Category: Politics

Olayomi Koiki, media aide to Yoruba freedom fighter, Sunday Adeyemo,, aka Sunday Igboho has insisted that the Lagos Mega rally slated for Saturday will hold as planned.

This is despite the cancellation of the same rally by Sunday Igboho after the attack on his house by men of the Department of State Services.

On Friday, barely a day after the attack on Igboho’s house which resulted in the death of two people, Koiki posted an update stating that the rally would go ahead as planned.

He urged Yoruba people to partake in the rally and support the agitation for self-determination.

He wrote on Facebook, “Count Down tomorrow Rally goes ahead as planned. 3rd July 2021. Venue: Ojota. Time: 7 am. Come out in numbers to support the freedom of Yoruba Self Determination.

Yoruba Nation No going back.

“Let’s save our future generations from Nigeria.”

Yoruba Nation agitators had planned a mega rally in Lagos state being the only South-West state yet to witness such.

Despite warnings, security threats and advice against the rally, Igboho had insisted the rally would hold and had called on the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu to mobilise officers for the event and ensure the protection of the agitators.

However, following the attack on his house in Ibadan, Igboho, who spoke to BBC News Pidgin, on Thursday stated that the rally in Lagos has been suspended.

Igboho noted that the attackers were unknown men in military uniform who came into his house at Soka area in the wee hours of Thursday.

He said, “I was at home and around 1:30 am, I heard gunshots in front of my house and they said they are from the DSS (Department of State Services) and that they are soldiers. Sunday Igboho, come out!

“I peeped through my window, I saw them and truly they were dressed in DSS and Nigerian army uniform. I was surprised and wondered what the problem was because I haven’t killed anybody.”

Igboho added that the attack came as a surprise to him because his activism is for the safety of his people and has not been violent.

“What I am simply doing is to fight for my people, my rallies have always been peaceful, I am fighting for my family because Fulani bandits killed my family, raped them and government refused to do the right thing for my family, that is why I have come out to fight for them so I am surprised.

“They killed two people during the shooting, destroyed my property, my vehicles,” he said.

DSS later confirmed on Thursday that it was responsible for invading Igboho’s house and killing two people there.

The Lagos House of Assembly on Thursday debated two bills proposing the establishment of two tertiary institutions – a University of Education and a University of Science and Technology – in the state.

The bills, which scaled second reading on the floor of the House presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. (Dr) Mudashiru Obasa, were committed to the House Committee on Education (Tertiary) to report back in two weeks.

Hon. Bisi Yusuff (Alimosho 1) argued that the bill for a law to provide for the establishment of the university of Education, Lagos (UNEDLAG) was important as he suggested that it should also have provision for pre-degree programmes.

Yusuff also noted a provision in the bill that would make graduates be somewhat independent rather than search for jobs.

“The inclusion of vocational training will also make the students to be self-employed,” he said.

On his part, Hon. Sani Okanlawon, said it had become important for the Adeniran Ogunsanya College of Education and the Michael Otedola College of Education to be upgraded to a university.

“The society now rejects NCE and what is the benefit of going to a school that your certificate will not be recognised?

“Admission into this school is the lowest as only 18 applicants chose (ACCOED) as first choice in the last Universal Tertiary Matriculations Examinations (UTME).

“With the creation of this varsity, it will reduce the number of applicants seeking admission to LASU,” he said.

Also contributing, Hon. Gbolahan Yishawu (Eti-Osa 2), who agreed with his colleagues on the need to upgrade the two colleges of education in the state to a university, said the NCE is no longer popular.

According to him, the establishment of the university is timely, but “there is need to have a template to form the institution in order to avoid overlap.”

Hon. David Setonji, chairman of the House committee on Information, supported the bill and added that the state had a high number of primary and secondary schools with less teachers and that the university would help resolve the challenge.

The Leader of the House, Hon. Sanai Agunbiade (Ikorodu 1), who said he was excited about the planned upgrade, told his colleagues that he is a product of ACCOED and that he taught for five years with the certificate he got from the institution.

“The creation of a new varsity is a good thing. This bill takes care of the welfare of both lecturers and students,” he added.

Speaking about the bill, Hon. Abiodun Tobun (Epe 2) said he was optimistic the proposed University of Education would produce good teachers if passed into law.

Concerning the proposed University of Science and Technology, the lawmakers expressed optimism that it would help provide manpower for the development of the state and the country.

In his contributions, Hon. Rauf Age-Sulaimon (Amuwo Odofin 2) suggested that courses in the humanities and legal studies should not be included in the institution’s curriculum as a University of Science and Technology.

While Hon. Femi Saheed (Kosofe 2) said science and technology play vital roles in development, Hon. Bisi Yusuff urged that the studies to be offered should take into cognisance the culture of the people.

Yusuff also advised that the university should be made to go into researches on agriculture to reduce the high cost of food in the state and the country..

However, reacting to the arrest order on Saturday, former Minister of Aviation, Femi Fani-Kayode, FFK, warned President Muhammadu Buhari not to arrest or kill Igboho.

He gave the warning in a lengthy piece via his Twitter handle.

Part of FFK’s tweet read: “It would be dangerous, reckless and counter-productive for Buhari to arrest or kill Sunday Igboho.

“When the Northern youths demanded that Igbo should leave the North, no one was arrested. Why should Sunday be arrested or killed for asking killer-Fulani herdsmen to leave South-West?

“I advise the FG(Federal Government) to tread softly because Sunday has the full support of the Yoruba nation because he has spoken for the people.

“Kill him and you make him a martyr for Oduduwa, arrest him and you make him the greatest hero of the Yoruba since independence. Whichever way, he wins.”

The Department of State Security Service DSS has confirmed raid on Sunday Igboho’s residence and declared him wanted.

This was contained in a press briefing made today by the Spokesman of the State Security Service DSS, Peter Afunaya PhD as read in part:

“In the early hours (about 0134 hours) of today, 1st July, 2021, a joint team of security operatives raided the residence of Sunday Adeniyi Adeyemo a.k.a. SUNDAY IGBOHO at Soka, Ibadan, Oyo State. This was based on intelligence that he had stockpiled arms in the place. On approach to the residence, the team came under heavy gun attack by nine (9) men, suspected to be IGBOHO’s guards. Six (6) of them were armed with AK-47 gun and Three (3) others, with Pump-Action riffles.

2. In the course of the exchange, two (2) of IGBOHO’s armed men were gunned down while the rest were subdued and arrested. Only one operative who was shot by the assailants on his right hand sustained injury. He has however received medical attention and is very stable.
3. Afterwards, the team procedurally searched the house and subsequently recovered the following among others:
   i. Seven (7) AK-47 assault rifles;
   ii. Three (3) Pump Action guns;
   iii. Thirty (30) fully charged AK-47 magazines;
   iv. Five Thousand (5,000) rounds of 7.62mm ammunition;
   v. Five (5) Cutlasses, One (1) Jack knife, One (1) Pen Knife
   vi. Two (2) Pistol holsters;
   vii. One (1) binoculars
   viii. A wallet containing Five (5) US Dollars in one (1) Dollar denomination; local and international driver’s licences in his name, ATM Cards, a German residence permit No. YO2N6K1NY bearing his name;
   ix. Two (2) whistles;
   x. Fifty (5) Cartridges;
   xi. Eighteen (18) Walkie-Talkies;
   xii. Three Voodoo charm jackets/traditional body armour;
   xiii. Two (2) Laptops (One (1) Toshiba and One (1) Compaq); and
   xiv. His International Passport and those of many others (as displayed here). Further exploitation and forensic analysis are ongoing.
4. Aside the items recovered from the building, about thirteen (13) suspects including twelve (12) males and one (1) female were arrested and brought to Abuja. While one suspect is being profiled, the other twelve (12) paraded here are:
   i. Abdulateef OFEYAGBE
   ii. Amoda BABATUNDE aka Lady K (female)
   iii. Tajudeen ERINOYEN
   iv. Diekola ADEMOLA
   v. Abideen SHITTU
   vi. Jamiu NOAH
   vii. Ayobami DONALD
   viii. Adelabe USMAN
   ix. Oluwafelumi KUNLE
   x. Raji KAZEEM
   xi. Taiwo OPEYEMI and
   xii. Bamidele SUNDAY.
5. Highlights of this brief are to:
   i. Inform Nigerians and the world that Sunday IGBOHO and his group, in the guise of campaign for self-determination, have become well-armed and determined to undermine public order. This, the arrests and seizures are, no doubt, a confirmation of a grand plan by IGBOHO and his cohorts to wage a violent insurrection against the Nigerian State.
   ii. Alert foreign missions and licencing authorities within and outside Nigeria about this development and the possibility that IGBOHO could declare some of his personal permit and identity cards missing in order to seek their replacement.
   iii. Apprise stakeholders that the Five (5) AK-47 assault rifles recovered from the building are suspected to be those collected by IGBOHO’s men from Nigerian Customs and Immigration personnel at Idi Iroko, Ogun State.
6. The gun duel which lasted for an hour offered IGBOHO the chance to escape. Sunday ADEYEMO a.k.a Sunday IGBOHO is now on the run. IGBOHO may run as far as he can. He may hide as long as he wants. He might have attacked security operatives as his strength carried him. But this will be the end of his shenanigans. Soon, he will not have a hiding place. His strength will sure fail him. And the law will catch up with him. The law may be slow. But it will be steady.
7. Consequently, ADEYEMO/IGBOHO is advised to turn himself in to the nearest security agency. Those cheering and eulogising him may appeal to or advise him to do the needful. He should surrender himself to the appropriate authorities. He or anyone can never be above the law. Meanwhile, those arrested will be charged accordingly.

Peter Afunanya, Ph.D
Public Relations Officer
Department of State Services
National Headquarters
Abuja.
1st July, 2021

Two persons have been killed during an early morning attack on the residence of Yoruba rights activist, Sunday Adeyemo, better known as Sunday Igboho, in the Soka area of Ibadan, Oyo State, his spokesman, Olayomi Koiki, has said.

“The situation now is very bad. Two Yoruba sons have been killed in the house of Chief Sunday Igboho. The two dead bodies have been taken away by the military. We do not know of the location where they were taken to,” the aide confirmed to ODUDUWA NEWS.

ODUDUWA NEWS gathered that the attack start at 1:50 am on thursday, July 1st 2021.

“I can confirm that those who came are definitely Nigerian soldiers. There are more than 100 soldiers that came,” Koiki said.

He added, “The situation is very active as more security operatives in about seven Nigerian Army patrol vans have arrived.”

However, the spokesman said, “He (Sunday Igboho) is currently safe.”

Our correspondent gathered that cars and walls of the house were riddled with bullets during the invasion.

Some of the occupants of the house were said to have been whisked away by the invaders who were claimed to have dresses in military camouflage.

President Muhammadu Buhari rejoices with serving Lagos State Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources, Tunji Bello, as he turns 60 July 1, 2021.

This was contained in a statement signed and released today by Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina as read in part:

“The President applauds an accomplished journalist, political scientist, lawyer, and public administrator, who has shown that through dint of hard work and the grace of God, the door of success remains wide open.

“He encourages the younger generation to draw inspiration from the reporter with the then Concord Press, who rose to Political Editor, Editor, Sunday Concord, and Editor, National Concord.

“Bello also served as Chairman Editorial Board at Thisday, and thereafter as Commissioner for the Environment in Lagos State, Secretary to the State Government, and now Commissioner for the Environment and Water Resources”.

The Oyo State House of Assembly has queried the non-completion of rehabilitation work on some Federal roads in Ogbomoso and other parts of Oyo State.

To this end, the State Legislature has called on the Zonal Director of the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency, FERMA to appear before it on July 15 to explain what the Agency has been doing in the State since November 5, 2019 when it last appeared at the plenary.

It also called on FERMA to expedite work on the ongoing rehabilitation of its roads across the State while also appealing to the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing to complete the Ogbomoso section of the Ibadan,Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ilorin dual carriage Expressway

The call was made by the House at its Tuesday sitting following a motion jointly sponsored by Hon Sanjo Adedoyin (Ogbomoso South) and Hon Bimbo Oladeji (Ogbomoso North).

The Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin said it was unfortunate that most Federal roads are no longer motorable in the State.

” We cannot overestimate the importance of good roads in any Community. They link cities, towns and communities as well as ease transportation of people and goods. I think the Federal Ministry and the Maintenance Agency need to do more to put their roads in good shape.

The duo of Hon Adedoyin and Hon Oladeji condemned in strong words the perpetual delay in the completion of Ogbomoso section of the Expressway linking the South to the North, and other ongoing federal roads in the town

Hon Adedoyin,who read the motion said this has made articulated vehicles to take Ipeba-Ajaawa road to Baptist Ogbomoso to link Oja-Igbo and eventually to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital road enroute Ilorin.

He noted that it was the same story as rehabilitation work on Apake to LAUTECH Teaching Hospital road as well as from Takie Square to Caretaker is at snail speed hence traffic too has since been diverted.

