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Tag: ONDO

  • Ondo man collapses as fire kills children

    Ondo man collapses as fire kills children

    Two children, Jeila and Jersy, have been roasted to death after fire engulfed their apartment at Church Street, Oluwatuyi quarters, Akure, the Ondo State capital.

    Their father whose name was not given as of press time, was said to have collapsed and rushed to the hospital.

    The deceased were aged three and five.

    It was gathered that the fire started around 3:30pm but help did not get to the children on time.

    Neighbours said their mother locked them inside the room to buy something.

    Witnesses said the fire has engulfed a large part of the apartment before they knew what was happening.

    Read Also: Farmers protest destruction of crops by land grabbers in Ondo

    They said the apartment’s location in the building was difficult for quick help to get to the children.

    Burnt remains of the toddlers were found at the entrance of the apartment after the fire was put out.

    A tenant in the house, who pleaded anonymity, said people mistook the children’s cries as normal routine beating from their mother.

    Policemen from the B Division in Akure were seen evacuating the corpses.

  • Farmers protest destruction of crops by land grabbers in Ondo

    Farmers protest destruction of crops by land grabbers in Ondo

    Farmers in Aponmu community, Akure South Local Government Area, of have protested destruction of their farmlands containing both food and cash crops by suspected land grabbers.

     The protesters who besieged the office of the AIG, Zone 17 and the governor’s office in Akure, bore placards with various inscriptions such as “Our patience is being exhausted”, “Our farmland is being destroyed”, “Please, we don’t want war in our community”, “Please Stop them from our property”, among others.

     Speaking on behalf of the farmers, the Sasere of Aponmu, Chief Modupe Odunayo said cash crops such as cocoa, palm trees, cashew, kola nut were cultivated on the farmland.

    He said the farmers possessed necessary documents backing ownership of land but that the suspected land grabbers invaded the farmland with tractors and bulldozed the entire plantation.

     His words: “It was a rude shock when some persons entered our family land with tractors destroying both food and cash crops which include economic trees.

     “We have submitted our petition to the office of AIG, Zone 17 detailing how they perpetrated the illegality.

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     “The land belongs to my father and all the people my people apportioned the land to farm on are all here.

    “We’ve asked the land grabbers to stop their illegality but they turn deaf ear to our demand. When we went their yesterday, they threatened to kill me with cutlass.

     “We are calling on the state governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa to come to our rescue. They know quite well that the land doesn’t belong to them because we have documents backing our ownership of the land.

    The excuse they’re giving us is that they’re following directive.”

    Lawyer to the farmers, Olugbenga Adedugbe, said his clients were descendants of Pa Gabriel Modupe who was the first to found and farm on the said land for over 100 years, wherein he also built houses and allocated portions for persons paying rents for farming purposes….”

     He added that none of the suspected land grabbers have any portion on the farmlands because they are not members of the family of Pa Gabriel Oyinlola Modupe.

     “That they boasted that the way they uses the tractor on the farms is the same way they will use the cutlass to cut to pieces anybody that challenges them or stop them from accessing or selling the farmlands.

    “They have concluded plans to bring more thugs to resist any lawful resistance to the selling of the farmland. The said property is within the family approved perimeter survey of our client and our clients can no longer access other parts of the farmlands.”

  • Couple nabbed for stealing children in Ondo, Osun

    Couple nabbed for stealing children in Ondo, Osun

    Men of the Ondo State Police Command have arrested an Edo State-based couple who stole children in Ondo and Osun states.

    Police have recovered 10 of the children even as some parents who stormed Command said they were yet to see theirs.

    The couple, Lukman Isiaka, 42, and his wife, Abosede Olanipekun, 23, were said to have used various methods to steal the children and allegedly sold each child for N1million to 62-year-old Sabina Izuorah in Ihiala, Anambra State.

    Police investigators said the couple might have stolen several children in Edo before moving to Ondo and Osun.

