Oduduwa News

One of the committee members who worked on Lekkit Toll Gate EndSARS shootings, Ebun Olu-Adegboruwa SAN has claimed that since the submission of the report of the Lagos #EndSARS Panel, there have been lots of threats and attacks, by those suspected to be agents of the government, upon him, especially in the media

“I have not committed any crime beyond joining other eminent Nigerians with unblemished integrity, to accept the nomination of government on behalf of my constituency, the Nigerian Bar Association and the civil society and the indeed the masses of our people, for a national assignment.

“Two prominent lawyers of the government have openly incited opinions against me on national television, with mindless accusations. I have however refused to be intimidated or bend to the tactics of government to be silenced”.

“I urge the good people of Nigeria, my professional colleagues in the Nigerian Bar Association, my comrades in the civil rights movement and the people of Nigeria, to hold government responsible should anything happen to me.

“Just last night, one of the prominent EndSARS protesters who testified before the Panel, Miss Kamsiyochukwu Ibe, was attacked and dealt serous machete blows, in what was clearly an attempted murder, as reported by her counsel, with very disturbing photos.

“I heeded the clarion call to serve by the government with the honest believe that the Panel was meant to say the truth and nothing but the truth, which is what we have done. It is left for government and Nigerians to do the needful with the report of the Panel”.

Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu has provided a furnished two-bedroom apartment for members of a family of four who lost their first child, Jumoke Oyeleke, to a stray bullet during the Yoruba Nation rally held at Ojota, Lagos on Saturday, July 3, 2021.

Governor Sanwo-Olu also presented a cheque of N1million in addition to the furnished apartment to the deceased mother, Mrs. Ifeoluwa Oyeleke and her three children to make the family comfortable.

It would be recalled that Jumoke Oyeleke, a 25-year-old Shop Attendant, was allegedly killed on July 3, 2021 at Ojota area of Lagos during a Yoruba Nation Rally.

Four months after the ugly incident that claimed the life of Jumoke Oyeleke, Governor Sanwo-Olu in his kind gesture relocated the family from a shanty at 59A, Bayo Osinowo Street, Ogudu, Ojota area where Mrs. Oyeleke was living with his deceased daughter before the ugly incident to a two-bedroom apartment in Ikorodu area of Lagos.

Governor Sanwo-Olu, who was represented by his Senior Special Assistant on Administration, Mrs. Titi Oshodi, while handing over keys to a two-bedroom flat accommodation at Irawo area in Ikorodu and N1 million cheque to the Oyelekes for them to experience a new lease of life, said the new apartment was to alleviate the family’s immediate need.

She said: “Since the time of the incident, we have been following up with her state and we have been to her initial place of abode. Immediately the incident happened, we started to follow up with her to find out how she was doing, especially economically and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu in his compassionate nature has done this to ameliorate the family’s suffering as much as possible.

“It is not possible to bring back the dead, but the government is donating a two-bedroom apartment fully furnished to the family to make life easy, as much as possible, for those left behind. We believe this will help them ease into the next phase of life without stress.

“This was not planned but the government had to make quick arrangements in the interim. So this is a temporary arrangement for her to stay with her children, pursuing other actions going forward. The rent has been paid for three years in advance, and the kitchen is stocked with some foodstuff.

“The government will let us know when a proper and more formidable arrangement has been made for her but for now, what we have is because of the immediate need. The apartment is fitted with basic amenities to make life comfortable for the family. She would also get N1 million to start any business of her choice,” Mrs. Oshodi told journalists.

In her response, Mrs. Oyeleke, a domestic help, who engages in washing people’s clothes and sweeping compounds, thanked the Lagos State Government for the kind gesture, and prayed God to continually bless Governor Sanwo-Olu for remembering her.

The single mother of three children, who spoke in tears appealed to Governor Sanwo-Olu to assist her with permanent employment for her to be able to take adequate care of herself and the children.

She said: “Our former house was a rented apartment but we left because the house was sold to a developer and since I couldn’t afford another house, we moved to a shanty where we have been staying for about a year before Jumoke died. It was a church member who allowed us to stay in the shanty.

“I am a domestic hand. I help people wash clothes and clean their compound. My late daughter (Jumoke), who is my first child, was a sales girl. She was hit by a stray bullet while selling in her boss’ shop during the Yoruba Nation rally at Ojota.

”I thank the government for remembering me and my children. God will bless Governor Sanwo-Olu and what happened to me will not be his portion. God will grant his heart desires.

“I also want the government to help me find a profitable job so I can train my children properly. My children used to attend a private school but I enrolled them in a government school because I could no longer afford the fees of a private school.

“This new house is rented and I would not be able to afford the rent when the three years that was paid for expires, so I would love to be employed profitably. I will like to engage in buying and selling foodstuff with the N1 million I was given.”

Also speaking, Jumoke’s younger sister, Ayomide Adeeko, on behalf of the family thanked the Lagos State Government for the kind gesture and pleaded that her mother should be assisted to get a good job so she can train the remaining siblings properly.

“I thank the government for remembering us and doing us good. I pray God will bless governor Sanwo-Olu. I have finished secondary school and looking to attend a higher institution next year. I want the government to help my mother with a good job so she can train me and my two siblings well,” she pleaded.

The barring of Hijab in the government owned institution has been frowned against by the Muslim Community of Oyo State. The organization in made the disclosure known today at a conference held at the University of Ibadan where it threatened public schools with legal action should incase the prohibition of Hijab is not stopped.

Chairman of the organisation, Alhaji Kunle Sanni, made this disclosure while speaking at a programme organised by the community “Unity of Muslims in Oyo state: An inevitable option” held at the University of Ibadan Central Mosque on Sunday.

Present at the event included Aare Musulumi of Yorubaland, Edo and Delta states, Alhaji Daud Akinola; Executive Secretary, Muslim Ummah of South West Nigeria (MUSWEN), Professor Muslih Yahya; Chief Imam, University of Ibadan, Professor Abdulrahman Oloyede; and representatives of various Muslim organisations in the state.

Recall that some public primary, secondary and tertiary education institutions have been barring female Muslim students from wearing Hijab.

The latest incident of the Hijab crisis was the one that occurred at Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH), Ogbomoso, where a female Muslim student was reportedly humiliated in public.

The community has however said that it will no longer tolerate the incidents of ‘harassment’ of female Muslim students by public schools.

The Chairman of the organisation, Alhaji Kunle Sanni, who spoke on behalf of the organisation, said that the organisation will go back to court to seek legal action for the enforcement of the usage of Hijab for Muslim women.

He said, “With this persecution of our children in the so-called Christian schools where they even remove Hijab from their head we are no more comfortable with the situation.

“What section 32:2 of the constitution says “is that a Muslim is entitled not only to freedom of religion but freedom to manifest his religion” The use of the Hijab is a manifestation of Islam.

“No state Muslim communities have lost the case of the use of Hijab because the constitution is clear about it.

“When my friend Christopher Alao Akala was the Governor, some Muslim teachers started using Niqab in Kishi and they were dismissed, they went to court.

“The Christian judge not only adjudicated that the teachers have right to put on their Niqab as their religious right, but she also said their three years backlog of salaries should be paid.

“We would Insha Allah go back to court because we want Hijab for all women in Oyo State”.