Category: News

The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) on Thursday declared that as an agency saddled with the responsibility of pushing the state government’s zero tolerance for corruption mandate, it has been able to make some fund recovery from a contractor who failed to perform the government contract awarded to him.

The chairman of the agency, Justice Eni Esan (Rtd), made this known at the agency’s office in Ibadan during a media chat held before the the Anti-Corruption Day road walk embarked upon by the agency to sensitise the public on the ill effects of corruption and their role in fighting the menace.

Justice Esan revealed that the agency has been receiving petitions from government departments, agencies and individuals, adding that “to date, the agency has received 41 petitions; three of which were referred to other agencies for necessary action, six were found to be frivolous while three are non petition/ intelligence led cases which the agency took up on its own initiative.

“Two prima facie cases that were established have been referred to the Honourable Attorney General for prosecution while two others are being packaged for referral to the Attorney General.

“So far, 12 petitions which did not require prosecution have been concluded and appropriate recommendations made and legal advice duly rendered; the remaining petitions are under various stages of investigation,” she said.

The OYACA chairman reiterated that anyone that gives information to the agency will be protected, asking the public not to entertain any fear in giving information to the agency when they have facts about acts of corruption as everyone has a role to play if the society will win the fight against corruption.

Justice Esan while speaking about the Anti-Corruption road walk stated that it is the agency’s mode of joining the world to mark the global day and renew it’s commitment of working together with the good people of Oyo State and the world to end corruption and its devastating impact on peoples’ lives.

“it is no longer news that the administration of Governor Seyi Makinde has zero tolerance for corruption. As we all know, corruption is a recurring problem hindering the economic development of Nigeria and this affects all areas of the society negatively. Eradication of corruption will help the development of our state in particular and our country in general,” she added.

Justice Esan however sounded a note of warning to people that deliberately fabricates false information for mischief and to cause trouble to others, emphasising that such people should know they are liable before the law.

The Government of Osun State has dismissed as lazy armchair mischief a report in the media published by one Clean-up Nigeria, a supposed non-governmental organisation.

The report had rated Osun low in cleanliness performance index of states across the country.

In a statement by the Commissioner for Information and Civic Orientation, Funke Egbemode, the state government called on members of the public to disregard the report in its entirety as it did not reflect in any form or shape the situation in Osun.

According to Egbemode, the Clean-up report is unclean and suspicious.

“The people living in Osun know the truth and we implore them to see the report for what it is, the handiwork of mischievous clout-chasers seeking public acceptance and relevance by any means.

“One wonders which Osun State the report was rating. Is it this same Osun where Ifedayo Local Government is the only local government in the entire South-West that is Open Defecation Free, and among the 61 local governments out of 774 in Nigeria that have been certified Open Defecation Free.

“Is it this same Osun that has a functional Waste Management Agency that ensures safe waste disposal. This is a state that has a sanitation team among its Osun Youth Empowerment Scheme (OYES) with a mandate to ensure cleanliness of streets, towns and cities across the state on a daily basis.

“The government’s heavy investment in de-silting and opening up of water channels is there for all to see. And these are just a few of the efforts of the state to keep its people safe. One can’t help but wonder how these details escaped Clean-up Nigeria in their sweeping generalization.

“If only the sponsors of the report had invested the necessary empirical undertaking to appraise the environmental status of Osun, they would have delivered a balanced and credible report,” the statement said.

The State Government reiterated its commitment to continue to do everything to improve the quality of lives of residents of the state irrespective of distractions from those who are grabbing at straws to keep their political relevance afloat.

“We’re not in the league of the untidy and the records need to be set straight because this kind of information possesses the capacity to mislead a large number of innocent Nigerians and also portray the government and the people of the State in false light,” the statement added.

All roads lead to the ancient city of Ile-Ife on Saturday, 11th December 2021 for the installation of The Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan, Dr. Nteranya Sanginga as Afurugbin Ola of Ife (Lead Sower of Wealth and Prosperity of the Source) to be conferred on him by the Arole Oduduwa & Ooni of Ife, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja II.

In a statement released on Wednesday by his Director of Media & Public Affairs, Comrade Moses Olafare, Ooni Ogunwusi who doubles as Co-chairman, National Council of Traditional Rulers of Nigeria (NCTRN) found Dr Sanginga worthy of the prestigious chieftaincy title in recognition of his unquantifiable contributions to food security and Agro-economic development in Africa.

According the African foremost monarch, Dr. Nteranya Saginga, a citizen of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) who had spent a large part of his career in Nigeria, is the first African to lead IITA in its 50 years of establishment.

