Category: South West

The Ekiti State police command on Friday said it has arrested two suspects, simply identified as Segun and Gbenga in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital in connection with a robbery and illicit drugs.

A statement by the state’s police spokesman, Sunday Abutu said the operatives of the command arrested the suspects while others escaped at the Atikankan Area of Ado-Ekiti following credible intelligence.

Abutu, a Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP) said that arms, ammunition, and illicit drugs were recovered from the suspects, adding that efforts were in top gear to arrest the fleeing suspects.

He said: “ Following credible intelligence received, detectives from the Command swooped on a criminal hideout at Atikankan area of Ado-Ekiti on 13/07/2022 and arrested the two suspects while others took to their heels.

“ Items recovered from the suspects include; One(1) cut to size locally made single barrel gun, One(1) locally made pistol, Fifty-one (51) live cartridges, Thirty-two (32) suspected stolen underwears, Twenty (20) suspected stolen aluminium window frames, Eight(8) suspected stolen handsets, Some wraps of weed suspected to be Indian hemp, Some wraps of powdery substance suspected to be cocaine.

“ During interrogation, the suspects confessed that they are into armed robbery alongside those who are currently at large. They further disclosed that they hawk illicit drugs and that they are members of the supreme Eiye confraternity.”

“The suspects arrested will be arraigned accordingly while effort is ongoing to arrest the fleeing suspects.”

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, on Friday, paid a condolence visit to the family of the late member representing Ibadan South-East Constituency II, Hon. Ademola Olusegun Popoola.

The governor described the late lawmaker as a great son of Oyo State and a star cut short in his prime. Hon. Popoola died at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, on Tuesday, after a brief illness.

The governor commiserated with the Popoola family, pledging to enrol his two children into his personal foundation such that whether or not he is in government, the support to them will not cease.

The governor, who signed the condolence register opened for the 46-year-old lawmaker, wrote: “This is a star cut short of his prime and a great son to Oyo State. May Honourable Popoola’s soul rest in peace. Amen.”

On the entourage of the governor were the Speaker, Oyo State House of Assembly, Hon. Debo Ogundoyin; Chief of Staff, Hon. Segun Ogunwuyi; Chairman Advisory Council, Senator Hosea Agboola and the Special Adviser (Strategy and Political Matters), Hon. Babs Oduyoye.

Others were the Executive Assistant on Administration, Rev. Idowu Ogedengbe, and some members of the Oyo State House of Assembly, among others.

A chieftain of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Osun state chapter, Kazeem Oyewale, popularly known as ‘Asiri Eniba’ has been arrested.

It was learnt that Oyewale, who is the Chairman, Olorunda unit of NURTW was arrested in the afternoon at his Ojurin, Osogbo motor park office by soldiers.

The arrest of the transport union leader may not be unconnected to a recent petition written by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) to law enforcement agencies, accusing the NURTW chieftain of instigating attacks on its members to security agents.

The arrest was said to have caused pandemonium as bystanders, passengers and drivers scampered into safety.

Plans are on to set up traditional medicine offices near General Hospitals in Lagos State, Chairman of the State Traditional Medicine Board, Prof. Olubukola Oshintelu, has said.

According to her, the idea will enable residents choose which treatment option they preferred.

Prof. Oshintelu spoke yesterday during a sensitisation for traditional medicine practitioners in Badagry. According to her, patients will now decide whether they want traditional or orthodox treatment, but there will be no competition.

She said: “The state is after the wellness of its citizens, to promote the good health of our people. To those doing the practice secretly, the task force and the monitoring team will come after them, expose and reprimand them.

“This is just to make sure Lagos people are saved and reduce quackery in the sector and also reduce unnecessary incidents.”

Prof. Oshintelu however said traditional medicine practitioners must register with the board before they can practice.

“Before becoming a practitioner, you will first undergo six months mandatory training, after which a certificate will be given to you. The training does not end there because this is a matter of life and death; so, they will go another six weeks training after which some of them will become community birth attendants.

“With these training programmes, there is no reason for them to have accidents when it comes to pregnancy management and post-natal care,” she added.

The chairman also urged traditional medicine practitioners to have data for better relevance.

“Each clinic, each practitioner, must have a record of everyone coming in. They should state what they do, and they must get their demographic data and how they are getting better. If your patients are not getting better, you have to refer them to the people who can cater for them,” she said.

Prof. Oshintelu also hinted that the board would soon begin construction of the IBILE office in Badagry, saying the Ikorodu office had been completed and waiting to be opened.

Deputy Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Lagos State Funke Akindele has admitted that she is a political neophyte having joined the party about three months ago.

Akindele, whose nomination was announced on Tuesday, featured on Channels’ Television ‘Politics Today’ yesterday.

According to the Nollywood actress, she decided to join politics after weighing the option on herself, fans, career and the people of Lagos.

She dismissed alleged perception that her nomination was not well-thought out, saying the governorship candidate, Olajide Adediran, made the right choice in her.

The actress said Adediran encouraged her to do so, a step she said was in the ‘right direction and she could not afford to ignore’.

