The Ondo State Police Command on Monday confirmed the abduction of Richard Omosehin, who is a former Senior Special Assistant to Governor Rotimi Akeredolu.
The police said they had begun a search for the victim while an investigation into the matter had also commenced
It was gathered that the former governor’s aide was kidnapped at his residence in Igbekebo, the headquarters of Ese Odo Local Government Area of the state, on Saturday.
According to a source, the bandits numbering about six, came to the community on a speed boat and went to the private house of the victim where he was dragged into the boat, and they sped off.
The source said, ” The incident happened at about 2am on Saturday. Immediately, people invited the police, but by the time the policemen arrived at the place, the kidnappers had taken the man (victim) away. ”
The monarch of Igbekebo town, Oba Simon Dabo, who confirmed the incident on a radio programme, disclosed that the victim was allowed to call his wife from of the den of the kidnapper and the gunmen had demanded a sum of N100m for his release.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, said efforts were ongoing to set the victim free unhurt.
“We are already making efforts to rescue the victim and investigation had begun,” the PPRO stated.
President Muhammadu Buhari, has tasked the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other trade unions to employ negotiations and shun strike as a tool for pressing home their demands.
President Muhammadu Buhari presents 2023 Budget Appropriation to the National Assembly. Buhari stated this at the 74th Foundation Day and Convocation Ceremonies of University of Ibadan (UI) in Ibadan on Thursday.
He was represented by Prof. Abubakar Rasheed, the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC)
Buhari commended efforts of the university administration in maintaining the great reputation upon which the institution was established.
He appreciated the leading role of the institution in the postgraduate education and the production of the much needed academic staff for tertiary institutions within and outside Nigeria.
Buhari said there was a need for discipline and stability in all universities which held the key to the future of any nation.
He said that it was disheartening that all the universities trade unions declared protracted trade disputes in 2022.
The president said that the disputes had dire consequences for the economy and unnecessary disruption of the academic calendar of universities.
“There is a need for the trade unions, especially ASUU, to shun the weapon of strike as a tool for pressing home their demands.
“Strike only compounds the already poor state of our education sector, and erodes the national and international reputation of our public universities.”
He urged the organised private sector to continue its support for the education sector, adding that the government cannot do it alone.
Police officers have taken over the premises of the Ekiti State House of Assembly.
ODUDUWA NEWS reports that the security agents were stationed at strategic locations to prevent a purported invasion by lawbreakers.
The House of Assembly was shut over an alleged plan by some hoodlums to attack the complex. The reason for their action is not yet clear.
Speaking on the development, Gboyega Aribisogan, the newly elected Speaker of the Assembly, told the press on Wednesday: “the leadership of the police command in Ekiti informed us this morning that they had verifiable intelligence about some hoodlums coming to attack the assembly complex and to avoid breakdown of law and order, hence the need for their presence and they have promised us to conduct an investigation on the matter and report to us before the close of work today.
“I want to encourage my colleagues and staff of the assembly to be patient and bear with us, normalcy will soon return to the house,” Aribisogan said.
Arise TV has accepted and paid the N2million fine slammed on it by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) for airing a fake news on the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu.
The TV station ran a story that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) was investigating Tinubu over a court case in the US, a claim which was later denied by the electoral body.
This caused the NBC to slam a fine of N2million on the TV station for breach of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
In a letter to the Director General of the NBC, Balarabe Ilelah by Arise TV General Counsel and Legal Adviser Ebunoluwa Awosika, the station said it accepted the fine for its error.
It also said all erring officers had already been punished, while also attaching the evidence of the payment of the N2million fine.
“We are in receipt of your letter on the Breach of the Nigerian Broadcasting Code dated 13th of November 2022 but delivered to us today the 14th of November 2022 at midday. There is no excuse for such professional glitch. The purported press release aired in error on Saturday the 12th of November 2022 should not have been aired and it was gross negligence that it was allowed to air. In realizing the error, the Managing Editor immediately withdrew the content and issued an unreserved apology for the unfortunate incident.
