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Tag: ONDO

  • Late Ondo SSG buried in Akure

    Late Ondo SSG buried in Akure

    The remains of the late Secretary to the Ondo State Government, Hon. Temitayo Oluwatuyi, have been buried at his residence in Akure, the Ondo State capital.

     Oluwatuyi died last December while receiving treatment after an accident.

    He was buried after an outing and thanksgiving service at the Christ Apostolic Church in Oke Isegun, Akure.

    At the event, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, described the late Oluwatuyi, as an exemplary public servant whose life was dedicated to service, leadership, and community development.

    Aiyedatiwa said the former SDG lived an impactful life.

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    “Hon. Oluwatuyi, fondly called Tuykana, has paid his debt. His contributions to the development of Ondo State and grassroots politics were remarkable. He was a compassionate leader who worked tirelessly to uplift those around him. His unwavering commitment to public service earned him the love and respect of his people,” the Governor said.

    “Late Oluwatuyi was a political giant and a unifying figure who was deeply involved in the affairs of the state, having served as a local government chairman, Commissioner for Natural Resources, and twice as Secretary to the State Government.

    “His passing leaves a huge void, but as we celebrate his legacy, we must remember his dedication to the growth and progress of Ondo State. His legacy should inspire us all to serve with integrity, compassion, and excellence,” the governor added.

    President of the Church, Pastor Henry Ojo, urged the congregation to be prepared spiritually for their final appointment with God.

  • Declare Ondo oil producing coastal communities disaster zone, House tells Fed Govt

    Declare Ondo oil producing coastal communities disaster zone, House tells Fed Govt

    The House of Representatives yesterday asked the Federal Government to declare oil producing coastal communities in Ondo State as disaster zone requiring national emergency.

    In a motion of urgent public importance sponsored by Donald Ojogo (APC, Ondo), the House spoke of the need to save the communities from extinction as a result of sea incursion and ocean surge.

    Leading the debate on the motion, Ojogo said the four oil producing communities of the coastal area of Ondo State were a major source of revenue for the country.

    He said the communities accounted for about 5.8 per cent of the 60,000 Barrel Per Day (BPD) of Ondo State’s crude oil production output, amounting to about 3.7 per cent of Nigeria’s total oil production.

    Read Also: Ondo gets new laboratory for Lassa fever testing

    The lawmaker argued that ‘’this oil production by the communities contributes to Ondo State being ranked fifth among Nigeria’s oil producing states,  as captured by the NDDC law.’’

    He said devastating sea incursions and ocean surges ‘’have been the albatross of these communities for over two decades, with hundreds of homes and property destroyed, resulting in the displacement of indigenes of the communities in their thousands.’’

    Ojogo said the ocean surge had also resulted in the disruption of oil exploration activities, thereby posing threats to peace and security in the riverine areas of the state.

    He expressed concern that the surge, which had become an annual occurrence, had reached a peak, thereby submerging more than half of each of the communities; and in the case of Awoye in particular, ‘’the communities is now split into two by the ravaging incursion.’’

    He said in the last three weeks, upsurge in the sea incursion had prompted massive movement of indigenes and regrettably, avoidable deaths had been recorded due to the harsh conditions the displaced persons were subjected to.

    Ojogo said the development had become alarming that successive administrations in Ondo State appeared to have been overwhelmed, ‘’thus helpless in the face of the gradual sink of these communities into the ocean and almost inevitable extinction.’’

  • Police confirm abduction of seven travellers in Ondo

    Police confirm abduction of seven travellers in Ondo

    The Police Command in Ondo State has confirmed the abduction of seven travellers on the Owo-Ipele-Benin highway.

    The spokesperson for the command, Chief Superintendent of Police,  Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident to reporters yesterday in Akure.

    Read Also: Police grill suspended Ogun monarch over public assault, unguarded remarks 

    “Seven people were abducted and investigation is ongoing. Update on the incident will be provided soon,” Odunlami said. A family member of one of the victims, who pleaded anonymity, said they were abducted on Saturday night while returning from a Southsouth state to Akure.

    “The assailants ambushed the travellers, forcing them out of their commercial vehicle, which was later found abandoned by the roadside, prompting other motorists to raise the alarm,” the source said.

  • JUST IN: Gunmen kidnap seven travellers in Ondo

    JUST IN: Gunmen kidnap seven travellers in Ondo

    Suspected kidnappers have abducted seven travellers along the Owo-Ipele axis of the Owo-Benin highway in Ondo State.

    The attack occurred over the weekend, sparking concerns over rising insecurity in the area.

    Ondo State Police Public Relations Officer, Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident, stating that officers have been deployed to rescue the victims.

