The police in Ogun on Friday arrested two brothers, Ayomide Babatunde and Gbenga Babatunde who allegedly lured a woman and her nine-year-old son for ritual.
The suspects were subsequently arrested following information received at the Oja Odan Divisional Police Headquarters.
According to Police Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, the intel revealed the brothers were negotiating to sell humans, either in parts or alive, depending on what the buyer wanted for money ritual.
The supposed buyer, Jacob Olorunto had informed the Baale of the community, who, in turn, tipped off the police and detectives advised Olorunto to play along.
On 27th December 2022, the suspects called their supposed buyer and informed him that they had a woman and her son for sale, leading to a negotiation of N600,000 price for the two persons.
On 29th, one of the brothers, Ayomide went to Ilaro and invited his 45-year-old woman friend, Taye Oluwole, to follow him to Oja Odan with her son to celebrate New Year with his father.
The woman innocently agreed and along the road, they stopped to pick up his brother, Gbenga, the second suspect.
The suspects then took the victims to Igbo Obe area of Oja Odan to meet Jacob Olorunto where they were rounded up by policemen and some youths at 12:30 am.
The police confirmed that the suspects have confessed to the crime.
Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Lanre Bankole, has ordered the transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for further investigation and prosecution.
The Executive Governor of Osun State, Governor Ademola adeleke has approved the immediate suspension of Dr Niyi Oginni, the Executive Secretary of Osun Health Insurance Agency (OHIS) and Dr. Adebukola Olujide, the Head of the Primary Health Care Development Board in the State.
The State Governor also directed the Public Procurement Agency and other relevant government agency to immediately kick-off the process to recover all outstanding tender fees on contract awards, JVAs, MOU etc, to which the State Government is a party, in the last four (4) years.
Governor Adeleke further announced an holistic investigation of the Public Procurement Agency ( the Due Process Office) to determine the extent of its culpability in the non-remmitance of tender fees to the state treasury and contract manipulation in the last four years.
The suspension of the two Chief Executive Officers was sequel to the interim report of the Committee on Contracts and MOU chaired by Hon Niyi Owolade which indicted the two agency chiefs of gross abuse of office, mismanagement of public resources and serial violations of agency and public service regulations and laws.
The Committee in its recommendation had unearthed the unethical practices of the suspended heads of the OSHIA and the Primary Health Care Board as manifested in contract awards without due process, non-remittance of actual tender fee collected from contractors, contracts without value for money like the PHCs, deliberate splitting of contracts.
The Committee further found out that the suspended OHIS boss gave contracts to the tune of several millions of Naira to his own biological daughter and his own private Hospital in the Agency he is heading, while the Acting Career Head in the Primary Health Care lied on oath when she falsely
Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, has signed the 2023 budget into law.
Signing the N472,250,694,447.57b Appropriations Bill as passed earlier by the State House of Assembly, on Thursday, Abiodun said he would ensure full implementation of all the items on the bill to sustain the momentum of Building Our Future Together Agenda of his Administration.
“This budget is reflective of what the people of Ogun State want. I can assure you that on our part, we will ensure implementation of the budget.
“Through this budget, our people will enjoy the full dividends of democracy”, he noted.
He thanked the Speaker and members of the House of Assembly for their diligence that culminated in the passage of the budget before the end of 2022.
Governor Abiodun had presented the N472,250,694,447.58bn Budget of ‘Continued Development and Prosperity’, consisting of N270.41bn for capital projects, while N201.84bn was earmarked for recurrent expenditure, barely a month ago.
The signed budget has adjustments in the recurrent and capital estimates and projected revenue in 31 different areas across 26 agencies.
The passage of the bill entitled: ‘H.B. NO. 084/OG/2022-Year 2023 Appropriation Law-A Bill for a Law for the Appropriation of the sum of Four Hundred and Seventy-Two Billion, Two Hundred and Fifty Million, Six Hundred and Ninety Four Thousand, Four Hundred and Forty-Seven Naira, Fifty-Seven Kobo Only from the Consolidated Revenue Fund for the Service of Ogun State Government, Nigeria for the Financial Year Ending Thirty-First Day December, Two Thousand and Twenty-Three’, was consequent upon the presentation of the report of House on November 17.