“At Arise News Channel, we have the highest standards of professional conduct, ethics, and excellence with a painstaking process for news verification and authentication. This process was breached last Saturday when most editorial personnel were not on duty. The Ombudsman of the Arise News Channel was called in by the Board to investigate the breach and appropriate sanctions have been meted out to all concerned, including the suspension of a Deputy Director of News, for flouting our very stringent news gathering and broadcasting process.
“At Arise News Channel, we have zero tolerance for unverified reports and we assure you and our audiences that we have reviewed and tightened all the processes through which the error slipped through on a weekend.
“We take no sides with any political party or candidate and will continue to give equal access and coverage to all contestants.
“Please find attached, a bank draft for ₦2,000,000 (Two Million Naira) in fulfilment of your sanction.
“We will continue to work with you to uphold all standards of professional excellence in journalism and broadcasting for the greater good of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” the letter read.
Team Oyo has finished third in the Traditional Ayo Board Game at the just concluded 2022 National Arts and Culture Festival in Lagos, Nigeria.
The artistes also finished 4th position in Indigenous fabrics fashion and 5th place in Children Arts and Crafts at the competition.
The delegation saved their best for the last as the final day saw the team win the most disciplined delegation at the just concluded festival.
Speaking at the closing ceremony at Mobolaji Johnson Arena, Onikan, Lagos, the Commissioner for Information, Culture and Tourism, Dr. Wasiu Olatubosun, who led the delegation said “it was a beauty to behold as our team displayed their indigenous arts and culture during the week long 35th edition of the National Festival of Arts and Culture (NAFEST) hosted by Lagos State in collaboration with the National Council for Arts and Culture (NCAC)”.
“They demonstrated the beauty of our culture and on behalf of H.E., Engr Seyi Makinde, I congratulate them for representing us well,” he said.
On the State Government’s entourage were the S/A to the governor on tourism and culture, Mr. Akeem Ige; Chairman board of culture and tourism, Elder Adejumobi; Vice chairman board of culture and tourism, Alh Abass Oloko; member of the board Serah Sobowale and Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Information, Culture and tourism, Mr. Oye Oyedele among others.
In his bid to bring relief to the indigent students of Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, LAUTECH, the former Commissioner for Works and Transport in Oyo State, Prof. Ramon Raphael Afonja has perfected plan to disburse first out of three batches of bursary to the students.
Prof. Afonja made this disclosure during the 16th LAUTECH Alumni annual lecture held at the university premises in Ogbomoso on the 11th of November, 2022.
The ex-commissioner however confirms today to ODUDUWA NEWS that 240 indigent students have been penciled down for the disbursement slated to commence in three batches next week.
According to Prof. Afonja, the announcement of the bursary award to the indigent students is targeted at cushioning the effect of the current economic hardship on students and parents.
The global President of LAUTECH Alumni association, Hon. Onilede Solomon and the Students’ Union President, Anuoluwa Adeboye while speaking at the ocassion expressed their gratitude on the kind gesture shown by the Professor to the students especially at this trying times in Nigeria.
They both joined the students in appreciating Prof. Afonja on his philanthropic gesture shown towards his community with the fact that the LAUTECH community and the student body in general will never forget him.
Prof. Afonja in his final statement at the ocassion said, “his philanthropic gestures dated years back with the help of Almighty God. He averred that the best thing to give to humanity is to bring succour to the less privileged among us.
He affirmed in his position to commence the bursary award in a week time as the names and account details of the beneficiaries have been penciled down for necessary action.
The students who spoke to the newsmen had expressed that their joy knows no bound since the announcement of the bursary award.
…..As Hon. Dele Adeola, Other Stakeholders Adopt ‘Say Something When You See Something’ Slogan
Nigerians have been warned to be curious about the personalities of people that will vie for political posts in 2023, as some of them might be kidnappers that have amassed wealth from collecting ransoms.
A university lecturer who is also a criminologist, Dr. Oludayo Tade said this at a security summit held at the SAF Group of Schools’ Hall, at Iseyin, Iseyin local government on Saturday, where there was a convergence of community stakeholders to discuss the lingering cases of kidnapping in Nigeria, especially within and around the community.
