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Tag: Eruwa

  • Eruwa ruling house rejects reappointment of deposed monarch, faults Oyo govt

    Eruwa ruling house rejects reappointment of deposed monarch, faults Oyo govt

    The Laribikusi Ruling House of Eruwa, in Ibarapa East Local Government Area of Oyo State, has rejected the reappointment of deposed monarch, Samuel Adebayo Adegbola, as the Eleruwa of Eruwa, condemning the state government’s decision.

    In a statement signed by Prince Olusegun Adewale Oke, the ruling house expressed shock over Adegbola’s reinstatement, describing it as a ploy to return him to the throne through the back door.

    The statement noted that this move culminated in the March 6, 2025, presentation of the staff of office to Adegbola by Governor Seyi Makinde.

    Governor Makinde had recently handed Adegbola the staff and certificate of office, officially recognizing him as the new Eleruwa of Eruwa.

    However, the ruling house pointed out that Adegbola had been previously removed by the Supreme Court after reigning for over 21 years.

    The ruling house also refuted claims by Oyo State’s Commissioner for Information, Prince Dotun Oyelade, that Laribikusi failed to present candidates within the 14-day notice given by the government.

    According to the government, this led to the nomination process being shifted back to the Akalako Ruling House, which had produced the last recognized Eleruwa, Oba Bolanle Olaniyan (Gbajumola II).

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    Rejecting this explanation, the Laribikusi family likened the government’s actions to the saying: “If you want to hang a dog, you give it a bad name.”

    “We maintain our position that nobody in the administration of this process either at Ibarapa East Local government or the Ministry of Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters gave us (Olaribikusi ruling house) fourteen day Nomination Notice in line with the Chiefs Law of Oyo State.”

    The statement challenge the chairman of Ibarapa East local government, Kazeem Arogundade to publish for the public to see the 14 days nomination notice he claimed to give the family and the family acknowledgement of the notice, knowingfuly well what is at stake.

    “We tried our best to call the attention of our governor, Engr Seyi Makinde whom we know to cherish due process and rule of law to this grand plan by powerful interests in Eruwa to return a man who usurped the throne for 21 years back to the throne at all cost through our numerous petitions, personal letters, radio and print media since we did not have direct access to the governor.

    “Unfortunately, we were not listened to and for the first time in the history of Yoruba land, one individual is occupying the same Obaship stool in succession by ridiculously claiming to belong to both the two distinct and different ruling houses at the same time! Entire Eruwa people are robbed for the second time but we appeal for calm.

    “No one should take law into their hands. It our land and we want peace to reign. “Onilu ko ni fe ki ilu ohun ko baje.

    “We even like what our Governor said during the presentation of staff of office, that, and “I will do what my conscience says is right, as I know that I will explain this, one day before my own Maker”, what a wonderful statement.

    “Anyway, we believe that justice we prevail, and at the end of the tunnel there shall be light.”

  • Student protests: Council suspends Ibarapa Poly Rector, dissolves mgt

    Barely 48 hours after some ex-students protested against the management, the Governing Council of The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo State has announced the dissolution of the entire management team as well as the suspension of the institution’s rector.

    The sack of the management team led by the Rector, Mr Iyiola Eyitayo was said to have followed the inability of the team to resolve the series of crisis rocking the institution, especially the alleged non-accreditation of some courses.

    Recall, that close to a hundred former students of the institution had during the week shut the institutions gate, thereby paralysing activities on the ground that they have not been awarded their completion certificates nor mobilised for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) scheme two years after graduation.

    The Council Chairman, Dr Samuel Ogundiran disclosed the decision of the sack in a statement which was made available to journalists.

    According to the statement, the members of the management team were directed to proceed on their accumulated leave with immediate effect pending the time the matters on ground would be resolved.

    The statement reads, “There is no doubt that you are aware of the crisis circulating on the issue of non-accreditation of some courses being leveled against the school, the management of which you are a principal knows that some students who have graduated for some years but they could not be mobilised for the mandatory NYSC since their graduation.

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    “You are also aware of other pertaining issues that actually require processing by the governing council.

