Category: South West

Christian Association of Nigeria( CAN) in Kwara State yesterday insisted that it will not allow the use of hijab in grant-aided mission schools in the state.

It blamed some suspected Muslim fundamentalists for the Thursday bloody violence at Oyun Baptist High School.

Addressing reporters in Oyun local government area, Rev Samuel Ajayi, who spoke on behalf of the local chapter of CAN said that “it has been said times without number that we cannot and will not allow the use of hijab in our mission schools. We have since asked the state government to return our schools back to us.

“We want to inform the general public that whatever happens in our schools on hijab issue, should be dropped at the doorsteps of the state government.

“The aim and mission of those that went to Oyun Baptist High School to foment trouble on the issue of hijab will fail. CAN in the state will resist their move, even with the last ounce of our blood. We, therefore, demand that the hoodlums be fished out and appropriately prosecuted.

“We implore the state government to as a matter of urgency return our schools back to us. Christians are bonafide citizens of this state and we own it together. If the state government refuses we will use all constitutional means to get our schools back.”

Meanwhile, a group known as Kwara State Muslim Stakeholders yesterday urged the state government to set up a commission of inquiry to unravel the brains behind the killings and maiming of innocent Muslim parents in Ijagbo.

The group also charged the state government to enforce its policy on wearing of hijab by Muslim schools girls in all government grant-aided secondary schools.

The group addressed reporters in Ilorin, the state in reaction to the violence that erupted on Thursday this week at Oyun Baptist High School, Ijagbo in the Oyun local government area of the state.

The bloody fracas was allegedly caused by the refusal of the school management to allow Muslim girls who wore hijab into the school.

The people also called for immediate closure of the school and relocation of the students to other schools pending the resolution of the crisis.

The chairman of the forum, Alhaji Isiaq Albdulkareem alleged that one of the parents of the Muslim students of the school, Habeeb Idris, was killed during the fracas that also left 11 parents injured.

The group also called on the Police to investigate the circumstances surrounding the crisis with a view to bringing the perpetrators to book.

Armed policemen and surveillance officers from Oyo Police Command have been deployed to the forest areas around Lagos-Ibadan and Ibadan-Abeokuta roads to identify and track down kidnappers and armed robbers terrorising commuters and motorists on the roads in recent times.

The Commissioner of Police (CP) in Oyo State, Mrs. Ngozi Onadeko on Friday a team of senior officers to forest areas along Lagos-Ibadan and Ibadan-Abeokuta roads for assessment of police teams deployed to the areas.

Onadeko had pledged to sustain the onslaught against kidnappers and armed robbers in the areas which have become dark spots in recent times due to the activities of the bandits.

Her visit was aimed at ensuring that officers deployed to the areas are diligent and motivating them to be committed to the assignment. She said the visit would be a continuous exercise to ensure the safety of commuters along the two routes.

Meanwhile, the state police command paraded on Thursday three suspected kidnappers, identified as Bashiru, also known as Maku-Maku; 27-year-old Babuga and 30-year-old Mohammed, who are all members of the syndicate terrorising commuters on the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

The suspects were arrested after they struck at Onigaari axis of the expressway on January 7. During the attack, they killed a commercial driver, shot a passenger, and kidnapped four persons.

While parading them along with other suspects arrested for criminal activities, Onadeko said the command deployed operatives to comb the forest surrounding the area during which Bashiru was arrested.

She further explained that during interrogation, he mentioned Babuga, Bellel, Ibrahim, Buyo, Habu Kosoko, Danliti, and one with the appellation ‘On Top,’ currently at large, as members of the gang that carried out the kidnapping.

Bashiru also confessed that on January 6, at about 8 pm, he used his motorcycle to convey Bellel and Ibrahim into the bush at Onigaari before striking the following day.

He added that his role was to supply food and hard drugs to the gang members whenever they were in the forest.

The police commissioner explained that preliminary investigation showed that the arrested suspects had knowledge of the January 7 kidnap operations, while the forensic analysis of their phone numbers linked them with the crime.

Two of the victims, Opaleye Folahan and Sekinat Tiamiyu, were said to have identified the suspects as part of those who kidnapped them.