Ogun State House of Assembly passed the Bill as presented by the Committee on Finance and Appropriation led by its Chairman, Olakunle Sobunkanla, who also moved the motion for its adoption, seconded by his deputy, Ganiyu Oyedeji and subsequently supported by the Whole House through a unanimous voice vote.
The Bill was later read and adopted clause-by-clause by the Committee of Supply presided over by the Speaker, Olakunle Oluomo, during the plenary held at the Assembly Complex, Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
According to the report, the recurrent expenditures of 22 MDAs were reviewed, while the capital expenses of four others were also adjusted; thus the adjustments led to a reduction in the proposed capital expenditure contained in the budget from the initial N270, 411, 239,527 to N269,605,938,723.32, resulting in N805.3m difference, while the recurrent expenditure was increased from N201.839bn to N202.644bn giving an increment of N805.3m.
Thereafter, the Majority Leader Yusuf Sheriff moved the motion for the third reading of the Bill, seconded by the Deputy Speaker, Hakeem Balogun and supported by the Whole House, while the Clerk/ Head of Legislative Service, Mr. ‘Deji Adeyemo did the third reading of the bill before the members.
Responding on the floor of the House, Oluomo directed that the clean copy of the bill be transmitted to the governor for his assent.
A breakdown of the budget indicated that personnel expenses would gulp N79.47bn, while N21.12bn was meant for social contribution and social benefits, with N39.90bn earmarked for public debt charge and N61.35bn for overhead cost.
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, on Thursday declared that the struggle for the Southern part of the country to produce the next President must continue until it is realised.
Governor Akeredolu particularly urged the people to vote for the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the spirit of fairness and equality.
The Governor explained that since President Muhammadu Buhari from the North is spending eight years, then it is the turn of the South to produce the next President for another eight years.
Governor Akeredolu spoke while playing host to former Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi at the Government House, Alagbaka, Akure.
Chief Rotimi Amaechi was in Akure for the Presentation of Staff of Office to Chief Olu Falae as Olu of Ilu Abo, in Akure North Local Government Area.
Arakunrin Akeredolu disclosed that no loyalist of the APC can forget the principal role of Amaechi as Director-General of the party’s Presidential campaign in 2015.
He appreciated the former minister for coming to Akure to honour Chief Falae, adding that the monarch has served Nigeria creditably well and the State is proud of him.
“Thank you for coming. Chief Falae has served this country creditably well, and we, in Ondo State, are very proud of him. He left from the Bank, he became the Minister for Finance and also served as Secretary to the Government of the Federation. So he has done his best and uptill now when he is less busy he will find time to advice us”, the Governor said.
Earlier, the former Minister of Transportation, Chief Rotimi Amaechi thanked Governor Akeredolu for recognizing and elevating Chief Olu Falae, describing him as one of the few Nigerian elites who is prominent, patriotic and had served Nigeria diligently.
“Because of my campaign for Presidency, I knew Chief Olu Falae. We visited his house in Akure. So I came to visit Chief Olu Falae whom you have kindly recognized with the Panel report”, he added.
Chief Amaechi lauded Governor Akeredolu for his leadership qualities and for always being at the fore front of good governance in the country.
The five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors have met with the All Progressives Congress presidential candidate, Bola Tinubu in London, the United Kingdom.
The APC standard bearer was said to have lobbied for the endorsement of the five governors during the marathon meeting which was held on Tuesday.
Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu states and some political heavyweights from the South had vowed not to support the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over the refusal of the party’s National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu, to resign after Atiku obtained the presidential ticket of the party.
But hours after the governors meeting with Tinubu, the PDP said it was not aware of their parley with the ruling party’s presidential candidate, noting that as far it was concerned, the governors were in the UK on vacation.
The main opposition party, however, threatened to punish the governors for any anti-party activities, stressing that it had the capacity to discipline the recalcitrant governors.
