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The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Yusuf Tuggar, has claimed that Governor Bala Mohammed of Bauchi State is using criticism of President Bola Tinubu over tax reforms to launch his 2027 presidential ambition.
The Minister made this allegation when he appeared on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics programme on Sunday.
According to him, the Bauchi State governor showed that he does not have sincerity of purpose in his criticism of President Tinubu.
“Governor Bala Mohammed showed clearly that he does not have any sincerity of purpose,” Tugar said on the programme.
“It is not that other governors did not try to interrogate the tax bill when it was presented which is a good thing as a matter of fact so that Nigerians get the best out of the bill, but what Bala Mohammed proceeded to do was to use it as a platform to launch his presidential campaign very early in the day.
“He was the most severe in his invectives towards the president, towards the administration with his vituperations towards the president and the administration.”
The Minister said Governor Mohammed has been trying to secure an audience with Tinubu following his criticism of the president on the tax reform bills.
READ ALSO: Tax Reforms: Tinubu Calling For Anarchy, Says Gov Bala Mohammed
The Bauchi State governor had while addressing a Christian community on Boxing Day in Bauchi, urged President Tinubu to backtrack on the tax policy reforms as it could lead to anarchy.
According to him, the policy does not in any way favour the North, adding that the governors would not be able to pay salaries.
He warned that if these policies continued, the northern region would “show its true colours” in response.
However, the Presidency responded to the governor and condemned what it described as threat to the president. It said Mohammed’s view does not reflect the view of the entire north.
Meanwhile, Nigerian governors, on January 16, declared support for the Federal Government’s tax reform bills. However, they proposed a new sharing formula for value-added tax (VAT).
The decision followed a meeting of the Nigeria Governors’ Forum (NGF) and the Presidential Tax Reform Committee.
In a communique at the end of the meeting, the governors’ forum “reiterated its strong support for the comprehensive reform of Nigeria’s archaic tax laws.
A lawmaker in the 7th National Assembly, Senator Ita Enang, has said that with the “low” amounts allocated to critical sectors of the economy, President Bola Tinubu might not have any substantial projects to justify his reelection in the 2027 electioneering process.
“I have read the budget and have gone through almost all the sectors. It is not reflective and it is incapable of giving Mr President projects to commission which he can be proud of in 2026,” Enang said on the Sunday edition of Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.
On December 18, 2024, Tinubu presented the 2025 ₦49.7tn budget proposal before a joint session of the National Assembly for approval. The lawmakers are to resume on February 4, 2025, after the ongoing defense of the proposed budget by ministries, departments, and agencies.
Enang, who served as Senior Special Assistant to then-President Muhammadu Buhari on National Assembly Matters, faulted what he described as low revenue allocation, low revenue generation, and low revenue mobilisation in the 2025 proposed budget.
The chieftain of the president’s party, the ruling All Progressives Congress, said the 2025 Appropriation Bill if passed by the legislature and signed into law by the president without major adjustments, can’t deliver sectoral fulfillment. He said if passed the way it is, it will become a problem for Tinubu’s reelection.
“The way it is, what we are having and defending at the National Assembly, if it is passed like that, it will give them a question to answer in the field of campaigns in 2026, 2027.
“I am saying that because of the minute allocations given to certain projects in certain ministries, they may not have much to show. Given the way some of the projects which they may need to exit or abandon due to low allocation, they may not be able to commission those projects,” he said.
He cited the Calabar-Ikot Ekpene, Lagos-Ibadan, Abuja-Lokoja-Benin, Abuja-Kaduna, and other highway projects, saying the monies allocated for the projects are not substantial enough to get them completed within the budget cycle or calendar.
“By the end of 2025, Mr president is supposed to go commission those projects but what will he commission (if they are uncompleted)?
“In most areas that we should show during the campaigns, we may not have what to show if we have this level of budgeting. That is why I am saying that Mr president’s team should go sectorally before they pass the budget and identify the presidential priorities,” he said.
Enang said the president and his economic team should be strategic and give priorities to milestone projects in their budgetary allocations, as well as give deadlines and tentative commissioning dates for such projects.
