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  • Ibadan attack: Police launch manhunt for Abiola’s widow

    Ibadan attack: Police launch manhunt for Abiola’s widow

    • Other backers of violent agitators on security radar
    • Suspects to be charged with treason, terrorism

    The police yesterday launched a manhunt for Mrs. Dupe Onitiri-Abiola, a suspected sponsor of the invasion of the Oyo State Government Secretariat in Ibadan by some Yoruba Nation agitators.

    The manhunt for Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola, a widow of the business mogul and prominent politician, the late Chief Moshood Abiola, followed her broadcast in a viral video in which she claimed responsibility for the violence that jolted the governments of the six Southwest states.

    Bashorun Abiola won the 1993 Presidential election but was denied the joy of victory by the military junta.

    He proclaimed himself president and was put behind bars. He died in custody in 1998.

    The agitators on Saturday morning, wielding guns and other weapons, many of them wearing military camouflage, invaded the Oyo State House of Assembly complex located inside the secretariat and hoisted their flag.

    They also attempted to breach the security of the governor’s office, before they were repelled by security operatives.

    No fewer than 21 of the agitators were rounded up.

    Yesterday, those arrested were paraded by the police with the arms, ammunition, camouflage and other items recovered from them.

    Oyo State Police Commissioner, Adebola Hamzat, who paraded the 21 suspects, described the invasion as a criminal, unpatriotic and a clear case of treasonable felony and terrorism, which would be meted with adequate sanctions.

    Although he did not mention the name of Mrs Onitiri-Abiola, Special Adviser to the Oyo State Governor on Security Matters Mr. Fatai Owoseni said he was aware that she is leading a group of Yoruba Nation agitators.

    Prof. Banji Akintoye, who is the leader of another Yoruba group along with Sunday Adeyemo (Igboho), in a statement on Saturday in which he dissociated his group from the action, alluded to the group as the one led by Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola.

    Thereafter, a viral video by Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola claiming leadership of the group surfaced on social media.

    Explaining how it happened on Saturday, the police chief said: “At about 8:55 a.m., information was received that some men, dressed in military-like camouflage and armed with pump action semi-automatic rifles, were sighted on motorcycles around Olomi and moving into Ibadan.

    “At about 9:15 a.m., the hoodlums, later known as Yoruba Nation Agitation Group, were trailed to the State Secretariat and the premises of the Governor’s Office.

    “They hoisted their flag at the House of Assembly, proclaiming the creation of a ‘Democratic Republic of the Yoruba’.

    “With police reinforcement, the miscreants were warned to disperse. The agitators turned violent and opened fire on the police and a detachment of Amotekun Corps present.”

    The commissioner said the police responded and were joined by operatives of other security agencies who suppressed the treason.

    He also said that five pump action semi-automatic rifles, two wooden double barrel guns and other exhibits were recovered from the agitators.

    Also recovered were two jackets, 30 pieces of torch lights, 49 bells, five horse whips, seven pieces of walkie-talkies and accessories, four generators, 72 pairs of camouflage uniforms and 405 live cartridges.

    He said the continued existence of Nigeria as a sovereign, indivisible entity is a task that must be accomplished, adding that “the labour of our heroes past shall never be in vain”.

    He said Oyo State Police Command would be unrelenting in ensuring the unity of the country.

    Hamzat said: “As a parent, I enjoin other parents, guardians and leaders in every sphere of political, religious and socio-economic influence to prevail on their children, ward, protégés and followers against being used by unpatriotic individuals to promote anarchy in the state and by extension, the nation.

    “Oyo State is home to many responsible, hospitable and extremely intelligent individuals who pride themselves with creativity, hard work and resourcefulness.

    “Under my watch, it would not be reduced to a playground for the criminally minded and obviously misguided individuals or groups who intend to make their livelihood from distorting the relative tranquillity enjoyed by the good people of the state.”

    The commissioner said the arrested suspects have been listing the names of their sponsors, adding that the police had visited some locations within Oyo State where some incriminating items were recovered.

    Hamzat recalled that a member of the Amotekun Corps was injured during the invasion and one of the agitators who resisted arrest got injured in a gun duel with the police.

    He clarified that police were not aware of any death during the incident.

    We have no regret, say agitators

    Some of the suspected agitators remained defiant yesterday. They told reporters that they had no regret for invading the secretariat.

    They said their action was not treasonable, adding that they followed the due process.

    One of the agitators, Alabi Ogundeji, a 55-year-old lecturer at Federal College of Education (Special) (SPED), Oyo, said what he did was lawful under the law.

    He said: “I’m part of the agitation and I can’t deny it. Yoruba as an indigenous nation is a nation on its own. We have so many nations in Nigeria, and Yoruba is one of them.

    “Oodua Nation leaders have taken every step and action that needed to be taken. We have embarked on a referendum, which was the 500 petitions signed by all Yorubas and these served as a referendum.

