Oduduwa News

The Kwara State High court Ilorin has sentenced Abdulrahman Bello, a self-acclaimed cleric and the killer of Hafsoh Lawal, a final year student of the Kwara State College of Education to death by hanging.

In a judgement delivered by Justice Hannah Ajayi on Thursday, four other defendants were set free and cleared of any wrongdoings.

‎Charged with five-count, the judge started by acquitting the four out of the five defendants namely Ahmed Abdulwasiu, Jamiu Uthman, Suleiman Muyideen and Abdulrahman Jamiu of any complicity, subsequently setting them free of taking part in the death of the victim (Hafsoh Lawal).

However, Justice Ajayi, while delivering judgment on the main culprit, described Bello’s act as cruel, wicked, and an extreme display of human wickedness, saying all evidence proved that Hafsoh was killed in order to be used for money ritual and trading in human spare parts.

‎The judge further noted that Abdulrahman’s confession of love and plan to marry the victim, are all concocted lies to lure her to his residence in order to kill her.

‎She therefore sentenced Abdulrahman Bello to death by hanging while setting free the other four suspects not guilty.

‎The offence was said to have been committed on February 10, 2025, at Olunlade area Ilorin. The victim was said to have been invited by her boyfriend Abdulrahman Bello, who killed and dismembered her body in his room after having sex with her.

‎Upon being arrested and interrogated, the palm of the deceased and, a bottle filled with blood and personal belongings of the dead were found Bello’s room. Also found in his room was a cutlass used in dismembering the deceased’s body.

‎Other parts of her decomposed body were later found at a nearby dumpsite in Ilorin.

A combined team of the Amotekun Corps, Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), and local hunters successfully thwarted a kidnapping operation in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of Oyo State, killing three suspected kidnappers and rescuing one victim.

The victim, Ogunyinka Samuel, popularly known as Agbede, was abducted from his residence in Otu on Monday night. Following the incident, local hunters and vigilante operatives launched a swift rescue operation, engaging the kidnappers in a fierce gun battle. During the exchange, one of the local security personnel sustained a gunshot wound.

The operation led the security team to the kidnappers’ hideout, where three of the suspects were gunned down. Their bodies were later deposited at the Otu Divisional Police Station for identification.

Authorities commend the collaborative efforts of the local security outfits and urge residents to remain vigilant while continuing to support community-based security initiatives.

In a bid to ensure a crime free and safety environment for members of the public in the Pacesetter State, the Oyo State House of Assembly has called on the Executive Arm of Government to restrict the activities of scavengers to Government approved dumpsites alone and put in place a regulatory guidelines for all involved in such activities.

This was part of the House resolutions following a report presented by the Chairman House Committee on Environment, Water Resources and Ecology, Hon. Olorunpoto Rahman on the Need to regulate activities of metal scavenger, popularly known as Bola, to prevent infrastructure vandalism and enhance security in oyo state.

Presenting the report, Hon. Olorunpoto explained that as part of the committee’s findings during investigation , the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources has handed over the oversight and the management of dumpsites to consultants who have authorization over the dumpsites.

He hinted further that :
“Metal Scavengers operating at the dumpsites are being subjected to regulations and guidelines set forth by dumpsites consultants “

The House further reiterated the need to put in place measures or regulatory guidelines on scavenging by the government in order to discourage criminal elements who use the activity to perpetrate crimes and curb the rising trend of criminal elements who hide under the guise of scavenging to perpetrate crimes.

The House also called on the Oyo State Security Network Agency and other Law Enforcement Agencies to conduct regular surveillance and enforce the restrictions on scavengers activities to designated dumpsites across the State.

Governor Ademola Adeleke has described the passage into law of the Osun Electricity bill as a major tool to deepen and boost the economy of Osun state.

Reacting to the passage of the executive bill by the State House of Assembly, the Governor said the bill will open windows of opportunities for investors in the power sector with a lot of offgrid generation opportunities.

According to Governor Adeleke, sources of power generation will be diversified, opened up and regulated to address what he called chronic power supply crisis rocking the state.

