Category: News

Popular Nigerian rapper, Folarin Falana, popularly known as Fal,z has directed Nigerians to come out and participate in the #EndSARS Memorial Car Procession taking place on 20th October 2021.

Falz, on his Instagram page, said there will be no protest but a procession of Nigerians through the Lekki tollgate in order to remember those who lost their lives on 20th October 2020 during the #EndSARS protest.

According to him, it is impossible not to “memorialize our fallen heroes”.

His post read: “We will never ever forget that Innocent Nigerian citizens waved flags and sang till they were shot at, injured, and killed.

“We must never forget we are rolling up in cars tomorrow to drive through the tollgate. We know their way, so a procession of cars is the safest option to minimize Police harassment.”

Falz assured those participating of safety in their cars.

“We will stay in our vehicles throughout. We have rides for people that need them. Each and everyone’s safety is very important so please let’s move together,” he said

Attention of the Lagos State Police Command has been drawn to a post being circulated on the social media insinuating that the police in Lagos have agreed to allow street protests in commemoration of the one year EndSARS anniversary on 20th October, 2021.

On the contrary, the police will only allow an indoor and virtual event in commemoration of the EndSARS anniversary and will provide adequate security at the venue (s) if known. This is in recognition of rights of every Nigerian to express his or her interest.

We wish we could permit such street protests. However, intelligence at our disposal has revealed plans by some faceless groups or individuals to stage an anti-EndSARS anniversary protest in the state same day.

In view of the conflicting interest between the pro and anti- EndSARS anniversary groups and threat to cause mayhem, the Command once again warns both groups against any form of street protest between now and 20th October, 2021 and beyond.

It is acknowledged that citizens have the right to peaceful protests. However, in this instance having carried out a critical security assessment and intelligence report at the disposal of the Lagos Command in respect of the planned protests and attendant implications on public safety, the Command considers it inappropriate to allow such protests to hold. It will not stand aloof and allow breakdown of law and order which the protests may cause.

To avoid a recurrence of the gory protests of last year during which some innocent Nigerians including police officers were gruesomely murdered, private and public property plundered and maliciously destroyed, the police will not abdicate their responsibilities of protection of lives and property by allowing such avoidable incident happen again in the state

Therefore, in the interest of security and public safety, the Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, wishes to warn the organisers of the protests that the police will deploy all legitimate means to stop or neutralise the planned protests.

Parents, guardians are admonished to warn their children against participating in the protests. Similarly, youths and other individuals or groups planning to take part in the protests are further warned in their own interest to shelve the plan.

The Federation of Muslim Women’s Associations in Nigeria, FOMWAN Oyo State chapter has felicitated with Muslims in Nigeria on the celebration of the noble birth of Prophet Muhammad, SAW and has urged Nigerians to be of good and sublime character always.

The Oyo State FOMWAN Amirah, Alhaja(Dr) B.B Oloso gave the advice in Ibadan in her 2021 Eid-ul-Maulud message to the Muslims and the country at large.

Alhaja Oloso said Prophet Muhammad was described by Allah in the Quran as having the best of character adding that he was known throughout Makkah as a truthful and honest person even before he was commissioned a Prophet .

She therefore condemned the level of moral decadence in Nigeria and said that for the Nation to experience greatness, peace and accelerated development the leaders and the led must exhibit and imbibe good moral character and avoid bad behaviors always.

” In Quran Chapter 68 verse 4, Allah says Prophet Muhammad is surely on an exalted and sublime character. This shows that perfection of noble and moral character is one of the objectives of the divine mission of Prophet Muhammad, SAW. No nation will progress if it citizens continue to engage in illicit and immoral behavior. The level of social vices across the Country is alarmingly disturbing. It is time for us to purify our souls and desist from all inglorious activities” She said

The Oyo State FOMWAN Amirah urged Nigerians to show love and kindness to themselves and tolerate and accommodate one another regardless of differences in tribe, religion and political affiliation.

This is just as she quoted Quran chapter 5 verse 8 where Allah says ” Do not let the hatred of others make you to wrong them and depart from justice. Be just that’s next to piety”

” We should use this year’s Maulud Nabiy to retrace our steps and engage more in righteous deeds. Let us say No to corruption at all levels. We must rise up to condemn kidnappings, armed robberies, banditry and all other forms of social vices. The rise in ritual killings and money making under the guise of the popular Yahoo should be condemned and addressed. Prostitution, fornication, abortion, child abuse, drug abuse, certificate forgery, lying, injustice, betrayal, treachery, indecent dressing, smoking, and all forms of cheatings and fraudulent activities should end in our midst. As giant of Africa,we must uphold high moral and ethical standards and principles at all times” She counselled

Alhaja Oloso who congratulated all Muslim Women across the Country on the celebration of the birth of Prophet Muhammad, SAW charged them to do more in instilling discipline and morals in their children right from childhood.