“In furtherance of his Africa Must Unite Mission, the Ooni of Ife and Natural Head of the Oduduwa race worldwide, Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi Ojaja II after wide consultations will on Saturday 11th December 2021 honour the Director General of the International Institute of Tropical Agriculturen(IITA), Ibadan, Dr Nteranya Sanginga, a globally respected African citizen from Democratic Republic of Congo with a prestigious chieftaincy title as the Afurugbin Ola of Ife (Lead Sower of Wealth and Prosperity of the Source)”.

“Since his assumption as the IITA’s Director General in 2011, he has served creditably with exceptional commitment to initiatives which has placed the African continent on the global stage especially in the agricultural arena.

“Over the past 50 years, IITA Ibadan through its various programs, provided farmers in the continent with innovations that promoted food and nutritional security and safety, increased food production, raised yield of major food crops, reduced poverty levels, decreased postharvest losses, promoted mechanization of agriculture, and generated job and wealth creation for young people and women in the agricultural sector, among others.” Olafare said.

The international Institute of Tropical Agriculture (IITA), Ibadan is a not-for-profit institution that
generates agricultural innovations to meet Africa’s most pressing challenges of hunger,
malnutrition, poverty, and natural resource degradation. Working with various partners across
sub-Saharan Africa.

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that a Yaba Magistrate Court in Lagos state has remanded five students of Dowen College in Lekki who were arrested by the Police in connection to the death of 12-year-old Sylvester Oromoni, in a juvenile home.

Oromoni Jnr. died of complications, last week, as a result of injuries sustained from an attack by a group of five senior colleagues for allegedly refusing to join a cult group in the school.

The spokesperson of Lagos State Police Command, CSP Adekunle Ajisebutu, confirmed the development but stated that investigation into the matter is still ongoing.

Ajisebutu said: “They have not been arraigned yet. They were only remanded in a juvenile home pending the conclusion of investigation into the matter.”

This came as President Muhammadu Buhari, yesterday, insisted that those involved in the dastardly act must not go unpunished.

President Buhari, who described Sylvester as one of the nation’s bright youngsters doing excellently in school, bringing joy to the family, assured that the unfortunate incident would act as a trigger leading to a permanent solution to cultism and bullying in schools.

He, however, urged the Police to continue the ongoing investigation until they get to the root of the matter in order for the law to take its course, assuring that justice will be done, no matter who is involved.

The President, in a statement by his Senior Special Assistant on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, said: “For several days now, the nation has been gripped by the news of the tragic incident at Dowen College, in Lagos with morbid details constantly emerging of how our young son, Sylvester Oromoni (Junior) met his death.

“President Muhammadu Buhari condemns the killing of Sylvester, one of our bright youngsters doing excellently in school, bringing joy to the family and if this incident is truly arising from bullying or cultism, the President assures that it must act as a trigger leading to a permanent solution to this recurring problem.

“I share the anger and grief up and down the country following this incident. On behalf of my family and I, and the government of the federation, I convey our heartfelt condolences to the Oromoni family, the government and people of Lagos State and give the firm assurance that this incident will be thoroughly investigated and the appropriate punishment meted out to all those who are culpable.”

Meanwhile, parents of students at Dowen College, Lekki, Lagos, yesterday, prayed that God should use the unfortunate death of Sylvester Oromoni to correct other errors that might have been committed that led to his death or that could be committed by any stakeholder in the school in the future.

They said that as they insinuated that some errors probably led to the death of the 12-year-old boy.

They listed the stakeholders to include the owners of the school, the management, teachers, students, parents and the authorities in charge of education.

They stated this, yesterday, during a candlelight procession in honour of the deceased.

During a prayer session held by the parents in front of the school gate before the procession started, they prayed that the soul of the deceased finds repose in the Lord.

The parents after marching solemnly with their candles into adjoining street later prayed for the family of the deceased.

Speaking briefly after the session, Oluwaseun Bolanle, said the parents of other students in the school were traumatised by the incident.

Bolanle said: “As I am here, I am struggling to control my emotions. It could happen to anybody’s child and we do not pray for a repeat of this anywhere in the country and even in the world. As a parent, one knows how much has been invested in many ways in these young ones.”

Group protests, demands de-registration of school

Meanwhile, a group of Concerned Citizens, yesterday, protested at the gate of Dowen College.

The group also called on the Lagos State Government to withdraw the registration of the school without further delay.

A spokesperson for the group, a woman, who was not identified, also decried the attitude of the state government and its officials to some issues, especially the safety of students in public and private schools.

