The newly crowned African Player of The Year, Ademola Lookman, says to be recognised as the best player on the continent is something incredible.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria and Atalanta of Italy forward said this during his speech after receiving the award in a glittering ceremony organised by CAF in Marrakech, Morocco on Monday.
“This award today is a blessing to me, to my family, to my nation, and to be recognised as the best player in Africa is something incredible and I am extremely proud of,” Lookman said.
Recalling his struggles as a footballer about four years ago, the 27-year-old advised young people never to allow their past failures define their future.
“Just over four years ago I failed in front of the world, fast forward to four years I am the best player in Africa,” Lookman recalled.“I want to say to the young children and young people watching this ‘don’t let your failures weigh you down that they break your wings, turn your pain into your power and continue to fight and continue to fly’, God bless!”
The Oyo State Police Command has heightened efforts to combat cult-related violence and criminal activity in the state with the arrests of no fewer than 15 persons.
The 15 paraded suspects were linked to cultism and firearms offenses amd were subsequently picked up at different locations within Ibadan metropolis.
Among the items recovered during intelligence-led raids were five inscribed cultism jackets, three Dane guns, one locally made pistol, one cut-to-size gun, and one long-barrel gun. The police also seized a red Toyota Camry vehicle (Reg No. KTU 41 JH) linked to the suspects.
Addressing newsmen at a press briefing held earlier today at the State Police Command, Eleyele, Ibadan, the Commissioner of Police, Ayodele Sonubi, expressed concerns over the involvement of youths in cultism and cult-related activities in parts of the state.
Specifically, areas including Apete, Abayomi (Iwo-Road axis), Ijokodo, Moniya, Monatan, Ojoo, Samonda, and Sango have been identified as hotspots for such illicit activities.
The arrests followed a series of operations, including a sting at the Federal Polytechnic Ayede, where five individuals were apprehended for attempting to initiate students into a cult group.
These suspects, who have confessed to being members of the “Brother Across Nigeria” (BAN), also known as “Alora,” were paraded along with five cult-inscribed jackets.
The Police revealed that further investigations have led to the seizure of additional firearms and banned substances.
The Police also said it arrested four suspects linked to a cultist rendezvous point near Shasha Motor Park in Ojoo, Akinyele Local Government Area, where weapons and illicit drugs were recovered.
The police equally disclosed the arrest of suspected members of the “Eiye” confraternity, a cult group, on December 13, following an operation in the Kajorepo/Ojoo area during which several items, including cult-related clothing and weapons, were seized.
In another similar development, police has disclosed the arrest of three robbery suspects in the Ijokodo area on December 14, recovering firearms from their hideout stressing that the arrests were part of the ongoing crackdown on violent crimes in the state.
The police also announced plans for increased visibility policing across the state especially during the Yuletide season, with regular stop-and-search operations and intelligence-led operations as part of efforts aimed at reassuring the public of the police’s commitment to tackling insecurity.
Cultism, according to the Police boss in the state, is a growing threat to public safety and tranquility and as such would not be condoned at any level of the society.
He explained that the Oyo State Police Command has been proactive in addressing these emerging security concerns, using a multi-pronged approach including intelligence gathering, stakeholder advocacy, and strategic intelligence-led raids aimed at preventing further violence.
He confirmed that the recent wave of cult violence was largely retaliatory, driven by rival cult groups seeking dominance over one another.
CP Sonubi appealed to parents, guardians, religious leaders, and community leaders to intervene in the fight against cultism, urging them to discourage young people from engaging in cult-related activities.
“We will not relent in our efforts to ensure that anyone who disturbs the peace of our state faces the full wrath of the law,” he said.
The Commissioner of Police however, emphasized the importance of community participation in securing the state saying:
“The relative tranquility enjoyed by the good citizens of Oyo State is non-negotiable. If you see something, say something, and the police will do something.”
The EFCC confirmed it has carried out its largest single-day operation against cryptocurrency and romance scam networks, arresting 792 suspects in Lagos.
In a press conference on Monday, December 16, 2024, EFCC spokesperson, Wilson Uwujaren, said the arrests took place at a seven-storey building in Victoria Island, Lagos.
Uwujaren said the suspects include 114 Chinese nationals, 40 Filipinos, two Khazartans, one Pakistani, and one Indonesian. He said the foreigners were using the building to “train Nigerians on how to initiate romance and investment scams”.
The EFCC spokesperson added that the foreigners created fake profiles for their Nigerian accomplices to engage in romance and cryptocurrency scams.
Uwujaren said all the floors of the seven-storey building were equipped with “high-end” desktop computers, adding that over 500 sim cards of Nigerian telecommunications operators were recovered.
Ademola Lookman has been crowned the 2024 African Footballer of the Year in a historic event that confirms his status as one of the best players in the world in the current calendar year.
The Super Eagles of Nigeria forward shook off competitions from South Africa’s Ronwen Williams, Cote d’Ivoire’s Simon Adingra, Achraf Hakimi of Morocco, and Guinea striker Serhou Guirassy to win the prize.