“The new law will ensure the right energy mix. Renewable energy will complement the traditional energy sources. Osun state is open to new energy sector investors”, the Governor was quoted as saying.

Aside from tapping into various power generation sources in the state, the Governor said the era of exploitation and oppression of Osun people by some officials of Ibadan electricity distribution company is over.

The new law according to the Governor provides for the establishment of the State Electricity Regulatory Agency to regulate and monitor the electricity market as well as attend to service delivery issues by the distribution company.

He stressed that the commission will be empowered to address complaints of electricity users and act on the activities of the distribution company, warning that the Disco should sit tight now ahead of the eventual take off of the commission.

“The regulatory commission will be addressing critical issues relating to customer – service providers complaints. It will grant licenses to power generators among others. The commission will not allow current maltreatment of electricity users in the state.

“I will invite all stakeholders to the signing into law ceremony. The business community in Osun state should heave a sigh of relief. The much needed policy framework for the state power sector has arrived

The governor commended the House of Assembly, the state Ministry of Energy and all those who worked on the draft bill and participated in the consultation processes leading to the passage by the state assembly.

Healthcare services across Nigeria face major disruption from today (Wednesday) as 25,000 nurses, under the umbrella of the National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives (NANNM), Federal Health Institutions Sector, embark on a seven-day nationwide warning strike.

The action, which began at midnight, followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued by NANNM to the federal government.

This is coming amid the faceoff between doctors and the government over welfare and other issues.

Speaking with Daily Trust on Monday, the National Chairman of NANNM-FHI, Morakinyo Rilwan, said the strike would involve a total withdrawal of services across all federal health institutions.

“The 15-day ultimatum ends by Tuesday, July 29, 2025, by midnight, and the warning strike commences on Wednesday, July 30, 2025, at 12.01am.

“The action would include 74 federal hospitals – teaching hospitals, federal medical centres, specialist hospitals like orthopaedic, neuro-psychiatric, and eye centres, as well as all general hospitals and primary healthcare centres in the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, and 774 local government areas.

“Private hospitals are not included. This is because for now the private practitioner nurses are not spread over Nigeria,” he said.

According to him, the strike was in response to issues which include poor remuneration, staff shortages, unpaid allowances, and unsafe working conditions.

On July 14, 2025, the union issued a 15-day ultimatum to the federal government, demanding immediate intervention to prevent a total healthcare shutdown.

Rilwan noted that despite the ultimatum, the federal government had not initiated any negotiations.

Rilwan said the strike became necessary after the federal government and the Federal Ministry of Health failed to respond meaningfully to its July 14 ultimatum.

“Since the 15-day ultimatum was given, there has been no invitation by the federal government or federal ministry of health. So, it is imminent that the strike will take place and it is going to be a total of seven days in all federal institutions, secondary and primary health care in Nigeria,” he said.

He said the decision was aimed at drawing urgent attention to the critical issues affecting nurses nationwide.

“The strike is a follow-up to the ultimatum given to the federal government through the federal ministry of health on the 14th July 2025 and this is as a result of our unmet demands,” he said.

The organisation’s demands include gazetting of the nurses scheme of service approved by the NCE in 2016 in Minna, Niger State, implementation of the National Industrial Arbitration Court (NIC) judgment of January 27, 2012, upward review of professional allowance for nurses and midwives, and employment of nursing personnel and adequate provision of health facility equipment.

Other demands include creation of a department of nursing in the federal ministry of health, inclusion of nurses in the headship of the health policy-making body, a fair representation by the association on the board and membership in federal health institutions, centralisation of internship posting for graduate nurses, and consultancy for nurses and midwives.

The association is also demanding the withdrawal of the content of the recently released circular on revised allowances for health workers (Nurses).

Rilwan said: “We want the government to employ more nurses because of the Japa syndrome. Those of us on ground working are not ready to travel out. The workload on us is too much, that’s why we want the government to employ more nurses.

“But the government is actually embarking on this propaganda that there are no nurses in Nigeria, we have enough nurses in Nigeria. In fact, the majority of them are working in private hospitals where they are being paid peanuts and we want the government to employ them so that the work load on us will be reduced.