Tade who was the guest lecturer at the summit, spoke on the topic: ‘Rising Cases of Kidnapping: Beyond Ethnic Stereotype, Mirroring Local Causes & Solutions’, challenged the people of Iseyin and its environs to look inward for solutions, as those perpetrating the evil act live with them.
“As things are going, we may elect kidnappers in 2023, with the successes they record from their operations around the country, we all should know that they now have so much money for them to do whatever they like, and as you know about Nigerians, they may even vie for political posts.
“The onus is on us residents to localize our approach to curbing criminalities, especially kidnapping, knowing fully well that our State actors are performing their roles but are limited by insufficient logistics in appropriate weaponry, mobility and other inputs, it is important that we give them our support.”
Dr. Oludayo who gave the historical perspective of kidnapping in Nigeria analyzed that people in the past kidnapped kids for ritual purpose, but has metamorphosed into money-making enterprize.
He however charged residents to collaborate with the security agents and give information about suspicious people and activities, to nip crimes in the bud, advised people to stop what he called ‘social media showoff and also cooperate with neighboring communities, to avoid movement of criminals flushed out of a particular community into another.
The Chairman of the occasion, Alhaji Ahmed Raji SAN, who was represented by the former Chairman of Iseyin local government, Alhaji Saheed Alaran, appreciated the convener of the summit, saying the meeting came at the right time, as kidnap cases have permeated the whole nation and has caused so much negative effects on the local economy.
He enjoined the people to make haste in reporting suspicious people and activities to the security personnel or the traditional head in the particular area, in the case of fear of leakage of identity.
“While appreciating the idea behind this summit, we have to face the truth that as much as our people would want to tell the police and other security agencies about their suspicions, the fear of reprisal in case their identity were to be revealed to the perpetrators of the crime is there, but our joy is that the State actors here have given their words that they will keep the identity of the informant secret, so there is no need to fear anymore.
“If anybody still nurses that fear, then you can give the information to the traditional head of the area which we call Baale, any information from such a quarter will be taken seriously by the security and will not dare to reveal their source of information,” he assured.
The representative of the traditional rulers who is the Baale of Alokongbo community in Iseyin, Chief Adesokan Olaniyi called on the leadership of the Fulani herders in Iseyin community to have the data and other information of migrating herders so as to be able to monitor them and dissuade them from perpetrating crime.
Representatives of the police, Directorate of State Security (DSS), the Customs Service, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), the Immigration Service, Amotekun and Agro Rangers spoke as one when they appealed for more support from the people of the community.
They also warned that residents should be wary of those they live with and called on landlords to know the sources of livelihood of their tenants while charging traditional rulers to know what those that bought lands in their domains were doing with the land.
The Convener of the summit who is a journalist and community newspaper publisher, Mr Alhazan Abiodun said the reason for the gathering was to access the minds of the various stakeholders on the causes and solutions to the recent rise in cases of kidnapping in Iseyin and other areas in the Oke-Ogun region.
He assured that the stakeholders have shown enough commitment to cooperate with the conventional security agents as well as the local security committee in the community, in the areas of logistics support, communication of adequate information and extension of goodwill from the residents to the security agents.
The Lagos State Police Command says the autopsy conducted on the corpse of Ifeanyi Adeleke Jnr, son of David ”Davido” Adeleke, revealed that he died as a result of drowning.
The state Police PRO, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed the development to newsmen on Saturday, November 5, 2022.
He said; “Autopsy has been concluded. It confirms the boy (Ifeanyi) drowned.”
The police also said two of the singer’s domestic staff arrested in connection with the tragic incident are still being quizzed.
It was gathered that the cook and nanny, whose job was to cater for the wellbeing of the three-year-old boy, are the ones still being detained for reasons including the failure to uphold the duty of care of the minor.
“The two suspects are still with us. Autopsy has been concluded. The autopsy confirmed that he (Ifeanyi) died by drowning,” Hundeyin told Channels TV.
On whether the two principal suspects will be charged in court, he said, “I don’t want to preempt that. Investigation is still ongoing.”
The police spokesman also debunked reports that Nollywood actress, Eniola Badmus was arrested over the matter.