    “In view of the forgoing and pursuant to the directive of the Governing Council of the Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa after some consultation with the members and in consideration of the law and regulation enabling the Governing Council, you are hereby required to proceed on your accumulated leave with immediate effect pending the time the issue on ground will be resolved.

    “You are directed to hand over to the Deputy Rector Senior to you and you are to stop further withdrawal of funds unnecessary from all the school accounts by the current signatories.”

    Some of the ex- students of the school, who graduate in 2016 and yet to be giving their certificate and mobilised for their compulsory National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) trooped out on Thursday in a protest to show their grievances, which led to the closure of the school by the protesting former students.

    The Governing Council has however appointed Mr. Peter Adejumo as the Acting Rector, Mr. Rauf Bello and Deolu Obagunle as the Acting Bursar and Acting Registrar respectively.

  • Panic as police, students clash in Oyo

    There was panic in Eruwa, headquarters of Ibarapa East Local Government as Police and  students of Eruwa Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo state clashed , following their protest against the management of the school, on Tuesday.

    It was learnt that the students were protesting the dismissal of students of Higher National Diploma (HND) Business Administration and hike in fees charged for late registration by the management.

    The source within the campus who confirmed the development said “the students are protesting the introduction of late registration fees and dismissal of HND one students of Business Administration.”

    The protest, it was gathered did not go down with the management which called in members of the state police force in the town.

    This, according to sources led  to alleged gun shot on a student and another, a female student, also alleged to be asthmatic was tear gassed.

    The two students were said to be undergoing treatment in an undisclosed hospital.

    Explaining further, the source said “the affected HND one students of Business Administration were told to go home after being admitted, paid their school fees and had even been receiving lectures. The school now said they cannot admit them again, telling them to go home and come back next session.”

    The source hinted that the school management hinged their excuse on the fact that the affected  students studied Public Administration for their National Diploma (ND) courses.

    It added that the students insisted that the management gave them go ahead to apply for Business Administration for their HND programme which they complied.

    On this premise, according to our source, the students were admitted but were surprised when the management made a U-turn and sent them packing through a notice on the board.

    As if that was not enough, while the students were making appeal against the decision, the source noted that the students requested that the management return all monies, especially school fees paid into the coffers of the management.

    But they were shocked as the  management told them that when they return for their course next session, it will be sorted out.”

    The second reason for their protest centred on payment of late registration fees for both the Daily Part Time (DPP) and full time students.

    It was gathered that the students were appealing to the management on the basis that most of their parents who work as civil servants under the state government are being owed several months of salary.

    The two sections of students affected under this category are DPP students who pay N37,500  and their full time counterparts who are currently paying N28,250 as their school fees were billed additional N2,500 as late registration fees and N300 as bank charges.

    It was also gathered that students were forced to remain indoor till around 5.00pm on Tuesday for fear of arrest while some others were at the time being detained at Sango police station, Eruwa.

    All efforts to reach the management for their reaction on the development proved abortive.

    One of the principal officers who spoke with newsmen  under condition of anonymity confirmed the protest but declined to comment on the reason for the protest .

  • Tension in Eruwa over new Chief Imam

    There was tension yesterday in Eruwa, one of the major towns in Ibarapa Local Government Area of Oyo State, on the next Chief Imam of the town.

    The furore followed the death of the former Chief Imam, Alhaji Yakub Adesina.

    The outrage over who becomes the next Chief Imam started when reporters visited the Islamic community for verification on the matter.

    A group said to be loyal to one of the contenders, Alhaji Abdulkareem Oloore, had reportedly announced him as the chosen candidate.

    But while one of the Islamic leaders was explaining how a new Imam is installed, the group walked out the reporters.

    It feigned ignorance about the reporters’ visit and enquiries, threatening to harm the visitors, if they fail to leave the venue.

    But the chairman of the Selection Committee for the new Imam, Alhaji Prince Rasheed Oyedokun, said no new Imam had been selected.

    The Muslim cleric said there were four contenders for the position: Alhaji Bilau Shittu, Alhaji Mudashiru Adedeji, Alhaji Abdul-Kareem Oloore and Alhaji Dauda Ajeigbe.

    Oyedokun said two of the contenders had been screened out while Alhaji Oloore and Alhaji Ajeigbe were the main contenders.