    “Our leadership went to all Yoruba-speaking states to serve officials letters written by our leaders and we were given our own copy. After that was the proclamation. After that, declaration, occupation, and notification to the world that Yoruba is an indigenous nation.

    “We were at the secretariat to celebrate and rejoice because of the new nation that was born. It is not a new thing that Yoruba is a nation and we want to stand on our own. We have been together with Nigeria for over 100 years.”

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    Another suspect, 29-year-old phone repairer, Ademola Adeniyi, said he did not regret his actions.

    He said: “We all know that nothing is working in Nigeria and things are hard for everyone, except those in government. We were at the secretariat waiting for our leader to come and address us.

    “We believe our leader knows much about the law. So, we are not afraid to join when we were called upon. Our leaders told us that all challenges Yorubas are facing shall be addressed if we achieve our aim.”

    Onitiri- Abiola is known, says Owoseni

    The Special Adviser to Oyo State Governor on Security, Fatai Owoseni, said Onitiri-Abiola is the leader of another separatist group.

    Owoseni, who spoke on national television, said the woman has been there for more than three decades.

    On the statement credited to Prof. Banji Akintoye alleging that Onitiri-Abiola was behind the Saturday incident, Owoseni said: “The woman has been there. She was there even during the time of the late Bashorun Kashimawo Abiola.

    “She has spoken out at one time or another. This confirms the proliferation of separatist groups I talked about.

    “Some of these people read the United Nations Conventions Charter wrongly and everyone wants to take advantage of such an act.”

    Owoseni, a former Lagos State Commissioner of Police, said the Federal Government was already concerned about the security situation in the country and working to address the concerns.

    On how to tame similar incidents in the future, he said there was a need to rejig the nation’s security architecture.

    He urged political leaders to make conscious efforts to engage the youths on values, showcasing good role models.

    Owoseni added: “We need to engage in value re-orientation, using good role models that will be talking to people.

    “There is a need for total overhaul of our security architecture as regards licensing of uniforms by different security outfits.”

    Invaders met superior powers, says Makinde

    Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde said the hoodlums that stormed the State Secretariat met what was beyond their imagination.

    The governor assured that the state would spare no resources to ensure a safe and secure environment for the people.

    He thanked the security operatives for their promptness when the response procedure was activated, noting that it quickly stemmed the incident in the quickest possible time.

    Makinde spoke while receiving the new General Officer Commanding (GOC), Second Division of the Nigerian Army, Major General Obinna Onubogu, in his office.

    However, the governor acknowledged the current trying times for leaders at the various levels, saying they should think beyond kinetic response to emergencies.

    He said the leadership must win the war without losing the peace.

    Makinde said: “On Saturday, the emergency security response procured was activated and it actually worked. There are gaps really, but the response was quick.

    “The hoodlums met what was beyond their imagination and within an hour, everything was under control.

    “I on behalf of the Oyo State Government and people of the state thank all security agencies, including the Police, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Department of State Service (DSS), Nigerian Army, Operation Burst, Amotekun and others as everyone responded timely.”

    “We are indeed grateful for the timely response as it helped to calm the situation within a short time. Most of the things we have been doing jointly with the 2Div will continue.”

    Makinde appealed to the Chief of Army Staff to allow their personnel to have more time to work in their posts so that the leaders would not work with new people now and then.

    He said he had worked with five GOCs within the last five years of his administration, adding that many more may still be posted to Oyo State before the expiration of his tenure.

    Makinde said: “We must win the war, but we must also win the peace. It is a challenging period that anyone in the position of leadership, either military or political, even community leadership, is challenged at this time.”

    General Onubogu described the invasion as unfortunate, despite the peace in the state.

    He assured that the Nigerian Army would play its part to ensure that such a thing never repeated itself.

    He also promised a synergy among the security agencies in line with the directive and policy of the Chief of Army Staff, noting that such collaboration would go a long way to guarantee better security.

    While soliciting support for the Army, the GOC said he had been briefed on the numerous support the state government has been providing for the Army in the state.

    NSCDC, Police place officers on red alert

    Security agents in Ondo State have been placed on red alert ‘to wade off any incursion into the state by the agitators and any other miscreants.’

    Ondo Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Commandant Ibiloye Oluyemi, who ordered divisional officers and tactical teams to be on red alert, said the command was committed to protecting life and property and critical national assets and infrastructure.

    He said the Intelligence Department, Armed Squad, Counter Terrorism Unit, Rapid Response Squad, and Operations will be on red alert to ensure that what happened at Ibadan is not repeated in Ondo.

    He said there was a need for security in Ondo, especially now that the political parties are having their rallies with mixed crowds in attendance.

    He said officers should remain professional and apolitical in their assignments.

    Ondo Police spokesman, Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, said policemen have been deployed to strategic places to ward off any attack.

    Southwest Reps Caucus condemns invasion

    The Southwest Caucus of the House of Representatives condemned the invasion, saying that it posed a threat to the peace and stability of the region.

    The caucus said in a statement by the Deputy Chief Whip, Dr. Adewunmi Onanuga, Chairman of the Southwest Caucus, Dr . Abiodun Faleke and Secretary of the caucus, Taofeek Ajilesoro, that violence should not be permitted in the region.

    The statement reads: “As representatives of the people, we stand firmly against any form of unlawful behaviour and violence that undermines the rule of law and the unity of our country, Nigeria.

    “It is essential that all grievances and demands be addressed through peaceful and lawful means, respecting the rights and well-being of all citizens.

    “We urge all parties involved to engage in constructive dialogue, prioritise the welfare of our people, and work towards finding peaceful and lasting solutions to any grievances.

    “Violence and lawlessness have no place in our society, and we call on all individuals to uphold the principles of peace, unity, and respect for the rule of law.

    “The Southwest Caucus remains committed to upholding the values of democracy, justice, and unity in our region and the country at large.

    “Together, we can overcome challenges and build a better future for all.”

  • Ibadan and urban renewal

    Ibadan and urban renewal

    Ibadan is an historic city founded around 1830 by migrants particularly Oyo migrants after the collapse of the Oyo Empire in the 1820s because of internal problems and external attacks from jihadists who were Muslims of Fulani, Hausa, Nupe and  Oyo origin and in many cases led by Yoruba Muslims and political malcontents whose ambition trumped group interests. Other migrants came to Ibadan as a result of the Owu wars precipitated by the attack on the Owu kingdom by the Ife and Ijebu between 1821 and 1826.

    The Owu kingdom had through ambition tried to overwhelm its neighbours the commercial town of Apomu  from 1812 which had probably received Oyo’s clandestine support precipitating  almost a century of internecine wars in Yorubaland in which  various sub ethnic groups tried to resolve the question of Oyo imperialism in Yorubaland against independence of various sub ethic groups like the Ife, Igbomina, Ijesha, Ekiti, Akoko, Egba, while the Ijebu and Ondo  were marginally touched by the various wars. In the process, new centres of power such as the new Ibadan republican imperium replacing the Oyo Empire and rising on its ashes to become a formidable force in Yoruba land. Others like the Ilorin in the northern part of the Oyo Empire formed a new centre of power with Islam providing cement unifying the Ilorin Kingdom later becoming an emirate on the lands of the northern half of Igbomina, the Ibolo, the Erin, northern Ekiti and other northern Yoruba groups.

    It is a complex story which has been expertly dealt with by people more versed in Yoruba history than myself like the late professors, J. Ade-Ajayi, Adeagbo Akinjogbin, Emmanuel Ayankanmi  Ayandele,  J. A Atanda , and professors  Banji Akintoye, Tony  Ijaola Asiwaju  who are very much alive and  before all of them, the venerable Samuel Johnson whose history of the Yoruba blazed the trail. The Yoruba people are the most studied and written about in the whole of Africa.

    I thought I could write a short preamble to this piece on Ibadan without going too much into Yoruba history but alas, I still have to say something because the past foreshadows the future. Suffice it to say that Ibadan is the child of Yoruba history and it came from the crucible of the Yoruba internecine wars which actually began 1797  with Oyo/Owu attack on Apomu and terminated with the British defeat of Ilorin in 1897  when it was defeated to end the armed interregnum between Ilorin and Ibadan .

    Ibadan‘s cosmopolitanism is epitomised by the fact that its first Bashorun was Lagelu, a warrior from Ile Ife. Ibadan has grown without the benefit of physical planning from the 19th century to the present. The few attempts to impose some kind of planning on the town in the 1950s by building the Bodija Estate was like a drop of water in the mighty ocean. There has been one or two estates at the outskirts of Ibadan but they have been too little and too late. The main sprawling city, a conurbation without industries, has remained a collection of settlements and villages linked together and competing with each other and only linked together by culture but with each lineage with having its own different histories.

    In this disparate origin and growth lies Ibadan’s strength. It welcomes all and sundry while expanding in all directions sharing boundaries with Egbaland and Ijebuland and culturally related Iwo, Oshogbo, Ife and Ede and Owu territories. Originally where Ibadan is today was part of Egba territory. The cosmopolitan origins and growth of Ibadan has been limited to Yoruba peoples and non-Yoruba groups though existing within the confines of the city are infinitesimally few. There has never been any argument about who owns Ibadan and ownership of Ibadan has largely been domiciled within the numerically superior Oyo/Owu group of its founders.

    Today, Ibadan remains the largest city in tropical Africa followed by Lagos, Kano and Ogbomosho. Political enumerators may say something different sometimes saying Lagos and even Kano are larger and more numerous than Ibadan but objective observers know the truth. Yes Lagos may have more people crowded in its small territory but Ibadan remains the largest city in Nigeria and one can drive for fifty miles within Ibadan. This size has been a hindrance to its development. When it was the capital of the entire Western Region stretching from Ikeja to Warri, there were  enormous resources to redevelop it but the government of the day had more things to struggle with such as universal education, health and social welfare and besides, Ibadan was the centre of the NCNC opposition to the ACTION GROUP government from 1951 to 1960 so there was no incentive for massive redevelopment of Ibadan apart from building the Bodija Estate and expanding the various GRAs (Government Reservation Areas).