” Our Prophet Muhammad, SAW said in one of his Hadith that I have been sent to perfect noble character” hence as parents we must train our children to be pious and responsible individuals when they grow old”

The Acting Comptroller-General of Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), Isa Jere Idris, on Monday, disguised as an applicant for an international passport at the Lagos State Command, Ikoyi, where he alleged that some officers of the service offered to engage in shady deals with him.

Mr Idris, in an exclusive interview with PREMIUM TIMES on the phone, said he decided to walk in unannounced in order to gain firsthand experience of what Nigerians are going through “in the hands of unscrupulous officers of NIS.”

He said his unscheduled visit to Ikoyi on Monday was to confirm the allegations against officers of the immigration offices in Lagos State including Ikoyi, Ikeja and FESTAC town.

Ikoyi experience
He said when he approached the officers at the Ikoyi command, he was given various high prices for the different categories of passports.

“When I approached the officers, they offered me the menu without recognising me. They said 32 pages of the international passport for five years would cost me N45,000 instead of N27,000. They said 64 pages for five year would cost me N55,000 instead of N37,000, and N95,000 for 64 pages for 10 years instead of N72,000.

“I was asked where I was from and I said Niger State. They also asked me if I had a letter of indigeneship and other documents and I said I didn’t have any one. So they said they would collect N3,500 to provide all the documents for me,” he said.

The immigration boss said as of the time of speaking to our reporter on the phone, the officers were yet to know who he was, and that the Comptroller for Lagos Command of the service, Bauchi Aliyu, was surprised when he eventually showed up in his office.

“You know he just returned to Lagos from Abuja. He didn’t know that I was coming to town. So he is still shocked as I am talking to you,” he said.

What next?
Mr Idris said the lesson will help the service to strengthen the passport issuance process, saying having an international passport of a country confers nationality on its holder and so it must have integrity.

“So with what I have experienced firsthand today, it simply means that anybody can come in from anywhere and obtain our passport. This is unacceptable. So I can assure you that the Immigration Service under our watch will strengthen the issuance process and the integrity of the document,” the acting CG said.

Launch of appointment platform

Mr Idris said in the next two weeks the service with the support of the Interior Minister, Rauf Aregbesola, will launch an appointment platform for applicants, saying the idea of anybody approaching passport offices anytime for issuance cannot continue.

He said: “The document has integrity and so the processes of issuing it must have integrity. We must verify attached relevant documents because with what I saw this morning anybody can claim to be who he or she is not.

“So within a maximum of three weeks passport renewal must be done, but we must also ensure relevant background checks on the applicants especially based on their letters of indigeneship and birth certificates. What they do with these documents by the syndicates is to backdate them.”

He said except in some exceptional cases, there is nowhere in the world where passports are produced in one day, saying Nigeria must adopt global best practices in order to ensure the integrity of our documents and their sanctity.

“If you claim you are from Kano or Rivers we must find out if your claims are true or not,” he added.

He said the officers caught in the act during his unscheduled visit have been documented and that they would be disciplined accordingly.

The laws are there, and so they will be made to face the law. There are about three of them but we are very sure that it is an organised crime. They are not alone but further investigations would reveal that,” he said.

The acting comptroller-general said the interior minister is working hard towards achieving his mandates of securing the nation’s border lines through the agencies under him including the immigration service and that the difficulties being experienced by Nigerians in procuring passports would soon become a thing of the past.

Mr Idris said he was committed to addressing the challenge of corruption in the service

The Aare Tayese of Iwoland, Chief Dele Momodu, has called out the Fuji musician, King Wasiu Ayinde popularly known as ‘K1 De Ultimate’ for lying and disrespecting the Oluwo of Iwoland.

The Publisher of Ovation Magazine and also the Aare Tayese of Iwoland said K1 De Ultimate deserves open condemnations for being rude to a royal father and addressing a first king in Yoruba land like a common street guy.

Kwam1 faulted the monarch for not telling Dele Momodu to call him for the event.

Reacting to this, Dele Momodu described the video as a total open disrespect to the monarch and narrated what transpired between him and Kwam1.
According to Dele Momondu, he had invited Kwam to perform at the ceremony on 2nd October 2021 for an agreed fee, but the singer never responded to attending the event.

Dele Momodu added that he invited Kwam1’s manager for breakfast and asked him to speak to the singer and confirm performance modalities, but he never received feedback.

Displeased with Kwam1’s action in the video, Dele Momodu described it as very unfortunate and deserved open condemnation.

He wrote: A friend in Abuja has just sent this video to me and I’m absolutely horrified, to say the least, at the total OPEN disrespect of the Oluwo of Iwoland Oba Abudulrashed Adewale Akanbi by King Wasui Ayinde, a great musician I endlessly adore and hold in the highest esteem.
Alhaji, I personally invited you and pleaded with you to perform at the ceremony on October 2, 2021 for an agreed fee, but you neither said yes or no but said you are likely to travel.

Again I hosted your manager, Mr Kunle Rasheed to breakfast and asked him to speak to you and confirm modalities for your performance… Egbon, what happened in this video is very unfortunate and deserves open condemnation.

