The Nation Newspaper

Category: City Beats

  • FG begins process to provide 500 affordable housing units in 36 states

    FG begins process to provide 500 affordable housing units in 36 states

    …launches 1,000 housing units in six geopolitical zones, 100 units in all 774 LGAS, farm settlements

    As part of efforts to tackle the nation’s housing deficit, the federal government has commenced plans to provide 500 affordable housing units in each state of the federation.

    Director of Urban Development in the Federal Ministry of Housing and Urban Development, Ahmed Akintola, disclosed this in Akure, Ondo State, during a working visit with a team of federal officials.

    According to Akintola, under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, the government is also initiating 1,000 housing units under the Renewed Hope City project in each of the six geopolitical zones, 100 units in all 774 local government areas, and additional economic housing units in farm settlements nationwide.

    He revealed that the main purpose of the visit was to also understand the level of housing shortages in the state in order to initiate inclusive housing development in the state.

    Akintola stated, “This is part of the Federal government initiative for broader national programme aimed at generating accurate and up-to-date data on housing demand and supply gaps, housing quality and access to basic services which is in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and the Sustainable Development Goals (SGDs).”

    Read Also: Mortgage critical to housing delivery

    He, however, officially introduced the lead consultant and field team that would facilitate their access to key stakeholders and establish institutional collaboration with the ministry to allign the survey finding with existing planned state housing initiatives.

    Akintola solicited the cooperation and support of the state government, most especially the state Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, in providing relevant records and secondary data that will enhance the successful conduct of the survey. 

    Welcoming the team to his office in Akure, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development in the state, Sunday Olajide pledged the state’s readiness to partner with the federal government in line with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s OUR EASE development agenda.

    Olajide lauded the initiative as a step toward bridging the housing gap and urged the team to engage key stakeholders and create public awareness about the survey’s benefits.

    Remarking, the lead consultant, Dr Osunsanmi Abolabo, revealed that a 35-member team of housing experts, town planners, supervisors, and enumerators will sample 5% of houses in Akure.

    He assured that they would work closely with state ministry professionals to ensure success.

    Permanent Secretary of the ministry, Oluwagbenga Akingbasote, also pledged full collaboration, affirming the competence of ministry staff to deliver on the project’s goals.

  • NDC commandant urges course 33 participants to prioritise national interest

    NDC commandant urges course 33 participants to prioritise national interest

    The Commandant of the National Defence College (NDC), Rear Admiral James Okosun, has urged participants of Course 33 to always prioritize national interests above individual interests.

    The Commandant gave the charge at a special juma’at service in honour of the participants, in Abuja, on Friday.

    Represented by the College Secretary, Air Vice Marshal Ayodele Hanidu, Rear Admiral Okosun emphasized that, as soldiers, they should always remember their oath of allegiance to their country.

    He said the participants had undergone 44 weeks of rigorous academic training, which had shaped them to become strategic leaders and policy makers.

    Okosu said, “But it is not yet over, there are a lot of things that we must keep improving on. It is incumbent on us as Muslims to seek knowledge that will make us better people, improve our community and make the world a better place.

    Read Also: Army confirm explosion, fire at barracks in Ogun 

    “But as soldiers, we have double duty. One, we are prepared to lay down our lives in sacrifice for our country. But sometimes we forget. This is something that we all must remind ourselves of every day.”

    He said the 44 week long studies at the college had exposed the participants to higher defence and strategic management.

    “They have learnt what it takes to harness resources. That is what we call the strategic equation – ends, ways and means. 

    “So as they become senior officers, or rather as they graduate next week, by God’s grace, we expect them to become good ambassadors of this college.”

    Representative of participants of Course 33, Col. Umar Abbas, urged his colleagues to always appreciate whatever blessing God has bestowed on them.

    He also urged them to cultivate a spirit of forgiveness by pardoning those who had offended them in any way.

