POOR turnout, non-arrival, late arrival of electoral officers and materials marred the conduct of the local government elections in Oyo State on Saturday. 

In particular, the tale of poor turnout and late arrival of electoral officers was similar across many voting units.

Across many polling units, electoral officers did not arrive before 9 a.m.

When Sunday Tribune arrived at some polling units, between 1 p.m. and 2 p.m., electoral officers were largely idle as voters barely showed up for the exercise.

In Ward 12, Unit 16, Ibadan South East Local Government Area, 17 voters out of 613 registered showed up; at Unit 35, Ward 12 of the same local government, 23 out of 520 eligible voters showed up.

At Open Space, Ward 12, Unit 5 of Ibadan South East, 31 out of 355 registered voters had come as of 1.35 p.m., while at Unit 14, Ward 9, 12 out of 358 voters turned up. 

In Ibadan South West Local Government Area, at Unit 14, Ward 9, 12 out of 358 voters came out to cast their ballots; at Unit 29, Ward 9, 35 out of a total of 846 voters showed up to exercise their franchise. 

In the same vein, voters who had turned up at some voting units waited in vain as electoral officers failed to show up.

In Ibadan South East Local Government Area, voters registered in Unit 14 and 15 in Ward 12 as well as in Unit 15 in Ward 9 waited in vain for electoral officials who failed to arrive.

The story was the same in Unit 47, Ward 9 in Ibadan South West Local Government Area; as well as in some units across the 11 wards in Saki area of the state, where voters waited long hours for electoral officials to arrive.

Meanwhile, security agents were visible at most of the polling units visited by the Sunday Tribune, while party agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) were the only ones present at most polling units.

The agent of the New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) was seen only at one unit out of the units visited.

The Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission (OYSIEC) on Saturday night stated that announcement of results would commence on Sunday at 9 a.m.

APC alleges irregularities

In its assessment of the conduct of the poll, the APC has called for cancellation of the exercise after it described the poll as a sham that is capable of bringing the state to disrepute.

The party called on the OYSIEC to cancel the exercise and reschedule it for another day when it is ready to conduct a free, fair and credible poll.

The APC alleged that cases of non-availability of election officials, disenfranchisement of eligible voters, shortage of voting materials, violence and threat to life marred the poll, adding that the electoral commission appeared helpless to rescue the situation even as voters waited endlessly in most of the affected places.

In a statement issued on Saturday by its Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, Oyo APC disclosed that it would still reject the outcome of the poll even if the electoral commission declares all APC candidates as winners because the poll falls below the minimum global standard of election conduct.

“The best thing is for the commission to suspend the exercise and choose another date for a proper conduct rather than continue to connive with a few anti-democratic elements in the ruling PDP to perpetrate electoral fraud and desecration of democracy in the land,” APC said.

“In the 10 local government councils of Oke-Ogun, the official result sheets known as Form EC8A were withheld by OYSIEC’s electoral officers while political thugs were unleashed on some members of the opposition who asked questions in places like Kajola, Olorunsogo, Itesiwaju, Ibarapa East, Lagelu, Ido, Oyo East, Atiba, Oluyole among others. The chairman of our party in Ibarapa East, Mr Segun Ojediran, was violently attacked by the PDP thugs in Eruwa and he is now receiving treatment in a private hospital.

Meanwhile, Chairman, Oyo State Independent Electoral Commission, (OYSIEC), Isiaka Olagunju, has expressed satisfaction with how the local government election is being conducted in the state.

This is as he said complaints about late arrival of election materials at some polling units had been addressed.

Olagunju gave this assessment at the commission’s headquarters, Agodi, Ibadan, after monitoring the exercise in parts of the state.

Olagunju said: “I am very glad everywhere is calm and there is no violence. We have addressed all concerns about late arrival of election materials at some polling stations.”

Also speaking on the monitoring exercise, the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Adebola Hamzat, said the collaborative efforts of security agencies is evidenced by the peaceful election.

He said skirmishes in some parts of the state were being addressed.

“We have deployed enough security personnel, our people would see them everywhere. There is no cause for alarm, so far so good.”

In a related development, Oyo State governor, Seyi Makinde, has commended citizens of the state for turning out to vote during the Saturday election.

The governor also rated the conduct of the election high, stating that the poll compared favourably with elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The governor made these statements after casting his vote at Unit 1, Ward 011, Abayomi Open Space, Iwo Road, Ibadan North East LGA of Oyo State.

While addressing journalists after exercising his franchise, Governor Makinde said: “For us in Oyo State, it is almost like a given that democracy at the grassroots is what we practise. This is almost our fifth year in office and we are holding local government election for the second time. 

“Before we came in, it had always been caretaker administration at the grassroots without the people having a say in who should govern them.

“You can see around also that the people are going about, performing the exercise peacefully and the traffic restriction is being obeyed by the people. So, I will commend our people for coming out to take democracy seriously at that level.”

The governor, who noted that the security report about the election had been excellent, said those who observed any untoward development should report the same to the security agencies.

The chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, has commenced the restructuring of the anti-graft agency.

Olukoyede appointed Mr. Michael Nzekwe as his Chief of Staff.

He also appointed zonal directors for each of the 14 zonal commands of the commission. 

A statement on the EFCC’s website said Nzekwe is a top-notch investigator, lawyer and former commander of its Ilorin Zonal Command and is a course-one officer of the commission.

The statement reads: “He has served in various departments in the Commission, including Legal and Prosecution Department, Department of Operations (now Department of Investigations), Department of Internal Affairs (now Department of Ethics and Integrity), Servicom, and Asset Forfeiture Department.

“A seasoned administrator, he has attended several trainings and courses home and abroad, including the Advance Defence Intelligence Officers Course organised by the Defence Intelligence Agency, DIA. The appointment takes immediate effect and he has assumed duties.

“Olukoyede, in his restructuring and repositioning of the EFCC, equally upgraded all the Zonal Commands of the Commission to the status of Departments, with each of them headed by a Director. To this effect, 14 new directors have been appointed to head each of the Zonal Commands. Additionally, to bolster and fortify the security architecture of the Commission, the Security Unit of the EFCC has been upgraded to a department with a seasoned officer appointed as Director, Security and Chief Security Officer.

“A new department has also been created in the Executive Chairman’s office and it is headed by former Makurdi Zonal Commander of the EFCC, Mr. Friday Ebelo, who also doubles as Director and Coordinator, Special Duties, at the corporate headquarters of the Commission. The former Department of Internal Affairs has been renamed Department of Ethics and Integrity and minor reshuffling effected in some departments at the headquarters.

“An important component of the restructuring is the creation of a new department to drive the preventive mandate of the EFCC. Olukoyede, in an unprecedented move, created the Fraud Risk Assessment and Control Department to handle this all-important work of the Commission. The department has commenced operations and its impact will be felt more across the country in a short while.

“Olukoyede says that the ongoing restructuring is meant for the repositioning and strengthening of the EFCC to deliver on its assigned mandate optimally.”

In a not-too-subtle competition for influence, Titilola and Ngozi, the two wives of the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, locked horns, each claiming to be the First Lady of the state.

Titilola, reputed to be the governor’s first wife, proudly bears the traditional title of Yeye Soludero of Ila Orangun in Osun State. She was honoured with the NET Ambassador award in 2023.

The governor’s other wife, Ngozi, from Dimorji Obokwe Mbieri in Imo State, was named the Face of Adire by former president Olusegun Obasanjo. She also recently received the United Nations Peace Ambassador award.

On April 22, 2024, two viral photos of the posters bearing the photos of the wives of the governor welcoming Nigeria’s First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, to the state went viral on social media.

Senator Tinubu was billed to be in Osogbo, the state capital, the next day for the inauguration of the Alternative High School for Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road.

The inscription on the poster bearing Ngozi’s photo read, “Welcome to the State of Living Spring. Experience the beauty of Osun State’s landscape,” and was signed off with her name as First Lady of the state.

In a separate poster, Titilola also welcomed Mrs Tinubu to the “Official turning of the sod ceremony of the Alternative High School for Girls at Oke D.O, Ilesha Road, Osogbo” signed off as First Lady of the state.

Checks by our correspondent showed that Ngozi and Titilola have the title “First Lady” clearly written on their X (formerly Twitter) bios, with the former conspicuously including the title in her X name.

Netizens differ

As the two fliers by Adeleke’s wives went viral, many social media users described the situation as confusing, while others lauded the First Lady title taken by both women.

A Facebook user, Anthony Alfred, wrote, “There’s nothing like first ladies in one family. The first wife is the first lady and the second wife is the second lady like that till the 700th lady or more. Moreover, when a man marries more than one wife, the office of the First Lady should be scrapped because of limited state resources.

Another Facebook user, OgoAdulawo, wrote, “Traditionally. In Yoruba culture, it is customary for the first wife to hold a position of authority over the other wives. As a result, the first wife is recognised as the foremost lady of Osun State, unless the governor intentionally designates a different individual for the title.

“It is worth noting that this cultural practice is deeply rooted within the social fabric of the Yoruba people and has been upheld for generations. Thus, it is important to acknowledge and respect this tradition’s significance and impact on the Yoruba culture.”

On his part, another netizen, Sirajudeen Abdulazeez, noted that the issue of a governor having more than one wife had never been an issue, so the two fliers inviting Senator Tinubu was not a problem.

“If the governor has more than one as is common with most sane African men then they are all first ladies. This has never been an issue in the country.

“Most northern governors have more than one wife and it has never generated any controversy. Besides, the Osun people are not complaining. Let’s do responsible and issue-based journalism. The women have not said they are fighting or competing. They are both first ladies.”

But another X user, Aderemi Bukola, said there were no constitutional provisions for the office of the first lady, so any political office holder could have as many first ladies as possible.

“One is only good to prevent confusion and scandals,” Bukola.

Flier bearing Ngozi’s photo fake – Gov’s aide

Following the controversy that greeted the two fliers, Governor Ademola Adeleke, through his spokesman, Mallam Olawale Rasheed, disowned the flier which purportedly came from the office of Mrs Ngozi.

Rasheed, in a statement on Monday (April 22, 2024), explained that Titilola was the First Lady, and would be the one to receive Tinubu’s wife during the visit.

He said, “The attention of Mr Governor has been drawn to fake news in circulation about conflict over who among the governor’s two wives is to host the First Lady of Nigeria, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, on her official visit to the state tomorrow (Tuesday, April 23, 2024)

“For clarification, Chief (Mrs) Titilola Adeleke, the First Lady of Osun, is officially hosting the First Lady of the republic tomorrow in line with the directive of Mr Governor; there is no confusion on this official position.”

The governor’s aide further stated that the mastermind of the fake flier had been arrested.

“The flier circulating purportedly from the office of Erelu Ngozi Adeleke, the wife of the state governor, is fake news and the person behind it was nabbed and questioned last night.

“The said flier was never authorised by Erelu Ngozi Adeleke. The material was manufactured and shared by elements who wanted to sow discord and create an atmosphere of confusion,” he added.

Mrs Tinubu, Ooni recognise Osun ‘first ladies’ 

But the President’s wife, while speaking at the event, recognised the governor’s wives as first ladies.

“Let me also reiterate that Osun State was chosen as the location for this school through a transparent and unbiased raffle draw process at a strategic meeting with the state first ladies. So, rest assured that the siting of this school here in Osogbo, emanated from a fair process and it is a divinely guided one,” Mrs Tinubu said.

In his remarks, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, also acknowledged the role played by the governor’s wives in being a driving force behind the government.

“We will wait for you (Tinubu) over and over again for us to give you that honour. It’s very obvious that you are a unifier in this country; we can see all our first ladies behind our powerful political leaders, they are all sitting here, very gentle and amiable, they are the driving force behind all these political leaders that we are,” the monarch stated.

 Adeleke’s wives not alone

Findings by Sunday PUNCH revealed that several state governors, aside from Adeleke, have more than one wife, but some of whom jointly lay claim to the title of the First Lady.

Kebbi State Governor, Nasir Idris, is married to two wives, Zainab and Nafisa, who not only jointly run the office of the First Lady of the state, but also oversee two separate non-governmental agencies.

The Katsina State Governor, Dikko Radda, has two wives, Zulaihat and Fatima. Zulaihat is reputed to be the state’s First Lady while Fatima has the term, “Wife of the Executive Governor” written on her official Instagram and X profiles.

However, our correspondent sighted several pages and videos on different websites where the title of “First Lady” was used for the governor’s second wife, Fatima.

Gombe State Governor, Muhammad Yahaya, also has two wives – Asmau and Amina. Only Asmau is known as the official First Lady of the state.

Also included is the Bauchi State Governor, Bala Mohammed, who is married to Aishatu and Mariana. His first wife is officially recognised as the state’s First Lady.

Conversely, the Kano State Governor, Abba Yusuf, who has two wives – Mariam and Zainab –stated that his wives “will not be part of the governance” and has not recognised either of them as First Lady.

An X user, MS Ingawa, who claimed to have personally met Radda’s two wives, wrote, “It’s actually funny for people to waste their energy on (an) office with no constitutional mandate to the extent that we measure the governor’s competence or ability based on the selection of the First Lady.

“The office is at the discretion of the elected governor who may choose to officially recognise it or not. Recognised or not, the wife (wives) of the governor will play almost (the) same role. 

Ingawa said there had been governors in Nigeria whose wives were not known to the public.

“Some have more than one and nobody cares to know about them or even fight for the office on their behalf. It’s different in Katsina because all the two wives have a media presence. People tend to discuss more about what they see every day.”

Speaking with Sunday PUNCH, a lawyer, Segun Oladejo, explained that the title had no constitutional backing but had been merely recognised due to its usage over the years.

“The office of the First Lady of the federation or the state doesn’t enjoy constitutional favour. It became recognised as a result of continuous and long usage by different administrations over the years.

“Coming on the stride of anti-corruption in 2015, (Former president, Muhammadu) Buhari, stated that he won’t have the office because it’s not recognised but we all know what became of it as Aisha used it to the fullest. There can only be one person occupying the office,” Oladejo said.

The Central Bank of Nigeria has said it is all out to tackle rising inflation in Nigeria.

The acting director of the Banking Supervision Department of CBN, Dr Adetona Adedeji, disclosed this on Friday on the bank’s second episode of the talk podcast on its YouTube page.

He affirmed the bank’s decision to prioritise combating inflation over tackling rising unemployment rates.

During his talk, Adedeji emphasised that the Central Bank’s primary goal is to curb inflation, acknowledging the potential for impacts in other areas.

“The ultimate objective is for us to combat inflation. That is what the central bank is doing today. Whatever it takes to fight inflation, we are going to do that. It may have some impact in some areas.

“We can’t fight two things at the same time. There will be trade-offs. If you are fighting inflation, you can’t fight unemployment simultaneously. Even if you fight unemployment, it cannot reach the desired level. So, you have to choose either to fight inflation or unemployment. These two are macroeconomic objectives that are very critical to the development of the economy.

“But we are saying if we are talking of economic growth, it is because the economy is still relevant and available, which is why you are talking of economic growth. But if you look at an economy hit by inflation, you will not even talk of economic growth.

“So, it is essential that we concentrate and fight inflation. By bringing inflation down, we start talking of economic growth,” he said.

Meanwhile, despite the CBN consistently raising interest rates, which stood at 24.75 per cent in March, the country’s inflation increased to 33.20 per cent in the same month.

Predictably, there is disquiet in the South-West after the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement, led by Prof Banji Akintoye and Chief Sunday Adeyemo, alias Sunday Igboho, sent an open letter to President Bola Tinubu, seeking a peaceful breakaway of Yoruba people from Nigeria. 

The letter came on the heels of the failed attempt by some armed agitators to seize Oyo State Government House and the state House of Assembly in Ibadan. 

29 of the agitators have been taken before a magistrate’s court in Ibadan which ordered that they should be remanded in prison custody.

Akintoye and Igboho dissociated themselves from the violent action.

The pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organization, Afenifere, immediately responded to the call, last week, describing it as undesirable, self-serving and unnecessary “at the moment at least”.

The National President of Soludero Hunters’ Association, Oba Ajijola Akintola Anabi, toed the path of the Afenifere when he took exception to the call for the exit of Yoruba from Nigeria.

A former governorship aspirant on the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Mr Tunji Light-Ariyomo, on his part, said it was doubtful that Akintoye and Sunday Igboho would take that route at this time.

But an octogenarian, Pa Dele Aladekomo, Mr Adeola Fehintola, an Oyo State-based legal practitioner, and the Convener, Yoruba Commitment Forum, Otunba Tayo Onayemi, lauded the Yoruba Self-Determination Movement letter to the president.

In the open letter, dated April 17, 2024, and signed by Akintoye, Igboho and one Ola Ademola, the group said, “We have the honour to send to Your Excellency this important letter on behalf of the many millions of Yoruba people at home in Yorubaland in Nigeria and in the Yoruba Diaspora in almost all countries across the world.

“We send this letter as a follow-up to our earlier letter, dated August 06, 2022, which we delivered to your predecessor, President Muhammadu Buhari, in his exalted position then as President of Nigeria.

“Since 2015, the Fulani have been killing widely among the other peoples of Nigeria, including us Yoruba, destroying farms, villages and other assets, kidnapping men, women and children, extorting large amounts of money as ransom from friends and family of the kidnapped, and repeatedly asserting their intention to seize the homelands of all the indigenous peoples of Nigeria to turn all into a Fulani homeland.”

It said in the Middle Belt, horrendous blood-letting was going on with many families forced into Internally Displaced People Camps while many of their villages were seized by the Fulani and renamed as Fulani villages.

“In our Yoruba homeland, our people are resisting somewhat better, but the Fulani attacks and killings and kidnappings are unrelenting and are coming daily, leading to horrific instability, and forcing most of our farmers to abandon farming altogether, thereby dooming Yoruba people to years and years of famine”, the group said.

It further alleged that an unofficial estimate showed that Fulani had killed as many as 29,000 Yoruba people since 2015 till date, adding that the aforementioned reasons were enough for them to seek breakaway from Nigeria. “All these actions by the Fulani are, to us Yoruba, a sufficient reason for our seeking to separate our Yoruba Nation from Nigeria. Most of us, Yoruba have no confidence in the ‘restructuring’ that some of our most respected Yoruba leaders (such as our fathers in our highly exalted Afenifere) are advocating. 

“And our reason is that we know that restructuring cannot keep the Fulani marauders away from our homeland. Since, after restructuring, the Fulani would still be Nigerians like us, and would still have full citizens’ rights to come in large numbers, and with weapons and intent to kill and destroy and seize land, to our homeland.

“The Fulani elite seem to be saying in effect that they intend to make Nigeria ungovernable for President Tinubu, and that they would never accept any official action of his.

“We are acting for and on behalf of our 60 million Yoruba people of the Ekiti, Lagos, Ogun, Ondo, Osun, and Oyo State, respectively, plus the Yoruba Local Government Areas of Kogi and Kwara State, and the Itshekiri homeland of Delta State, all together constituting the Yorubaland in Nigeria, hereby most humbly place our crowning request before Your Excellency as follows:

“That the Nigerian Federal Government shall, within the next two months, but not later than June 15, 2024, inform us Yoruba Self-determination Movement that the Nigerian Federal Government has graciously agreed to our proposal for negotiation and that they have set up a negotiation team that will meet and have a dialogue with our Yoruba Nation’s negotiation team.

“That the Nigerian Federal Government shall invite the United Nations, African Union and the Economic Community of West African States, to send observers to the negotiation meetings.”

It, therefore, promised to forward the list of its negotiation team to the government as soon as it received a message in response to its request for the negotiation.

Perceived marginalization

Afenifere faulted the group’s position on many grounds.

First was the reason adduced for the request to exit Nigeria which was based on the perceived marginalization that the Yoruba are suffering in Nigeria.

It maintained that the problems bedevilling Yorubaland and Nigeria as a whole “are not merely because multi-ethnic groups make up the country”.

Rather, Afenifere, according to the National Publicity Secretary, Comrade Jare Ajayi, the country’s multifarious problems can be traced to a lack of good governance. 

The group went on, “There is no doubt that the lot of Yoruba can be better than it presently is. But whatever deprivation Yoruba may be experiencing today in the Nigerian nation is not due mainly to the fact that they are Yoruba.

“The deprivations they are suffering could be traced to the general misgovernance that corporate Nigeria had been subjected to over the years if not decades.

“Meaning that marginalization, deprivation, injustice, misgovernance etc that Yoruba may be experiencing today is, if truth is to be told, not peculiar to Yoruba alone.

“We are not, by this submission, claiming that Yoruba are getting the best or should not be better served.

“Far from it. What we are saying is that it would be unfair to use the excuse of the deprivations in the land as an alibi to want to leave Nigeria. “What we should clamour for is good governance that will enable every segment of the society to have a better lease of life”.

Doubtful call

Tunji Light-Ariyomo, a former APC governorship aspirant, told Sunday Vanguard at the weekend, “l was under the impression that it was a woman, Mrs. Onitiri-Abiola, that made the call in a widely circulated video.

“Many reliable news channels also featured stories about some Yoruba Nation agitators, purportedly acting under her instructions, storming Agodi Secretariat in Ibadan with dane guns, pump action rifles and charms to declare the Republic of Oduduwa.

“It is doubtful that Prof. Banji Akintoye and Chief Sunday Igboho would take that route at this time. If indeed they have, it would be most unfortunate.

“This is because the issues at stake are all-encompassing and every Yoruba person, from Ijumu in Kogi State and parts of Niger State to the creeks of Ilaje and even Itshekiri, to Idiroko in Ogun State and the lands of the Egun people in Badagry, is a bonafide equal stakeholder.

“If they intend to opt out of Nigeria, the majority of those people will express their concurrence. But I am very sure that most Yoruba only came across this news just like that.

“More importantly, the majority of the Yoruba believe in the leadership of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is the current President of Nigeria.

“They believe in the leadership of the elder statesman, Pa. Reuben Fasoranti, the current de facto head of the Yoruba race as leader of Afenifere.

“I don’t think any of these two leaders are in support of the quest to exit Nigeria. This is also applicable to our traditional rulers. Is the Oonirisa in support? The Ewi of Ado Ekiti, is he in support? The Alake of Egbaland or the Deji of Akure Kingdom, are they in support?

“I concur that this is not the Nigeria of our dreams.

“I concede that our country has foundational structural flaws that continue to hamper growth and development.

“Amos 3:3, a prominent verse in the holy book, says ‘Can two walk together except they agree?’

“Hence, I agree that Nigeria needs to fix its fundamental problems, agree to a template for equitable and egalitarian coexistence among its ethnic nationalities and tribes, and embrace a model of governance that does not condone wastages and profligacy or impose the will of one ethnic group upon others. We can look at models of governance in other countries – nations with more than one primary ethnicity like the United Kingdom etc.

“The UK is officially four countries with each having its relative autonomy. England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland even attend international sporting events in their names!

“The consensus forged in support of appalling evil today in Nigeria derives its strength from identity politics.
“If an Ijaw woman steals billions of Naira, you could suddenly see many Izons rallying in her support.

“If an Igbo man steals billions, you could easily see many Igbo youths rallying in his support. Ditto the Yoruba, the Hausa etc. “Ethnicity is a powerful sentiment, just like religion. If we however evolve a model of governance that ring-fences ethnicity, it would no longer be an issue. It would then stop being a weapon that could be conjured at will by looters of our common patrimony.

“So, my counsel is that we work with other regions across Nigeria to evolve a model for the country of our dreams”.

‘Drop the issue for now’

Also speaking on the letter, the National President of the Soludero Hunters’ Association, Anabi, said he took exception to the call for the exit of Yoruba from Nigeria.

He said, “I will implore Prof Akintoye to please drop the issue for now because the current president is a Yoruba man and the best thing for us is to support him to make the country surmount its numerous challenges.

“But I will call on all our leaders to look into the complaints of Professor Akintoye and Sunday Adeyemo and tackle them because no one is blind to the evil that Fulani herders continue to perpetrate.

“President Tinubu should please help us to empower local security men like hunters so that we comb all forests and flush out all criminal elements that make it difficult for our people to farm. 

“We should drop this call for our good so that it doesn’t lead to another bloodshed because it’s not all that easy to exit a nation without violence”.

Meanwhile, Fehintola, an Oyo State-based legal practitioner, on his part, noted that
Akintoye deserves attention.

“First, we have to consider his antecedents as an academic and a veteran politician with rich ideological clout”, he said.

Stole from community to buy arms

The goals of Correctional centres, otherwise known as Prison , are to strike a balance between punishment, rehabilitation and public safety while preparing inmates for a productive life after release.

However, in Nigeria , these goals have suffered severe set back as most inmates rather than being transformed into a better version of themselves, return back to the society hardened than they were before going to jail.

This was the case of a suspected leader of a kidnap gang arrested by the Rivers State Police Command under the watch of CP Olatunji Disu.

The suspect, Gift Ogbo (39), who is receiving treatment in the hospital, from injuries sustained during a botched kidnap operation , disclosed that he formed his gang while serving his 11 years jail term for a murder case.

Ogbo, who said he had never been to a classroom since birth, recalled how he roamed his village in Ndele, Emohua Local Government Area of Rivers State, during school hours, searching for opportunities to pilfer.

Due to his alleged villainous disposition, he was nick named ‘Akwa Ndele’, with parts of his body designed with bold scars .

Arrest

Saturday Vanguard gathered that on March 29, 2024, Ogbo, led three members of his gang on a kidnap mission, in their operational tricycle, on Nkpolu road.

They reportedly intercepted a white Mercedes-Benz ML 350 4matic , parked on the road, with two occupants in the driver and passenger seats. 

But in an act of bravery, driver of the Mercedes who attempted to reverse and escape, hit a wall .
He reportedly drove menacingly towards two suspected members of the gang that stood in front of the car ,and ran over them.

The two suspects were

Ogbo and another member identified simply as Oyi-Baba, who were the gang’s muscle men. They were abandoned at the scene by their fleeing colleagues.

A mob was said to have descended on them and was at the verge of setting them ablaze when a Rapid Response Team that was contacted arrived the scene.

While Oyi-Baba reportedly died in the hospital, Ogbo , is still undergoing treatment, according to Police sources.

Prison gang

From the hospital bed, Ogbo, said, “ In 2012, I attacked one of my uncles during an argument over a parcel of land and he died in the process. 

I was arrested and charged for murder. While serving my 11 years hail term, I made friends with some inmates.

“Upon my release in December 2023, I returned to Ndele and rallied two old friends, Gift Kpanuku, aka Oyi-Baba and one Sunny, aka Onye-meme.

”We teamed up with two released members of the gang I formed in prison: Isaac and Ugo and immediately devised a plan to start a kidnap-for-ransom gang.

“ We stole from residents of Ndele to raise money for arms. We raised 370,000 and used it to purchase two locally made shot guns in Akwa-Ibom from Smart, a gunrunner I also met in prison.

Operations

“ We went on the first mission on March 13, 2024, at about 8.45 p.m. We snatched a red Mazda 323 from a local taxi driver to use as operational vehicle. On that same evening, we met a man and his wife who parked their car in front of a doctor’s office at Nkpolu. We ordered them out of their Volkswagen Touareg, pushed them into the back seat of the car and drove off with them, abandoning the stolen Mazda.

“ But on the way to our hideout, there was traffic .While contemplating an alternative route, the woman jumped out of the car. In anger, I shot her husband in both thighs, and we sped off.
We took him to a compound in Eleme, took his gold chain, gold wristwatch , his phone and wife’s phone which she left . We used his ATM card to withdraw N530, 000, via

Tunde Onakoya, the chess master, has taken to social media to reveal that someone gifted a house to his parents.

Onakoya, in a post via X on Friday, disclosed that the house gift for his parents is the “single greatest thing” anyone will ever do for him.

The chess master appreciated the person who gifted his parents the house, although he did not mention names.

Onakoya, who recently broke the Guinness World Record (GWR) for the longest chess marathon, also recalled his humble beginnings.

The ‘Chess In Slums Africa’ founder narrated how his mother worked as a cleaner so he could get an education. He added that his father worked as a danfo driver so they could feed and survive.

“Someone gifted my parents a new house today. It’s the single greatest thing anyone will ever do for me in this lifetime. Thank you My mother worked as a cleaner in the same school I attended so I could get an education while my dad worked as a Danfo driver/bus conductor so we could feed and survive,” he wrote.

“My greatest joy in life is to be able to give them both the life they truly deserve.”

Law Lee, an associate of embattled singer, Naira Marley, has made a snide remark about the late singer, Ilerioluwa Aloba, popularly called Mohbad.

Mohbad died at the age of 27, on September 12, 2023, with circumstances surrounding his death sparking controversies on social media.

In an Instagram post on Friday, Law Lee expressed his level of hatred for Mohbad.

His statement came after Portable tackled Zinoleesky, on social media for acquiring a Ferrari despite not having a hit song.

According to him, the hatred for the deceased increases every day even after his death.

He explained that Mohbad’s alleged disparaging remarks about fellow artist Oniyide Azeez aka Zinoleesky led to a public confrontation towards him on social media by a controversial artist, Habeeb Okikiola aka Portable.

He further stated that if Mohbad had not made negative remarks about Zinoleesky, Portable wouldn’t have made such a move.

He wrote, “Every day my hatred for Mohbad keeps increasing even after his death …. If not for all those miscap about zino na why this @portablebaeby get mind dey sub am .. Fooooooooooool.”

A former record label signee of Marlian Music owned by Naira Marley, Mohbad left the label in February 2022.

The Lagos State Police Command had, on September 18, 2023, inaugurated a 13-man special investigation team to probe the singer’s death.

A probe into his death also led to the arrest of Naira Marley and controversial Lagos socialite, Balogun Eletu, also known as Sam Larry, among others.

The duo’s had before their arrest faced criticism for allegedly mistreating Mohbad before his passing in September 2023.

The Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria has expressed concern over the detrimental impact of medical practitioners emigrating abroad in search of better opportunities, revealing that 72,000 out of 130,000 registered doctors failed to renew their practice licenses in 2023.

The MDCN highlighted that only a meager 58,000 have renewed their licenses, emphasizing that such a trend will not only strain healthcare services but also overwhelm the limited available personnel.

Dr. Fatima Kyari, the Registrar of the body, conveyed these sentiments on Friday during the induction and oath-taking ceremony of 20 newly qualified doctors at the Edo State University, Uzairue.

“The council has so far registered 130,000 medical doctors to practice in Nigeria since its inception 61 years ago and the council is mandated to regulate the practice of medicine, dental, and alternative medicine in Nigeria.

“But only 58,000 doctors have renewed their annual practising license in the year 2023 following the increase in migration of doctors outside the country,

“However, the doctors must meet the requirements to earn those increases in quota. We will partner with them to ensure that they meet those requirements, and as we try to ensure that, standards must be upheld,” he added.

Kyari, who was represented by the Deputy Registrar Dr Victor Kolawole, noted that the induction of the 20 newly qualified doctors would add to the existing workforce in the health sector which is being depleted by the day.

She, however, admonished the inductees to uphold the ethics of the profession, warning that the council is mandated to regulate the activities of the practitioners as well as punish offenders.

The institution’s Vice Chancellor, Prof Emmanuel Aluyor, while speaking, explained that the upgrade of the Central Hospital, Auchi to a teaching hospital has enhanced facilities for the training of the medical students and uplifting the standard of healthcare services in Edo North and its environs.

While commended Governor Godwin Obaseki for his unwavering support for the university, he enjoined the inductees to uphold the ethics of the profession, saying he is confident that they would bring honour to the institution and MDCN.

“I urge the state government to sustain efforts towards improving facilities at Edo State University Teaching Hospital, Auchi.”

However, the acting Provost, of the College of Medical Sciences, Dr Kenneth Atoe, said 20 medical graduates from the college are the second batch of Batch B inductees.

He advised the newly qualified medical graduates to uphold the ethical standards of a medical professional, saying, “You must internalise the values of honesty, integrity, and selflessness.

“These virtues are not only essential for building strong doctor-patient relationships but are also integral to upholding the ethical standards and trustworthiness expected of a medical professional.

“By embodying these values, doctors not only fulfil their professional obligations but also contribute to the maintenance of public trust in the medical profession.”

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission says it has confirmed the receipt of the refund of $760,000 paid as advanced school fees by Yahaya Bello, former governor of Kogi, for his children at the American International School, Abuja.

Dele Oyewale, spokesperson for the EFCC, confirmed the development in Abuja on Friday to journalist.

“The school has refunded the entire $ 760, 000 to the EFCC’s recovery account,” he said.

Earlier, the American International School of Abuja had asked the EFCC to provide “authentic banking details” for the refund of fees paid for the children of the former governor.

Bello was accused of using funds from the Kogi State Government to pay $720,000 in advance for fees of five of his children.

The children attending the school are enrolled in Grades 2 to 8.

In an effort to apprehend Bello regarding an alleged N80.2 billion scam, EFCC agents besieged his Abuja home on April 17.

Usman Ododo, the governor of Kogi, reportedly arrived at the residence while the operatives were there and reportedly whisked Bello away.

In a letter addressed to the Lagos Zonal Commander of the EFCC, the school said the sum of $845,852 has been paid in tuition “since the 7th of September 2021 to date.”

AISA said the sum to be refunded is $760,910 because it had deducted educational services already rendered.

“Please forward to us an official written request, with the authentic banking details of the EFCC, for the refund of the above-mentioned funds as previously indicated as part of your investigation into the alleged money laundering activities by the Bello family,” the letter reads.

It added, “Since the 7th September 2021 to date, $845,852.84 in tuition and other fees have been deposited into our bank account.

We have calculated the net amount to be transferred and refunded to the State, after deducting the educational services rendered as $760,910.84.

“No further additional fees are expected in respect of tuition as the students’ fees have now been settled until they graduate from ASIA.”

The school said it would draw the attention of the anti-graft agency if there were any further deposits by the Bello family.

In a statement signed by Greg Hughes, AISA also said, “Ali Bello contacted the school on Friday 13 August 2021 requesting to pay the family school fees in advance until the students graduate from High School.”

The Chairman of the EFCC, Ola Olukoyede, had earlier revealed that the former governor transferred $720,000 from the government’s coffers to a bureau de change before leaving office to pay in advance for his child’s school fee.

Olukoyede revealed this during an interview with journalists on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said, “A sitting governor, because he knows he is going, moved money directly from government to bureau de change, used it to pay the child’s school fee in advance, $720,000 in advance, in anticipation that he was going to leave the Government House.

“In a poor state like Kogi, and you want me to close my eyes to that under the guise of ‘I’m being used.’ Being used by who at this stage of my life?”