Category: News

The Nigerian Government has announced intentions to evacuate its citizens in Ukraine following an invasion by Russia.

According to Minister of Foreign Affairs Geoffrey Onyeama, the Nigerian government is planning for special flight operations to evacuate its citizens from Ukraine in view of the escalating tension between that country and Russia.

Onyeama, in an interview with the NTA, said the Nigerian embassy in the Ukrainian capital Kiev has been contacted to arrange for those wishing to return home from other areas, including the separatist regions of Donestk and Luhensk.

The minister assured Nigerians that the ministry is following the event since beginning and promised to do everything for the safety of Nigerians in Ukraine, particularly students.

The Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun has presented Staff of Office to the newly crowned Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo.

The new Orimolusi of Ijebu-Igbo, His Royal Highness, Oba Lawrence Jaiyeoba Adedeji Adebayo has been successfully installed, after twenty-eight years that the stool had been vacant. This installation is evidence of our reverence for our traditional rulers.

At the occasion, the Governor urged the people of Ijebu-Igbo, who painstakingly waited for almost three decades to experience the great day, to continuously embrace peace and live together as one.

He also expressed his Administration’s displeasure over and zero tolerance for ritual killings in the State, as anybody caught will be made to face the full wrath of the law. I then admonished all traditional rulers to come into play and parents, to train their children better.

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA in a major operation that lasted seven days, have destroyed a total of 255 hectares of cannabis farms spread across five local government areas of Ondo state.

In addition, 13 suspects were arrested and 250 kilograms of cannabis seeds as well as 63.85kg cannabis weeds were recovered during the operation deep inside five major forests: Omolowo/Powerline forest; Ipele forest; Ala forest; Ogbese forest; Utte and Okuluse forest that spread across five local council areas of the state.

The exercise codenamed Operation Abub’, which began at Ogbese forest on Tuesday 15th February lasted till Monday 21st Feb, 2022. At the Ogbese forest, a suspect, Olatunde Olaoluwa was arrested in his cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares, which was destroyed and burnt along with other cannabis farms spread across the Ogbese riverbank.

The following day, 16th of Feb, the Agencys Strike Force operatives in their numbers stormed Ipele forest where they arrested Amos Mark; Luke Job; Monday Momoh, and Otunuya Waya while 19 hectares of irrigated cannabis plantations were destroyed. One of the suspects, who escaped during the farm destruction, was later arrested in his house.

The Omolowo community in Ogbese area was next on Wednesday 17th Feb when one Mary Udonije was arrested inside a 10-hectare farm with 16.5kg of cannabis seeds and 4.5 kg of processed cannabis. Also recovered in the farm was an irrigation pumping machine with over 700 metres hose for watering the illicit weed.

Not less than 154kg of cannabis seeds was also seized at Ala forest, Akure North Local Government Area with over 30 hectares of irrigation cannabis farms destroyed and burnt. A suspect, John Mike who claimed to be a labourer was also apprehended with 2.5kg of cannabis seeds.

On day four of the operation, 54 hectares of cannabis farm was destroyed at Utte and Okuluse forest, Ose Local Government Area of the state. Also recovered in the farm was 95kg of cannabis seeds, 2.5kg of processed cannabis sativa and a pumping machine with long hose.

On the fifth day, one Anthony Agbe, 58, was arrested with 43kg of fresh cannabis inside a farm that was earlier destroyed at Ogbese. He claimed he was contracted by one Henry Daniel, (a.k.a Calender) who is at large to help gather the destroyed cannabis weeds. On the same day, one Ahmadu Abubakar was arrested with three Dane guns in a hut within a farm where over three hectares were destroyed at Akure North Local Government Area of the state.

On the last day of the operation, Monday 21st Feb, over 50 clusters of cannabis farm spread across 47 hectares were destroyed and 2kg of cannabis seeds seized, while a suspect, Olorunlogo Lekan was apprehended inside a large cannabis farm measuring 10 hectares at Ala forest before it was destroyed and burnt by Strike Force officers drawn across Edo, Oyo, Osun, Ekiti and Ondo states Commands of the anti-narcotic agency. At least, 72 hectares of other cannabis farms in small clusters close to the identified ones in the five forests were also destroyed in the course of the operation.