    Since 1963, the resources that fed Ibadan has dwindled and now Ibadan is the mere capital of Oyo State while Lagos, Ogun, Osun, Ondo and Ekiti states now have their own capitals in Ikeja, Abeokuta, Oshogbo, Akure and Ado-Ekiti to cope with. Despite this fact, Ibadan remains the cultural capital and second home of great number of the Yoruba elite outside Lagos. This means we all have a stake in its development and quite a substantial number have property in the city.

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    This writer is an Ekiti man by birth but an Ibadan man by domicile. Some members of my family have been in Ibadan attending the government college since 1940 while I was in the grammar school for my HSC in 1961 and 1962 and the University of Ibadan in 1963. A member of my family built the Bodija Housing Estate. I say all this to show I am not just a “Johnny just come” to Ibadan, I am as good as a “son of the soil”. I have therefore a stake in the health and prosperity of Ibadan.

    Ibadan today is the capital of Oyo State. The city has I think 16 Local Government Administrations (LGAs). If the resources are well managed, there is no reason why the roads today should be so ragged and poorly maintained. Road maintenance is neither neuro-science nor rocket science that we need to go and import experts to help us. Lagos has always maintained its road without resort to foreign expertise. When jobs are given to Julius Berger Construction Company, the job is done by Nigerian artisans.

    It is true that Lagos has more money than Oyo. Yes this is true and this is because they are more ingenious than Oyo. Thank God, Oyo is now trying to collect “Land Use Charge”. I suggested this to the Oyo government more than 20 years ago when Lagos introduced the measure. Introducing it now is too late and too little. With the suffering in the land, this is not the time to impose new levies and new taxes. Yet Ibadan, Ogbomosho and Oyo city roads and others must be maintained.  Government just have to find the money to do the job. The disillusionment with our government is so pervasive that anything that can be done to raise our spirits is in the right direction. Driving out of our homes and returning home on moon craters like roads are very dispiriting. There are so many things that make people unhappy in Nigeria of today. Our money is almost worthless; we have no pipe borne water, no electricity, no roads, no security, no health facilities, no security, no food, no sense of purpose, and no financial security. Please let our city roads be mended. The cost of tyres is sky high and all of us car owners and commercial travellers and even pedestrians need good roads. Kidnapping gangs wait for their quarries at the bad portions of the roads to grab people.

    There are a million and other reasons why roads maintenance is important. Let Oyo State government come to Ibadan and help us. Government is about people. It exists for the happiness of the majority of the people. If it cannot do this, it ceases to be a government and the people have a right to look elsewhere.

  • 69-year-old arraigned over alleged land grabbing

    69-year-old arraigned over alleged land grabbing

    The Zone 11 Police Headquarters Osogbo on Tuesday arraigned 69-year-old Kamilu Orotoye, before a Chief Magistrate’s Court sitting in Iyaganku, Ibadan over alleged land grabbing.

    He was arraigned on a three-count charge of conspiracy, forceful entry to a portion of land and illegal grabbing of 1434019 square metres of land belonging to an Ibadan businessman, Dapo Davies.

    The defendant however pleaded not guilty to the offence and the Magistrate, Mrs. M. M. Olagbenro, granted him N500,000 bail with one surety in like sum. 

    Olagbenro adjourned the hearing of the matter to May 6, 2024.

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    Before his arrest by men of the Zone 11 Police Headquarters, Osogbo, the land owner, Dapo Davies, in a September 2023 petition through his lawyer, Niyi Okanlawon, petitioned the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice in Oyo State, asking him “to stop one of the staff of his Ministry from shielding and aiding some land grabbers, who in spite of a pending suit at an Ibadan High Court, have continued to construct a building on his land at Oke-Padre area of the metropolis”.

    When arraigned via the charge marked: MI/448c/2024, the Prosecutor, Femi Olaniyi (ASP) told the court that Kamilu Orotoye “and others now at large sometime in year 2015 and in 2023 at Ogunpa, Oke Padre area, Ibadan, Magisterial District, did conspire to commit an offence to wit: forcible entry/conduct likely to cause breach of peace, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 517 of the Criminal Code Cap. 38 Vol. II, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria, 2000”.

    On the second count, the defendant and others in the same district allegedly “caused breach of peace by forcibly entering a parcel of land which is in actual and peaceable possession of Dapo Davies, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 81 of the same Criminal Code”.

    The third count alleged that Kamilu Orotoye and others in the same place “did illegally grab about 1434019 square metres of land situated at Ogunpa Oke Padre area, Ibadan, property of Dapo Davies, and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable under section 7(1) of Real Property Protection Law, Oyo State of Nigeria, 2016”.