A fake police officer and a soldier suspected to be fake also as well as a youth corps member are among 663 drug traffickers and users arrested when operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency raided notorious drug joints in Lagos, Abuja, Benue and other parts of the country during which assorted illicit drugs weighing over 153, 256.876 kilograms were either destroyed or seized in the past week.

In Lagos, the notorious drug haven, Akala in Mushin area of the state was on Friday 15th October raided by a combined team of 70 NDLEA operatives and 30 soldiers in a joint operation code named ‘ Operation Still Waters.’ No less that 27 suspects were arrested while various drugs such as Cocaine, Heroin, Tramadol, Rohypnol and Cannabis, with a cumulative weight of 2,463.876 Kg were seized.

A day earlier, operatives also raided drug joints in Ojo and Maryland areas of the state where six persons were arrested and different quantities of drugs seized. This followed another raid of Alhaji Lasisi street, Idioro, Mushin as well as Okota in Oshodi-Isolo area of the state during which 12 suspects were arrested and over 165kg of assorted illicit drugs recovered.

In Ogun state, operatives on Friday 15th October intercepted one Williams Esuabom along Ore- Shagamu expressway with 562.5kg Cannabis being conveyed in a Toyota sienna bus, while in Benue state, narcotic officers in a joint operation with soldiers raided Lafia park where six suspects including a youth corps member, Paul Ndubuisi were arrested with different quantities of drugs. This came on the heels of the arrest of a suspected fake soldier, Abel John along Apir- Makurdi-Aliade road with 3.5kg Cannabis on Wednesday 13th October.

In Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, a suspected fake Assistant Superintendent of Police, Joshua Yusuf who claimed to be serving in Kano was arrested along Gwagwalada expressway while conveying 45.5kg of Cannabis.

Three suspects were arrested during raids in Dabba and Luku village, Kaiama Local Government Area of Kwara State where over 64kg drugs were recovered on Wednesday 13th October.

In Ekiti state, NDLEA operatives in their numbers stormed the forest reserve along Uso Road, Ise-Orun LGA, where they destroyed over 150,000 kilograms of cannabis being harvested on 40 hectares of land during an operation that lasted more than three days. The operation, which began on Tuesday continued till Sunday 17th October.
In raids across other states in the country, no fewer than 615 suspects were arrested and illicit drugs with a total weight of 3394.2031 kilograms recovered.

While commending officers and men of the Lagos state Command and their counterparts in Benue, FCT, Ogun, Ekiti and other parts of the country for their resilience and commitment to the war against illicit substances, Chairman/Chief Executive of the Agency, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) charged them not to rest on their oars. He called for continued collaboration between the Agency and other stakeholders especially the armed forces and other law enforcement agencies.

ODUDUWA NEWS has just gathered that suspected armed robbers have killed, Adedayo Ridwan, a final year student of the Department of History, Faculty of Arts, University of Ibadan.

It was learnt that Ridwan was robbed of his belongings before he was eventually killed at Preboye Complex, Ibadan around midnight on Sunday, 17th October 2021.

He was subsequently rushed to hospital in an attempt to save his life but gave up the ghost before he got to the hospital.

The robbers, according to Ridwan’s friend gained access to his Whatsapp where they engaged and threatened his friends and classmates.

Falz alleges that the Lagos government was making moves to scuttle activities to mark one year anniversary of the #EndSARS historic protest.

Nigerian rapper Folarin Falana popularly known as Falz has accused Lagos state governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of organising concerts with celebrities to distract youths from participating in the EndSARS remembrance event.

In a social media post on Friday, Falz disclosed the police were already at the Lekki toll gate to restrict Nigerian youths from exercising their fundamental human rights.

He alleged that the Lagos state governor was using the concert as a vice to sway youths from participating in the EndSARS memorial event.

“As I type this, there is already a HEAVY police presence at the Lekki toll gate. Best thing they could come up with is organising “concerts” to try and distract us from remembering the real heroes in all of this. The people they murdered,” the music star in an Instagram post said.

Lamenting that justice was yet to be served to individuals that suffered brutality in the hands of the police before, during and after the #EndSARS protest, Falz Insisted that the youths will not be silenced.

His comments come a few hours after Instagram skit maker Mr Macaroni took a swipe at celebrities for accepting Mr Sanwo-Olu’s invitation to perform at a concert meant to hold days before the Lekki shooting anniversary.

Mr Macaroni who rebuked celebrities for refusing to speak up against the government’s move to quell planned #EndSARS memorial events charged them to rethink their association with the government.

Falz’s social media post followed Landmark Event Centre’s refusal to allow its premises to be used for the “SoroSoke” summit, an event put together to mark the one year anniversary of the Lekki tollgate shootings.

Falz was listed amongst the prominent persons scheduled to speak at the summit.

The Federal Government has declared Tuesday, October 19, 2021, a public holiday to mark this year’s Eid-ul-Mawlid celebration in commemoration of the birth of the Holy Prophet Muhammad (PBUH).

Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, who made this declaration on behalf of the Federal Government, congratulated all Muslim faithful both at home and in the diaspora for witnessing this year’s occasion.