Oduduwa News

A Customs officer, Tijani Kabiru, attached to the Oyo/Osun Command, his wife, and four of their children have died in a midnight inferno that engulfed their residence in Akankan Area of Ede, Osun State.

Reports say that residents woke to the heartbreaking news of the family’s demise, sparking panic and disbelief. The incident has left the community in shock and mourning.

A neighbour, Kola, who witnessed the tragic event, recalled, “I can’t say when the fire started, but we observed smoke there at about 3am.

“The response time of the firemen was not bad, but the house had been badly affected before the fire could be subdued. Kabiru, his wife, and four children were already burnt to death. But one of the children escaped.”

According to Kola, firefighters from the Ede Fire Station were promptly contacted after smoke was detected.

However, by the time they arrived, the fire had already consumed much of the house.

Confirming the incident, the spokesperson for the Osun State Fire Service, Ibraheem Adekunle, shared a statement signed by the Director of the Service, Mr. Olaniyi Alimi.

The statement reads, “We were informed of the incident via a distress call to our emergency number 08030808254 at 3:21 a.m. Our team from Ede Zonal Command proceeded to the scene, with a backup team joining from the Fire Service Headquarters in Abere.

“The address of the fire incident is Customs Tijani Kabiru Road, Akankan Area, Ede North LG. The street was named after the deceased, who was a Customs officer from the Oyo/Osun Command.

“Mr. Tijani Kabiru, reported to be in his late 40s, and his wife, said to be in her early 40s, lost their lives alongside four of their children — three boys and a girl — aged between three and 10 years. The estimated loss from the inferno is around N200 million, while property worth N500 million was saved.”

The remains of the deceased were handed over to officers from the A’ Division of the Nigeria Police Force.

The international cable television network, GOTV, has been accused of forcing Christian televangelism on Nigerian Muslims.

The allegation was made by an Islamic human rights organization, the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC). In a widely circulated press release signed by its Executive Director, Professor Ishaq Akintola, the organization demanded stoppage of the use of ‘Faith’ channel on the first Channel of GOTV with immediate effect, describing it as offensive, nauseating and denigrating.

The full press release says:

“A plethora of complaints has flooded the headquarters of the Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC) in the past 30 days concerning the disturbing allocation of a prime channel on the popular international cable television network, GOTV, to ‘Faith’, a popular Christian programme used for televangelism.

“According to the complainants, the first channel on GOTV which used to feature the advertisement of programmes on its other channels has now been dedicated to ‘Faith’ alone such that users of GOTV are compelled to watch the Christian channel willy-nilly once they switch on their television sets.

“This is an obvious extension of trammadolised religiousity to a provocative level, a strangulation of Nigerian Muslims with a Christianised hangman’s noose and a grinding subjection of the totality of the Nigerian Muslim psyche to trauma, assault and derision. It is offensive, nauseating and denigrating.

“GOTV is taking undue advantage of its licence, abusing its priviledged position and infringing on Allah-given fundamental human rights of Muslims to use of television, choice of programme and freedom to navigate television channels.

“On behalf of more than 130 million Nigerians, MURIC demands immediate cessation of the ‘Faith’ programme on this prime channel and its return to its former channel or any other of GOTV’s choice.

“By allocating its first channel to the Christian ‘Faith’ televangel programme, GOTV has made Christianity its numero uno agenda in the country and relegated Islam to the bottom of the pyramid. It is religious apartheid and Nigerian Muslims will not accept relegation to third class citizenship in a country where they enjoy comfortable demographic lead.

“For a starter, Nigerian Muslims will be forced to start de-subscribing from GOTV if this obnoxious, prejudiced and ill-advised practice is not halted within seven days counting from Monday, 2nd December, 2024. Other peaceful, legitimate and constitutional anti-GOTV actions may follow as deemed necessary if the service provider fails to comply.

“Meanwhile, MURIC appeals to Nigerian Muslims to continue to exercise patience and to remain peaceful and calm. We must not give in to provocation, lawlessness and violence. The law is on our side and we have the right to reject a service provider that has no respect for our faith or for its Muslim customers.”