  • JUST IN: Court jails 15 for internet fraud in Ibadan

    JUST IN: Court jails 15 for internet fraud in Ibadan

    Justices Olusola Adetujoye, O.A. Lajide and S.O. Adeyemi of the Oyo State High Court, sitting in Ibadan have convicted and sentenced 15 internet fraudsters to various jail terms.

    They were jailed after pleading guilty to one-count separate charges upon their arraignment by the Ibadan zonal command of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) between January 22 and February 5, 2024. 

    A statement by the head, media and publicity of EFCC, Dele Oyewale, indicated one of the convicts, Adebola Sherrif, was docked and convicted on five-count charges.

    The other convicts are: Adebayo Ifeoluwa Timilehin, Philip Daniel, Ifemadi Haruna Segun, Okeola Olajide, James Bolanle, Akinjisola Ayodeji Francis and Giwa Usman Dolapo.

    Others are Olorunsola Sodiq Babatunde, Fatolu Moses Opeyemi, Bashiru Sodiq Omobolaji, Omowaye Oluwatosin Olamilekan, Badmus Yusuf Omobolaji, Lateef Ramon Olamilekan, Idowu Michael Oluwasegun and Okunola Samuel Olalekan.

    One of the charges reads: “That you, Okunola Samuel Olalekan on or about 9th of April, 2023 at Ibadan, Oyo State, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court, with intention to defraud Older One through the Google Chat Account: joyella5774@gmail.com, did falsely represent yourself to be Joy Ella, a female from United States of America, thereby committed the offence of impersonation contrary to Section 484 of the Criminal Code Law Cap 38, Laws of Oyo State, 2000.”

    “Upon their arraignments, the convicts pleaded “guilty” when the charges were read to them. 

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    “Consequently, the  facts of the cases were reviewed and incriminating documents tendered in evidence before the courts, following which the prosecuting counsels urged the courts to convict and sentence them accordingly.”

    After listening to all the counsels, the judges convicted and sentenced Yusuf, Sodiq and Olamilekan to six months community service each, while Timilehin, Daniel, Segun, Bolanle, Ramon, Oluwasegun, Sherrif and Olalekan bagged one month community service each.

    Opeyemi, Babatunde, Dolapo and Francis were handed two weeks community service each.

    Yusuf was ordered to pay N100, 000 fine in addition to his sentence, while Olamilekan was ordered to pay the sum of N200,000 and Sodiq to pay N170, 000 in addition to their sentence.

    All the convicts were ordered to make restitution to their various victims and forfeited all items recovered from them to the federal government.

    In a related development, the Oyo State Police Command has arrested and handed over to the Ibadan Zonal Command of the EFCC, twin brothers, Abdulrauf Taiwo and Abdulrauf Kehinde for alleged internet fraud activities alongside five others comprising Adeyemi Samuel, Alabi Ayomide, Yekini Faroug, Hassan Olamilekan and Ibrahim Olawale.

    Items recovered from the suspects include seven phones, among others.

    They have made useful statements to the operatives of the Commission and would be charged to court as soon as investigations are concluded.

  • Ibadan explosion: Oyo to prosecute three identified persons of interest

    Ibadan explosion: Oyo to prosecute three identified persons of interest

    Oyo State Government has said no fewer than three persons of interest related to the remote and immediate cause of the explosion that rocked Old Bodija area of Ibadan, the capital city, will be prosecuted.

    Governor Seyi Makinde has received the official report of the January 16 incident.

    The report, which comprises findings of the medical, security and engineering teams, was submitted to the governor on Tuesday, at the Executive Chamber of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

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    While the Special Adviser on Security to the Governor, CP Fatai Owoseni (rtd.), presented the security report; the Incident Manager, Prof Temitope Alonge, presented the medical report and Chairman, Nigeria Institute of Structural Engineers, Mbim Okutinyang, an engineer; presented the engineering report.

    After presenting the reports at the brief ceremony, the governor went into a closed door session with the heads of the three teams, who presented the report of each findings.

  • Insecurity: Ibadan Chiefs raises alarm over re-insurgence of kidnapping in southwest

    Insecurity: Ibadan Chiefs raises alarm over re-insurgence of kidnapping in southwest

    Traditional rulers in Ibadanland, Chiefs, Mogajis, and Baales have raised alarm over the re-insurgence of kidnapping and other criminal activities in Nigeria particularly in the southwest region of the country.

    The chiefs said the rate of kidnapping in the last few months across the nation which is gradually engulfing the southwestern part of the country should be a concern to residents.

    A statement by the president of Mogajis of Ibadanland, Mogaji Asimiyu Adepoju Ariori, and the coordinator, Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative, Mogaji Nurudeen Akinade stated that Ibadan as the gateway to other southwest states will not fold its arms and allow the menace to continue.

    According to the duo, kidnappers have allegedly taken over some areas in Nigeria particularly Yorubaland in the last few months.

    They urged government at all levels and relevant authorities to come together and find solutions to the challenges for the safety of lives and property of people.

