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Oyo PMS Boss, Mukaila Auxiliary Arraigned Over Alleged Disruption Of Tinubu’s Billboards

The police on Thursday arraigned the Chairman of the Oyo State Park Management System (PMS), Alhaji Mukaila Lamidi, popularly known as ‘Auxiliary’, over the alleged destruction of campaign billboards of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state.

He was arraigned before a Chief Magistrate Court, sitting at Iwo Road, Ibadan, being Presided over by Mr Taiwo Oladiran.

The Prosecuting Police Officer, Mr Sunday Fatola, an Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP), preferred a six-count charge against Lamidi, a former factional Chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in the state. He told the court that the suspects have committed offences contrary to and punishable by the laws.

The allegations bordered on conspiracy, willful and unlawful damage, as well as the destruction of billboards. The PMS was set up by the state government, under the leadership of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP).

The prosecutor told the court that Lamidi and others now at large, on November 13, 2022, at about 6:50p.m at Igboora in the Ibarapa zone of the state, purportedly conspired and willfully destroyed billboards bearing the pictures of the 2023 presidential candidate of All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu; the party’s governorship candidate in the state, Senator Teslim Folarin; and a House of Representatives candidate, valued at N1.2million. The offence, he said, is triable in the chief magistrate court in Ibadan.

The second charge borders on conspiracy, willful and unlawful damage, and destruction of billboards at Omi-Adio in Ibadan on November 13, 2022, at 11 am. The billboards reportedly bore the pictures of an APC House of Representatives candidate, Aderemi Oseni, valued at N3million.

Auxiliary pleaded not guilty to the six-count allegations levelled against him.

The presiding chief magistrate, Taiwo Oladiran, however, admitted Lamidi to bail in the sum of N500,000 with two sureties in like sum. The court also ordered that the house address of the suspect should be verified. He adjourned the case to February 2, 2023, for a hearing.

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Ex-convict arrested hours after release from Lagos prison

The Rapid Response Squad (RRS) of the Lagos State Police Command has arrested an ex-convict.

The suspect, Yakub Yusuf, was apprehended hours after he was released from jail.

He had been sentenced to one-month imprisonment for stealing at a government fuel dump in Alausa, Ikeja.

23-year-old Yusuf was convicted early November but was given an option of fine.

Less than two weeks into his term, a non-governmental organization facilitated his release by paying the fine.

After he regained freedom, Yusuf was nabbed again after illegal entering the Lagos State Fire Service premises.

Police Public Relations, SP Benjamin Hundeyin said he stole valve covers of old fire trucks under repairs.

The RRS, led by CSP Olayinka Egbeyemi, has transferred him to the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for prosecution.

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UI Convocation: Buhari Urges ASUU, Other Trade Unions To Shun Strike

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.

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Police takes over Ekiti House of Assembly

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.

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Tinubu Dragged To Court Over Alleged Certificate Forgery, Age Falsification

A legal practitioner and human rights activist, Mike Enahoro-Ebah, has instituted legal actions against the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, over alleged certificate forgery, age falsification and lying on oath.

The suits, dated 9th November and filed on the 10th, by Enahoro-Ebah were brought pursuant to Sections 88(1), 89(3), 109(A), 110(C) and 115(1)(B) and 119 of the Administration of Criminal Justice Act (ACJA), 2015; under the inherent jurisdiction and powers of the court secured by Section 6(6)(a) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

The three separate direct criminal complaints marked: CR/121/2022, CR/122/2022 and CR/123/2022 against Tinubu were filed at the Chief Magistrate Court sitting at Wuse Zone 6, Abuja.

He said it is in the best interest of Nigeria, justice and equity to issue criminal summons to ensure Tinubu’s attendance in court to answer the complaints.

Specifically, the complainant is alleging that Tinubu lied on oath having falsely sworn to an affidavit in support of his personal particulars (Form EC-9) submitted to INEC on June 17, 2022.

In case number: CR/121/2022, Enahoro-Ebah accused Tinubu of presenting “A forged Chicago State University Certificate to INEC with the intent that it may be acted upon as genuine, thereby committed the offence of forgery contrary to Sections 362(a), 363 and 364 of the Penal Code Act, Cap. 532, Laws of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja”.

Enahoro-Ebah alleged that Bola Tinubu that attended Chicago State University was born in 1954 and not 1952 as claimed by the APC presidential candidate on oath in his sworn Form EC-9 submitted to INEC.
He alleged that the copy of the Chicago State University Certificate released by the school “is radically different” from the copy attached to Tinubu’s sworn Form EC-9 submitted to INEC on June 17.

The complainant said he applied, through his colleague, Mathew J. Kowals, a Chicago-based legal practitioner, who issued an attorney subpoena on his behalf against the university in case number: 22-L-007289 on August 12, directing the school to mail him (Kowals) all documents and records pertaining to Tinubu in their possession.