Chairman/Chief Executive of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) commended the officers and men of the Strike Force corps of the Agency for their sacrifices and commitment to the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari that all such cultivation and plantations in the forests must be located and destroyed. He charged them to look out for more of such farms in any part of the country for similar response.

The Ogun State Government has condemned the high spate of some individuals, who unilaterally declare themselves as Monarchs of some communities in the State without the government approval.

Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Affairs, Hon. Afolabi Afuape in a release said the present administration would not allow the unwholesome development to desecrate the sacred institution of Kingship and lawlessness with the attendant compromise of the security of lives and property.

Afuape said no one could be made a Monarch without the consent of the government in any society, adding that in Ogun State the selection and coronation of a Monarch were always published in the Official Gazette of the State government, and any monarch whose appointment has not been published in the Gazette is an ‘illegal Oba’ and an impostor.

The Commissioner stated that an illegal Monarch risks prosecution in a competent Court of Law as provided in section 23 sub-section 2 (a-d) of the Obas and Chiefs, Council of Obas and Traditional Council Laws of the State.

He enjoined members of the public to report any individual found parading himself illegally as an Oba to the nearest Police station and the Ministry for necessary profiling and prosecution as appropriate to serve as deterrent to other impostors.

Three persons, including husband and wife, reportedly died while two others were injured as a Volkswagen van whose driver allegedly drove against traffic rammed into a Toyota Camry at Old Road, Ajebandele axis along Ijebu-Ode-Benin Ore Expressway on Sunday.

Traffic report from the Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps indicated that the couple died on the spot while their driver later died in the hospital, where he was rushed.

The sad in the incident occurred at 9.35am.

This incident came less than 48 hours after 18 persons were burnt to death in another accident involving a tanker that collided with a commercial bus at the Isara-Remo axis along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The truck driver also drove against traffic, ramming into a bus on its rightful lane.

The Public Relations Officer, TRACE, Mr Babatunde Akinbiyi, said in the latest accident, the vehicles involved, Toyota Camry bore number plate APP 477 DY while the Volkswagen van bore number plate KTU 923 AJ.

He said the occupants of the Toyota Camry are reported to be returning from a party in Owo, Ondo State, to Lagos when the unfortunate incident happened.

Akinbiyi said, “According to the eyewitness, the Volkswagen van driver took one-way and collided with the Toyota Camry. The number of persons involved was four males and one female.

“The two injured victims were taken to J6 Clinic, and the corpses were taken to the morgue at ijebu Ode General hospital.”

While the TRACE Corps commiserates with the victims’ families, it warned motorists to avoid route violation and speeding, given its attendant consequences.

The Lagos Zonal Command of the EFCC on Friday, February 18, 2022, arraigned one Olalekan Mutholib on a five-count charge bordering on obtaining money by false pretence to the tune of over $100, 909. 06 and N1, 050,000.60.

He was arraigned before Justice Nicholas Oweibo of the Federal High sitting in Ikoyi, Lagos.

Mutholib and his accomplices allegedly claimed that they possessed some magical power to double the sum of $50,000 they had falsely obtained from one of their victims, Raji Babatunde.

Lagos Rapid Response Squad RRS officers supported by their counterparts from Base 61 are firmly on ground at MILE 12 area involving Agiliti Street and Oniyanri Street, where cult groups engaged themselves.

Two persons have lost their lives as cult gangs clashed in the Mile 12 area of Lagos.

The affected streets include Agiliti and Oniyanri. Security operatives are on the ground to forestall further bloodshed.

Meanwhile, RRS officers were fully mobilised to forestall further bloodshed.

The All Progressives Congress (APC) primary election is scheduled to commence by 12 noon and accreditation of voters is currently ongoing.

The security presence may not be unconnected to the clashes that have been recorded before the election day, in some parts of the state over a leadership crisis.

There are currently two factions of the APC in Osun. One faction is loyal to Gboyega Oyetola, the governor, who is seeking re-election.

The other faction is the backing of the minister of interior and former governor of the state, Rauf Aregbesola.

The contestants have been in a war of words before now.

One of the contestants, Moshood Adeoti, a former state chairman of the party, is the anointed candidate of the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.

Also in the race is a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuf.