The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Ondo state

  • Ex-deputy governor’s daughter’s killer sentenced to death

    An Ondo State High Court sitting in Akure yesterday sentenced Seidu Adeyemi to death by hanging for killing Miss Khadijat Oluboyo, the first daughter of former Ondo State Deputy Governor Lasisi Oluboyo.

    Adeyemi was charged with killing his girlfriend, Khadijat, on July 2, 2018.

    He buried her inside his room at Aratusi, Oke-Aro, Akure.

    Khadijat was a final year student of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA).

    Justice Samuel Bola held that the prosecutor and the government’s counsel had proved beyond reasonable doubt that Adeyemi actually committed the offence he was charged with.

    The convict, a graduate of Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), was arrested by the police command last July for allegedly killing the former deputy governor’s daughter for money ritual at his home in Akure and burying her in his room for six days.

    Read also: Three die in Ondo auto crash

    Justice Bola said the convict had committed a capital offence and should die by hanging.

    The leader of the prosecution team, Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice Kola Olawoye, expressed delight over the judgement.

    He, however, described the circumstances leading to the death as unfortunate.

    Olawoye said the government was interested in the case because of the circumstances leading to the death of Khadijat, adding that the judgment would deter others.

     

  • Three die in Ondo auto crash

    Three persons have reportedly lost their lives in a fatal road accident on Ode Aye – Okitipupa road in Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Sources said  the carnage occurred when a motorcycle with two passengers, which was alleged to be on a top speed, rammed into oncoming vehicles.

    The crash also led to serious injury sustained by one of the passengers in the vehicle.

    It  involved a Golf Volkswagen car marked CH 978 GGE, driven by one Wasiu Ojeyemi and a diesel truck with number plate AKD 28 LG, driven by Taiwo Olowojulo.

    Read also: Motorists, commuters lament gridlocks on Lagos-Ibadan expressway

    The victims were said to have been thrown off the bike in different directions. One of them was crushed by an oncoming vehicle.

    Police report said the injured passenger was immediately taken to a private hospital in Ode-Aye for urgent treatment.

    The bodies of the deceased persons have been evacuated from the accident scene and deposited at the morgue.

     

  • Only God can end political desperation in Nigeria, says Cleric

    The General Overseer of the Gospel Faith Mission International (GOFAMINT) Dr.Elijah Abina has said that killings,disruption and inconclusiveness of polls especially in the recent election in the country were products of political desperation by the ruling class which could be tackled only by God.

    The cleric spoke in Akure, the Ondo State capital during the dedication of Owode ASS Cathedral of the Church.

    There were reported cased of election violence, militarisation of polling units leading to inconclusive elections in most parts of the country while supplementary governorship elections in Kano, Benue and other states were allegedly been hijacked by political thugs.

    Abina said politicians and most Nigerians had failed to realise that only God could make a leader, hence the need for them to shun desperation in their quest for political offices during elections.

    On anti-corruption war of the present administration, the clergyman commended President Muhammadu Buhari for trying to meet expectations of Nigerians,stressing that nobody could satisfy human needs.

    The General Overseer who was supported by the GOFAMINT General Secretary, Pastors Olufemi Omowumi, District Pastor, Adegbola Adelabu and others noted that corruption was the major factor responsible for Nigeria’s problems.

    He called  on the government to sustain the fight against corruption for a virile nation.

    Read also: Breaking: INEC adjourns collation of Benue results

    He said, “Desperation in politics is because people don’t know God, what is happening today in Nigeria is improper. The only solution is to come to God. In Nigeria, we are too religious, but not Godly”.

    “Only God can give leaders, no need for desperation. Corruption is the brain behind Nigeria’s problems. Corruption is everywhere. Anti-corruption war is better than before, the government is trying because it is not easy to please Nigerians. Even God who created us cannot satisfy everybody”.

    The cleric however sought for holistic solutions to anti-corruption war, high rate of vote buying and commercialisation of electoral system in the interest of the nation’s democracy.

  • Akeredolu to rename Ondo varsity after Agagu

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu has said the state University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) will soon be renamed after former Governor Olusegun Agagu.

    Akeredolu stated this during a thank-you tour to Okitipupa Local Government Area in Ondo Southern Senatorial District.

    He explained that the two newly-elected House of Assembly members representing Okitipupa 1 and 11 constituencies, Akineogunde Akinfomide and Akinwumi Emmanuel, would move the motion for the renaming of the university to Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa.

    According to the governor, it is a decision that can only be taken by the House of Assembly and they would move the motion as their first assignment.

    He said: “You know we have Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba and it won’t be bad to have Olusegun Agagu University in Okitipupa.

    “When we came on board, we noticed that the university lacked infrastructural facilities, a good road network and other areas, which we looked into and fixed.

    “The project would have been added to the museum of abandoned projects, hence the need for the major upgrades by this administration.”

