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Tag: OSUN

  • IGP launches schools protection squad in Osun to tackle insecurity in education sector

    IGP launches schools protection squad in Osun to tackle insecurity in education sector

    The Inspector General of Police (IGP), Kayode Egbetokun, on Monday inaugurated the Schools Protection Squad (SPS) in Osun State as part of efforts to combat the rising threats of kidnapping, homicide, and destruction of educational infrastructure.

    The initiative was unveiled during a training programme for education stakeholders tagged “Strengthening Security Resilience and Integration of Host Communities in the Protection of Education”, held at the Local Government Service Commission in Abere.

    Represented by the Assistant Inspector General of Police, Zone XI, Emuobo Ekokotu, the IGP underscored the importance of protecting schools, describing them as vital to national development. “Schools are sanctuaries of knowledge and nurturing grounds for future leaders. Their security is paramount, and it is our collective responsibility to shield them from potential threats,” he said.

    Egbetokun disclosed that Commissioners of Police across the Zone have been directed to engage with education stakeholders and community leaders to develop collaborative strategies for school safety. The SPS, he explained, would offer training for educators, administrators, and security personnel to help them recognise and respond effectively to threats.

    Governor Ademola Adeleke, represented by Deputy Governor Kola Adewusi, commended the initiative and noted that Osun State has so far recorded no attacks on educational institutions. “We must all work hard to sustain this achievement. Collaboration among stakeholders is key to shielding our schools from potential threats,” he said.

    He also called on the police to adopt modern technology and intelligence-led policing for proactive security enforcement around schools.

    Earlier, Dr. Abayomi Shogunle, Coordinator of the SPS from Force Headquarters, lamented the growing threats to school safety, noting that incidents of kidnapping and infrastructure destruction have led to closures and increased the number of out-of-school children.

    Read Also: IGP hails officers over Somalia operation

    He said the federal government, in response, signed the Safe School Declaration and began its implementation in 2023 to ensure that children affected by conflict and insecurity can continue their education in a safe environment.

    The inauguration of the SPS in Osun marks a significant step towards building a secure and resilient educational system across Nigeria.

    According to him, “The Nigeria Police Force now has a 24/7 functioning emergency centre dedicated to responding to school emergencies, strengthening security resilience and integrating host communities into our plans for the protection of education.

    “The Implementation of the plan is in phases, with Osun State being one of the pilot states. These programmes are in line with the current administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda.”

    In the welcome address of Osun State Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Gotan, said during the 2-day seminar, stakeholders, including religious, community leaders, security, education and government, will engage in meaningful discussions, share expertise, and explore strategies to enhance the safety and security of our schools.

    In several goodwill messages, education stakeholders and the Nigerian Army promised to provide support for the initiative. 

  • Ex-Osun IPAC chair slams Adeleke over probe of radio stations

    Ex-Osun IPAC chair slams Adeleke over probe of radio stations

    The former Osun State Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Hon Adewale Adebayo, has criticised Governor Ademola Adeleke’s directive summoning and probing radio stations in the state for airing opposition views.

    Adeleke had ordered an investigation into certain radio stations over alleged inciteful remarks made by opposition leaders in the wake of a fresh Appeal Court ruling on the ongoing Osun local council crisis.

    Reacting in a statement on Tuesday, Adebayo, who also chairs the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in Osun, described the governor’s action as a deliberate clampdown on independent media and their executives for giving airtime to dissenting voices.

    He warned that such moves threaten press freedom and undermine democratic principles.

    He said, “We are strongly condemning the ongoing intimidation, undue probing and veiled threats issued by Governor Ademola Adeleke against media managers because they are providing platforms for opposition voices.

    Read Also: APC chieftain to Adeleke: don’t gag the press, freedom of speech should be guaranteed

    “We are not in a military dispensation but a democratic society, hence the media cannot be government propaganda machinery but should be a watchdog of democracy and a platform for all voices.”

    He stressed that the intimidation is an attempt to suppress and undermine press freedom and poses a direct threat to democratic engagement and transparency in Osun State.

    “We call on civil society organisations, the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ) and all defenders of free speech to rise up and resist this encroachment on press freedom in Osun State.”

  • NIWA boss denies meeting with police to destabilise Osun

    NIWA boss denies meeting with police to destabilise Osun

    The Managing Director of National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA) Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, has denied meeting with the police to destabilise Osun State ahead of the 2026 guber poll. 

    Oyebamiji, one of the leading guber aspirants within the All Progressives Congress(APC), reacting to alleged meeting with one ACP Adekunle Ige of MOPOL 39 Commander, described the allegation as outright falsehood to smear him. 