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    Many of the children did not recognise their parents even as their names were changed and they spoke Igba dialect.

    Some were stolen in 2022.

    Four babies aged between one and six weeks and whose parents were yet to be known were also found with Izuorah.

    They were arrested after police tracked them to their Edo residence, following a report of a missing child.

    The child was stolen from her mother after Isiaka promised to marry while posing as Samuel Adejobi and introduced his wife as his sister, Ewatomi.

    Isiaka took the woman to buy her a phone and the child was left in the care of his supposed sister.

    The mother raised the alarm when Isiaka vanished and she could not find her child and his accomplice.

  • JUST IN: Ondo police arrest couple for child theft, recover 10 children

    JUST IN: Ondo police arrest couple for child theft, recover 10 children

    Men of the Ondo State Police Command have apprehended a couple, Lukman Isiaka, 42, and his wife, Abosede Olanipekun, 23, for allegedly stealing children across Ondo and Osun states.

    The police have recovered 10 of the stolen children, but some distraught parents who thronged the command’s headquarters lamented that their children were still missing.

    The couple reportedly used various methods to abduct the children, selling each one for ₦1 million to Sabina Izuorah, a 62-year-old resident of Ihiala in Anambra State.

    Police investigators disclosed that the suspects may have been involved in similar crimes in Edo State before extending their operations to Ondo and Osun.

    Many of the rescued children struggled to recognise their parents, as their names had been changed and they now spoke the Igbo dialect.

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    Some were stolen in 2022.

    Four infants, aged between one and six weeks, whose parents remain unidentified, were recovered from 62-year-old Sabina Izuorah by the Ondo State Police Command.

    The arrest of the suspects, Lukman Isiaka and his wife, Abosede Olanipekun, followed a police investigation into the abduction of a child reported missing by her mother.

    Isiaka, posing as Samuel Adejobi, had promised to marry the child’s mother and introduced his wife, Abosede, as his sister named Ewatomi. 

    On the pretext of buying the woman a phone, Isiaka left her child in the care of his “sister.”

    When Isiaka and his accomplice disappeared with the child, the distraught mother raised the alarm, prompting the police to track the couple to their residence in Edo State.

    Details shortly…

  • Voters’ apathy mars Ondo LG polls

    Voters’ apathy mars Ondo LG polls

    There was low turn out of voters in the local government elections held on Saturday across Ondo State. 

    The Ondo State Independent Electoral Commission (ODIEC) said 13 political parties fielded candidates for the election. 

    But the main opposition Peoples Democratic Party pulled out of the exercise on Wednesday, citing lack of trust on the electoral body to conduct credible polls.

    Electoral officers arrived polling units at about 8am but voters’ turnout were low 

    At various polling units, electoral officers were seen waiting for voters. 

    An electoral officer at Sacred Heart Primary School, Akure, said less than 20 voters have voted at about 11:30am. 

    The situation was the same at 
    Ward 4, Unit 27 and Unit 7, Ward 2, Unit nine  and Unit 10. 

    Chief Press Secretary to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ebenezer Adeniyan, who voted at polling Unit seven, Ward 4, Akure South local government, described the process as smooth and peaceful. 

    Adeniyan said reports from across the state indicated that the turnout was encouraging. 

    He said: “The process was smooth. It has been peaceful. The turnout could be better. This is a good outing for Ondo State. It is the process leading to enthronement of local government autonomy. We have not recorded any incident across the state. The report of the election has been encouraging.” 

    Governor Aiyedatiwa, who voted at Polling Unit 5, Ugbo Ward 4, Ilaje Local Government Area, commended ODIEC for ensuring seamless conduct of elections. 

    Aiyedatiwa said it was a step towards enhancing grassroots development. 

    He said his administration was committed to effective running of the local government system in the state in line with the provisions of the law.