    Read Also: Gunmen abduct Ibadan agro-firm worker, demand n100m ransom

    The abduction comes shortly after the killing of five farmers at Ajegunle Powerline in Akure North Local Government Area.

  • Man rapes another lady after completing jail term for rape

    Man rapes another lady after completing jail term for rape

    A 55-year old man, Ayodele Ijilakinro,who recently completed three-year jail term for rape, has been arrested for raping another lady.

    Ijilakinro was released from the Olokuta Correctional Centre in February 2024.

    He was jailed in 2021 after assaulting his neighbour after he sold some products to her.

    The ex-convict was paraded with other suspects at the headquarters of the Ondo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps.

    Narrating his s3xual escapades with multiple women, Ijilakinro said many of the women had consensual s3x with him.

    He said three out of six women that testified against him were not among those he forced.

    “I have raped three ladies. I gave some of them money. I do take some of the women to hotels where we will eat drink, and have s3x,” he stated. 

    Ondo Amotekun Commander, Akogun Adetunji Adeleye, said the 24 paraded suspects were involved in various breaches of law and order.

    Adeleye insisted that the State remained peaceful.

    He said three suspected kidnappers as Akpan, Alimi and Emmanuel were arrested in Akure, Emure and Ipeme-Owo.

    One Adu Ojo, who specialised in ATM fraud, was also arrested.

    Ojo was said to manipulate ATM machines to trap victims’ cards after which he retrieved the cards with a secret code and stole all the money.

    Adeleye assured residents that the State remained safe for business and social activities

  • Survivor relives ordeals in Ondo’s crash

    Survivor relives ordeals in Ondo’s crash

    One of the survivors of the accident that left 28 persons burnt to death, Destiny Sunday, has narrated how he miraculously survived.

    The accident occurred on Saturday at Onipetsi along Ore-Lagos highway.

    Sunday said another passenger occupied the seat he initially sat on inside the bus.

    He was inside the bus whose driver drove against traffic before colliding with another commercial bus.

    Sunday, who is an only surviving son of his parents, spoke from his hospital bed where he is receiving treatment for broken leg.

    He said he initially argued with the passenger that occupied his seat but went to the back after other passengers prevailed on him.

     According to him: ”I boarded a travelling agency bus from Berger, in Lagos belonging to “GUO”, heading to Benin, When we got to Mowe, the driver was on patrol for passengers during that time, i came out from the vehicle to urinate.

    “Before I came back to the car another person had already sat down on my seat. I became so furious that led to an argument for some minutes, but the driver and the passengers begged me to go to the back seat, which I obliged to.

    “Another passenger later joined me at the back seat. In the process, I was pressing my phone and felt dizzy

    Read Also: Ondo @49: Aiyedatiwa promises to make Ondo better

     I didn’t know whether the driver was trying to avoid the police that made him follow one way

    “I saw when he diverted from his lane to another lane but I was dozing off already, then I slept off

    “Few minutes later, I saw a trolling van, coming to rescue me, it was inside the van I opened my eyes, asking someone around me about what happened

    “It was there I got the information that the bus I boarded got burnt, that only two persons in the bus survived.

    ”I am using this medium to seek financial help from individuals, Government. I don’t have money to pay for my treatment for my broken leg”.

     A doctor at the hospital, Mr Olatunji Paul, said the two survivors of the accident have been stabilised.

  • Tribunal begins sitting in Ondo over petition against Aiyedatiwa’s victory 

    Tribunal begins sitting in Ondo over petition against Aiyedatiwa’s victory 

    Ondo state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has said that there was nothing to worry about the petitions filed against his victory in the November 16, 2024 governorship election.

    Aiyedatiwa won in all the 18 local government areas of the state to defeat his closet rival, Hon Agboola Ajayi, of the Peoples Democratic Party.

    Three political parties, the Social Democratic Party (SDP), the African Democratic Congress (ADC), and the PDP have filed petitions at the tribunal to challenge the victory of Aiyedatiwa.

    Governor Aiyedatiwa, who spoke after the inaugural sittng of the Ondo State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Akure, said he was confident that the people voted overwhelmingly for the right candidate.

    Aiyedatiwa said his victory at the election was historic and a true reflection of the people’s will.

    The governor said: “The election was free, fair, and credible. The people of Ondo State made history by ensuring that, for the first time, a candidate won in all 18 local government areas. That alone speaks volumes about the trust and confidence they have in my leadership.

    ““And, you know, learning is continuous. Even though I’m the governor, I still also want to hear what is going on in the judiciary arm of government, particularly in this election petition. Having the legal professionals and the very competent justices on this panel, it’s an exercise for me. I just want to witness it and be part of it. There’s nothing to worry about.”

    Meanwhile, over 150 witnesses are expected to testify before the tribunal.

    The PDP said it would call 43 witnesses, the Independent National Electoral Commission said it would call 19 witnesses, Aiyedatiwa would call 32 witnesses while the APC and Adelami would call 20 and 35 witnesses respectively.

    The petitioners are asking the tribunal to invalidate the election on grounds that the election results did not reflect the wishes of the electorates and that the APC candidates were not qualified for the polls.

    However, the respondents asked the tribunal to dismiss the petitions saying the issue of qualifications have been determined at the Federal High Court and the Court of Appeal.

    Read Also: Edo poll: Tribunal admits 148 BVAS machines in evidence

    Speaking at the inaugural sitting, Chairman of the panel, Justice Nelson Ugubu, urged Counsel to parties in the suit to cooperate with the panel.

    He assured all parties of fair hearing and appropriate justice based on prevalence of constitution.

    Justice Ugubu cautioned Counsel against preempting decisions of the tribunal and not to be in a haste to talk to the press.

    He urged them to wait till the final decision of the tribunal.

    According to him, “The use of phones or any device in recording and capturing the tribunal’s  proceedings and faces of justices will not be allowed.”

    Sitting was adjourned to February 10th, 2025, for further proceedings.

  • Herdsmen kill five labourers in Ondo community

    Herdsmen kill five labourers in Ondo community

    Suspected herdsmen have killed five persons at Ajegunle-Powerline community, Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State. 

    The victims were said to be labourers hired from Plateau and Kaduna States. 

    A farmer in the community, Akin Olowolafe, said the attack took place on Tuesday around 3pm. 

    He said:  “These herdsmen killed five of our labourers. We have reported them to the state government and even to the security agencies but no positive actions were taken from these security agencies to stop the herdsmen activities on our farmlands. 

    “They entered the farmlands on Tuesday as we are working and they started shooting sporadically on the air and killed five people during the attacks.” 

    He said activities of herdsmen and  armed robbery have made life unbearable for them. 

    Olowolafe claimed that many farmers  have fled their farms for fear of being killed due to incessant destruction of their crops. 

    A labourer Fidelis Daniel said, “They (herdsmen) came around 3pm on Tuesday to destroy our farms and we have warned them not to come to our farmlands again but they didn’t hear, and when they came they just started shooting and killed five. of our people.  We took then to the mortuary. 

    “I was inside the farm too when the incident happened, I just heard the sound of guns, and I immediately ran to the house. It was even God that saved me too they would have killed me. 

    “They suddenly came with weapons to destroy our crops and killed five people. Three people from Plateau State and two from Kaduna State.” 

    Daniel, who also called on the Commissioner of Police, Wilfred Afolabi, the Commander of the State Security Network Agency (Amotekun Corps), Adetunji Adeleye and others relevant security agencies to take proactive security measures that will put an end to the daily embarrassment and attacks, lamented the worrisome as it is negatively affecting the morale of the farmers. 

    It was men of the Hunters and Vigilantes Association in Akure North Local Government Area of the state that reportedly took bodies of the slain labourers to the mortuary. 

    Spokesman for the Ondo State Police Command,Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, who confirmed the incident, said: “There was an attack on the community, and police is still investigating. But I cannot confirm the number of people that were killed.”

  • Fish seller nabbed for‘homosexuality’ in Ondo

    Fish seller nabbed for‘homosexuality’ in Ondo

    A fish seller in Igbokoda, headquarters of Ilaje Local Government, Omotayo Omojugba, has been arrested for alleged homosexualilty.

    Omojugba was alleged to have been luring young men to have sex with them.

    Two of his accomplices, Alex Akinfoyewa and Anikanda Adebowale, who recorded Omojugba ‘s love-making scene with other men, were said to be on the run.

    Read Also: Police investigate killing, abduction of two persons in Ondo

    A source said Omojugba used to lure young men with money and gifts, including clothings into sexual relationships.

    The source said Omojugba was arrested after he attempted to blackmail his partner by recording a video of their love making. Omojugba was said to have been arrested after his victim cried out. 

    Ondo Police spokesman, Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the arrest, said investigation has started.

  • Police investigate killing, abduction of two persons in Ondo

    Police investigate killing, abduction of two persons in Ondo

    Ondo State Police Command said it has commenced an investigation into the killing of one Oluwaseun and abduction of two persons in Upenmen, Owo local government area.

    A spokesman for the Ondo police, Funmilayo Odunlami, said the investigation into the incident has commenced.

    According to witnesses, Oluwaseun was killed by suspected kidnappers.

    Read Also: Imo police arrest Inspector, four others over murder of lawyer

    The witnesses said the assailants abducted the two persons who were in the company of the late Oluwaseun.

    Oluwaseun was said to have attempted to flee the scene but was shot dead while his colleagues were abducted.