    The statement said: “A few days ago, the chairman of the Lagos state chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party, (PDP), Philip Aivoji, was abducted by some yet-to-identified gunmen along the Lagos-Ibadan expressway.

    “Yesterday, two traditional rulers in the Ikole local government area of Ekiti state were killed by gunmen suspected to be kidnappers.

    “The two traditional rulers were the Elesun of Esun Oba Babatunde Ogunsakin and Olumojo of Imojo, Oba Samuel Olatunji, while the Alara of Ara-Ekiti, Oba Adebayo Fatoba escaped from the scene.

    “Kidnapping in the last few months was only in Abuja, but now gradually extending to Yorubaland, Ibadan as a gateway to all Yoruba states won’t fold its arm and allow such to persist.

    “We kick against re-insurance of criminals, we believe the criminal act has gone with our efforts particularly the effort of the Ibadan Compound Peace Initiative in collaboration with other security agencies.

    “Considering the way we worked in synergy with other security agencies a few years ago, we thought the criminal act had been depleted but we just discovered that it has relapsed.

    “We are already in touch with all various community development groups and associations in the southwestern part of Nigeria, various informal groups and societies including but not limited to markets leaders, unions and associations and they are prepared to key in and be part of this all-important security movement.

    “We implore the government to quickly without further delay fine-tune ways of having security synergy with all volunteers, our hunters’ associations, concerned local security networks, various security operatives, traditional institutions, and other relevant stakeholders in Ibadanland, Oyo state, and Yorubaland to find solutions to the issue.

    “If this is quickly encouraged, it will afford us the opportunity of blocking all the escape routes in all our cities, towns, and villages including our forests and bushes most of whom are considered as ungovernable spaces.

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    “We can’t successfully engage in this all-important security synergy without the support of the Governors, most especially in Yorubaland.

    “While appreciating all our regular security agencies including Amotekuns for their commitments and service to the nation, we advise the Government not to withdraw our security agencies on our highways and major roads whenever they are having any major events like road commissioning as some of these attitudes has been reportedly responsible for the upsurge in the onslaught of the Kidnappers along these highways.

    “It seems insecurity has engulfed the Yorubaland, we need to wake up before it gets out of hand, the statement concluded.

  • JUST IN: Fire razes furniture shop in Ibadan

    JUST IN: Fire razes furniture shop in Ibadan

    A fire razed a furniture shop at the Ire Akari Estate Area in Soka, Ibadan, Oyo state.

    The fire reportedly broke out around 3 PM on Monday, 29th January, 2024.

    Community members are still working to stop the fire from spreading.

    The cause of the fire is still unknown as of the time of publication.

    Read Also: Ibadan explosion: Makinde blasts Atiku, says ex-VP lacks empathy

    An X user, rosheethat, also posted a video of the fire while pleading for assistance.

    She posted: “Ire Akari Soka right now. Anybody that can help us.”

    Details shortly…

  • Apocalypse in Ibadan

    Apocalypse in Ibadan

    Oh dear, oh dear, the metropolis of gold and rust and of pound for pound civil affrays has itself taken a pounding.  Irrepressible Ibadan, the city of no-nonsense warriors, wears a shell-shocked grimace after a freak calamity arising from impunity and official irresponsibility.

      Forty years ago in an essay commissioned by Newswatch magazine to commemorate Nigeria’s independence anniversary, this writer posited that Nigeria is a consuming paradox. Ever since then, paradox, like irony its sister and ambiguity its brother, has defined every facet of our national life. It throbs, weaves itself into the fabric of national existence and bobs up everywhere we turn.

      But it does appear as if the paradox is getting more gruesomely paradoxical. Or how else does one explain the apocalyptic nightmare that almost took down the Bodija suburb, arguably the most civilized and refined enclave of this ancient warrior city with it on Tuesday night? It was a mining mystery laced with the typical Nigerian paradox.

      How does one explain, after crass impunity has been factored into the equation, that dangerous explosives meant to be detonated in some faraway pits have found their way into an upper market residential area without eyebrow being raised until tragedy struck? It reads like fabulous fiction, like King Solomon’s Mine, Sir Rider Haggard’s  phantasmagoria about a mythical mine of incredible riches located somewhere in the heart of darkness.

      But if that was straight from the colonial imaginary which adequately explains the later scramble for Africa, how about this one? A postcolonial mine and its violent accessories this time located in the heart of the most urbanized section of Africa’s most populous nation and superintended by a Malian native. Echoes of the manager of the interior, Joseph Conrad’s uppity supervisor of some misbegotten African jungle in the old Congo?

       It would appear that the more ungovernable spaces Nigeria boasts of the more minable its governable enclaves have become. Let us put this more starkly. The more undermined a country is, the more over-mined its natural resources are. This is the Charles Taylor’s Law of extractive predation.