“For now, based on the data collected from the association, we have about 10,000 nurses that are unemployed.

“Talking about our shift allowance which presently the circular on ground actually stipulated 30 percent basic, what we have been receiving since 2009 is about 8.6 percent as against 30 percent of our basic, so we want this to be implemented. We want a 200 percent increment over all allowances including allowances to nurses and call duty allowance.

“We want nurses to be included in policy making. As the largest health professional in the health sector, we hardly participate where decisions on the health system are being taken.”

Asked the last time nurses went on strike, he said: “Nurses alone have not gone on any strike in Nigeria for the past 40 years. Nurses went on strike last in 1984 and then some consensus was reached that made them suspend the strike at that time.

“We’ve been appealing to the government not to let us reach the situation where we are going to go on strike but the government has remained adamant. After the seven days warning strike, if nothing tangible comes from the government, we are going to give a 21-day ultimatum according to labour law before we embark on an indefinite strike.

“The government is not serious because they don’t consider the masses. They can easily travel abroad so they don’t bother what happens to the poor masses, that is why they are being insensitive.”

Rilwan, who described the warning strike as a “total shutdown”, said there would be no services, including emergencies.

“There will not be emergency services, the strike is a total shutdown, and there will be no skeletal services,” he said.

He listed the services to be affected to include operating theatres; Intensive Care Units (ICUs), labour wards; anaesthesia; accident and emergency; and general outpatient clinics.

Others are special care baby units; all specialty clinics (for example ophthalmic, dialysis, orthopedic, neuropsychiatric, antenatal, oncology clinic, fertility clinic, etc); all in-patient admission wards; and central sterile supply units.

The NANNM’s seven-day warning strike coincided with the ongoing three-day warning strike embarked upon by doctors in Lagos under the Medical Guild, which started on Monday.

The Guild, representing doctors employed by the state government, accused the government of “illegal and disrespectful” deductions from their July salaries and the non-payment of 12 months’ arrears owed to honorary consultants under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS).

Already, the doctors’ strike has left a sore taste in the mouths of patients, leaving them stranded as they were reportedly told to return home, while several departments appeared deserted.

In an interview, Toba Odumosu, the State Secretary for the Lagos State Council of NANNM, expressed displeasure over the condition of health workers, describing the strikes as coincidental.

He reiterated that the decision to embark on a seven-day warning strike followed the expiration of a 15-day ultimatum issued to the federal government over improved welfare, fair allowances, and better working conditions for nurses.

He added that the negotiation with the federal government through the Ministry of Labour on Tuesday ended in a deadlock.

A medical practitioner, Rukayat Hassan, said it was a slap on the government’s face that doctors and nurses are in a battle with the federal government at the same time.

“Honestly, to me, it is not fair at all. The government and bodies need to look into the issues carefully because I believe health is key. It is a slap on the face of the government that they cannot resolve these issues bedeviling the health sector.

“It is high time they started to consider the masses. I just can’t imagine what would happen in hospitals affected from Wednesday when there is an emergency. Private hospitals are quite expensive,” she said.

Another medical practitioner, Adeniyi Kolawole, also corroborated Hassan’s stance.

He said: “The government has no reason whatsoever not to heed to the demands of the nurses. Anyway, it’s not surprising as top government officials through tax payers’ money travel abroad for treatment when need be.

“It’s going to be disastrous if the government let this happen. Many of these nurses cannot even afford the food they eat, the clothes they wear, or the medicine they need.”

While urging the government to take decisive action, a practicing nurse, Oyekanmi Blessing, said: “Our only crime is staying in Nigeria to care for Nigerians. My colleagues serving as nurses in Saudi Arabia are treated with respect, honour and dignity.”

When contacted, the Head, Information & Public Relations at the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, Alaba Balogun, requested a WhatsApp message.

Former 2023 presidential candidate and activist, Omoyele Sowore, has lambasted the federal government’s reward structure, calling it “brutally unfair” to long-serving Nigeria Police officers.

His comments followed President Tinubu’s lavish recognition of the Super Falcons after they clinched the 2024 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations in Morocco.