Shedding light on the London meeting, a source stated, “Tinubu met with the aggrieved governors yesterday (Tuesday) along with a delegation that included (Kayode) Fayemi, (Babajide) Sanwo-Olu, one other governor and an ex-governor. For now, we are only waiting for the G-5 governors to make the official pronouncement in January.”
On what the demands of the aggrieved governors were, the source declined speaking, saying he wouldn’t want to speculate.
“I don’t have details about that. What I know is that they have met and declared their indication at the meeting that they are not supporting any other candidate,” he stated.
The could not independently verify the presence of the Lagos State governor and Fayemi .
A source in the Lagos State Government House, stated, “I have received several inquiries on this report of the governor’s supposed travel with Asiwaju (Tinubu) and I can tell you that he is still in Nigeria. In fact, I spoke with him twice today (Wednesday). Even if he were to travel to meet the G-5 Governors outside the country, it is not something he would want to disclose, but he is very much in the country,”
Nine persons have been arrested by the police over the killing of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) member, Hakeem Mudashiru, in Oyo town.
Mudashiru was reportedly macheted to death by hoodlums at his family compound in Oyo East Local Government Area of Oyo State, on Wednesday.
Oyo State Police Command’s spokesperson, SP Adewale Osifeso, who confirmed the incident in a statement, said the deceased was attacked by hoodlums during a heated argument.
“There was an unfortunate case of random violence that led to the death of one Hakeem Mudashiru ‘M’ 40 years reported by the father of the deceased, one Jimoh Agala at Durbar Divisional Police Headquarters, Oyo State on Wednesday, December 12, 2022 at about 13:35hrs (01:35pm local time).
“Preliminary investigation has it that the deceased was attacked by hoodlums who he had hitherto engaged in an heated argument.
“At the moment, nine suspects, including a female have been arrested in conjunction with the case, which is currently being handled by the State Criminal Investigation Department.
“Lastly, ample deployments of police operatives have been sent to the area to prevent further breakdown of law and order. Updates would be provided accordingly, please,” Osifeso said.
Ondo State Governor, Arakunrin Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, CON, on Wednesday visited the two-time governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Eyitayo Jegede, over the death of his mother, Mama Caroline Olutola Jegede.
Governor Akeredolu, who had earlier called and sent condolence letter, led the deputy Governor, Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, and other members of the State Executive Council to the Akure family house of Eyitayo Jegede to condole him and other members of his family.
The Governor and his entourage were received by Mr. Jegede, his wife, Mrs Eno Jegede and other family members.
Arakunrin Akeredolu noted that Mama Caroline Jegede departed at a ripe age of 96 years.
He charged the children of the late nonagenarian to thank God for surviving their mother, adding that it is a thing of joy.
He said: “We are not here to mourn with you. We are here to congratulate you. Mama has gone at the ripe age. We should thank God because when we survive our aged parents, we should be grateful.
“All the seven children are here and alive today. We should thank God. The issue is that when God gives us the opportunity, we should thank God. I am here to commiserate and congratulate you on surviving mama.”
Governor Akeredolu assured the PDP chieftain of the support of the state government for the burial ceremony of mama Caroline Jegede.
According to the Governor, Jegede, having served as the Attorney-General of the state, deserves all the respect and support from the state government.
His words: “I want to say that we will be here to support you for the burial. I must note this, when my mother died, you visited me. You came to the house during the wake keep. You were at the church. You have always shown me a lot of respect.
“We have come a long way. Politics can not separate us. You are somebody that I have a lot of respect for. The state should give you a lot of respect and support too. You have served this state.”
Responding, Jegede, who thanked the Governor, his deputy and other members of the State Executive council, described the visit as a great honour.
He said the relationship between him and Governor Akeredolu is beyond politics, adding that he has huge respect for the Governor.
“Let me start by thanking you, sir, for this honour. I know it is out of genuine love and respect. You have always shown me love and respect.