  • Ajanaku petitions Ibadan radio station over alleged defamation 

    Ajanaku petitions Ibadan radio station over alleged defamation 

    …demands public apology, N100m compensation 

    A renowned businessman and political leader in Oyo State, Otunba Rotimi Ajanaku, has written to Fresh FM Nigeria, through his legal representatives, Obisesan & Co. (The Law Union), seeking a public apology, a halt to certain broadcasts concerning him, and the payment of N100 million in general damages.

    In a petition addressed to the station’s Chief Executive Officer/Managing Director at Ayefele Music House, Challenge, Ibadan, Ajanaku’s lawyers stated that the demands must be met within seven days of receiving the letter.

    The petition, signed by Chief (Dr) T.A. ’Lowo Obisesan, Chairman and Founding Partner of the law firm, accused the station of airing a broadcast which claimed that Ajanaku’s hotel construction in Imalefalafia community, Oke-Ado, Ibadan had obstructed public right of way, caused flooding, and destroyed part of the late Pa Obafemi Awolowo’s master plan for the area.

    According to the petition, the allegations  were aired without any attempt by the station to contact Ajanaku or verify key facts such as the official survey plan, the community’s government-approved master plan, or any formal complaint lodged with relevant authorities.

    Ajanaku maintained that he lawfully acquired the land, secured all requisite government approvals for the hotel project, adding that he commenced construction under the supervision of his site engineer.

    His lawyers argued that the station’s actions breached his fundamental right to fair hearing and violated the legal principle of audi alteram partem — “hear the other side” — turning the station into “an instrument for perpetuating injustice.”

    Read Also: Beta Computers petitions Fed Govt over fake SPEEDSTAR PCs

    It further noted that a formal complaint would be filed with the Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) over alleged breaches of established broadcasting principles.

    The letter emphasised that Ajanaku is a respected political leader and philanthropist, and expressed hope for a prompt resolution of the matter.

    The letter stressed that in libel cases, damages are presumed by law without the need for proof of actual loss, and that any award should be “adequate to assuage the injury to the plaintiff’s reputation, character, and pride.”

  • Prioritise funding, policy reforms against GBV, equality, Centre urges govts

    Prioritise funding, policy reforms against GBV, equality, Centre urges govts

    A continental human development initiative, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD) has challenged the three teirs of government in country to prioritise funding and policy reforms that institutionalise male engagement in Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and gender equality work.

    The founding Executive Director of the Centre, Dr. Otive Igbuzor gave the challenge on Friday in Abuja at a press conference to formally launch the Male Feminist Network (MFN) project.

    The Centre also revealed a plan to train and mobilize at least 1,000 male leaders and grassroots influencers in gender advocacy and feminist principles across the country for the full actualization of the project in the next two years

    According to Centre LSD, women have been marginalized socially, economically, and politically in nearly all countries, explaining that the MFN initiative is a collective journey to end gender-based violence (GBV) and to promote gender equality in the country.

    Igbuzor noted that. “One in ten women lives in poverty; women are less likely than men to have access to social protection. Women are more food insecure than men and suffer more from lack of water and sanitation. 

    “In Nigeria, the situation is more precarious. Men gained voting rights in 1922 through the Clifford Constitution, but women all over Nigeria gained voting rights in 1979 through the 1979 Constitution-a 57-year gap. The early constitutions in Nigeria (1922 Clifford, 1946 Richards, 1951 Macpherson) restricted suffrage to adult males.

    “Statistics from the National Demographic and Health Survey (NDHS) and reports by the National Bureau of Statistics reveal alarming figures – over 35% of Nigerian women have experienced physical violence, and millions more face emotional, sexual, and economic abuse.

    Read Also: SGBV: Stakeholders seek stronger collaboration

    “We also know that patriarchal norms, entrenched in our cultural, social, and even legal systems, fuel these injustices. Too often, men are either direct perpetrators of violence or passive bystanders when harmful practices are carried out.” 