They also called for the arrest of the owners of the school, the management team, security guards, housekeepers and others, who allowed some indicted students to leave the premises without being handed over to the appropriate authorities for investigation.

The autopsy report to determine the cause of the death of a Master’s degree student of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Timothy Adegoke, has been submitted to police headquarters, Abuja.

Adegoke died after lodging in Hilton Hotel and Resorts, Ile-Ife. His body was found in a shallow grave. Police arrested six suspects including the owner of the hotel, Chief Ramon Adedoyin.

However, the matter was later transferred to police headquarters, Abuja for further investigation.

A credible source hinted that pathologists submitted the report to the police yesterday.

According to the source, “The autopsy report established that both internal and external organs are complete, they are in a normal position that they ought to be.

They were supposed to subject the internal organs like heart, kidney, livers and others to tests but they could not do so because they were already in advanced decomposition stage as at the time of carrying out the test. They could not do toxicology test because his stomach has decomposed and was melting while they were carrying out the test.

“The report indicated severe trauma led to his death. I don’t know the type of trauma that he was subjected to before his death because the severe trauma that was arrived at was an open-ended conclusion. Severe trauma could be as a result of hitting him with sticks or he slumped, or sickness, or anything.”

Seven-year-old girl, Demilade Fadare is found dead in a neighbor’s cooler days after the parents put out a missing person alert in the Adehun area of Ado Ekiti.

On Monday, 6th of December, the young girl was declared missing and all efforts to locate Demilade proved abortive.

A day after the search, the lifeless body of the young girl was found in a cooler at the neighbours’ apartment with multiple stab wounds.

The house which was reported to belong to a pastor at Bolorunduro street was set ablaze by angry mobs even though the whereabouts of the pastor’s wife remained unknown.

The General Manager, Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Bolaji Oreagba, has debunked the false allegation on social media that officials of the agency were involved in the unfortunate truck accident that killed some students on their way home from school on Tuesday.

Oreagba said: “From the reports we received on the incident, the driver was said to have lost control of the vehicle, probably because of mechanical failure. The Police are still investigating the matter. The public should refrain from spreading false information but await the conclusion of the ongoing investigation”.

While decrying the false reports carried by some media organisations on the involvement of LASTMA, as well as other Law Enforcement agencies, the General Manager cautioned the news reporters to refrain from rushing to the press with unsubstantiated information that could engender public distrust and discord between the people and government.

Oreagba commiserated with the families of the students that lost their lives and prayed for the quick recovery of the injured, imploring vehicle owners and road users to adhere strictly to all traffic rules and regulations in order to avoid similar occurrences in future.

Following the Court of Appeal judgment, which overturned the life imprisonment conviction of the founder of Sobitobire Praising Chapel, Prophet Babatunde Alfa by an Ondo State High Court, the Prophet has finally left the Olokuta Correctional facility, Akure, the state capital.

While stepping out of the facility, Prophet Alfa, who rained curses on those behind his ordeal, stated that the blood and water in their body will decay.

Prophet Alfa, who perfected all his exit papers from the prison on Tuesday evening, had been in prison since December 2019 when his trial started.

The Prophet, who looked more fresh and chubby, was received at the entrance of the correctional centre by his counsel, Akinyele Omoware, as well as members of his immediate family led by his wife, Bisola.

The Prophet, who was elated, said “I’m free, I’m now a free man. God pulled me out with mercy. I’m delivered from the walls of prison. He delivered me from false accusations. God delivered from the tribulation of envy.

“I was picked from the Church straight to prison. This tribulation started on a Sunday service. I have cried to God to expose all those behind the matter. No matter how powerful they are, Jesus will expose them. The blood and water in their body will begin to decay.

“Any man or woman involved in how I was sent to prison without doing the proper investigation will soon be exposed. God I thank you, thank you Jesus.”

The Lagos State Government has shut down Bab Fafunwa Millennium School, Ojodu, formerly Ojodu Grammar School until January 2022.

Education commissioner Folashade Adefisayo announced this when she visited the school on Wednesday morning.

Yesterday, a speeding truck rammed into some of the school’s students, killing two and injuring 12, according to the police. Some reports, citing eyewitnesses, put the death toll at 17.

Adefisayo said the government will, this afternoon, release an “explicit” statement containing an official death count and more details about what led to the tragic accident.

Reports claimed that the truck driver, who has since been arrested, was being chased by officers of the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC).

But the agency denied the claim, adding that its officers were called to the scene to save lives after the crash tragedy already happened.

Federal High Court in Abuja rules that DSS had no right to seize his mobile phones during his 2019 arrest and detention in Lagos.

Details later.