Folahan, who narrated his experience to reporters, said he was coming from Lagos with his pregnant wife and daughter when the kidnappers emerged at about 8pm and shot him in the neck.

He recalled that they initially abducted him, his wife, and daughter and took them into the bush, but shortly after, set the wife and daughter free, in order to facilitate quick payment of ransom. He revealed that he paid N2.75 million as ransom before he was released.

Also paraded were another six kidnap suspects who were arrested around 2 am in a brothel at Akinyele area of Ibadan on January 11.

They were arrested through intelligence-driven surveillance by operatives of the Anti-Kidnapping Squad (AKS) in the state, led by CSP Olawale Tiamiyu.

The six suspects- Adamu; Umaru; Sanda; Abubakar; Haruna and Aliyu- were among inmates who escaped from Abolongo Correctional Centre on October 23, 2021.

The third kidnap syndicate members also operating along the Ibadan-Lagos expressway who were arrested included Aliyu, Isiaka, and Tambaya.

At least, 10,444 vehicles have failed road worthiness test in Lagos State in January, when the new policy started, the state government has said.

Commissioner for Transportation Dr. Frederic Oladeinde, in a statement, disclosed that out of 26,442 that were inspected in January, 15,998 passed, while 10,444 failed the minimum safety standard tests.

He said some of the failed vehicles had reported for a retest while awaiting others.

The state government had introduced the ‘No Vehicle Inspection, No Road Worthiness Certificate’ Policy last month.

Oladeinde said the government had put in place a booking system to address the surge recorded at some vehicle inspection centres.

He said the vehicle inspection will now be based on scheduled appointments across the testing centres.

The commissioner said that the 30 days window of inspection period had been reviewed to 60 days, to reduce the panic surge currently seen at some of the inspection test centres, adding that the backlog of already referred vehicles would be cleared between now and February 14 to give room for the Booking System.

Thirteen permanent secretaries have retired from the Lagos State Civil Service between February and October 2021.

The retirees include Mr. Mustapha Abdul-Ahmed Olorunfemi Mohammed (Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources), Mr. Olaide-Mesewaku Babatunde Anthony (Ministry of Tourism, Arts and Culture), Dipe Foluso Adebayo (Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development), Mrs. Durosinmi-Etti Olorunkemi (Cabinet Office), Hotonu Olujimi Nunayon (Ministry of Works and Infrastructure), Mr. Erinle Olumide Olufolami (Education District V), Mrs. Odejayi Yetunde Adefolahan (Office of the Deputy Governor), Mrs. Adekanye Adebunmi Elizabeth (Ministry of Home Affairs), Mrs. Deile Helen Morenike (Office of the State Auditor General), Mrs. Ajenifuja Kafayat Adetokunbo (Ministry of Wealth Creation and Employment), Mrs. Abolarin Adesumbo Idiat (Office of the Auditor-General for Local Governments), Mrs. Adelaja Abosede Omobolanle (Ministry of Education) and Mrs. Ayoola Iyabo Oyeyemi (Office of Finance).

Speaking at the Year 2021 ‘Pens Down’ ceremony at the Adeyemi Bero Auditorium, Alausa, yesterday, the Head of Service, Mr. Hakeem Muri-Okunola, said that the retirees contributed to the growth and advancement of Lagos State.

adding that it was an accomplishment that should not be taken for granted.

The Permanent Secretary, Public Service Office, Mr. Samson Ajibade, said one of the major attributes of successful leaders was the sustained capacity to manage diverse human and material resources, while ensuring compliance with processes, laid down procedure and relevant legal obligation processes of attaining organisational goals and objectives.

Responding on behalf of the retirees, Mrs. Deile thanked the government for allowing them to serve.

The seven aggrieved aspirants, who contested the All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship primaries in Ekiti State, have accused Governor Kayode Fayemi of betrayal.

They alleged that he refused to provide a level playing field for all the aspirants.

The aspirants said they trusted the governor, considering his vast democratic credentials, but he betrayed the confidence reposed in him by hijacking the party’s primaries to favour his choice, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji.