At the presidential reception in Abuja, each of the 24 players received the Officer of the Order of the Niger (OON) honour, $100,000 (about ₦150 million), and a three-bedroom apartment.

The Falcons’ coaching crew, 11 members, each got $50,000 (₦75 million) and housing under the Renewed Hope Housing Scheme.

“Super Falcons… trained for one year, played for one month, rewarded with $100,000 each and houses!” Sowore tweeted. “Police officers protected them for decades, retired with $1,500 gratuity, no homes, no full medicals…”

He contrasted that with perks for political elites: “The President or Governor gets $1 billion in gratuity, lifetime pension, homes everywhere, full medicals!”

In response, presidential spokesperson Bayo Onanuga defended the decision, comparing it to the ₦150 million grand prize for BBNaija winners, and arguing the Falcons deserved the recognition for inspiring Nigerians.

Sowore’s reaction comes amid protests from retired police officers under the Contributory Pension Scheme in Abuja, Edo, and Benin City.

Retirees marched to the National Assembly and blocked the Force Headquarters gate in Abuja, demanding removal from the scheme that has left many destitute.

One retiree lamented, “A retired CSP cannot even send his children to school… our condition has deteriorated beyond repair.”

In Benin, retired SP Anthony Nnachor warned that many former officers were dying because of inadequate pension benefits and urged the government to exempt them from the current scheme.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NIDCOM) has strongly condemned the recent protest in Ghana where some citizens demanded the deportation of Nigerians, describing the generalization of Nigerians as criminals as “unfair and dangerous.”

NIDCOM Chairman, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, made the statement on Tuesday in response to a viral video showing Ghanaians accusing Nigerians of engaging in criminal acts and calling for their expulsion.

Dabiri-Erewa said while a few individuals might be guilty of wrongdoing, the majority of Nigerians living in Ghana are law-abiding, peaceful, and contribute meaningfully to the local economy and society.

“Nigerians are not criminals. They are good ambassadors wherever they find themselves,” she said. “Those who break the law should face the consequences, but blaming an entire nationality is unjust and harmful.”

She also appealed to Nigerians living in Ghana to remain calm and not resort to violence, adding that the Nigerian government is engaging Ghanaian authorities through diplomatic channels to resolve the issue.

The NIDCOM boss dismissed rumours that Nigerian-owned shops and properties were being destroyed in Ghana, stating that no credible evidence had been found to support such claims. She urged social media users to refrain from spreading inciting content.

Dabiri-Erewa praised the efforts of the Nigerian and Ghanaian High Commissioners, as well as the Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, for proactively working to defuse tension and preserve the long-standing relationship between both countries.

The Oyo State House of Assembly has confirmed the nomination of the reappointment of Alhaji Kamoru Aderibigbe as the Chairman Oyo State Civil Service Commission along with other four members to paddle the affairs of the commission.

This follows a report presented by the Chairman Committee on Establishment and Training Hon.Olalekan Abiola during the plenary presided over by the Speaker, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin.

In his report, Hon. Abiola stated that the nominees were fielded with questions based on their Curriculum Vitae submitted and their past experience in Public Service to the State.

Other members of nominees include;

1. Mr. Kolajo Isiaq Adewale — Commissioner 1
2. Mr. Akanmu Olutoyin Adedeji —- Commissioner 2
3. Mr. Oladapo Oladimeji Olusegun —Commissioner 3
4. Pastor Taiwo Oluwagbemiro. In the same vein , the House also approved the nomination of Mr. Musibau Adetunbi, SAN ,Barr. Wahab Adedigba , Chief Joshua Abioye,and Mrs. Moyosore Ajani as members, of the State Judicial Service Commission.

The Chairman, Committee on Public Petitions, Justice and Judiciary, Hon. Abideen Ogundare in his report declared that the nominees were screened and confirmed appointable.

” Having thoroughly screened the nominees and satisfied with their presentation, responses ,and professional experience, the Committee hereby recommends pursuant to Section 198 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 ( as Altered ) that, the appointment of the nominees be confirmed.” The report concluded.