    A statement by his campaign coordinator, Adebayo Adedeji on Thursday said he was not planning to heat up the polity of Osun State using the police as reported in some sections of the media. 

    “The accusation is false and is part of the grand plot to distract Oyebamiji from his lofty 2026 project of delivering the state from the doldrum it was plunged into by the clumsy government in Abeere.

    “We equally sense that the power mongers have seen the 2026 defeat staring themselves in the face, thus preparing the ground of excuse for the outcome of the failure awaiting them next year.”

    He said that since Oyebamiji declared his gubernatorial intention, the NIWA boss has come under false attacks from the camp of the incumbent governor of Osun State. 

    “Oyebamiji did not meet the named police officer, or any officer for that matter, for any purpose or for the purpose of further breaching the fragile security architecture in the state or withdrawing the security Details of the Politically Exposed Persons (PEPs) in the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun as touted by the news outlet.

    “It is glaring that the evil forces behind the smear campaign against Oyebamiji are those either being haunted by the cruelty of their immediate past or troubled by the towering profile of our political megastar whose resolve, to set Osun loose from the manacles of the economic plunderers feeding fat on the commonwealth of the people of the state, is daily strengthened by the enthusiastic citizens.”

  • Two die, 15 injured as ram-laden truck crashes in Osun

    Two die, 15 injured as ram-laden truck crashes in Osun

    Two passengers died while 15 others sustained various degree of injuries when a ram-laden truck crashed in Osun State. 

    The Nation gathered the incident occurred on Wednesday around 8:26am at Osogbo/Gbongan road, Gbongan in Ayedade local government area of Osun State. 

    The Public Education Officer of Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC), Osun State Sector, Mrs Agnes Ogungbemi, confirmed the lone accident which involved a truck with no registration number. 

    She blamed the accident on mechanical deficiency  violation noting that 17 people were involved in the crash. 

    “Preliminary investigations revealed that the crashed truck was loaded with approximately 70 animals—including cows, goats, and sheep—as well as human passengers seated atop the animals. The vehicle was reportedly traveling from Kebbi State en route to Ikire, Osun State.

    Read Also: Osun 2026: NIWA boss blasts PDP, denies selling bank shares to Ponzi scheme

    “According to statements from some of the passengers, the driver had dozed off on at least two occasions after the truck passed Osogbo. Upon reaching the Surprise Hotel area in Gbongan, the driver allegedly fell asleep again. As a result, the truck veered off the road and plunged into a roadside ditch, overturning and violently ejecting both animals and passengers.

    “Two fatalities were recorded at the scene, while 15 other passengers sustained varying degrees of injuries. The injured passengers were promptly transported to a medical centre, in Gbongan and the two dead victims.”

  • Osun 2026: NIWA boss blasts PDP, denies selling bank shares to Ponzi scheme

    Osun 2026: NIWA boss blasts PDP, denies selling bank shares to Ponzi scheme

    The Managing Director of the National Inland Waterways Authority (NIWA), Asiwaju Bola Oyebamiji, has refuted claims that he sold Osun State shares in Living Trust Bank to a Ponzi scheme, alleging instead that the transaction was carried out by an aide to Governor Ademola Adeleke.

    The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had accused Oyebamiji of overseeing the fraudulent sale while serving as Osun State’s Commissioner of Finance, demanding clarification on his alleged involvement.

    In a statement released Wednesday by Adebayo Adedeji, coordinator of his campaign team, Oyebamiji described the allegation as baseless and politically motivated. 

    He said it was a calculated attempt to tarnish his image ahead of the 2026 governorship race, where he is seen as a major contender determined to rescue Osun from what he called PDP’s failed leadership.

    He explained, “Bola Oyebamiji played no role in how Osun State’s shares in LivingTrust were sold to private investors, as the transaction, which ceded the shares to private investors, took place long before he became the Commissioner of Finance in the state.

    “The divestment of Osun’s shares occurred in 2013 when Dr Wale Bolorunduro, who reportedly is now a financial advisor to Governor Adeleke, was the Commissioner of Finance.

    Read Also: BREAKING: Osun 2026: NIWA boss, Oyebamiji declares aspiration for guber seat 

    “Living Trust Mortgage Bank, which used to be named Omoluabi Mortgage Bank, was wholly state-owned until 2013 when it was converted from a Private Limited Liability Company to a Public Limited Liability Company and subsequently listed on the Nigerian Stock Exchange, where its shares were publicly traded.”