    The committee chairman wondered why some people were making a false announcement that Alhaji Oloore had been selected.

    He said: “We are in the process of making a final selection of who will become the Chief Imam of Eruwa. But we are surprised that some people have gone to the press to announce the selection of Oloore.”

    Oyedokun added that he was ashamed as a community leader and indigene of the town to see the way some people had twisted the simple matter into a complex issue.

  • Rape scandal rocks ‘operation burst’ in Eruwa

    Rape scandal rocks ‘operation burst’ in Eruwa

    The alleged rape of an ND 2 student of Mass Communication, The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, Oyo State by a member of the state special security squad ‘Operation Burst’ has thrown the outfit into a crisis of confidence and drawn the ire of the victim’s family and the general public. IBRAHIM ADAM reports.

    A rape scandal is currently rocking the Oyo State joint security patrol team, ‘Operation Burst’ as a member of the outfit has been accused of forcefully having canal knowledge of a female student of The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa.

    Omolara (surname withheld) an ND 2 Mass Communication student of the institution had alleged that a soldier attached to operation burst, Ignatius (surname withheld), armed with a knife, had forced her into having sex with him penultimate Friday,

    But the management of the security outfit have denied this and instead treating the alleged rape as mere assault on the part of Ignatius. And this has expectedly drawn the ire of Omolara’s family which through their lawyer Barrister Ola Adeosun has called for a proper investigation into the matter and stiffer punishment for the culprit and rehabilitation for the victim.

    Giving the fact of the matter the family lawyer said: “Precisely at about 10.30pm on Friday, 29th day of August, 2014, while returning to her apartment around the Oke Ola area, of Eruwa, The Victim, who is Our Client and an ND 2 Student of the Department of Mass Communication of Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa was “arrested” by a soldier attached to the Oyo State, special Security outfit “OPERATION BURST”, on the allegation that she was a cultist.

    “The victim explained to the soldier that she only escorted her friend who came to visit her, and they both discussed into the later part of the day, and that she was not a cultist as alleged by the soldier. Not satisfied, the soldier took The Victim to the Ibarapa Zonal office of “OPERATION BURST” situate after Secretariat, Eruwa.

    “On entering the premises of the “OPERATION BURST”, The Victim saw other soldiers and security agents torturing some students of the Ibarapa Polytechnic within the premises.

    “The soldier almost immediately dragged The Victim to the shed under a tree at the premises of the “OPERATION BURST”, removed a two edged knife and ordered our client to remove all her clothes, as he wanted to see all the “occultic tattoos” on the body of the victim. The victim pleaded with the soldier, and informed him that she was not a cultist as alleged, and that she only escorted a friend who visited her. When the threat by the soldier became vicious, as he had started beating and strangulating the victim, the victim removed all her clothes, including her  underwear on the orders of the soldier. The soldier thereafter ordered the victim to lie down under the tree as she was already stark naked and was crying profusely.

    “All The Victim’s plea to the soldier only earned her threats and beatings from the soldier, as the soldier informed her that if she fails to “Cooperate”, she would be killed and buried like many other girls who had failed to cooperate in the past  and nobody would trace her death to him. At this point the soldier had drawn out his knife again and promised to slaughter The Victim “like a ram”.

    “At this point, The Victim was left with no option, but to stop struggling with the soldier who pounced on her and forcefully had sex with her between the hours of around 10.30pm on Friday, 29th August, 2014 and 3am on Saturday, 30th August, 2014.

    “As a confirmation of the fact that it had become a routine ritual amongst the Soldiers and officers of the “OPERATION BURST” Ibarapa office, while the soldier was forcefully having sexual intercourse with The Victim and The Victim Client was shouting and crying for help, the other soldiers and security agents were only walking past and acting as if what was happening was normal!

    “Sometime at around 3am or thereabout, the randy soldier informed The Victim that he needed to take some rest, and that The Victim was a “good girl”, hence, he wanted to go into one of the offices around the premises of “OPERATION BURST” to get a better cloth for The Victim to wear, since he had damaged her clothes in the course of events leading to rape.

    “The Victim promptly seized the opportunity of the temporary exit of the randy soldier to escape from the venue of the crime and ran to her house while still weeping and already psychologically dismembered.

