and other notable stakeholders in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ekiti State have declared that they will work together for the presidential candidate of the party, Atiku Abubakar, and the National Assembly and State House of Assembly candidates to win in the 2023 general election.

Fayose, who declared that the party would rise again in Nigeria and in particular, Ekiti State, said that although he is in Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike’s camp, nothing would make him join the All Progressives Congress (APC).

He said, “A lot has been said, but, like I have said many times, let me state it here expressly again that I will never join APC for whatever reason.

“In all the issues we are having as a party, no one has said that Alhaji Atiku Abubakar is not our presidential candidate. No one has said too that Dr Ifeanyi Okowa is not our party’s vice presidential candidate.

“Also, we have Senatorial, House of Representatives and House of Assembly candidates here. Among them is my biological son, Joju and others who are my political sons and daughters. My interest is that all these candidates should win elections.

“Therefore, I am appealing to those who are angry to stop being angry. Those who are fighting should stop fighting. Let us face the 2023 elections together and win first. After that, we can resume the fight.”

Also speaking, the party’s candidate in the last governorship election, Hon. Bisi Kolawole, thanked the party members for their support during the election.

He said, “even though we lost, I am still grateful to the party for the opportunity and I wish to urge all the party stakeholders to close ranks so that together, we will rise again.”

The State Acting Chairman, Hon. Lanre Omolase, who spoke on behalf of the State Working Committee members, affirmed their belief in Fayose’s leadership, saying that those plotting against him should sheath their sword in the interest of the party candidates who are standing for elections next year.

In what appears to be the biggest singular cocaine seizure in the history of Nigeria’s premier anti-narcotic agency, operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, have busted a major warehouse in a secluded estate in Ikorodu area of Lagos where 1.8tons (1,855 kilograms) of the illicit drug worth more than Two Hundred and Seventy Eight Million Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand Dollars ($278, 250,000) equivalent of about One Hundred and Ninety Four Billion, Seven Hundred and Seventy Five Million (N194, 775,000,000) Naira in street value were seized.

At least, four drug barons including a Jamaican and the warehouse manager have been arrested in the well coordinated and intelligence led operation that lasted two days across different locations in Lagos state. Kingpins of the cocaine cartel in custody include: Messrs Soji Jibril, 69, an indigene of Ibadan, Oyo state; Emmanuel Chukwu, 65, who hails from Ekwulobia, Anambra state; Wasiu Akinade, 53, from Ibadan, Oyo state; Sunday Oguntelure, 53, from Okitipupa, Ondo state and Kelvin Smith, 42, a native of Kingston, Jamaica. They are all members of an international drug syndicate that the Agency has been trailing since 2018.

Located at 6 Olukuola crescent, Solebo estate, Ikorodu, the warehouse was raided on Sunday 18th September, 2022, while the barons were picked from hotels and their hideouts in different parts of Lagos between Sunday night and Monday 19th September.

Preliminary investigation reveals the class A drugs were warehoused in the residential estate from where the cartel was trying to sell them to buyers in Europe, Asia and other parts of the world. They were stored in 10 travel bags and 13 drums.

While commending all the officers and men of the Agency involved in the extensive investigation including those of the American Drug Enforcement Administration, (US-DEA), Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) said the bust is a historical blow to the drug cartels and a strong warning that they’ll all go down if they fail to realise that the game has changed.

The Oyo Mesi Traditional Council has announced that 65 contestants will proceed to the next selection process for the Alaafin stool after being cleared.

Regent and Basorun of Oyo, Chief Yussuf Ayoola disclosed this on Sunday September 18.

The Basorun was quoted saying in a statement released by the Director of Media and Publicity to the Alaafin of Oyo, Bode Durojaiye, that the remaining process would no longer be restricted to the 10 contestants earlier shortlisted.

They will now proceed for Ifa consultation and whoever emerges among the aspirants will be the candidate and the next Alaafin of Oyo.

The statement read;

“All contestants who appeared for the interview are qualified for the next level, which is Ifa consultation, after the meeting of members of the Oyo Mesi.

“Whoever emerges among the aspirants will be the candidate and the next Alaafin of Oyo.

“There is no rift among members of the Oyo Mesi contrary to insinuations and misinformation milling around. We are as united as ever. Misunderstanding can happen at any given point in time. It is natural. What is important is the amicable resolution so as not to let the misunderstanding degenerate into violence.

“None of the Oyo Mesi members has a favoured aspirant as all the contestants are equal before us. For the umpteenth time, we are conscientious, not money conscious and greedy.”

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, has said that two buildings, in Adeniyi Jones Ikeja and Ikoyi areas of Lagos forfeited in drug prosecution cases but sold at underpriced amounts were indeed disposed in 2001 and not 2021 as being erroneously reported by some media platforms.

Some media platforms had reported a press briefing by the Hon. Minister of Works and Housing, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, SAN on the decision of the Federal Executive Council, FEC, to demand from buyers of the two buildings the appropriate prices as at the 2001 when they were sold as against the underpriced amounts. However, some media channels have erroneously reported that the buildings were sold in 2021.

This clarification is therefore to correct the wrong impression following calls by concerned members of the public who have been calling top officials of the Agency to clarify the mix up in the year of sale of the properties in reference.

For clarity purpose, NDLEA did not auction any property in 2021 or 2022.

Alhaji Wamod, an Islamic cleric, was reportedly abducted on Saturday night in Iseyin, Oyo State.

Recall, late Aseyin burial ceremony, Oba Salawudeen Ologunebi Ajinese II was held yesterday in Iseyin where several dignatories came to grace the ocassion.

According to ODUDUWA NEWS, the man was abducted at his home last night after the armed kidnappers shot randomly into the air.

However, it was claimed that a stray bullet had hit a nearby mechanic, resulting in his unexpected demise.

As of the time of publication, neither the mechanic’s identity nor the kidnappers’ contact information had been released to the victim’s family.

Oyo State Police is yet to make official statement regarding the incident.