  • Four killed in another Ondo communal clash

    Four killed in another Ondo communal clash

    Four persons have been killed over a land dispute between Akure and Idanre communities in Ondo State

    The four persons were found dead at Gbalegi, the disputed area between Akure and Gbalegi.

    Last week, two persons were killed in Akoko Southwest Local Government when youths of Ebo, Owaki, and Oke-Odo clashed over a boundary dispute.

    Ondo Police spokesperson, Funmilayo Odunlami, who confirmed the clash, said seven barrel guns and a large cache of arms were recovered.

    Read Also: Aiyedatiwa declares Friday work-free for Ondo council poll

    She said thugs mobilized themselves in the Gbalegi area and started attacking the people.

    “The Police on receipt of the information moved to the scene and arrested seven people who had charms and seven single barrel guns with a cache of live ammunition and expended ones. The Police further combed the nearby bush areas and found four corpses with bullet wounds.

    “The Commissioner of Police (CP) calls for caution in handling cases related to boundary issues and urges communities involved in land disputes to approach the law court for proper redress rather than resorting to self-help or violence.”

  • 32 suspects arrested over Ondo communal clash

    32 suspects arrested over Ondo communal clash

    The Police Command in Ondo State has arrested 32 suspects over the communal clash that claimed two lives on Sunday in Iwaro in Akoko Southeast Local Government.

    Chief Superintendent of Police Funmilayo Odunlami, the Command’s spokesperson, told the News Agency of Nigeria(NAN) yesterday in Akure, the state capital.

    “Yes, 32 suspects have been arrested in connection with the communal clash that occurred in Akoko on Sunday.

    “All the suspects are in our custody and investigation is on going to unravel the causes of the clash,” she said.

    NAN reports that the communal clash occurred among the youths of Oka Odo, Ebo and Owake communities in Iwaro.

    Read Also: AGF confirms recovery of over $110m in assets

    Two people were reportedly killed, with scores injured, and houses destroyed during the clash.

    “The clash started on Jan. 12, 2025 when youths from Oka Odo went on a hunting expedition and were allegedly attacked by youths from Ebo.

    “The Ebo youths were said to have mistaken them for individuals from Owake, with whom they have an unresolved land dispute.

    “In retaliation, Oka Odo youths mobilised and invaded the Ebo community, leading to incidents of arson.

    “The conflict led to casualties on both sides leading to the death of two persons (names and identities unknown), while the injured are receiving treatment in the hospital,” the command spokesperson explained.

  • Two killed, houses razed in Ondo communal clash

    Two killed, houses razed in Ondo communal clash

    Two persons have been killed and scores injured in a communal clash between youths of Oka Odo, Ebo, and Owake communities in Iwaro, Akoko Southwest Local Government Area.

    Several houses were razed in reprisal attacks even as farmlands were torched.

    The state Commissioner of Police (CP), Wilfred Afolabi, said two persons were killed in the attacks.  He said the crisis began on Sunday when youths from Oka Odo went on hunting and were allegedly attacked by youths from Ebo.

    He said the Ebo youth mistook their attackers to be individuals from Owake, with whom they have an unresolved land dispute.

    According to him, “In retaliation, Oka Odo youths mobilised and invaded the Ebo community, leading to incidents of arson.

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    “The conflict led to casualties on both sides leading to death of two persons while the injured were receiving treatment in the hospital’’.

    A witness said the Palace of the Asin of Oka-Odo and an event hall were destroyed during the clash.

    The witness added: “Oka-Odo Community was attacked on Sunday night by suspected hoodlums allegedly from the neighbouring Ebo community.

    “Both the palace and the event hall have been destroyed, and several houses were set on fire. Sadly, a house belonging to Mr Omorinbola Francis, also known as Ekoro, was burnt to the ground.

    “Earlier that same day, members of the Owake Community had gone to install signposts on lands along Ikun Road, acting in line with an Appeal Court judgment that affirmed their ownership of the disputed lands.”