    Akeredolu, who thanked the people for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during the election, lauded them and sought for their continued support for the All Progressives Congress (APC).

  • Akeredolu to rename OSUSTECH after Agagu

    Ondo State Governor, Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, has said that the Ondo State University of Science and Technology (OSUSTECH) would be renamed after former Governor of the state, Late Olusegun Agagu.

    Akeredolu disclosed this during a thank-you tour to Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo Southern Senatorial District.

    He explained that the two newly-elected House of Assembly members representing Okitipupa 1 and 11 constituencies, Akineogunde Akinfomide and Akinwumi Emmanuel would move the motion for the renaming of the University to Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa.

    According to the governor, it is a decision that can only be taken by the House of Assembly and they would move the motion as their first assignment.

    He said“You know we have Adekunle Ajasin University in Akungba and it won’t be bad to have Olusegun Agagu University in Okitipupa.

    “When we came on board, we noticed that the University lacked infrastructural facilities, a good road network and other areas which we looked into and fixed.

    “The project would have been added to the museum of abandoned projects, hence the need for the major upgrades by this administration”.

    Akeredolu who thanked the people for conducting themselves in a peaceful manner during the election, lauded them and sought for their continued support for the party.

  • Bloody attack in Ondo over chieftaincy title

    There was massive destruction of property on Thursday evening by suspected hoodlums in Ikare-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko Northeast of Ondo state.

    The crisis was over the choice of Oniku of Iku quarters, in Ikare – Akoko.

    Already, the concerned family has cried out for rescue.

    In a petition sent to the Ondo State Commissioner of Police, Undie Adie, the family demanded justice over alleged threat to their lives by the hoodlums said to have been sponsored by some prominent chiefs in the community.

    The Nation’ learnt that the development led to the destruction of properties and attack on residents of the community.

    The petition, which was signed by the family’s lawyer, Tolu Olowoyo, reads: “On Wednesday, February 27, the premises of our clients were invaded in a commando style by hoodlums fully armed with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons.

    “They were attacked assaulted and sent out of their homes by the hoodlums.

    “They shot sporadically thereby throwing the whole community into disarray. A lot of people were injured; several others were tortured, while few residents were in confusion.”

    Read Also: Protest rocks Ondo INEC office over alleged rigging

    The embattled family alleged that a prominent chief in the community was behind the attack, stressing all efforts to ensure that the perpetrators of the crime were apprehended had failed.

    They urged the Police Commissioner to come to their aid, saying residents of the community were now living in fear.

    The perpetrators of this heinous act were said to have emerged from the residence of a prominent chief in the community (names withheld) and thereafter headed straight to the residence of our clients.

    “We urge the CP to urgently swing into action and bring those behind the bloody attack to book before they throw the whole community into commotion,” the family pleaded.

     

  • We didn’t kill any suspect in Ondo, says NSCDC

    THE Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Ondo State Command, has refuted the claim that it killed a suspect, Rasak Ahmed, in its custody.

    The deceased was allegedly arrested for having carnal knowledge of his eight-year-old daughter in Akure, the state capital.

    Its Public Relations Officer (PRO), Samuel Oladapo, said the command decided to react after it was reported in some national dailies that the command allegedly beat Ahmed, a middle-aged man, to death in its custody.

    Oladapo said the suspect was arrested on Sunday following a complaint by his son, Ibrahim, that his father was having intercourse with his sister.

    He said: “The suspect was arrested by our men at our out-post station and brought to the state headquarters on Monday for proper investigations.

    “And during our investigation, Ahmed confessed to the offence and attributed it to devil’s work.

    “Before he was detained in the cell, he was complaining and begging that he should be allowed to put on his ‘buba’ and ‘sokoto’ because he had cold, which we obliged.

    “Meanwhile, he was brought to the headquarters around 6pm and surprisingly, when one of our men approached his cell to deliver food brought by one of his relatives, he was found dangling on iron door of the cell being a short man, having torn his cloth to hang himself.

    “It was unfortunate that he was the only inmate in the cell which made it easy for him to carry out the dastardly act,” he stated.

    He added: “NSCDC is civil and does not torture suspect, let alone killing a suspect. The moto of NSCDC is civil. We do not torture because it has not been our tradition and it is against our mandate.”

    The PRO noted that the corpse had been deposited in a government hospital for autopsy, saying that police had commenced their investigation to confirm the cause of the suspect’s death.

    He, therefore, urged members of the public to disregard the report, stressing that this was not the first time that the command would be handling incest cases.

  • Ballot box snatching: Two killed in Ondo community

    Two persons were reportedly killed Saturday in a political mayhem at Oba-Akoko, headquarters of Akoko Southwest local government area of Ondo state.

    Sources alleged that some hoodlums had stormed the community to snatch ballot boxes which led to rampage by youths leaving properties worth millions of naira destroyed including police station and police vehicles.

    It was during the melee that two persons were shot to death, while the third one with gunshot wounds has been admitted in an hospital.

