The Oyo State Police Command says it is investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged death of 32 children during a stampede at a funfair in Ibadan, the state capital, on Wednesday.

PUNCH Metro gathered from multiple eyewitness accounts that the stampede occurred when participants rushed to gain access to the venue of the event reportedly organised by the ex-queen of the Ooni of Ife, Prophetess Naomi Shikemi, and an Ibadan-based broadcaster, Oriyomi Hamzat.

Investigations by PUNCH Metro also showed that the victims were stampeded to death while trying to break through the main gate of the school.

It was further gathered that provision was made for 5,000 children but the number that turned up for the event was reportedly over 7, 500.

Narrating the scenario in a video, an eyewitness at the scene of the incident, who did not mention her name, noted that the organisers had invited 5,000 participants for the funfair but the situation got out of control when the scene became rowdy leading to a stampede that led to several casualties.

She said, “Oriyomi Hamzat said he wanted 5,000 participants but because we were not organised, that was why the situation got to this. We were not even up to 5,000 participants.”

Another participant claimed he lost a child during the incident.

“Rather than attend to us very well, they wanted to fight us. We just lost one child who has been taken to the University College Hospital,” he said.

The video showed rowdy scenes as some children were rushed out of the venue while a woman wailed about the loss of her child following the stampede.

Reacting to the incident, the management of Agidigbo FM, owned by Oriyomi Hamzat, sympathised with the victims in a statement signed by its Director of Programmes, Olayinka Abdulwahab.

Abdulwahab, however, stressed that the radio station was a media partner to the event and not the organiser of the funfair.

He stressed that the management made frantic moves to sensitise the participants when it realised that the venue was crowded.

Abdulwahab stated, “This is to inform the general public that the management of Agidigbo FM, Ibadan received the news of the tragedy that heralded the children’s funfair at Islamic High School, Bashorun, Ibadan, organised by the WINGS Foundation, with great shock and wholeheartedly commiserate with the families involved.

“Amidst the tragedy, the news making the rounds is that Agidigbo FM is the organiser of the children’s funfair. However, the management wishes to state that Agidigbo FM is not the organiser of the event but one of the media outfits used to promote the event.

“Upon receiving the notice that a mammoth crowd had assembled before 5am at the venue, Agidigbo FM, the people’s voice, used all media strategies to sensitise the populace with jingles and public service announcements from that time, that people should stop going to the venue of the funfair.

“This is not the time to spread misinformation. The management of Agidigbo FM implores the general public to continue to pray for the speedy recovery of those in various hospitals and sympathises with the family of those who lost their lives.”

When contacted via a text message for a reaction, the spokesperson for the Oyo State Police Command, Adewale Osifeso, confirmed the incident, noting that an investigation had commenced.

“Investigation is in progress. Updates will be provided accordingly, please,” Osifeso said.

Multiple sources told our correspondents that some of the children, including their parents, were said to have kept vigil at the venue of the event.

One of our correspondents observed that an uncontrollable crowd caused gridlock on the Basorun-Idi Ape Road.

An Administrative Officer of Patnas Hospital, Basorun, where some of the victims were admitted, Olufeyemi Tolulope, said, “The affected children were brought in some minutes past 8am. Six children were brought into the hospital out of which five died while the other one is recuperating.

“We were told that the deceased fainted at the venue of the event. We were able to rescue one while the remaining five died. The surviving child has been discharged and released to her parents.

“One of the parents of the deceased, who was sighted at the hospital premises wailing, said, “I did not bargain for what happened to me. We slept together at home yesterday (Tuesday) not knowing that it would be the last time. My daughter is not dead. Please doctor wake her up.”

Other parents, who did not want their names in print, called on the government to prevail on the management of the various hospitals for the release of the corpses of their children.

The victims, according to a statement by the state’s Commissioner for Information and Orientation, Dotun Oyelade, were admitted at the following hospitals: Patnas Hospital, Basorun; Western Hospital, Basorun; Ring Road State Hospital; Molly Specialist Hospital and University College Hospital.

