Oduduwa News

Gunmen stormed a Deeper Life Church in the Onigari area of Shagari Village, Akure, Ondo State, on Monday and kidnapped a Pastor and ex-Director in the Ondo state civil service, Otamayomi Ogedengbe.

The unknown gunmen attacked the Church at about 8:37pm and whisked the pastor away.

Ogedengbe was said to have gone to the church in the company of his wife but was abducted by the kidnappers who stormed the church in a black Corolla sports car.

Narrating the incident, the pastor’s wife, Mrs Ogedengbe, they came to the church together for a programme when the gunmen stormed the church and abducted her husband.

The state’s police public relations officer, Tee Leo lkoro, confirmed the abduction of the clergyman.

He said ” Yes the clergyman was abducted by some gunmen who stormed his church and whisked him away.”

Ikoro, however, noted that the police and other security operatives have come together to ensure the pastor is rescued.

Oduduwa News has gathered that earlier today, fight ensued between Commercial motorcycle riders and officials of the Lagos State Task Force who were on an operation aimed at restoring sanity on Lagos roads and checkmate Okada menace.

At the end of the operation carried out around Jakande Gate, Ejigbo, Iyana Ipaja and environs, a total of 92 motorcycles were impounded.

A statement by the Task Force confirmed the attacks, adding that there was no casualty, while some suspects were arrested.

“There were attacks but operatives neutralised them. No casualty but some suspects were arrested.

“They have been transferred to Panti for prosecution,” the statement disclosed.

The leader of Muslim Rights Concern (MURIC), Professor Ishaq Akintola has said that 2023 presidential ticket must be given to a Yoruba Muslim.

MURIC, in a release signed by its director, Professor Akintola said former President Olusegun Obasanjo is making plans to draft Akinwunmi Adesina, president of the African Development Bank (AFDB), into the 2023 presidential race.

MURIC said Obasanjo’s attempt to draft Adesina, who is a Yoruba Christian, into the race negates the principles of fairness, justice and equity.

The group noted that while three Yoruba Christians have “occupied Aso Rock villa”, not a single Yoruba Muslim has been allowed to hold the position of president or vice president since independence.

MURIC described it as “an attempt to rob Yoruba Muslims of the presidential slot”, adding that it violates the principle of inclusiveness.

“Ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo is reportedly making attempts to draft the current president of the African Development Bank (ADB), Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina, into the 2023 presidential race. We object to this move. Obasanjo wants to waste all the efforts put in place by the Nigerian government to get Dr. Akinwunmi Adesina to that continental position,” the statement reads.

“We remind the former president that as a Yoruba Christian, he has led Nigeria twice. Two other Yoruba Christians have also occupied Aso Rock. Chief Earnest Adegunle Oladeinde Shonekan was the interim head of state from 26th August 1993 to 17th November, 1993. The current vice president, Professor Yemi Osinbajo, is also a Yoruba Christian.

“It is an open secret that Yoruba Muslims who form the majority of the population in the South West are being denied their Allah-given fundamental human rights.

“This has led to complaints and court cases initiated by Muslims across Yorubaland over political and religious persecution. Yoruba Muslims are at the receiving end of deprivation of civil liberties. It is our contention that another Yoruba Christian presidency will usher in another opportunity for Christian hegemony and the marginalisation, stigmatisation, repression and persecution of Yoruba Muslims.

“MURIC rejects this grand design to keep Muslims in Yorubaland in perpetual bondage. There are many Yoruba Muslims who are eminently qualified for the post of president. We also believe that the interest of the Yoruba people will be best served if they will channel their grievances towards ensuring that a Yoruba man emerges president instead of pursuing a separatist agenda that may lead them nowhere.

“We advise ex-President Olusegun Obasanjo to relax his grip on the Nigerian jugular vein. He should stop pushing Yoruba Muslims to the background. Christians are not the only human beings in Yorubaland.

“The political party does not matter to us. What is important is that the next Yoruba presidential ticket must go to a Yoruba Muslim in the name of fairness, justice and equity.”

The Ogun State Judicial Panel of Investigation on Police Brutality, Human Rights Violations, and Extra-Judicial Killings has concluded its sitting six months after it held its inaugural session.

A total of 58 petitions out of the over 100 complaints received were treated in the course of the panel’s sittings at the Magistrate Court 1 in the Isabo area of Abeokuta, the state capital.

The Chairman of the panel, Justice Solomon Olugbemi, announced the completion of the committee’s sitting while briefing reporters in Abeokuta at the end of the six-month period.

“The panel received a total of 106 petitions, out of which 58 were treated and the remaining 48 were either withdrawn, rejected, or abandoned wholly or halfway by the petitioners,” he was quoted as saying in a statement by the media officer of the panel, Femi Osipitan.

Justice Olugbemi explained that some of the petitions were rejected because they were not in line with the terms of reference that the panel was given by the state government.

He, however, assured all petitioners and respondents of justice without fear or favour, saying the panel’s report was ready for submission to the state government.

The chairman of the panel stated that after submission, it would be left for the government to implement the report or not.

“Although the panel encountered some logistics challenges, it was able to surmount them,” he said of some of the hurdles faced by the panel.

The state governor, Dapo Abiodun, inaugurated the members of the panel on October 19, 2020, and gave them six months to receive and investigate petitions from members of the public whose human rights have been violated and abused by security personnel within the state.

He also asked the panel to make appropriate recommendations to the state government.

The Lagos State Government has said it will roll out 500 Last-Mile Buses to serve as an alternative to commercial motorcycles popularly called Okada to access inner streets.

The rollout will continue until the state meets the target of 5,000 such buses.

The Federal Government has reintroduced COVID-19 restrictions across all 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

This new directive is to take effect by midnight of Tuesday, a member of the Presidential Steering Committee (PSC) on COVID-19, Dr Mukhtar Mohammed, declared.

Mohammed, who is the Head of Technical Secretariat of the PSC, made the announcement while briefing reporters on Monday in Abuja.

With the restrictions imposed, mass gatherings in public spaces have been restricted to 50 people at any given time.

Access to government institutions would also be denied to anyone not wearing a face mask while government meetings and travels have been limited to the virtual platform.

According to Mohammed, the government has directed that bars and nightclubs should remain closed and the nationwide curfew will be in force until further notice.

He added that only essential international travels would be encouraged, and all existing protocols must be strictly adhered to.

The PSC member, however, stated that there was no limitation to intra-state travel.

ODUDUWA NEWS has gathered that Wednesday and Thursday have been declared public holidays by the Federal Government to mark the 2021 Eid-ul-Fitr celebration.

The disclosure was made known today by the Minister of Interior, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, on behalf of the Federal Government.

A statement by the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Interior, Dr. Shuaib Belgore, quoted Aregbesola as congratulating the Muslim faithful on the occasion.

He also called “all Nigerians, at home and abroad to use the period of this year’s Eidul-Fitr celebration to pray for peace, stability and economic transformation in the land”.

Aregbesola, who believes that development cannot thrive in a rancorous atmosphere, urged all “Nigerians to be law-abiding and embrace the spirit of love, self-discipline, kindness, and tolerance, as taught by the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be Upon Him)”.

The minister also called on all security agencies in the country to “be more courageous and patriotic to surmount the ongoing battle against resurging insecurity and activities of criminal elements in Nigeria”.

Eid al-Fitr marks the end of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and the holiday begins according to the sighting of the new moon.