According to the lawyer, copies of the Chicago State University Certificate, academic records, undergraduate admission application form, University of Cambridge General Certificate of Education, and copy of Southwest College Transcript (now City College of Chicago) were later sent to him which he attached to the court documents as exhibits.

“Curiously, the information contained in the documents and school records received from Chicago State University contradicts material information provided by the defendant in his sworn Form EC-9 submitted to INEC,” he said.

Enahoro-Ebah claimed that a direct comparison of both certificates reveal different dates of issue by the university (June 22, 1979, and June 27, 1979); different university logos on both certificates; different grammatical construction on the faces of the certificates, and different signatures, among others.

He said in support of the defendant’s undergraduate admission application form submitted to Chicago State University in 1977, was a transcript from Southwest College, Chicago, bearing the name, “Tinubu Bola A” which belongs to a female student, contrary to Form EC-9 submitted to INEC which indicated that Tinubu is a man.

More so, Enahoro-Eba that the Tinubu that attended the university indicated in his undergraduate admission application form that he graduated from Government College, Lagos in 1970, while the defendant in his Form EC-9 submitted to INEC provided no information as to his attendance of the said Government College, Lagos, among other allegations.

The case, which is before Chief Magistrate Emmanuel Iyanna, is yet to be fixed for hearing.

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Top Oyo Civil Servants, Retirees To Be Jailed If Convicted Over N4. 8bn Contract Fraud

The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) on Wednesday, announced that some serving and retired civil servants of the State have been arrested for fraudulent contract, awarded in 2018.

The fraud, according to a statement signed by the agency’s Chairman, Justice Eni Esan (retired) was said to have been perpetrated by the individuals at the Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) and information about it concealed till the State’s anti-graft agency discovered it.

The act, according to the statement, involved the payment of the sum of #4.8billion to the three private companies without delivering the project and the agency is now after the said companies since the case was established and the officers involved arrested.

The agency claimed it is after the said companies since the case has been established and the officers involved have been arrested for further investigation and prosecution by the State’s Attorney-General.

“The Oyo State Anti-Corruption Agency (OYACA) has nabbed some retired and serving top civil servants of Oyo State Road Maintenance Agency (OYSROMA) for complicity in a fraudulent contract awarded in 2018.

“OYACA was able to discover this fraud despite concealment by the affected top officials to thwart the investigation exercise, the fraud involved the payment of humongous amount of money in the sum of #4.8billion to three companies yet to show up for investigation in spite of our invitations.

“The agency is on the heels of the affected companies to recoup the money paid into their accounts in 2018 for supplies not made to date, while investigation is still ongoing, OYACA makes bold to say that the law is no respecter of persons and everyone who has any form of connection with the matter will be dealt with according to the law.

“We hereby reiterate our commitment to zero tolerance of corruption in the public service of Oyo State,” it affirmed.

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Lagos lawmaker slumps, dies at Tinubu’s rally in Jos

A popular lawmaker in Lagos state, Olayiwola Olawale Sobur is dead.

The lawmaker who represents Mushin Constituency II at the Lagos State House of Assembly, slumped and died at the APC Presidential rally in Jos, Plateau state on Tuesday.

Popularly known as ‘Omititi’, Sobur was said to be looking healthy at the rally.

A fellow lawmaker who spoke to newsmen on the condition of anonymity said; “We met at the residence of Senator Ganiyu Olanrewaju Solomon (GOS) on Sunday and exchanged pleasantries. He was looking very healthy.”

“Without preempting the circumstance, this could be high blood pressure. Whatever could have led to his death, this is so shocking and sad.”

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ASUU: UNILAG Lecturers, Students Protest Over Half-Pay Salary

Members of the University of Lagos chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities on Tuesday protested against the half salaries paid by the Federal Government in October.

Our correspondent observed that some students also participated in the protest.

ASUU has condemned the half salary to its members and accused the government of attempting to reduce Nigerian lecturers to casual workers.

Details later.

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New Ekiti Speaker Emerges, Few Weeks After Demise Of Afuye

Honourable Gboyega Aribisogan has emerged as the new Speaker, Ekiti State House of Assembly.

Aribisogan succeeds Rt Hon. Funminiyi Afuye who passed on last month.

Aribisogan who hails from Ijesa Isu Ekiti was untill his emergence the Chairman House Committee on Information.

He was sworn in on Tuesday at the plenary after defeating Hon. Adelugba from Emure Ekiti.

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Police Begins Investigation As Five-Year-Old Girl Abandoned Beside Osun River

In Iwo, Osun State, a five-year-old girl was found abandoned by the Oba River. The Osun State government has rescued her and currently in the custody of the government.

According to a statement by the government’s Coordinating Director for the Ministry of Women, Children, and Social Affairs, Mr. Jide Falade, the ministry was informed about the girl’s desertion and was given care of her.

He claimed that on September 29,2022, “a decent samaritan reported the situation to the Ministry.

“All efforts by the Ministry and the Police to identify the mother’s relatives had failed.”

Police has begun investigation to unravel the mystery surrounding the incident.