“I thank you. When mama died, you called me. And I later got a letter of condolence from your office. And now you are here personally with the deputy Governor and members of the state executive council. It can’t be more than this. This is a great honour. I do not belong to the APC. But you have honoured me.
“What is happening is beyond politics. I have so much respect for you. You have been President of the Bar, my own President. You have been our leader and you have never disappointed us.
“Politics will come, politics will go. Before politics, we were somewhere. You have made your marks before you came into politics. I thank you for the love you have shown to my family,” Jegede said.
Jegede also informed the Governor that the family has fixed January 27 and 28, 2023 for the final funeral ceremony of his late mother.
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Oyo state has accused the state chapter of All Progressives Congress APC of sponsoring a ‘Killer-squard’ to assassinate Mudashiru Baraka, a member of the PDP and grassroots mobilizer in Oyo town.
Lamenting the sustained attacks allegedly backed by some individuals in the opposition party, the ruling PDP said others who escaped from the scene sustained various degrees of injuries while appealing to the state Commissioner of Police, CP Adebowale Williams, to bring culprits of the dastardly acts to justice expeditiously.
A statement by the State Publicity Secretary of PDP, Akeem Olatunju on Wednesday December 28 indicated that the deceased was murdered in cold blood at his family house in Oyo town at the early hour of Wednesday and the matter has already been reported at Durbar Police Station in Oyo.
It would be recalled that the ruling PDP in the state recently raised the alarm after series of such security alert over replacements of Governor Makinde’s billboard banner with that of the presidential and vice presidential candidates of the APC.
The Oyo Central Senatorial Candidate of PDP, Chief Lukman Oyebisi Ilaka’s campaign organization also raised similar alarm two weeks ago when the billboard belonging to Chief Ilaka was deliberately obstructed from public views by another APC billboard in Surulere local government area under the same Senatorial district.
However, the late Baraka who was from ward 4 Tengba, Oyo East Local Government, according to the PDP, had gone to his family house in the spirit of the yuletide to celebrate with his parent Wednesday morning.
The ruling party added that PDP members who are witnesses present at the scene of the event told the party that the deceased was waylaid and threatened by notorious thugs who are APC supporters led by their gang leader popularly known as ‘Ade Ilaka’ after which the deceased reported the threats to Operation Burst in the area.
The security personnel of Operation Burst were said to have accompanied the deceased back to his family house to effect necessary security action but the assailants have absconded, the ruling party added.
The ruling PDP explained that after Personnel of Operation Burst had departed the area, the assailants however, returned more viciously and aggressively to the family house of the deceased where he was murdered in cold blood.
The Oyo state PDP said, the do or die approach by APC and some of its candidates in Oyo state may plunge the state into an avoidable theater of political war if not urgently arrested stressing that the party’s calmness and peaceful disposition to the already heightened political campaign was in the spirit of peace, freedom of the people to elect whoever they want as their leaders and particularly the peace accord that have restrained its members from resorting to self help in the face of imminent threats.
“It is very unfortunate that despite the peace accord APC jointly entered into alongside other political parties in the state ahead of the 2023 general elections, the opposition party has continued in its sustained and coordinated attacks against our members in its usual manner.
“We are aware that these attacks are fully backed by certain individuals including some of APC candidates who are not only desperate to win the 2023 election by either ‘hook or crook’ but also do so at whatever cost.
“Apart from being a very peaceful party, we also feel obligated and duty bound to the peace and tranquility in the state and more especially, the peace accord signed at the state police headquarters. We also know that actions and inactions of political players are inimical to the success or failure of the 2023 general elections.
“It is in this knowledge that we have deliberately restrained ourselves from reacting to needless provocations and threats by the APC in Oyo state. The opposition party has shown nothing but unrestrained desperation, utter recklessness, sheer political brigandage which is daily heightening the political campaign ahead of 2023.
“The gruesome killing of our members, Mudashiru Baraka, a PDP member from wars 4 Tengba, Oyo East local government is one that will not be allowed to be swept under the carpet. This is so because we have consistently raised series of alarms to forestall such ugly occurrence with no definite outcome.