“GOTV will also do better by returning to its original practice whereby the last station watched by consumers opens immediately they switch on their television sets. Nigerians are going through enough stress and GOTV has no right to escalate tension in the nation’s anatomy.”

Oduduwa News has gathered that an 18-passenger bus which took off from Ado-Awaye yesterday, was involved in a gbastly accident along Kaduna Highway.

It was reported that some people have been reportedly dead while several others injured and are in critical condition.

According to an indigene of Ado-Awaye who spoke on the condition of anonymity to Oduduwa News, the said bus owned by a Fulani man identified as Habeeb and gave it to someone to be using it for a commercial purpose.

“We have called Habeeb and his Dad and we confirmed he was not the driver that drove the car, probably some other Fulani people drove it themselves going to Kaduna to buy rams”, said by by an indigene.

Oduduwa News gathered that the bus suddenly collided with a truck on Kaduna Expressway and resulted to immediate loss of lives of yet-to-be identified people while several others sustained serious injuries.

As at the time of filing this report, official statement on the accident has not been made by Federal Road Safety Corps.

Details later.

To further decongest Correctional formations in Ogun State, the Ogun State Chief Judge, Justice Mosunmola Dipeolu has again freed 14 Awaiting trial inmates across the Correctional Centers in the State.

The freed Inmates were released during the Jail delivery exercise held at the State Judiciary Complex, Abeokuta on Friday, 29th November, 2024

Justice Dipeolu who described the Jail delivery exercise as a crucial component of the justice system noted that It is aimed at reviewing cases, expedite justice, rehabilitate, and, most importantly, promote and reintegrate into society individuals who have faced unnecessary lengthy pre-trial detention.

“However, these numerous challenges within our justice system demand our urgent attention and innovative solutions, like the periodic Jail delivery exercise, awarding of non-custodial sentences for minor offences, restitution, and compensation to victims of crimes, among others.” His lordship added.

The Chief Judge further stressed that challenges faced by the Justice System in the recent years include overcrowding in Correctional facilities and delays in court proceedings which according to her, were caused by many factors.

While justifying the importance of the exercise, His Lordship said “the main essence of this program is to ensure that our system promotes reintegration rather than mere punishment for inmates with prolonged stay in custody without their case being determined within the time frame stipulated under the law.”

The Chief Judge concluded by saying that the exercise represents another step towards addressing these challenges in compliance with the Constitutional duty of her office as the Chief Judge of the State, which allows for the review of cases to identify those ready for release, particularly inmates with prolonged detention or serious health issues”.

It will be recalled that 48 inmates were also freed during April, 2024 Jail delivery exercise at Ilaro, Oba and Ibara Correctional Centres of the State.

While releasing the deserving inmates, His Lordship implored them to be of good conduct as they go back into the society and desist from any act that could lure them back into commting crimes.

The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has directed workers in 14 states to proceed on an indefinite strike from Monday to press home the implementation of the new minimum wage.

The affected states are: Ekiti, Oyo, Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo and Nasarawa.

Other states are Sokoto, Yobe, Katsina and Zamfara.

The General Secretary of the NLC, Emmanuel Ugboaja in a November 29,2024 circular to Presidents  and General Secretaries of  NLC affiliates said  the industrial action to “compel implementation of the new national minimum wage should commence in any state that has not complied by the end of November 2024. This position was reinforced by the CWC in Kano on the 27th of November 2024.

“Flowing from the above it is our information that some states have not commenced the said implementation as workers are still being paid on the old structure and there is no subsisting agreement to show a date of commencement of implementations They are as follows: Abia, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, Ekiti, Enugu, Federal Capital Territory, Imo, Nasarawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Oyo, Sokoto, Yobe and Zamfara states.

“We therefore request that you direct your state councils in the following states to proceed on the said needed actions to compel the implementation as resolved by the NEC & CWC.

“Please do oblige us with copies of your letters to your state councils in this regard for effective mobilisation.”

The new Minimum Wage of N70,000 per month came into effect in July when the bill to that effect was signed into law by President Bola Tinubu.