His win means the award remains in Nigeria after teammate Victor Osimhen won it last year.
The Executive Secretary and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Shippers’ Council, Barrister Ukeyima Akutah, has said that based on the remarkable level of the Ease of Doing Business Index in Ogun State, the state is leading the rest of the country in the ongoing industrial revolution embarked upon by the Federal Government.
He noted that this is in tandem with the policy statement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to change the old system of production and make the country more industrialized to the level of appreciable prosperity and job creation.
Akutah added that the efforts of the Ogun State Government in the area of infrastructural development have enhanced industrial growth, thereby complementing the strides of the Federal Government towards sustainable transformation and industrialization.
The Nigerian Shippers’ Council boss made this known on Monday while leading a delegation of the council to the Governor’s office at Oke-Mosan, Abeokuta.
The delegation, which comprised directors and other heads of units in the agency, also presented an Outlined Certificate of Compliance to the Governor on the Inland Dry Port located in the Papalanto area of the state, which was flagged off recently by the Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Alhaji Adegboyega Oyetola.
Akutah further commended the Governor for his determination to raise the bar of business activities in the state and develop critical infrastructure as a way of opening the state for an array of productive activities.
“We commend you and your team for being consistent with infrastructural development in all sectors of the state’s economy. One of those infrastructures is the Gateway International Agro-cargo Airport, as well as the Inland Dry Port for which we are presenting its Certificate of Compliance to you today.
“Obviously, you have demonstrated capacity and quality leadership by all standards, and your state is piloting the ongoing industrial revolution in Nigeria as conceived by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu,” Akutah said.
In his response, the Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, commended the delegation for the visit and for granting the Certificate of Compliance for the take-off of the Papalanto Inland Dry Port, saying it was a significant step in the quest for the establishment of the port.
The Governor described the Papalanto Inland Dry Port as a strategic port of operation aimed at decongesting the Lagos Ports and boosting industrial activities in Ogun State, which has the highest number of industries in Nigeria.
He explained that through the concept of the Multi-modal Transportation System adopted by his administration upon assumption of office, the Inland Dry Port would be an efficient mechanism for the industrial revolution embarked upon by the Federal Government.
Politicians across all divide gathered today at the University of Ibadan to attend the 7th Annual Senator Abiola Ajimobi Roundtable and 75th Posthumous birthday held at the Institute of Peace and Strategic Studies.
The National Leader of APC, Abdulahi Ganduje, Governor of Imo State, Hope Uzodinma, Deputy Senate President of the National assembly, Senator Jubril, Senate leader, Senator Bamidele Opeyemi, Senator Fatai Buhari, Senator Teslim Folarin, FIRS Boss, Zach Adedeji Rt.Hon. Debo Ogundoyin, Oyo State Speaker, among several others were present at Ajimobi’s Posthumous birthday, held at Senator Ajimobi Resource Centre.
The former Governor of Oyo State, South-West Nigeria, Abiola Ajimobi on June 25, 2020, Ajimobi breathed his last during COVID-19 and succumbed to the cold hands of death six months and nine days after he clocked 70.
Other dignitaries that attended the posthumous remembrance were Senator Sarafadeen Ali, Senator Yunus Akintunde, Former Deputy Governor of Oyo State, Engr. Rauf Olaniyan Olubadan of Ibadanland, Soun of Ogbomosho, Oluwo of Iwo, Prof. Julius Ilovbere who was also the lead paper presenter.
The Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes has announced Tuesday 17th December,2024 for the grand commissioning of the multi-million naira energy station project donated by Mogaji Basorun Fajimi Compound, Chief Oladiran Abiodun Alabi (Yerombi).
The energy station built inside the new Olubadan palace at Oke-Aremo is to power the Palace and Ibadan House by extension.
To do the commissioning is the Executive Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engr. Oluseyi Makinde, who’s also the Special Guest of Honour, the Royal Father of the day is His Imperial Majesty, Oba Owolabi Akinloye Olakulehin, Ige Olakulehin 1, Olubadan-in -Council members are the Special Guests while Chief Barr. Sulaimon Ajeniyi Ajewole, President Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes is the Chief Host.
The President-General, Chief Sulaimon Ajeniyi Ajewole appreciated Mogaji Basorun Fajimi Compound, Chief Oladiran Abiodun Alabi Yerombi for the kind gesture as the energy project will address power issue in the palace, promising that it will be judiciously used and properly maintained
The Royal Group also known as Egbe Omo-Oba Alade Ile Ibadan, an affiliate club of the Central Council of Ibadan Indigenes has concluded plan to induct new members into the club in a grand style.
According to a statement made available by the Public Relations Officer of the clubs, Omo-oba Adeniran Ayodele on behalf of the President, Prince Kamikum Akewula stated that the ceremony has been scheduled to take place at the Conference Room, Ibadan House, Oke-Aremo on the 21st of December, 2024.
The ceremony according to the club will also be the end of the year meeting and has been planned to be glamorous and eventful. The intending members to be inducted include: Fasina Oyewole Kazeem, Alimi Saheed,Kolade Shakur, Rasheed Adewale, Oyediran Taiwo, Basiru Abiodun Asimiyu and Kayode Ajani.