“These have further emboldened APC in Oyo state and some of its candidates perhaps in the consciousness that it controls government at the centre to recklessly engage in such dastardly acts all in the spirit of winning elections at all cost. We need to once again remind APC in Oyo state that it is not the only opposition party in the 2023 race and must not turn Oyo state to a theatre of political war with the needless attacks and killings of perceived superior opponents.
“We call on the state Commissioner of Police who has done creditably well to bring about the relative peace in the state, to immediately step in and expedite action that will guarantee culprits of Baraka’s gruesome murder are brought to justice.” The ruling PDP stated.
A member of the Peoples Democratic Party in Oyo State, Mudashiru Baraka, has been reportedly assassinated.
He was said to have been killed by rival political thugs on Wednesday morning in Oyo town.
It was gathered that Baraka, a PDP grassroots mobiliser in the town, was macheted to death by his assailants at his father’s house in the morning.
Efforts to get police reactions through the state Police Public Relations Officer, Adewale Osifeso, proved abortive as his mobile number was not reachable.
There are strong indications that the five aggrieved Peoples Democratic Party governors may endorse their preferred presidential candidate on January 5, barring any unforeseen circumstances.
It was gathered on Tuesday that the governors, who are presently meeting in London, United Kingdom, might be influenced by former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s advice that the Presidency should come to the South-East in 2023.
Governors Nyesom Wike (Rivers), Seyi Makinde (Oyo), Okezie Ikpeazu (Abia), Samuel Ortom (Benue) and Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu states and some political heavyweights from the South had parted ways with the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, over his alleged refusal to prevail on the PDP National Chairman, Iyorchia Ayu to resign after Atiku, a northerner clinched the presidential ticket of the party.
The governors insisted that Ayu’s resignation would ensure a balance in the leadership of the main opposition party.
Although Atiku and the governors held several meetings in Nigeria and the UK, there was no headway as they insisted on Ayu’s removal from office as a precondition for peace.
However, in deciding on the presidential candidate to support, a top source informed the newsmen that the governors might heed Obasanjo’s counsel that they should endorse the Labour Party presidential standard bearer, Peter Obi.
The former President had met with the governors in London in August where he reportedly lobbied for Obi.
Giving a background on the factors that might sway their decision, an aide to one of the governors stated, “The governors are considering Obasanjo’s advice that the Presidency should come to the South in 2023. Obasanjo has advised them to support Obi because he believes that if the Presidency comes to the South, it should go to the South East.
“That is why at their last meeting in London, he lobbied for Obi because justice and fairness demand that South-East should produce the next president.’’
Asked when the governors, known as Integrity Group would unveil their preferred candidate, the source said, “From all indications, the governors will announce their preferred candidate next week. If there is no major event before January 5 when Makinde will kick off his campaign, they will make the announcement on that day in Ibadan.’’
An aide to another governor dismissed reports that the group were divided over the choice of the presidential candidate to endorse.
According to the source, at the London meeting on Tuesday, the governors agreed that since Atiku failed to prevail on Ayu to step down, they should work for a southern candidate.
No division Speaking on the alleged cracks in the rank of the governors, the source stated, “Not really, but they have different approaches to the issue. Some of them have nothing against Atiku. But none of the governors will come out to speak against the joint decision of the group that the presidency should come to the South. If Ayu has stepped down, they would have supported Atiku.’’
But other sources are insisting that the unity of the Integrity Group may be hanging by a thread, as there seems to be a crack in the fold.
The contention, it was learnt, involves who to support between Obi and the All Progressives Congress standard bearer, Bola Tinubu.
Wike had said at several fora that nobody can break the ranks of the G5, adding that attempts to do so by their detractors had collapsed.
It was learnt that the ambition of Ortom, who is gunning for the Senate and Makinde, who is seeking a second term in office may be hanging in the balance as a result of their faceoff with Ayu.
Besides this, the Benue State governor had not hidden his love and preference for the former Anambra State governor whom he said could deliver Nigeria.