    He noted that Bolorunduro, who was the finance commissioner at the time, played a prominent role, hence, Oyebamiji should not be fingered or alleged.

    Adedeji stated that a letter dated March 21, 2025, addressed to the Managing Director of LivingTrust, Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), declined Bolorunduro’s nomination by Adeleke as Director, as they demanded a neutral person.

    He added, “Since rejection of the nomination, Osun government agents are sponsoring a campaign of calumny against Oyebamiji, whose gubernatorial aspiration has become a big headache for the present government. 

  • Pasuma, crew escape ‘thug attack’ in Osun

    Pasuma, crew escape ‘thug attack’ in Osun

    Popular Fuji musician, Wasiu Alabi, better known as Pasuma, reportedly escaped an attack on Friday by suspected thugs in Ikire, Osun state.

    A viral video revealed what appeared to be the aftermath of the attack. It showed a black bus with Pasuma’s image and a white Toyota Hilux, marked by “holes”.

    A distressed voice in the background, believed to be one of Pasuma’s crew members, claimed the vehicles were stoned and shot at.

    Read Also: Pasuma, Taye Currency settle rift in Mecca

    “Kasala don burst for Ikire. They don attack us. This is Pasuma’s car. They carry gun shoot us, but God dey,” the voice said in pidgin English.

    The Fuji singer was reportedly in Ikire for a musical performance.

    On his X page, Pasuma reassured fans that he and his crew are “safe and sound”. The singer also expressed gratitude to people who called him.

    “Myself and the entire crew are safe and sound. I appreciate everyone for reaching out. THANK YOU ALL #OneLove,” the post reads.

  • FRSC raises alarm over surge in unregistered vehicles, motorcycles in Osun

    FRSC raises alarm over surge in unregistered vehicles, motorcycles in Osun

    …issues a two-week ultimatum to violators

    The Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) has expressed concern over the increasing number of unregistered vehicles and motorcycles on highways across Osun State, warning that the trend poses serious security risks.

    In a statement issued on Sunday, the Osun State Command’s Sector Public Education Officer, Agnes Ogungbemi, revealed that many vehicles, particularly motorcycles and cars, are being operated daily without number plates or are using dealer plates illegally.

    She noted that vehicle dealers are largely responsible for the problem, either by driving around with dealer plates or selling vehicles that buyers continue using with dealer tags and stickers indefinitely, in violation of registration laws.

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    She continued, “We have also identified the use of fake number plates on vehicles in the state, which is an altogether criminal act. The foregoing has serious security implications for the good people of Osun State, as some of the car owners identified are criminal elements who deliberately refuse to number their vehicles or affix them with fake plates, as they are being used as getaway vehicles for various criminal purposes.

    “We have also observed a high presence of unregistered motorcycles in the state that are being ridden, purportedly for commercial purposes, but which is a cover for the criminalities the riders are involved in. Available intelligence from the DSS buttresses this development and, if left unchecked, the menace may grow to monumental proportions that will be difficult or impossible to curtail.”

    The sector issued a two weeks ultimatum to the violators noting that after the expiration of the grace period, there will be a week-long joint special operation with the State Board of Internal Revenue and other relevant government agencies, within Osogbo and its environs, to bring the violators to book. 

  • 1,400 Osun farmers benefit from Renewed Hope Agenda support

    1,400 Osun farmers benefit from Renewed Hope Agenda support

    No fewer than 1,400 farmers in Osun State have received fertilizers, spraying equipment, and cartons of agrochemicals under the Renewed Hope Agenda Initiative to enhance food security.

    The beneficiaries, drawn from Ede North, Ede South, Egbedore, and Ejigbo local government areas, are part of a support programme sponsored by David Asalu, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ejigbo, Osun State.

    Speaking at the distribution event, Asalu revealed that 600 bags of fertilizer, 400 sprayers, and 400 cartons of agrochemicals were handed over to farmers in the Federal Constituency as part of efforts to localise and implement the Renewed Hope Agenda at the grassroots level.

    “it is a direct contribution to the actualization of the Renewed Hope Agenda of President, Bola Tinubu, in the area of Agriculture and Food Security. He made clear his intentions to rapidly develop Nigeria through homegrown solutions that will make the Nation self-sustaining. 

    Read Also; Renewed Hope Agenda: Group rallies Somolu residents on development plan

    “As loyal lieutenants of the President therefore, we must ensure the spread of his vision, contributing our personal efforts and mobilizing government’s interventions, towards the development of agriculture in our various localities.”

    He added that the programme is targeted to expand the frontiers of progressive governance to all the nooks and crannies of the country, facilitating the spread of visionary leadership that has become the identity of the progressive ideology.”