The lawyer urged the president and his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to take up the budget which is still being worked on in the National Assembly, and “look at each of the ministries and say, ‘Look, this is what we want to deliver in solid minerals, this is what we want to deliver in works, these are two or three things we want to commission in each state, in each region. This is what we want to attain in railway. This is what we want to attain in water resources. This is what we want to report in agriculture. This is the milestone we want to record in education and then work towards that’.”
“If we don’t do this, the president and the APC will be relying on the projects of states and governors to justify what they have done for APC to go for the next election,” the lawyer said.
Last December, the National Assembly extended the implementation of the 2024 N28.7tn Budget by six months, saying it has achieved a 50% performance rate in capital expenditure and 48% in recurrent expenditure.
Nigeria is said to be running multiple appropriation and supplementary budgets concurrently, according to a civic and accountability group BudgIT.
Details of how six top Yoruba monarchs prevailed upon nonagenarian legal luminary Afe Babalola to drop his criminal defamation suit against human rights activist and lawyer Dele Farotimi have emerged.
It was gathered that the Ooni of Ife, Enitan Ogunwusi, mobilised five other high-class traditional rulers to the Ado-Ekiti residence of Babalola on Sunday night.
The high-powered delegation includes the Ewi of Ado, Oba Rufus Adejugbe Aladesanmi III; Ajero of Ijero, Oba Adewole Joseph Adebayo; the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Samuel Adejinmi Adu; Alaaye of Efon Alaaye, Oba Dr. Emmanuel Aladejare Agunsoye II; and the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti who doubles as Chairman, Ekiti Council Of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ilori Faboro.
The Ooni of Ife, along with prominent traditional rulers, arrived in Ado Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital, minutes past 10 p.m. on Sunday.
Earlier in December, the police in Ekiti State arrested Farotimi at his Lagos office and bundled him to Ekiti State for prosecution.
The police arraigned the author for publishing a book, ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’ where he alleged that nonagenarian legal icon Afe Babalola corrupted the judiciary and procured a revised judgment in the Supreme Court.
The defendant pleaded not guilty to all the charges which bordered on criminal defamation levelled against him and was remanded in prison for three weeks before he was granted bail.
Upon their arrival at Babalola’s residence on Sunday night, the Ooni of Ife and the five top monarchs asked the founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), to forgive Farotimi and withdraw the criminal defamation suit instituted against him.
Members of the legal team of Babalola handling Farotimi’s criminal case were also present at the meeting, according to a spokesman for the Ooni of Ife, Moses Olafare.
During the closed-door meeting which ended at past midnight, Babalola said he had gotten entreaties from former president Olusegun Obasanjo, Bishop Matthew Kukah and a host of other prominent Nigerians asking that he withdraw the case, but he did not.
However, the Ooni of Ife and the other monarchs persuaded the nonagenarian to withdraw the charges as an elder statesman with vast experience.
“Aare Afe Babalola, you are an elder statesman, you have seen it all, you are one of the iconic voices in this country, a great man per excellence, you are a rare breed who has excelled in everything you have touched in this life, a very God-fearing elder stateman, above all, you are one of the proponents of the Yoruba ethos of Omoluwabi which has been your strongest value that you hold in our country,” the Ooni told Babalola, according to Olafare.
“We’ve all come together as traditional Rulers to discuss with you on this issue and this gentleman Dele Farotimi is your son and you must forgive him and withdraw the criminal charges against him. As a father, you have soft sons and you have tough sons, Dele Farotimi is a tough son of yours. You have indeed made a point that your name can not be messed with.”
When asked to speak, Babalola accepted the request saying he grew up as a child to understand such interventions by the traditional rulers. He declared he had not only forgiven Farotimi but he would also instruct his lawyers to withdraw the criminal charges against him immediately.
“Today is an important day for me, I’m a Yoruba man and I’m very proud to be one. Ewi of Ado has come here to meet me on this matter, former president Obasanjo has intervened, same with Bishop Matthew Kukah and a host of other prominent Nigerians to ask for the exact thing you have come to ask for this evening., my answer to them has been ‘no’ but today my answer is ‘yes’.
“Your coming is unquantifiable in terms of money, who Am I? When the colonialists came here in the 17th century or thereabouts, they found as a fact that Yoruba land was a highly organised society with an advanced system of government with each town headed by an Oba who was regarded as a replica of God on earth. His words were commands.”
‘I Didn’t Win Cases Through Corruption’
Babalola said he has refused government appointments and rejected some so-called rewards because he doesn’t want anything to stain his integrity.
He said, “I was a lawyer who defended the EFCC law, yes I’m corrupt, I was given an oil block. When I looked at the money and saw that it was too much, I rejected it, yes I’m corrupt. I was offered ministerial appointments twice, I rejected it. Yes, I’m corrupt because whatever I am, I don’t want anybody to say I made it through corruption.
“Look at my books, I’m Chairman, Transparency International based in Germany, I have given lectures against corruption with my papers in many universities globally.
“For someone to allege that I have won my cases through corruption, it’s an attempt to defame me. That was why I rejected all appeals earlier made to me. But when I heard that Ooni was coming, I knew I was in a fix today.
“There is nothing I’m going to gain from his (Dele) imprisonment and there’s nothing I want from the so-called damages. I am not in quest of more wealth, I’m rather concerned about managing the one I have already. Dele Farotimi is hereby forgiven. On this occasion, I say ‘yes’.”
On Sunday, The United States suspended visa issuance at its embassy in Colombia, part of a series of harsh measures after Bogota refused military deportation flights, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said.
“Measures will continue until Colombia meets its obligations to accept the return of its own citizens,” Rubio said in a statement.
Buhari’s Admission That Only God Can Solve Nigeria’s Problem A Sign That APC Has Failed – Opposition Parties
AFOLABI
Major opposition parties have criticized former President Muhammadu Buhari for urging Nigerians to seek divine intervention to revive the country, instead of admitting the failures of successive All Progressives Congress (APC)-led governments.
Buhari’s remarks, made in Hausa during an APC stakeholders meeting in Katsina on Saturday, have sparked widespread reactions, particularly on social media.
The former President had stated, “Only God who created Nigeria can solve the problems of Nigeria,” encouraging his supporters not to give up on the country.
The National Publicity Secretary of the New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP), Ladipo Johnson, in an interview with Punch described Buhari’s comments as a clear reflection of the APC’s inability to address the nation’s pressing issues.
He said, “Well, it’s an admission that the APC government has totally failed Nigerians, and they have led us down to an economic downturn. This statement by the former president shows that even the current administration is confused.
“It also means they have no clue about what they have been doing all this while. It’s like a trial-and-error process. What we need is the right set of leaders. The APC has failed and cannot provide the leadership required to turn the fortunes of this country around.”
The Peoples Democratic Party shared the same sentiment.
In a phone chat with Punch, the Deputy National Youth Leader of the PDP, Timothy Osadolor, said Buhari’s remark was also an indictment on President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
He said, “First and foremost, I think Nigerians should commend Buhari for being honest about the state of the nation and the reality of today’s government. Buhari, however, failed to mention that he laid the groundwork for this government and its ineptitude. It is a continuation of his past leadership failure.
“Again, it’s a vote of no confidence in President Tinubu, which further reaffirms what we have been saying that the man is just there giving people colourful speeches and doing nothing. It is not a time to criticise Buhari for what he said or why he said it. It is a wake-up call to this government and all Nigerians to salvage this country from going the way of South Sudan.
“This is what happens in countries where leadership fails. So we must not give in to partisanship or nepotism. President Tinubu only consolidated on the ineptitude of Buhari who was just fortunate enough to lead this country.
“Therefore, all men of goodwill must stand up and salvage what remains of this country before things fall apart. Nigeria can only get it right if the leaders are there.”
Similarly, the National Youth Leader of the Labour Party, Prince Kennedy Ahanotu, said he wasn’t surprised by Buhari’s speech because he was one of a few well-meaning Nigerians who knew he had nothing to offer the country.
Ahanotu added that it was high time Nigerians gave the younger generation a chance to correct the ills of the past.
He said, “The truth is that I am not a fan of Buhari and never expected him to do well. So, I am not surprised that he did nothing for eight years. But my point is that we are in a country where, before a new president takes over, there is always a perception that he will do better. Unfortunately, after each successive regime, there will be lamentation that he didn’t do well.
“However, we have options in Nigeria, I keep saying it. Until we include a younger generation of leaders, we cannot enjoy the dividends of democracy that are happening all around the world. So, there is no point lamenting because there is another Sheriff in town.
“But just like all the letters former President Obasanjo wrote to him, Buhari neither heeded nor implemented any of the advice. So, if the ex-president decides again to write Tinubu today, he is also at leisure to listen or not to any of the counsels. This is because successful APC governments don’t listen to people they consider outsiders.
“This is why I said Buhari’s lamentation does not make any sense to me. It’s not something I even want to talk about because it is their system. Don’t forget this current President was among those who protested and fought in NADECO for the government to do the right thing. But today, it’s not safe or healthy to protest in Nigeria.”
The Federal High Court in Lagos on Friday fixed February 27, 2025, for the arraignment of Gbolahan Obanikoro, the son of Senator Musiliu Obanikoro, and four others for alleged N1,356,057,330.43 fraud.
To be arraigned alongside Obanikoro are Adejare Adegbenro, 51; Balmoral International Limited; M.O.B. Integrated Limited; and DDSS International Company Limited.
The police charged them with five counts, bordering on conspiracy, obtaining by false pretenses, false representation, and fraud.
Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa set the date on Friday after the defendants failed to appear for their scheduled arraignment.
When the case was called, the prosecution counsel, Momoh Bello, informed the court that the matter was scheduled for the arraignment of the defendants.
Following the absence of the defendants, Bello then asked the court for a bench warrant against them, saying that they had all been served.
But counsel for the fourth defendant ( M.O.B. Integrated Limited), Joshua Abel, opposed the bench warrant prayer.
He told the court that the fourth defendant is a company and that the fourth defendant received service late on Wednesday and he was informed of the case late on Thursday.
Abel also told the court that most of the defendants, who are directors of the firm, were not in the country.
“I have not had the opportunity to go through the case before the directors can be arraigned,” he said.
Justice Lewis-Allagoa then asked the prosecutor for the proof of service and date of service.
He said, “I want proof of service and the date of service. The record of this court shows that service was effected on the third and fourth defendants. It’s less than 48 hours that they have been served; one of them was served yesterday. The first and second defendants are natural persons and there is no proof of service on them.
“The law says personal service. You can go and regularise service on the defendants. There is no proof that the first and second defendants have been served. However, there is proof that the third and fourth defendants have been served. The prosecution is directed to serve the first and second defendants,” the judge ruled and then adjourned till February 27, 2025, for the arraignment of all the defendants.
The Inspector General of Police, through the Special Fraud Unit in Ikoyi, Lagos, accused the defendants and others at large of conspiring amongst themselves between May and September 2013 to fraudulently obtain the sum of N1,356,057,330.43 from Access Bank Plc (formerly Diamond Bank).
They were accused of allegedly misrepresenting themselves to the bank’s staff and officers, claiming they were involved in the business of importing cars from Dubai for sale in Nigeria, and that the money was needed to finance the importation of a set of brand-new cars for resale.
The defendants are also being accused of converting, transferring, retaining, or taking possession of the funds, knowing or having reason to know that such funds were proceeds of unlawful activity.
The police further alleged that they unlawfully converted the sum of N1bn belonging to the bank for personal use.
According to the police, the offences committed contravened Section 8(i)(a) and punishable under Section 1(3), 1(i)(a) of the Advance Fee Fraud and Other Fraud-Related Offenses Act, No. 14 of 2006, and Section 18(2)(b) and (d) and 18(3) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act, 2022.
A former lawmaker of the Nigerian Senate, Shehu Sani has reacted to te ongoing crisis at the Lagos House of Assembly.
Sani while addressing the impeached Speaker of the House, Mudashiru Obasa, has called for calm.
Obasa was impeached by lawmakers of the Lagos House of Assembly while he was away in the United States of America.
He was immediately replaced by the deputy Speaker, Mojisola Meranda.
Upon his return, Obasa said his removal was unconstitutional and as such he remains the speaker of the Lagos Assembly.
However, advising Obasa, the former Kaduna lawmaker said this is a time for the embattled Speaker to move on.
Sani in a post on X said, “Hon Obasa should just thank his God, accept his fate and calm down. Its a rare privilege to occupy that seat and serve for that long.
“Not everyone can be that lucky in life.Allow the Honorable lady speaker to do her job; if he is actually good, posterity will vindicate him,” Sani posted.
A nurse, identified as Chiemela Nonye, has accused Chief Superintendent of Police Nkiruka Ugwu, attached to Area ‘M’ Command, Idimu, Lagos, of paying her to bear false witness in a rape case, alleging that the senior police officer is threatening to kill her, if she mentioned her name in an on-going investigation of rape, at the Area ‘D’ Command, Mushin.
However, when CSP Ugwu was contacted, she said “I told her (Nonye ) never to involve my name. She can’t try it. Why would she involve my name? Am I fighting her with Amuche? She should go ahead and do whatever she wants to do. If it is my case she wants, I am ready for her. She cannot try to mention my name.”
On the allegation of locking the mother of the minors shop , with an instruction to touts to kill her if she dared to open the shop, she said, ” I have nothing to say. They can all go ahead with whatever they want to do. I am not a sister to Amuche. God forbid, I am not.”
Nonye was arrested by the Police at the Area D Command, in Mushin, on January 22, 2025 following a petition by one Mr Ekwenyu Uchenna.
The petitioner stated that Nonye bore false witness against him, by claiming she witnessed his defiling of three teenage siblings in April 2024.
Consequently, the petitioner was reportedly arrested and detained for seven days at the Alausa Police Division, from where he was transferred to the Force Criminal Investigation Department, FCID in Abuja, where he spent additional three weeks in detention.
Uchena, told Vanguard that he was moved from the FCID Abuja, to the State Criminal Investigation, SCID, Panti, Yaba, Lagos where a discreet investigation was carried by detectives who said there were no facts to prove he penetrated the minors and was subsequently released. According to him, he was arrested alongside the mother of the three minors, because operatives led by Deputy Superintendent of Police, DSP Philomena Ehiokhilen alleged that she connived with him to rape her children.
However, upon his release, he petitioned the Area D Command, Mushin, where nurse Nonye, during interrogation, admitted in a written statement that she was paid an undisclosed amount by the CSP to fabricate the lies against Uchenna and mother of the minors.
In a recorded telephone conversation between nurse Nonye and mother of minors, she was heard begging for forgiveness, claiming that CSP Ugwu has been threatening to kill her if she mention her name.
The recorded telephone conversation went thus: Nurse Nonye : “I don’t know why I agreed to this. As I speak with you, I’m in tears. Please forgive me. I didn’t know why I agreed to frame Uchenna. Please help me apologize to Uche.”
Mother of minor: “We are all human. I know how both of us were. I went to my lawyer’s office and explained everything, telling him it was not you. You were pushed into this. If he wants to speak to you, he can confirm you were pushed out of ignorance. After hearing from you, if they find out you were misled; they will know how to exclude you from the matter. So, leave Uchenna out of this because I have told him you are not the main problem. CSP Ugwu is the real problem. She pushed you into this.”
In a chat with Vanguard, the mother of the three minors, alleged that the CSP Ugwu had threatened her life numerous times and also destroyed her businesses.
She said “CSP Ugwu came to my shop located at Cele-Egbe, last year and seized my goods. She told the touts in the area to kill me if I tried to go near the shop. She said she was the Divisional Police Officer, DPO. Since then, all my goods have been
The South East Youth Stakeholders Forum, a group of representatives of various youth organisations across the South East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, has pleaded with President Bola Tinubu to release from incarceration the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
The group which convened an emergency meeting on Saturday, after in-depth discussions on the prevailing issues affecting the South East Region, appealed for Presidential Intervention in the long incarceration of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.
“We appeal to His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the father of the nation and a detribalised Nigerian to direct the Attorney General of the Federation to discontinue the prosecution of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to pave the way for his release from incarceration.
“This we believe is a critical step toward resolving the persistent security challenges in the South East. We believe that his release will end the insecurity that has bedeviled the southeast region, foster genuine reconciliation, and reduce tensions within the southeast region,” the group assured.
In a communique by representatives of the five states in the southeast led by the Chairman representing Enugu State, Mazi Ezenwa Onyirimba, the group insisted that Kanu’s release will create a conducive environment for constructive dialogue and engagement with some youths from the southeast who took up arms against the State.
The landing cost of imported Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) has dropped to ₦922.65 per litre, a ₦32.35 reduction from the ₦955 per litre offered at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery’s loading gantry.
The price shift has reignited interest among marketers in importing petrol, offering a more profitable alternative to Dangote’s refined products, which remain priced higher.
Industry stakeholders noted that while Dangote Refinery previously offered competitive pricing, the decline in imported petrol costs is now an attractive incentive for marketers seeking better margins.
Recent data shows that oil marketers imported 76.84 million litres of petrol within two days, indicating a growing reliance on foreign products despite earlier efforts to encourage local refining.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) had initially advocated a 180-day suspension on fuel imports to give Dangote Refinery a chance to prove its capacity.
However, marketers argue that there was no binding agreement, and they are now focusing on sourcing cheaper alternatives to meet demand and stay competitive.
“The lower cost of imported petrol is often an incentive to dealers and you won’t blame marketers who import the product,” a major marketer told Punch.
As import costs drop, consumers may anticipate potential price adjustments, even as depot prices remain high across major locations, ranging from ₦950 to ₦990 per litre.
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The Lagos State House of Assembly is set for a tense sitting today as the leadership crisis between Mojisola Meranda and Mudashiru Obasa continues to deepen.
Obasa, who was impeached as Speaker on January 13, 2025, by 35 of the Assembly’s 40 members over allegations of misconduct and financial mismanagement, insists he remains the legitimate Speaker.
Over the weekend, Obasa returned from a trip abroad and declared his intention to resume as Speaker, describing his impeachment as unconstitutional.
Addressing supporters at his official residence in Ikeja, he criticized the process that led to his removal and accused the police of interfering.
“I am not afraid of being removed. Lagos is a special place; we cannot denigrate the state. They should prove their allegations against me and follow due process,” Obasa said.
In response, lawmakers loyal to Mojisola Meranda, elected as the new Speaker, reaffirmed their position, insisting that Obasa’s removal was final and in line with constitutional procedures.
A statement from former House Committee Chairman on Information and Security, Ogundipe Stephen Olukayode, noted, “Over two-thirds of the Assembly members remain solidly united behind Speaker Mojisola Meranda, and we stand firmly by the decision taken on January 13.”
Meanwhile, reports indicate that President Bola Tinubu, during a recent meeting with both factions in Abuja, upheld the Assembly’s decision to remove Obasa, urging him to vacate the Speaker’s residence peacefully.
‘You Are A Big Fool If You Say Ifa Is Nothing’ – Obasanjo Addresses Christians, Muslims In Nigeria
AFOLABI
Former President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has declared that he will emphatically address anyone who says Ifa is nothing as a fool.
The former leader stressed the importance of safeguarding African cultural heritages during a gathering on Sunday, asserting that these traditions should not be threatened with extinction.
Obasanjo highlighted the need to protect Yoruba culture, describing it as “authentic.”
According to him, before Christianity and Islam was the Yoruba’s Ifa Orunmila, meaning Olorun lo mo eni to ma la “It is Heaven that knows who will be saved.”
Naija News reports that Obasanjo made these remarks in Abeokuta, Ogun State while celebrating the 50th birthday of renowned female talking drummer Olamuyiwa Aralola, known as Ara, at the Green Legacy Hotel and Resort, located within the Olusegun Obasanjo Presidential Library (OOPL).
The former president noted that hosting Ara for this special occasion was a purposeful gesture to honour her contributions to the preservation of Yoruba cultural heritage, particularly in talking drums, an art form traditionally associated with men.
He said, “For whatever reason, we must preserve our culture, Ara is a woman of culture, she is our cultural ambassador, she has lifted our culture and had broken the taboo on what was formerly believed to be exclusively for male gender. She had not only excelled in this, but was already building young ones to preserve her legacy.
“When I was growing up, there are two things that you don’t imagine a woman should do. You cannot see a woman climbing a palm tree. Secondly, you cannot see a woman playing a talking drum. Ara had broken the taboo and she had done it very well.”
The former president said the lesson from Ara’s actions is that one must do whatever he or she is doing very well.
“Before now, parents don’t allow their sons to play football, but today, parents are now begging that their children should be allowed to play football.
“For me if you are dancer, dance well and if you invite me for a celebration, I will come. If you are a footballer and you invite me for a celebration, I will come. Whatever you find your hands in doing, do it well.