  • Ariyomo lauds Tinubu for federal projects in Ondo

    Ariyomo lauds Tinubu for federal projects in Ondo

    Former Special Adviser on Energy to the Ondo State Government, Engr. Olatunji Ariyomo, FNSE, has commended President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for what he described as a “series of iconic legacy projects” approved for Ondo State in the past one year. 

    Ariyomo hailed the recently approved National Aviation College, which is to be cited in Ondo State, as part of an effort to restructure the National Aviation College into six separate campuses to promote inclusiveness, ease of access, and equitable growth. 

    The former chairman of the College of Fellows of the Chartered Institute of Project Managers of Nigeria also listed “the approval of the Federal Executive Council under President Tinubu for the dualisation of key roads that pass through Ondo State such as the Benin-Ifon-Ipele-Owo-,Akure-Ilesha, Ore-Ondo-Akure, and Ado-Akure dual carriageway projects as well as the recent approval for the establishment of a federal teaching hospital for the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) as some of the  iconic legacy projects that will greatly impact the quality of life and the wellbeing of the people of Ondo State”.

    Ariyomo explained that “Since the return to democratic governance in 1999, there has been no President whose cabinet has demonstrated this level of commitment to Ondo State.

    “Mr. President, you make it look like Ondo State just joined the Nigerian federation!”

    The infrastructure expert further stated: “The state has for years been sidelined in terms of federal projects and federal presence. Should President Tinubu proceed to execute these projects and ensure they are completed, he would become the best president in the history of Nigeria as far as Ondo State people are concerned”.

    The man, popularly called Tunji Light Ariyomo, particularly praised the President for “his vision and courage on the matters of the Teaching Hospital and the Nigerian College of Aviation Technology, Zaria, Kaduna State, which has now been split into six campuses, located in each geopolitical zone of the country”.

    Apart from the existing campus in Zaria, the new campuses are to be located in Akure (Southwest), Osubi (South-South), Ebonyi (Southeast), Ilorin (North-Central), and Yola (Northeast).

    Read Also: Sole regulator of electricity standards will undermine decentralisation – Ariyomo

    Ariyomo highlighted that this bold restructuring not only ensures regional equity but also marks a historic moment for Ondo State.

    The engineer further emphasised that Ondo deserves this attention and that President Tinubu has taken a courageous step in ensuring the state is no longer sidelined.

    Commenting further, Ariyomo said “With the Aviation College and other projects, the state is on the path to unlocking its vast economic potential.”

    “Na who do us well we go praise,” Ariyomo jokingly remarked in the now viral message, noting that President Tinubu is doing Ondo State well and, for that, he deserves commendation.

  • Deji of Akure, Ondo varsity, other felicitate governor

    Deji of Akure, Ondo varsity, other felicitate governor

    The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, has congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on his 60th birthday, describing him as a beacon of hope for a greater Ondo State.

    The monarch, in a congratulatory message yesterday in Akure, said the governor remained a shining example to be emulated.

    The traditional ruler, through his Chief Press Secretary, Mr Michael Adeyeye, described the governor as an excellent and selfless leader, unassuming and dedicated public servant.

    Aladelusi, chairman, Ondo State Council of Obas, said Ayedatiwa’s commitment to the development of the state and passion for service remained unparalleled.

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    The management of Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH), Okitipupa, Ondo State, has felicitated with Aiyedatiwa on his 60th birthday.

    Vice Chancellor, Prof. Temi Ologunorisa, in a congratulatory message yesterday in Okitipupa, celebrated Aiyedatiwa’s life, leadership style and commitment to the development of the state.

    Former commissioner representing Ondo State in the National Population Commission (NPC), Dr. Diran Iyantan, has felicitated the governor for turning 60.

    Iyantan, in a statement yesterday in Akure, described Aiyedatiwa as an exceptional leader with resilience and favour in his journey to leadership.