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     Remember him?  Charles Taylor was the Liberian warlord-ruler who simply carved up some parts of his country and added ungovernable lumps from Sierra Leone and Cote D’Ivoire for the purpose untrammeled plundering until nemesis caught up with the rogue Americo-Liberian.

      Our Malian brother who caused all this with obvious internal connivance has probably bolted with the winds leaving traumatized Nigerians to clean up the horrendous mess. On the board of directors of his so called company, there is only one Nigerian without instant name recognition. He got away with murder without any eyebrow being raised. Wonders and paradoxes will never end in this country.

       This column commiserates with those who lost relations and valuable property in the inferno. We share the grief of Funso and Muyiwa, children of the great and unforgettable Cicero, whose Solemia Residence was severely rocked by the violence and force of the explosion.

      It would have been gentler and easier on the soul if one had not severally visited and had been entertained in some of the affected homesteads. Solemia was the site of epic intellectual duels in the early nineties with the great man sometimes calling for a truce which would end in delectable dinners at the nearby Alma guesthouse.

    We condole with Niyi Akintola, SAN who wrote with trembling hands on the total devastation of his upper market hotel in the area. Our heart also goes out to our great friend and senior politician, Barrister Iyiola Oladokun, whose wife is a great fan of this column. We learnt that their residence was completely obliterated.

      Once again, Nigeria has become the laughing stock of the entire world. How can a gifted and much admired nation allow this kind of seismic damage to be inflicted on its populace? They have been mining in South Africa for eons and we have never heard of this Kafkaesque nightmare. One day the nation would rouse from the horrendous sleepwalking

  • Ibadan residents raise alarm to avert another explosion

    Ibadan residents raise alarm to avert another explosion

    Residents within Kolapo Ishola Estate, Ibadan from General Gas to Iyana-Church, urgently called for intervention from the Oyo state government and concerned stakeholders.

    They expressed concerns about the potential ‘impending disaster’ resulting from the indiscriminate establishment of gas stations and petrol stations in the area.

    The residents emphasised the necessity of government intervention to prevent a recurrence of the tragic event that occurred in Bodija Estate last Tuesday night, where an explosion led to the loss of lives and properties.

    Speaking with newsmen after the meeting of landlords in the area, the chairman, Kolapo Ishola GRA, Olalekan Thanni and vice chairman of Carlton Gate Residents Association, Otunba Jimi Bolusere described the issue as a time bomb waiting to explode if not curtailed.

    The duo stated that the Bodija incident has become an eye opener for them, saying they are acting on Governor Seyi Makinde’s advice which says ‘if you see something, say something’.

    They stated that the significant risk posed by the indiscriminate placement of gas and petrol stations is considerable, given their proximity to schools, churches, and residential areas within the estate.

    They said: “After an extensive debate of imminent danger particularly in reference to an unfortunate incident that occurred last Tuesday at Bodija, we are seeing something, we are now saying something, and we expect the authority to do something.”

    Meanwhile, a communique issued at the end of the meeting stated that “In the likes of a recent event that took lives and properties of Bodija residence, we have decided to highlight an impending danger with potential more devastating impact if not urgently addressed.

    “Within a distance of less than one kilometre, we have numerous gas plants and fuel stations domicile proximity to schools, churches, and residential communities, this is a time bomb.

    “Specifically, we have a gas tank farm which is less than five kilometres from Valencia School and opposite Mercy Land fuel station, this gas tank farm has a mechanic village close by where welding activities can ignite devastating explosions.

    “After our meeting, we have reached the following decisions, we request for review of approval given to the gas plants, gas farm, and fuel stations within our corridor.

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    “We specifically call on the government to address the gas tank farm operated by Gasland close to Valencia School, various Churches, and numerous residential communities along the corridor.

    “We urged the government to review the violation of DPR guidelines and regulatory approvals in establishments of the fuel and gas facilities within residential communities.

    “Residents will continue to review the safety and security landscape of communities along the corridor to guarantee the safety of lives and properties of residence.

    “It is imperative that within the shortest possible time, the gas tank farm should be relocated out of our community as it possed potential future explosion.”

  • Ibadan Armageddon: The morning after

    Ibadan Armageddon: The morning after

    • By Semiu Okanlawon

    Even the morning after, hours apart, we could not be too certain of the enormity of the tragedy that befell us in Ibadan with the Armageddon that ripped open the underbelly of so many hidden facts about our national existence.

    Each disaster has a way of exposing and making fun of our vulnerability especially in those critical areas of life that we ought to take seriously as a people. The sight of victims of the explosions being conveyed to hospitals in open vans stands as a distressing one that reveals how unprepared we are ever for emergencies.

    What started like a confused scene sending fearful residents scampering for safety even when they little knew what, exactly, was pursuing them, has turned out to be the detonation of explosives (according to preliminary findings) that have raised more questions that we may never get accurate and adequate answers for. 

    And just as we are accustomed to in many of our other national and local mysteries, the real findings about what has terminated some lives and turned many into disabled persons may never be known by ordinary Nigerians.