“Aware that the delay in the completion of Ogbomoso section of the Ibadan,Oyo, Ogbomoso, Ilorin dual carriage Expressway and the deplorable condition of Oyo/Ogbomoso road has made motorists including heavy duty vehicles to use the feeder roads as their alternative routes. The diversion has resulted into massive destruction of the feeder roads, electrical poles, cables and several culverts. ” Hon Adedoyin said

While contributing, Hon Bimbo Oladeji explained that the completion of all Federal roads in Ogbomoso was long overdue adding that the bad condition of Oyo/Ogbomoso expressway has led to loss of lives of motorists due to accidents.

” We are tired of the slow pace of work on the dual carriage expressway. We waste hours on the Oyo/Ogbomoso road because of deep holes , gullies and heavy traffic. Not to mention daily armed robbery attacks on motorists. FERMA and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing should come to our rescue urgently ” Hon Oladeji stressed.

The motion further appealed to Governor Seyi Makinde through the Public Works Department and the Works department in various LG and LCDAs to help carry out repair work on some of the feeder and access roads in Ogbomoso already degraded due to increase in the volume of traffic occasioned by the diversion

In their various comments, other Lawmakers decried the conditions of Federal roads in their Constituencies.

They said most of Federal roads seem to have been abandoned across the State , and queried the activities of FERMA and the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing across the State.

Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde has dissolved the state executive council today, Tuesday, 29th June, 2021.

ODUDUWA NEWS gathered that the dissolution of the cabinet affect all cabinet members except Secretary To The State Government and Head of Service.

Details later.

A bill to establish the Oyo State Audit Commission scaled through first and second reading at the Oyo State House of Assembly on Tuesday.

The plenary was presided over by the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon Adebo Ogundoyin.

Aside from seeing to the establishment of the Oyo State Audit Commission, the Bill titled “Oyo State Audit Bill, 2021” will also make provision for the appointment, condition of service, functions and powers of the Auditor General of the State and Local Governments.

It will equally see to the Auditing of Public Accounts at the State and Local Governments.

The bill has consequently been referred to the Oyo State House of Assembly Committee on Public Accounts, Finance and Appropriation for further scrutiny and deliberations

The Speaker said the bill was yet another bold attempt to strengthen and improve auditing activities in the State.

The Chairman of the Committee, Hon Akeem Mustapha (Kajola) said the bill was meant to give power to the Auditor General and others who will ensure checks and balances on the spendings of Government at both State and Local Levels.

According to him, the Oyo State Audit Bill, 2021 will make the office of the Auditor General to be autonomous.

While speaking, Hon Seyi Adisa (Afijio) added that, when passed , the Law will ensure regular and frequent auditing of Government spendings.

He said the bill is reviewing the functions of the Auditor General for more optimum performances.

In the meantime, a bill for a Law to further amend the Mineral Development Agency Law, 2013 also passed through second reading at the plenary.

Hon Julius Okedoyin (Saki West) said the bill was to ensure further regularization of the activities of Miners in Oyo State.

Other Lawmakers Hon Asimiyu Alarape (Atiba), Hon Isiaka Kazeem Tunde(Oyo East/West), Hon Babajide Gabriel (Ib.North 2), Hon Kazeem Olayanju (Irepo/Olohunsogo) and Hon Seyi Adisa (Afijio) agreed that though Mining is in the Exclusive Legislative List of the Federal Government, the bill will ensure that certain benefits accrue to both the State and the host communities from Miners operating in the State.

According to them, the bill when amended will make it mandatory for all Miners in the State to register with the State Mineral Development Agency.

The bill was later referred to the House Committee on Solid Minerals for further deliberations.

The indigenous students under the aeges of Ibarapa Students Association FIBSA has advised the senator representing Oyo South Senatorial District, Senator Kola Balogun to live up to expectation and wake up from self hibernation he has been since the inception of his administration.

This was contained in a release signed and sent to ODUDUWA NEWS by National President, Ogunjobi Oladimeji Feranmi and National Senate President, Ogunlowo Soji Aderemi as read in part:

“Dear Distinguished Senator Kola Balogun,

“Good day sir, We the ever sagacious students of Ibarapa tremble as we write this note to you especially with the open wound your unfeeling actions have continued to inflict on the generality of Ibarapa Students who you constantly refer to as “leaders of tomorrow”. The profound leadership crisis when combined with the increasingly dangerous politics of neglect, spawns gloomy prognostication about our collective future as students of this senatorial district which we are unfortunately marginalized into.