    Admitting that men hold influence in homes, workplaces, religious communities, politics, and traditional institution, the Centre argued that when such influence is aligned with feminist values, the change is profound, hence the new initiative. 

    Igbuzor said vision is to ensure that men across Nigeria actively challenge gender-based violence, support gender equality and women empowerment, and contribute to a society where women and girls can thrive.

    “Over the next two years, through the support of the Ford Foundation, we will work with zonal partners to train and mobilize at least 1,000 male leaders and grassroots influencers in gender advocacy and feminist principles.

    “We will build a functional, inclusive, and visible national network of male feminists. Engage traditional, religious, and cultural leaders to adopt gender-sensitive practices.

    “Amplify public awareness through strategic use of traditional and digital media to challenge toxic masculinity and promote inclusive gender narratives.” 

    To achieve the vision, Igbuzor called on the Nigerian government “to prioritise funding and policy reforms that institutionalize male engagement in GBV prevention and gender equality work.

    “To donors and development partners – Join the Ford Foundation in funding this critical work. With more resources, we can scale this model not just in Nigeria but across Africa.

    “To the private sector – Partner with us to integrate male allyship into workplace policies and corporate social responsibility initiatives.” 

    Highlighting the objectives of the initiative, Board Chairperson, Centre LSD, Kyauta Agmadalo Giwa, said the project is rooted in a simple but radical idea: that men must be allies, advocates, and active participants in the movement for gender justice. Feminism is not just a women’s issue it is a human issue.

    She added that the network brings together men from diverse sectors and backgrounds who are committed to dismantling patriarchy, challenging gender stereotypes, and advancing the rights of women, girls, and gender-diverse persons. 

    According to her, “We aim to create safe spaces for reflection, education, and collective action. We are not here to speak over women’s voices but to amplify them. Not to lead, but to walk alongside in solidarity.”

    “The Male Feminist Network is a platform to nurture a new kind of masculinity one that is rooted in empathy, accountability, and equity. A masculinity that rejects violence, domination, and silence. A masculinity that supports inclusive leadership and builds stronger communities.”

    The chairperson commended the support of Ford Foundation for consistently demonstrating bold leadership in promoting social justice and gender equality. 

    “Their investment in the Male Feminist Network is not just financial but also a powerful endorsement of the urgent need to bring men into the center of conversations and actions around gender equality and equity.”

  • Edo seminarians cry for help from kidnappers’ den

    Edo seminarians cry for help from kidnappers’ den

    Two young seminarians at the Catholic Immaculate Conception Minor Seminary School at Ivianokpodi, Agenebode, Etsako East Local Government Area of Edo State, have cried for help from their abductors’ den.

    Three seminarians were abducted on July 10 after gunmen attacked their school and killed a member of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC).

    One of the seminarians was released three days later but the other two have remained in captivity.

    The state Commissioner of Police, Monday Agbonika, had promised to rescue the victim unhurt and apprehend the kidnappers but he is yet to do so.

    Agbonika said: “The operatives will not relent until those behind this reprehensible act are tracked down and made to face the full wrath of the law.”

    In a viral video released recently, the two victims were seen with human skull crying for help.

     They begged their parents and the public to pay for their freedom getting money at all cost.

    Read Also: Okpebholo vows to crush cultists, kidnappers in Edo

    In the video, the victims were surrounded by masked gun-wielding men.

    They were heard saying: “They kill people here. Our abductors have threatened to kill us. please send money to them to spare our lives.”

    Spokesperson for the Catholic Diocese of Auchi, Rev. Fr Peter Egielewa, confirmed that the video was real.

    Egielewa said: “The video you see of the Seminarians holding a human skull is real. We are negotiating with the kidnappers.

    “But they are asking for money, which we do not have and I think it’s out of frustration they did that video.’’

    Ondo Police spokesman, Moses Yamu , requested for the video which was sent to him but he is yet to respond.