    Explosives in Bodija! What, for goodness sake could any object of this dangerous make be doing in what used to be the neighbourhood of the elite and an area that has now lost its age-long peace and serenity to the commercialisation drive of young businesses of various hues?  

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    My knowledge of Ibadan reminds me of the serenity of Bodija, albeit, until the development that has enveloped the neighbourhood in recent years on Awolowo Avenue and Oshuntokun Avenue. Both twin streets stretch and opened their legs into Secretariat-Bodija Market Road; kissing each other in front of the Oyo State Housing Corporation building. 

    My most recent visit to Ibadan showed the tremendous transformation of the Awolowo Avenue that I knew with rendezvous centres, night clubs that make the avenue come alive in the night with many girls swarming the clubs in skimpy dresses and lining the road waiting for ‘customers.’

    Adeyi, as I knew it, was the neighbourhood of the eminent such as late Chief Bola Ige, a former and former deputy governor of Oyo, Iyiola Oladokun; late Governor Abiola Ajimobi had his campaign office while seeking to contest for governorship off Adeyi and I recall that former senator representing Oyo East, Architect Adeyemo lived off the popular avenue.

    With Davis Hotel, a fairly old hotel that serves the quiet needs of the upper class tucked inside Adeyi Avenue, and new hospitality ventures that have come up in the neighbourhood, you could never miss the conclusion that Adeyi has had a peaceful existence.

    Going by the revelation of Governor Seyi Makinde and the confirmation of that by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) on Wednesday, we are back to our question: What could explosives possibly be doing in that neighbourhood?

    “Illegal miners,” as Governor Makinde called the supposed owners of the devices that shattered the peace of Ibadan, by inference, are probably housed in the neighbourhood from where they coordinate their nefarious activities on the mining fields in Oyo, Osun and possibly Ogun. 

    Allied questions also come up to agitate our minds and answers must be provided to these posers fast lest some other insinuations are imputed into the tragedy that happened on Tuesday.

    In the bewildering awe that we are all entrapped in, conspiracy theories such as ethno-religious complications that we have all lived with in recent times are inevitable. 

    In my conversations with a very elderly friend who resides off Awolowo Avenue and whose property shook to its very foundation in the night of Tuesday, I was not surprised when he expressed his conviction that investigators must not foreclose the possibilities of some terrorists intentions and that the explosions could just be a tip of what is to come in an entirely coordinated attacks in this part of the country. 

    I wish I could dismiss such suggestion that as baseless. But our wishes and prayers are one thing; the intention of those committed to evil is another. Which is why posers must be raised over the ownership of the cars suspected to have carried the Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs).

    Who owns the property in the compound of which the explosion happened? Assuming the “illegal miners” which Governor Makinde called them reside in the property, who do they work for? It is an open secret that all the illegal miners in Nigeria have their Nigerian, local partners who facilitate things and softens the grounds for them. Such partners are usually the big men of the society from well-known traditional rulers to heavy political gladiators and some ruthless businessmen. 

     Illegal mining and insecurity in Nigeria are intrinsically linked. In a report authored in 2023 by Oluwole Ojewale, Regional Organised Crime Observatory Coordinator, Central Africa, and Freedom Onuoha, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Political Science and Coordinator Security, Violence and Conflict Research Group, University of Nigeria, they concluded that “In the banditry-affected communities of Nigeria’s north-west and central areas, loose criminal networks engaging in illegal gold mining have ties to foreign actors and facilitate trafficking flows. Most criminal markets for gold in the country are driven by foreign demand but are propped up by local actors.”

    Is the story different from Zamfara to Ilesa, where activities of miners have turned lives upside down? Local chiefs and so-called influential figures connive to do in their own people for the foreigners to ravage community lands and take away their resources.

    Dele Alake, the minister in charge of mining has directed his ministry to join the investigations. I even think his ministry should take the lead and be assisted by other stakeholders to unravel what indeed has transpired. 

    The minister may be interested in another postulation by the authors cited above where they said “Most of the mining activities are being done by illegal miners because mining sites have been neglected by regulators and security agents. Chinese and other foreigners too are taking advantage of this prolonged neglect by the nation’s mining regulators and security agents. It’s also the reason why bandits are attracted to the sector.”

    Sanitising the mining sector is perhaps Alake’s biggest task and there is just no time to waste to achieve this. 

    I had a chance encounter with some Chinese opportunists (I refuse to call them investors) at a dinner in Abuja recently. My interaction with them again reaffirmed the belief that those we erroneously refer to as “investors” are no more than hyenas who have come to take advantage of our flesh and leave us with bones. 

    But then, a country that sits on fortunes but chooses to trample on it will eventually yield its wealth to vultures. 

    What happened in Ibadan, should it be the result of explosives owned by illegal miners, is just another sad reminder that (in the words of Ola Rotimi), we have left our pot unwashed and our food now burns.

    • Okanlawon, journalist, media strategist and consultant, is also the publisher of NPO Reports.