“We write to you today as a concerned and passionate Constituents of your senatorial district in the name of Generation Hope to plead with you and our leaders on behalf of our founding fathers-those who came before you, on behalf of our generation (Generation Hope)- those to come after you and for the most part, on behalf of hundreds and thousands of Ibarapa Students, now is the time for you to listen to the voices and cries of our generation and we all crying in one voice Enough is Enough.

“Dear Senator Kola Balogun, we are doubtful whether this your system can be refocused to make any modicum of progress in the realm of the educational life of our dear district. This is largely because the statements and body language towards our region as far as students is concerned have being bias, contradictory and cacophonous. There are also the problems of near absence of charismatic leadership skills coupled with poor administrative acumen by you with due respect. It is rather unfortunate that when is it all going to stop? When are you and our other leaders going to start bringing hope to the thousands of hopeless students across our senatorial district? we just can’t fathom how a senator like you chooses@ to belittle a student Republic like FIBSA, only for you to come back during Electioneering period. We are aware of your hefty salaries and allowance, yet you find it extremely difficult to give out common bursary to the students Republic. If you keenly take note, we have chosen to use Republic because we are Country on our own, that no individual must ever sideline or neglect. Mr. Senator, let me be frank with you, if anyone tells you that you are doing well, the person must actually be a run away patient from Yaba left or absconded patient of Aro Abeokuta. I expected a distinguished personality like you to have learnt from history but reversed is the case. Let me remind you perhaps if you have forgotten, you won against a mighty Incumbent Sitting Governor of our dear state in the last election not because you have done anything special in the past, but rather as a victim of circumstances. Instead of seizing the rare opportunity to perform extraordinarily, you are instead performing below par

“In FIBSA, the wind of change is blowing and definitely when we say this, we speak on behalf of our generation; OUR generation DOES NOT want to be left behind. Now is the time for every Students of Ibarapaland to start benefiting for the Senatorial district’s commonwealth, now is the time for you and our leaders to start investing into the future of our students and youth, and now is the time for you and our leaders to start looking beyond political, tribal, ethnic and religious differences and put emphasis on those things that bring us all together as a formidable district in Oyo State and Nigeria as a whole.

“The last time we checked, Ibarapa Students are still very much part of your Senatorial district. We can vividly remember the Last FIBSA Senate Program we held, FIBSA have to go far down to Oyo North Senatorial district to invite the Ever Ready Senator Buhari Abdul Fatai to our program, when our senator is no where to be found. This is a big slap on our face, even though we choose to be silent then. Funny enough, two weeks you gave the scorecard of your two years in Office, which is a big hall of shame and display of mediocrity at the zenith level for Citing wrong Project location and Audio Constituency projects. We FIBSA only chose to be cautious, We don’t want FIBSA to be seen as Political tool, nevertheless we can’t watch our region being cheated. Dear Senator, Please don’t take our gentility for TIMIDITY.

“It may also interest you to know that we are pushed to the wall. Our parents are beginning to see us as unproductive rascals. This, our Senator, we must confess is an irredeemable embarrassment to a district that prides herself as the heart of Oyo State. Your attitude and approach are disturbingly predictable, so shocking, so unimaginative and very much characteristic of your predecessors in those dark days who watched helplessly as cherished values of leadership standard run utterly to seed and the whole system took its quantum leap into mediocrity and darkness.

“There’s still a whole lot you can do in the remaining part of your tenure as a Senator, to write your name in gold. Sir, you can still enact laws that will have direct positive impact on the people, you can still employ your influence as a Senator to champion developmental causes towards Oyo south and Oyo State as a whole. Sidelingling the Students Republic of Ibarapa might be extremely dangerous for you sir. Will heaven falls if you give out Bursary to our students or give us a bus we have been yearning for? This apparently will take nothing from your oceanic purse.

“You can still be that Senator that will be eternally loved and revered by his people for his sacrificial, statesmanlike and honourable actions and not disliked for his personal and phoney ambitions of 2023, that’s only if you take this letter with good heart, then amend to incorporate and prioritize the Students Republic as part and parcel of your government. While anticipating a responsive action on the points raised above, we hope that you give this letter your outmost attention and consideration because a stich in time saves Nine”.