    He recalled that through his personal contributions, “We have sponsored WAEC and UTME examinations for over 5,000 young people with follow-up scholarships to many of them who are indigent.”

  • 6,000 Osun residents benefit from Lions Clubs’ free eye care initiative

    6,000 Osun residents benefit from Lions Clubs’ free eye care initiative

    Over 6,000 residents across various communities in Osun State have received free eye care services through an ongoing outreach by the Lions Clubs International Foundation.

    The initiative, which has covered over 20 communities, is currently being held in Ile-Ogbo, the headquarters of Ayedire Local Government Area. It forms part of the Lions Eyecare Development Project in Osun State, which has been running for the past four years.

    Speaking to journalists, the Outreach Officer, Mrs. Olufunmike Odesanmi, said the programme was designed to reach people at the grassroots, many of whom struggle to access proper healthcare.

    “Many people in rural areas rely on self-medication or over-the-counter treatments when they experience eye problems, and this often worsens their condition,” she explained. “We brought the free eyecare programme directly to these communities to address the lack of access to quality healthcare and reduce the risks associated with untreated eye issues.”

    Odesanmi added that the outreach caters to all age groups, including youths, and offers treatments such as medications, laser therapy, and surgeries for those diagnosed with various eye conditions.

    “Some people we attended to were given drugs, some that are half refractive errors were given glasses, and those who have cataracts will require surgery, which will be referred to Lion Eyes Centre at State Specialist Hospital, Asubiaro, Osogbo, for further management.”

    Odesanmi revealed that “we have been to over twenty Osun communities and we attend to an average of 300 people in these communities, so I can say that over 6,000 have benefited. For this Ile-Ogbo outreach, we have attended to 323 people.”

    One of the leaders of Ile-Ogbo United Forum, Mrs Aderonke Ojo, commended the Lions Clubs for the initiative, noting that residents of the community especially the aged people have issues with their eyes. 

  • Osun LG crisis: Judge recuses self on NULGE suit

    Osun LG crisis: Judge recuses self on NULGE suit

    The presiding judge for Osun State High Court sitting in Ikirun, Justice Isiaka Adeleke, on Thursday withdrew himself from the suit of Nigeria Union of Local Governments Employee (NULGE) against reinstated chairmen of All Progressives Congress (APC) over council control crisis.

    The Nation recalled that APC elected chairmen took over the 30 councils of Osun state following the February 10, 2025, Appeal Court verdict reinstating them to office after being sacked by Governor Ademola Adeleke in 2022.

    Meanwhile, NULGE opposed the resumption of APC chairmen, hence they were dragged before the Ikirun High Court in suit HIK/5/2025 including the Director-General of the Department of State Security, Inspector General of Police, and others.

    In April 2025, APC alleged that Governor Ademola Adeleke had concluded plan to carry out judicial coup by procuring fresh court judgment to order Peoples Democratic Party LG chairmen in office against A’Court verdict.

    At the sitting on Thursday, Justice Adeleke hinged his withdrawal on a petition authored by the Chairman, APC, Osun State, Tajudeen Lawal, accusing him of moving to give judgment in favour of NULGE without hearing from all parties involved.

    He added that an APC chieftain, Mr Sunday Akere publicly accused him of move to deliver a judgement to cause chaos in the state, which has successfully set public opinion against the court.

    According to him, On April 6, 2025, one Hon. Sunday Akere addressed a press conference wherein he alleged that this court was brought to procure kangaroo judgement to cause chaos in Osun State. Similarly, on April 10, 2025, one Sooko Tajudeen Lawal petitioned the Honourable Chief Judge of Osun accusing this court of conspiracy with the claimant to procure judgement without hearing from all parties.

    Read Also: Osun LG crisis: NULGE faction directs resumption of workers

    “The persons have successfully set public opinion against this court, and in my opinion, justice is rooted in public confidence. And the percentage at times is stronger than reality. I cannot, despite these allegations of bias, proceed to determine the matter, as any outcome would be perceived as biased. If, at the end, a judgment was delivered in favour of party A, the other would say I was bought to deliver it, and if it favoured party B, the other would say I was blackmailed to give the judgment.

    “If someone is to be said to be non-partisan, that person is me, as I am accountable to Almighty Allah and the oath of my office. To this end, I shall, in line with the practice of my profession, proceed to disqualify myself from the suit.

    “The combined effect of the APC is that I cannot deliver true judgment in this matter, therefore, the file numbered HIK/5/2025 is returned to the Honourable Chief Judge for reassignment.”