  • 200-level OAU medical student commits suicide for failing exam twice

    200-level OAU medical student commits suicide for failing exam twice

    A 200-level medical student of Obafemi Awolowo University(OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State, Ajibola Ibitayo, has committed suicide for failing examination twice.

    In a statement, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, said Ibitayo of the Faculty of Dentistry with Matriculation Number: DEN/2021/023, committed suicide after learning that the results of the last semester examinations, released yesterday, would require him to repeat Part Two for another academic year. He had to repeat Part Two during the last session.

    He said: “The student, whose father is a medical doctor, reportedly injected himself at his parents’ home in Ejigbo, Osun State.

    Read Also: Students kick as OAU prescribes rustication for kissing, heavy makeup, indecent dressing, others

    “Disturbed and saddened, the Vice-Chancellor of the university, Prof. Adebayo Simeon Bamire, appealed to parents and guardians to instil in their children the understanding that temporary setbacks in the pursuit of success are part of life and not the end of it.”

    He noted that Bamire urged students and youths to view failure as an opportunity to redirect their paths toward success and greater achievements.

    “The Vice-Chancellor prayed that God Almighty would grant the parents, family, Faculty, College of Health Sciences, and the University community the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.”

  • Man to die by hanging for killing roommate in Ondo

    Man to die by hanging for killing roommate in Ondo

    The Akure Division of the Ondo State High Court has sentenced a middle-aged man, Sunday Omoniyi, to death by hanging for killing his roommate, Michael Oyebanji.

    Justice Williams Rotimi Olamide delivered the judgment after finding Omoniyi guilty of stabbing Oyebanji in the chest during a dispute over shutting a door.

    The incident occurred on July 23, 2022, at No. 4, Canaanland, Ijoka Road, in Akure South Local Government Area.

    A witness, Ismaila Adefaka, who is also a landlord to both men, told the court that he heard unusual noises from Omoniyi’s room and found Oyebanji lying in a pool of blood.

    The victim was later confirmed dead at the hospital.

    Read Also: Maiden Nigerian- UK Sports Awards holds  Sept. 15 in London

    Two co-tenants, Gift Adedeji and Opeyemi Adedugbe, testified that the men had argued over shutting the door earlier that morning but appeared to have settled the matter before the stabbing occurred.

    They said they returned to the room after hearing Oyebanji’s voice and saw Omoniyi holding a blood-stained knife.

    Police prosecutor Fisayo Oladepo informed the court that Omoniyi confessed to the killing in a statement after his arrest.

    Oladepo said the offence was contrary to section 316 and punishable under section 319 of the Criminal Code, Cap 37, Vol. 1, Laws of Ondo State of Nigeria 2006.

    Justice Olamide held that the prosecution had proved its case beyond reasonable doubt and sentenced Omoniyi to death by hanging.

  • Suspected vandals loot Fed Govt’s 80-bed Mother, Child Specialist Hospital in Oyo

    Suspected vandals loot Fed Govt’s 80-bed Mother, Child Specialist Hospital in Oyo

    Suspected vandals have allegedly looted and vandalised the 80-bed Federal Government Mother and Child Specialist Hospital in Pakiotan, Ogbomoso North Local Government Area of Oyo State.

    The hospital, which is yet operational, has been equipped with medical items, including; beds, drugs, laboratory equipment, and other medical consumables worth millions of naira.

    The project, facilitated by the former Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Sunday Dare, was inaugurated on May 27, 2023, and subsequently handed over to the Federal Ministry of Health through the University College Hospital, Ibadan.

    Conducting reporters round the facility, the Onipakiotan of Pakiotan, Oba James Oyetunji Ojo, condemned the incident. He recalled that some cables were vandalised even before the inauguration, but were replaced by the former minister.

    Oba Ojo said: “The destruction of this infrastructure has become a major concern for the community and requires urgent and coordinated action.’’

    “We must ensure that those who willfully destroy or vandalise public property are held accountable. As the saying goes, offenders must be brought to book or the book brought to them.