    “In the morning of Saturday, 30th August, 2014, The Victim called her parents on the telephone to tell them of the attack on her, and her parents in turn called to brief Our Office. We thereafter advised that The Victim should report to the Police Station at Eruwa, which she promptly did.

    “The Police at Eruwa contacted the Police hierarchy in the state, who in turn contacted the military authorities since the culprit was a soldier. The Victim was thereafter taken to “OPERATION BURST” office wherein and identification parade was carried out and she identified the randy soldier amongst the others.

    “At this point, the soldier admitted raping the victim and was only begging for forgiveness, as he attributed his conduct to “the Satan”!

    “Thereafter, the victim was taken by the men of the Nigerian Police Force to Eruwa General Hospital, for appropriate tests to be carried out on her.

    “Unfortunately however, on getting to the General Hospital, The Victim who had been traumatized was informed by the staff on duty that the Hospital does not have hand gloves, with which the doctor was to conduct tests on her, hence, The Victim was instructed to go and buy hand gloves before anything can be done, an instruction she had no option but to comply with!

    “A doctor at the General Hospital, Dr. Jesim Gambo in conducting the test only instructed The Victim to lie down, and thereafter used his GSM phone’s torchlight to look into her virginal and thereafter wrote his report. In his report, the Doctor stated that although he did not see semen/sperm therein, The Victim’s virginal had been tampered with, he further stated that the test was inconclusive. On being probed on the reasons why the doctor did not check inside the virginal for semen, we were embarrassed when the doctor informed Our Client that the hospital does not have the facilities to carry out such “an elementary” test!

    “We were shocked to hear from relatives of The Victim, who on enquiries were informed by some Army officers that the randy soldier had been made to substitute his earlier statement where he admitted the crime with another statement wherein, he only admitted assaulting The Victim since the medical report does not reveal that there was semen on The Victim’s body! This is despite assurances from both the Police and representatives of the Nigerian Army that the security agencies will ensure that The Victim gets justice.

    “In Our view, this is a tacit approval of crimes and criminal conducts by security agents by their direct employers, and same is a dangerous trend which every well meaning human being must join us to condemn as everyone of us may be exposed to danger in the event that same is allowed to stand.

    “It is noteworthy to state that since this incident, The Victim had abnormally taken to alcohol as a means of trying to forget the incident. Worst still, precisely on Wednesday, 3rd September, 2014, out of frustration, The Victim made an attempt to poison herself, as she feels the agony and stigma attached to being a victim of rape is just too much for her to bear, especially stemming from the information she just received that as a face saving measure by the Nigerian Army, the accused soldier, who had earlier confessed to the crime of rape has been made to change his statement by the Army authorities, and has now only agreed to the fact that he assaulted The Victim, and based on the soldier’s new statement, he is to be prosecuted for “ASSAULT” and not “RAPE”!, but for the alertness of a relative who saw her while opening the bottle of the poisonous substance.”

    But the security outfit has dismissed the allegation of rape as baseless, even though it is taking disciplinary action against Ignatius for abandoning his duty post.

    In a statement by the outfit’s second in command CSP Elijah Bawa, Operation Burst said immediately the it was intimated with the allegation of rape against the said student, it dispatched an investigation team to Eruwa.

    Bawa said the team met with the Divisional Police Officer for the Eruwa Division, DSP Kayode Adigun who disclosed that the 23-year old Mass Communication student of the school lodged a complaint with the command that she had been raped by the soldier who was also an operative of the anti-crime outfit.The DPO took the lady complainant to the Eruwa General Hospital for medical examination, the result of which proved negative.

    When interrogated about the process of the rape, Operation Burst said , the allegedly raped lady said she had left her hostel and was seeing her friend off at about 2230 hrs and when she was returning, she was accosted by the Operation Burst operative who accused her of being a cultist.

    According to Bawa, the lady alleged that the soldier took her under a Dongoyaro tree where he asked her series of questions, ordered her to remove her clothes to affirm whether she had tattoos of cultists on her.

    “The test on the lady was conducted by a Dr. Jesimi Gamdu and all the physical manifestations of rape were not found on her. The soldier will however be charged for abandoning his duty post in the night without permission against standing instructions in the Operation Burst’s code of conduct,” he said.