She added: “I have been managing people for over two decades and I know where the shoe pinches many of our people in Lagos.”

Asked when she decided to join politics, Akindele said: “I became a member of the PDP about three months ago. The governorship candidate of our party, Olajide Adediran, approached me and I saw it as an opportunity to join him rescue the state from the state of infrastructure deficit.

“Although I have been managing people for over two decades, the interest to join politics in the state was ignited when Jandor, our governorship candidate, approached me to do it together with him. Immediately, I jumped at it.”

Akindele, who said she was tired of complaining, said she is coming for the children, youths and women.

Asked on her plan to make the claimed impact in Lagos, she said efforts were on to review the level of challenges in Lagos. This, according to her, will guide the party on how to go about their development plan.

Asked for the party’s chances of winning the election in 2023, she said: “The governorship candidate and myself have our followers both on the social media and at the grassroots.”

Akindele said she has been getting positive feedbacks and reception from the people since she declared her intention. She, however, admitted she has received a lot of backlash for joining the PDP. But she said since her intention is to win, she needed to ‘identify with a party with a structure and solid base, which is the PDP’.

Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) has signed the first amendment to the Ondo State Security Network Agency Law code named Amotekun, into law.

Akeredolu noted that the new amendment became imperative in light of the heightened insecurity across the state. He said the amended law will enhance the security architecture of the state and help the Amotekun Corps to perform better.

The governor also appreciated the House of Assembly for the quick passage of the bill.

The State Executive Council also took some far-reaching decisions to further shapen the course of governance for the people’s well-being.

Commissioner for Information and Orientation Mrs. Bamidele Ademola-Olateju, who addressed reporters after the council meeting yesterday, regretted that one more death was recorded among victims of the June 5 terror attack on St Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

According to Ademola-Olateju, the number of fatalities is now 41, while 17 persons were still hospitalised.

Special Adviser to the governor on Security, Adetunji Adeleye, appreciated Governor Akeredolu for assenting to the amendment. He reiterated that the development will scale up the corps’ operational capacity.

Chairman of the Lagos State House of Assembly Commission (LAHASCOM) Wale Mogaji has been sacked.

Mogaji’s sack was approved after a voice vote by members of the House at yesterday’s plenary.

Mrs. Folashade Raulat Latona was also appointed new Secretary of the Commission, to replace Mrs. Esther Lambo, who retired recently.

The House also confirmed Olalekan Onafeko as the substantive Clerk of the House, while it promoted three other senior staffs to the position of Deputy Clerks. They are Babs Animashaun, Taiwo Otun and Mrs. Adenike Oshinowo.

Onafeko was appointed Acting Clerk in 2020.

The Oyo State High Court in Ibadan yesterday dismissed the suit by Deputy Governor Rauf Olaniyan challenging the procedures adopted by the House of Assembly to remove him from office.

Justice Ladiran Akintola ruled that the lawmakers and all the defendants have not erred on the procedures taken.

According to him, the process of removal of one from an office and originating summons filed by the claimant were purely legislative and not judicial according to the 1999 constitution. He said the role of the speaker was administrative in the constitution, while the allegations were clear enough for the claimant to understand.

Akintola said he validated the process initiated by the House of Assembly, having carefully considered the originating summons, counter affidavits by the defendants, written addresses and others.

He said: “There is no where that the speaker is involved as an initiative but an administrative; the issue raised by the claimant against the defendant are resolved against the claimant.

“No proceedings of the House can be entertained in any court, therefore the claimant’s case is accordingly dismissed.”

But not satisfied with the judgment, Olaniyan immediately filed an appeal at the Appeal Court, less than one hour after the judgment was delivered. His lawyer, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, said his client has filed a notice of appeal and an application for stay of execution of judgment. He hoped the Chief Judge would consider the notice of appeal and application for the stay of execution before setting up the seven-man investigation panel as directed by the House of Assembly.

He said: “We have taken the next line of action. We have filed a notice of appeal and stay of execution of the judgment. Our prayers before the court, through the application, are for the court to stay the enforcement and execution of the judgment pending the reservation of the appeal that we have filed.

“The Chief Justice is a law abiding citizen, I believe he is someone who has respect for the rule of law, so he should await the decision for the application of story of execution.”

The defendant’s lawyer, Kunle Kalejaiye, however said the court only restated the position of the law on the matter, adding that the issue of removal is a legislative affair and when the court can only step in is if the legislature steps out of the constitutional provisions.

Kalejaiye said: “There are eight steps to be taken in the removal, there is nothing known as impeachment under our laws, it is only removals. So, there are eight steps to be taken and it is only the first step that has been taken. It is incorrect to refer to removal of a governor or a deputy as criminal proceedings, it is not. There are steps established under the constitution for parties to be heard, and we will ensure that nobody is denied his constitutional right.

“The court has spoken; the House of Assembly moves ahead. The House of Assembly has been approved to have done the right thing by the claimant…”

Recall that Olaniyan had, through his counsel, Chief Fashanu (SAN) had dragged the state House of Assembly; the Speaker, Mr Adebo Ogundoyin and the Clerk to court over the impeachment move against him by the lawmakers.