According to the tradition of the club, all inductees after being formally admitted to the group can start adding the prefix “Prince or Omo-Oba” before the mention of their names at meetings and public functions.
A trainee herbalist, Ifagbenga Taiwo, who was arrested by the Ogun State Police Command for allegedly slaughtering his 41-day-old son in the Keesi area of Adatan, Abeokuta, the state capital, has disclosed that he carried out the act under a spell.
VOA news reported on Wednesday that the incident occurred last Monday after the baby’s mother, Raimat Wasilat, laid him on a bed while washing clothes outside their home.
Wasilat was said to have returned to the room and met his son with a slit throat, prompting her to raise the alarm, which attracted their neighbours and the police.
Multi-billion-naira worth of shipments of Methamphetamine and Loud, a strong synthetic strain of cannabis meant for distribution during the Christmas and New Year festive season, concealed in automobile spare parts imported from Canada, have been intercepted by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency, NDLEA, at the Tincan seaport in Lagos after months of intelligence-driven tracking of the cargoes across three continents.
For the first time in the history of NDLEA’s anti-narcotic operations, two consignments of methamphetamine weighing 83.301 kilograms were on Thursday 12th and Friday 13th December 2024, recovered from separate containers bearing vehicles and spare parts coming from Canada and heading to warehouses in the Ladipo automobile parts market in Mushin area of Lagos.
While one of the containers going to Ladipo market through the Sifax bonded terminal was examined on Thursday 12th December, not less than 5.001kg methamphetamine hidden in a bag wrapped in bed sheet that came in a Toyota Camry car, was recovered, even as a businessman, Isaac Onwumere linked with the consignment was promptly arrested.
The other container bearing automobile spare parts checked on Friday 13th December was found to contain 1, 735 parcels of Loud packed in 44 jumbo bags with a total weight of 867.5kg and six plastic coolers containing 87 packs of methamphetamine weighing 78.3kg. At least, two businessmen: Nwanolue Emeka and Friday Ogbe have been arrested in connection with the seizure.
The two meth consignments have a combined weight of 83.301kg worth One Hundred and Twenty-Four Million Nine Hundred and Fifty-One Thousand Naira (124,951,000.00) while the 867.5kg Loud is worth Two Billion One Hundred and Sixty-Eight Million Seven Hundred and Fifty Thousand Naira (N2,168,750,000.00) in street value.
The seizures were made during a joint examination of the shipments with Customs and other port stakeholders. This followed months of intelligence processing and tracking of the consignments from their ports of loading in Canada to the landing port in Lagos by combined Special Operations Units in NDLEA and the Tincan Port Strategic Command of the Agency.
The first container with 5.001kg meth came under the radar of NDLEA’s intelligence network on 4th October 2024 when the preparation for the shipment began in Toronto, Canada, monitored through 8th October when the shipment was received at the rail ramp, loaded on the rail and departed to Montreal, Canada where it arrived and was unloaded the following day 9th October. The consignment was further monitored till it was loaded on a vessel on 19th October through when the vessel arrived and discharged at Antwerp in Belgium on 30th October after which the consignment was trans-shipped and loaded on 14th November before arriving Lagos port on 1st December and released to a bonded terminal two days after.
The second shipment containing 867.5kg Loud and 78.3kg methamphetamine followed the same route. It came under NDLEA’s intelligence tracking on 8th October 2024 when the consignments were delivered to the shipper in Toronto, Canada, loaded on the rail on 14th October and arrived Montreal the following day, 15th, after which they were loaded on a vessel to Europe on 20th October. After arrival and trans-shipment at Antwerp in Belgium on 6th and 17th November respectively, the consignments were tracked till they arrived and discharged from the vessel at Lagos port on 6th December before being moved to the terminal on 10th December.
At the Port Harcourt Port Complex, Onne, Rivers state, no fewer than Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand Six Hundred (636,600) bottles of codeine-based syrup worth Four Billion Four Hundred and Fifty-Six Million Two Hundred Thousand Naira (N4,456,200,000.00) in street value were intercepted in shipments from India on Monday 9th, Wednesday 11th and Friday 13th December 2024.
The seizures were made during joint examination of four containers by NDLEA officers, men of Customs and other security agencies at the port following processed credible intelligence on the shipments.
With the same vigour, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA sensitisation lecture to students and staff of City Comprehensive College, Ogidi, Anambra; Government Secondary School, Toungo, Adamawa; Bonny Camp Primary School, Victoria Island, Lagos; Government Junior Secondary School, Yarganji, Kano, while Oyo state command of NDLEA delivered WADA enlightenment lecture to leaders, elders, youths and residents of Tapa community, Tapa, among others.
While commending the officers and men of the Special Operations Units, Tincan, and Onne Commands of the Agency for the arrests and seizures, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Rtd) stated that the operational successes should show the drug barons and cartels that the Agency has the capacity and intelligence network to track their movements and their consignments even before getting to Nigeria. He said they will continue to lose heavily if they fail to back down on the criminal trade.