    But in spite of the denial Omolara is insisting that Ignatius did rape her. Narrating her story she told The Nation that:  “It was 10pm when I saw my friend off and it was few distance to my house. Immediately I turned back, a man on bike stopped me and asked where I was coming from. I told him I only saw a friend off and he said it was late and I said am sorry. He later identified himself as a member of the Operation Burst and asked me to mount his bike to their base. I resisted but he threatened me with the knife in his hand and I followed him.

    “Getting to their base, we entered and I saw some students being beaten by some member of the Operation Burst. Immediately, he hit me outside and said he will beat me himself. He took me under a tree across the street and asked me to kneel and started asking me different questions like being a cultist. I told him I am not one and he started beating me, hitting me, slapping me and asked me the colour of the pant I was wearing and I told him it was white and he asked if I have a red pant and I said no. He asked me to pull off my cloth and I told him I won’t but he still threatened me with his knife which made me to comply. He checked my body if there was any tattoo but he found nothing. I was naked, cold and helpless and later on, he said if I don’t cooperate with him, he will kill me and throw my body away. And still, he kept slapping and hitting me.

    “At this point, I had no choice but to do what he wanted. He asked if I had a condom with me and if I have any disease because he does not have one with him as he normally have ‘flesh to flesh’ sex with his wife. At that point he had sex with me, he did it for several times; he did it and was full of joy. He asked me to wear my cloth and not to tell anyone. He then requested to have a relationship with me and I said ok. He later said he cannot take me home and I should sleep in their base and I said no that I have a class that day. He gave me a bottle of  beer to hold and said I should wait for him that he wanted to get me a cloth to wear because it was cold and that was about 3am. After waiting for about 20minutes after he had left, I ran home from that spot and gave a call to the Special Adviser to the association I belong which is ANUNSA, Eruwa in person of Ambassador Oludare Sunday Ogunlana who immediately asked me to inform the police,” she said.

    Omolara said after reporting at the Eruwa police station, she was asked to go for a medical test the Eruwa General Hospital.

    Doctor Jesini Gamdu who attended to the victim at the hospital told The Nation that he did not carry out a test but only examined her and his result was inconclusive.

    “I did not test her but I only examined her because pregnancy result stay about two weeks (two weeks after sex)  and running a pregnancy test for her case was not relevant. If it was a forceful rape, it would have been more okay because she had to consent because she was threatened, because they were alone and with the threat, she had no choice. So, there was an easy flow of sexual intercourse.

    “Two things I was trying to find out was one, for evidence of bruses and secondly, any semen deposit but they were not there. The result of my findings was inconclusive and I prescribed Postinure 2 to her to help her against pregnancy,’ he added.

    Omolara also told The Naton that when she got to Eruwa General Hospital, the doctor asked her to buy him hand glove before any test could be conducted saying ‘he only flashed a touch light in my private part and prescribed Postinure 2 for me to use’.

    On hearing the incident, the head of the Operation Burst in Eruwa community, summoned an emergency meeting of the squad and asked the victim to identify the culprit.

    The culprit, Ignicious at the point of identification did not deny meeting her saying “Yes, I interrogated her” and immediately, he was put in hand cuff and taken for interrogation.

    The Acting Deputy Rector of The Ibarapa Polytechnic, Eruwa, Evang. Dr. Abiola Jesulowo who spoke on behalf of the school management said the incident was unfortunate and called on the State government to carry out a thorough investigation on the case and to equip the hospitals in the community.

    “We thank God that from the report we have so far, the culprit did not deny her when she identified him. This people are those who are supposed to protect the members of the community and have now turned to something else, it is quite unfortunate. So, we believe the State will be able to handle it and justice will be done.

    “The case of the doctor instructing a rape patient to get hand glove for him has really shown the level of  healthcare service in  our hospital and we are really appealing to the government to equip and assist our hospitals with equipments and drugs because life is very precious,” he added.

    The president of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS), Com. Yinka Gbadebo in his reaction also condemned the culprit and demanded for justice for the victim.

    Omolara’s father lamenting the incident told The Nation that; “all I want is the Federal government and the State government to help me fight for justice.”