    The Police Area Commander for Ikare-Akoko, Razak Rauf, an Assistant Commissioner of Police (ACP) who led a contingent of police to the town to prevail on the people, described the act of vandalization of police property as barbaric.

    He said investigation has commenced while culprits would be arrested and brought to book.

  • Akeredolu’s wife offers maternity kits to indigent pregnant women

    Wife of the Ondo state governor, Mrs Betty Akeredolu has identified gender inequality as bane of development in the country.

    She noted that though gender equality is a great catalyst for sustainable development, women continue to live as second class citizens in a male-dominated Nigeria.

    Mrs Akeredolu who spoke in Akure, the state capital during the 2019 International Women’s Day lecture noted that the inequality lapses was the reason why the country has not made substantial progress in national development.

    At the event, maternity kits running into several thousands of Naira were distributed to expectant mothers from across the state.

    The founder, Breast Cancer Association of Nigeria (BRECAN) said gender parity gap was even worse in developing countries where cultural norms and traditions spelt out well constructed gender-biased system.

    However, she noted that to change the narrative, effort should be made towards empowering women.

    According to her” in the wake of the gender-parity realities in the state, the Forum of Wives of Ondo State Officials and Female Political Appointees (FOWOSO) has been working tirelessly to improve the socioeconomic status of women in the state.

    Read Also: Akeredolu hails Ondo residents over peaceful polls

    She disclosed that thousands of women across the 18 local government areas in the state have been empowered with skills acquisition, empowerment items, and health information.

    Mrs Akeredolu said even though FOWOSO has been the major group galvanizing actions for the elevation of status of women in the state, she however maintained that the quest for gender equality was not the responsibility of women alone.

    She said” We must all take our stand against traditions and norms that discriminate against women.

    The Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the governor on Women Affairs, Mrs Titi Adeyemi called for equal opportunities for women to participate in decision-making.

    Mrs Adeyemi noted that the 2018 International Women Day was unique in the state because of new innovations of Public Lecture and distribution of Maternity Kits to Indigent expectant mothers across the 18 local government areas.

    The Lecture entitled” Inspiring Women for greater inclusion was delivered by Prof (Mrs) Helen Ogunsuyi of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA).

  • PDP candidate escapes assassination in Ondo

    Barely four days to the House of Assembly and House of Representatives supplementary elections in Ondo State, the leading opposition People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has raised the alarm over incessant attacks on its members by the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

    Chairman of the party in the state Clement Faboyede, said one of the Assembly’s candidates of the party in Idanre,Festus Akingbesote narrowly escaped death Tuesday when hoodlums suspected to be APC supporters attacked him when he went to an undisclosed hospital to check some members of the party admitted after previous attacks.

    He lamented that the state government led by Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu and APC had resorted to attacks on the opposition.

    Besides, he alleged that Ekiti and Osun states governors, Dr Kayode Fayemi and Gboyega Oyetola, were meddling in the state politics, which prompted violence prompting all manners of violence ahead of the Saturday polls.

    Faboyede recalled that some PDP members were attacked by APC thugs in Idanre Local Government Area while two casualties are currently receiving treatment in one of the hospitals in the community.

    He said; “We want to intimate the whole world of what is happening in Ondo State now. We are crying for Save Our Soul in the state. Ondo State PDP and the generality of Ondo State inhabitants, have witnessed a lot of violence.

    Read Also: Court nullifies Kano PDP governorship primaries

    “It is an open secret that the APC government, APC party and members have resorted to violence, intimidation and harassment of PDP members across the length and breadth of the state.

    “Everybody is moving around with fear and anxiety. The state that has hitherto been peaceful, that was rated as one of the most peaceful states in the country, the people are panicky of being attacked.”

    “On Monday, it took the combined team of soldiers and mobile policemen to dislodge APC thugs in Idanre, the hometown of APC state Chairman of the state. For four hours, they laid siege in the town with cutlasses and guns in Idanre community.

    “And Tuesday, attacks were on and about two of our people are in the hospital now. This call for concern as this has been the scenario: the community has been declared a war zone as APC thugs are harassing and intimidating the people.

    “They know they can’t win that election, especially that of Idanre, so they want to cause mayhem in that place. We want to say election is not war; election should be very peaceful and people should be allowed to whosoever they want.”

    “We are calling on our good people in Nigeria to please appeal to our governor and APC to that people of Ondo State can live in peace and exercise their franchise so that they can vote whoever they want to vote for.”

    Faboyede, who lauded security agencies for their impartiality and professionalism in the last election, urged them to be proactive and neutral in their dealings with the parties. He appealed to Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be neutral too.

    He urged President Muhammadu Buhari and other Nigerians to prevail on the leadership of the ruling party in the state, stressing that that they should guarantee the peace and security of its members ahead of the poll.

    APC spokesman, Alexandra’s Kalejaye could not be reached for comments on the development.