    “Since the handover, nothing has been happening here. We have no access to the facility and there’s no security. Recently, we noticed signs of intrusion, and when one of Dare’s aides joined us to inspect the site, we were shocked to discover that all the cables, 150 solar batteries, electrical appliances, ceiling fans, and other valuable items had been removed.”

    Read Also: Support Oyo zone to produce next Gov-Adeniyi

    According to the monarch, the community released eight plots of land to the government for the building of the hospital, aimed at bringing quality maternal and child healthcare closer to the people, but that the facilities have not been put to use since it was inaugurated.

    He appealed to the ministry, through UCH, to either start operations or hand the hospital over to the community for proper management, saying: “If the hospital had been put to use, such incidents would not have happened.”

    Also, the Chairman of Ogbomoso North Local Government, Ogunlade Gbadegesin, expressed disappointment for such an edifice to be abandoned.

    “So many valuable medical items have been looted, and others are at risk. We will engage security personnel to safeguard what remains until the hospital is finally put into use,” he lamented.

  • Kwara community seeks govt assistance for victims of bandits’ attacks

    Kwara community seeks govt assistance for victims of bandits’ attacks

    Indigenes of Babanla in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State have appealed to Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq to assist the victims of last Friday bandits’ attacks when five persons, including a policeman, were killed.

    In a statement, the community’s monarch, Oba Aliyu Adegboyega Alabi Yusuf Arojojoye II, said the burden of fending for those farm settlers that were sacked from their farms was becoming too much for the community alone to bear.

    “We, therefore, require assistance from the government in this regard too,” the traditional ruler said.

    The monarch also appealed to indigenes of the town to return home, saying that the government has done everything to protect lives and properties.

    He commended the Federal, state and local governments for their efforts to ensure peace and security in the community, assuring governments of the people’s support.

    He thanked Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazak, National Security Adviser and heads of the state security agencies for the timely response to the attack on Babanla on August 8.

    Read Also: As people defect in and out, Kwara PDP remains intact, strong

    He added: “We specially thank federal and state governments for the measures being put in place to reinforce the safety and security in this community and its environs.

    “This is already helping to mitigate the shock, anxiety, worries, and fears that followed the sad event. Consequently normalcy is gradually returning to Babanla.

    “I also wish to thank and commend our local vigilantes for their bravery and for coming out courageously to combat the bandits.

    “Even with the limited firepower, you demonstrated the viliancy that this community has always been noted for. Posterity will always celebrate your role in the protection of our community.

    “Let me equally appreciate my fellow traditional rulers and all lovers of this community for the sympathy messages. And to the entire people of Babanla, I say very big thank you for still remaining calm in the face of the attack.

    “I thank you for your resilience, support and patriotism throughout this trying period. Babanla, as the home of the valiant, has in history always given refuge to people who were being persecuted.

    “We will, therefore, never allow bandits to turn our community into something else.’’  

  • EFCC to arraign 93 suspects arrested at OOPL in batches

    EFCC to arraign 93 suspects arrested at OOPL in batches

    • Agency takes 23 to court today

    The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) will today arraign 23 suspected internet fraudsters before Justice Dehinde Dipeolu of the Federal High Court, Ikoyi, Lagos, following their arrest at a hotel within the premises of the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL) in Abeokuta, Ogun State.

    The suspects were among 93 persons apprehended in a sting operation during a pool party allegedly organised to celebrate their illicit gains.

    According to EFCC, the party was initially scheduled for two different venues but was moved to the OOPL hotel in a bid to evade arrest.

    Read Also: ‘EFCC hits back at ADC, others over ‘unprovoked attack’

    Investigations showed that almost all those arrested were indicted for offences ranging from impersonation to identity theft and various forms of internet fraud.

    EFCC said the suspects had confessed to their involvement in cybercrime.

    The anti-graft agency clarified that the OOPL facility was not the target of the operation, stressing that its focus remained on the suspects.

    The arraignment will be conducted in batches, with the remaining suspects expected to be charged soon.