“We must not joke with our culture. We are being relegated to the background, our language is being relegated, our food, our dress and others. We must not allow it. They are things that are authentic. Yoruba is not vernacular,” Obasanjo said.
The former President stressed that despite being a Christian, he hasn’t forgotten his culture.
“I am a Christian, I had attended two churches today and that does not mean that I should forget my culture. Whoever says Ifa is nothing, I will say that person is a big fool.
“Before Christianity and Islam, we have Ifa Orunmila meaning Olorun lo mo eni to ma la “It is Heaven that knows who will be saved,” he said.
In her remark, Ara thanked Obasanjo for the honour done to her.
Ara, who said she started playing talking drums at age 10 in her father’s palace in Ondo, said that her parents should do everything possible to preserve the culture.
The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) operatives have intercepted a consignment of Loud, a synthetic strain of cannabis, concealed in a duvet, packaged for export to the United Kingdom through the cargo shed of the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA), Ikeja Lagos.
The NDLEA operatives discovered that six parcels of the psychoactive substance with a gross weight of 3.50 kilograms were concealed inside the duvet.
Also, two suspects, Adakole Sunday and Austin Balogun, linked to the bid to export the consignment to the UK, were promptly arrested following the discovery by NDLEA officers on Tuesday, January 21, 2025.
NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi said in his statement that Balogun, the main agent hired Sunday, claimed he was paid N700,000 to cargo the consignment to the UK but spent a fraction of the money on export handling charges and the bulk to pay for an apartment.
Also, another raid in Lagos on Sunday, January 19, led to the seizure of 47kg skunk, a strain of cannabis, and 25.46kg Nitrous Oxide, popularly known as laughing gas, at the notorious Akala area of Mushin.
Meanwhile, at least two suspects, Joseph Oluwasegun Adewale and Biodun Adelakun, were arrested at Igbo Olumo, Ikorodu area of Lagos, when NDLEA operatives raided their hideout in the community where seven litres of skuchies, a new psychoactive substance produced with black currant, cannabis and opioids, were recovered.
Other exhibits seized from the duo include three locally made double-barrel rifles, one locally made double-barrel pistol, one English-made pistol, one locally made single-barrel rifle, three cartridges, one empty 9mm cartridge, and an iron-head axe.
In Ekiti, a 26-year-old suspect, Adepoju Taiwo, was arrested by NDLEA officers on Thursday January 23, with 1.950kg Canadian Loud at Iworoko Road, Ilokun, Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, while Auwal Sani was nabbed by operatives on Monday, January 20 at Bode Saadu in Moro local government area of Kwara State, while a total of 50,000 pills of tramadol 225mg weighing 36.56kg were recovered from him.
Babafemi added that a Nigerien, Abubakar Lami, 45, with two others: Abba Sani, 35, and Auwal Aliyu, 32, were arrested by NDLEA operatives at Gadar Tamburawa, Kano, while 13.1kg skunk and 125 litres of ‘suck and die’, a new psychoactive substance was recovered from them.
There was an explosion of dynamites suspected to be kept by an artisan Miner at Sabon Pegi, Mashegu local government area of Niger state killing one person and injuring six others.
LEADERSHIP findings revealed that the dynamites were kept by an artisan Gold Miner, Yushau. They exploded yesterday morning, affecting many households in the village and destroying properties.
It was learnt that the dynamites exploded when they were being packaged from the house to the various mining sites in the area that was also one of the targets of Bandits.
Confirming this, the Niger State Command Police Public Relations Officer PPRO Wasiu Abiodun said,
“There was an explosion of some suspected dynamites at Sabon-Pegi, Mashegu LGA, which was reportedly kept in a residential area by one Yushau for a purported mining activity”.
“The explosion led to the unfortunate death of one Fatima Sadauki, while six others were injured and taken to general hospital Kainji for medical attention”, he further stated.
He further disclosed that the incident affected about twelve houses in the area, saying that the Commissioner of Police, Niger State Command CP Shawulu Ebenezer Danmamman, has ordered an investigation into the incident.
Consequently, the PPRO said the commissioner had dispatched the EOD-CBRN unit to the scene for assessment.
On Yushau’s whereabouts, he said, “he is currently at large. However, normalcy has been restored in the area while monitoring continues.”