Speaking yesterday at a joint briefing in Ado-Ekiti, Sen. Opeyemi Bamidele, flanked by Femi Bamisile, said Fayemi had promised them transparent and credible primaries, but he reneged on the eve of the exercise.

Bamidele said: “While the campaign was on, anywhere I went, Ekiti people asked me if I thought the primary was going to be free, fair and credible. And everywhere I was asked that question, my answer was yes, because I thought Governor Fayemi would not allow for anything other than free and fair election. I assured the people that he would provide a level playing field.

“But, today, I am disappointed that we only had the results prepared. I believe prosperity will judge whether I was right or wrong. It’s not about Fayemi, but it’s about me. I thought I know Fayemi, but I did not know him. A part of me is still in denial that that actually happened under his watch. And that is what is giving me the impetus to fight. Either jointly or individually, we will fight.”

He alleged that the Badaru-led committee hijacked the processes by distributing electoral materials a day before election, changed voting centres and appointed campaigners of Oyebanji to compromise the process and subvert the will of the people.

“The Ad hoc workers were to be adopted for the conduct of the poll, because it was assumed that every member in Ekiti would have taken position. When you talk of ad hoc staff, it means those that will be brought from the national secretariat of the party or APC members from other states.

“The process was hijacked by the Badaru committee. What we saw was seeing people who were campaign managers, sponsors and promoters of Oyebanji being appointed and saddled with the responsibility of being returning officers in the 16 local governments.

“The election materials were to be distributed early on Thursday before the start of the primary and to be distributed in the presence of agents of the aspirants,  INEC, security chiefs and monitoring teams. But materials, both sensitive and non-sensitive, were distributed the previous night. We got calls that as at 11pm, Governor Badaru had handed over materials to returning officers from the 16 councils,” Bamidele alleged.

He said that their displeasure over the primaries would not make them to defect from the ruling APC, adding that they would stay inside to teach the party a bitter lesson over the alleged manipulation perpetrated during the exercise, using political and legal means.

Bamisile warned security agencies against threatening people with arrest over the APC governorship crisis, saying such would not work.

Responding to the allegations, Fayemi denied hijacking the process of the primary, saying the outcome of the exercise was the true reflection of members’ wishes.

The governor, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr. Yinka Oyebode, described the accusation as a cheap blackmail and calculated attempts to malign his hard-earned integrity.

Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun and his Oyo State counterpart, Governor Seyi Makinde, yesterday resolved to tackle kidnapping, banditry, criminal herders and cyber fraudsters plaguing both states.

The governors, who lamented the spate of crimes in recent times, particularly around borders of the two states with attendant loss of lives in some instances, said the menace must stop, stressing their commitment to the “security of lives and property” of the people.

They made this known during the first ever joint security meeting as part of the efforts towards finding solution to the insecurity bedevilling the two states and Southwest.

The meeting was hosted by Governor Abiodun at the Presidential Lounge, Abeokuta, and was attended by top government functionaries from the two states, the Ogun and Oyo states commissioners of Police, ‘Lanre Bankole and Ngozi Onadeko, as well as other security chiefs, including the Commandant of the 35 Artillery Command, Alamala, Abeokuta and Garrison Commander of Mokola Barracks in Ibadan, among others.

The two states said they would come out with a communiqué on the resolution reached at the meeting.

Secretary to Ogun State Government (SSG) Tokunbo Talabi said the meeting was one of the ways of demonstrating a collective patriotism and belief in the development of the two states in particular, the Southwest and Nigeria in general.

Emphasising that the Abiodun administration would continue to be at the forefront of promoting peaceful coexistence of the people of Ogun and neighbouring states, Talabi said the joint security meeting was one of the ways through which lines of communication were opened “so that even at the time of misunderstanding, we can easily reach an amicable resolution.

“As a people, we must adopt a common strategy to finding solutions to these security challenges.”

The Ogun SSG hoped that the meeting would evolve practical and improved recommendations that would bring an enduring peace and security to the people of the two states.

Governor Abiodun said the meeting was strategic between the two states, stressing that it would promote peaceful coexistence between the two states and also find a solution to insecurity in the Southwest.

Governor Makinde described the meeting as necessary, considering that it would initiate collaboration between the two states not just in the area of security, but also in economic development.