One of our correspondents was turned back at Molly Hospital, Idi-Ape and Western Hospital, Basorun by the security guards, who insisted that no victim was on admission at the two hospitals.

However, some of the parents were sighted at UCH lamenting the death of their children.

While at the UCH, the hospital’s Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmi Adetuyibi, told PUNCH Metro that five of the victims of the incident, were brought in dead.

She, however, did not confirm the sex or age bracket of the victims, adding that none of the victims of the incident was on admission at the facility as of the time of filing this report.

Also at Molly Hospital, an eyewitness, who did not want his name mentioned, told our correspondent that some unspecified victims brought to the hospital by rescue workers were brought in dead.

A staff member of the hospital, who spoke with PUNCH Metro on condition of anonymity, said none of the victims of the tragedy was on admission as of the time one of our correspondents  visited the facility at past 7pm on Wednesday.

Efforts to get the Ooni’s ex-wife, Naomi, the organiser of the event that led to the stampede, proved abortive as her phone number was not available. A text message sent to her was not responded to too as of the time of filing this report.

A stone tablet carrying engravings of the 10 Commandments sold for $5 million at auction on Wednesday, Sotheby’s, a leading New York auction house specialising in art and historical artefacts, announced.

The high figure was notched despite questions around the tablet’s authenticity: no one has claimed it is the original, of Biblical fame, but some experts expressed doubts around its purported provenance, dating between the years 300 and 800 CE.

Another ding against the 115-pound (52-kilogramme) slab, said to be discovered in 1913 in what is now Israel, is that it only contains nine of the 10 commandments considered holy by both Jews and Christians.

Excitement around it prevailed, however, as bids eventually raced up to $4.2 million, with the final sale coming in at $5 million, including fees.

Those shocked at the price can swear freely: the tablet doesn’t contain the commandment against taking the Lord’s name in vain.

The New York auction house had expected it to sell for $1-2 million.

The tablet was said to be discovered during excavations for the construction of a rail line.

It carries a Paleo-Hebrew script, and, according to Sotheby’s, was held privately until an archeologist living in Israel realised its importance and purchased it.

“It’s been thrilling to work with this object of antiquity. There is no other stone like it in private hands,” Sharon Liberman Mintz, a specialist on Jewish texts for Sotheby’s, told AFP.

The slab eventually made its way to the Living Torah Museum in Brooklyn before being sold to a private collector.

In a statement, Sotheby’s said that the tablet has been studied “by leading scholars in the field and published in numerous scholarly articles and books.”

However, multiple experts told the New York Times they had questions about its origins.

“Maybe it’s absolutely authentic,” said Brian Daniels, of the Penn Cultural Heritage Center in Philadelphia, though he cautioned: “Objects from this region of the world are rife with fakes.”

“There is no way” the age of the inscription can be known, Christopher Rollston, a professor of Biblical and near eastern languages and civilizations at George Washington University, told the paper.

“We have zero documentation from 1913, and since pillagers and forgers often concoct such stories to give an inscription an aura of authenticity, this story could actually just be a tall tale told by a forger or some antiquities dealer.”

AFP

Point-of-Sale (PoS) operators across Nigeria have raised their withdrawal fees, charging between ₦150 to ₦200 for every ₦5,000 transaction, up from the previous rate of ₦100.

The operators attribute this increase to the ₦50 Electronic Money Transfer Levy (EMTL) imposed by the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) on financial technology (fintech) companies.

In September, fintech firms announced their intention to apply the ₦50 levy on transactions of ₦10,000 and above, citing compliance with FIRS regulations.

This levy is a one-time charge on electronic transfers or receipts of ₦10,000 or more into both personal and business accounts via any commercial bank or financial institution.

The federal government officially enforced the policy on December 1, compelling major fintech platforms like OPay, Moniepoint, Kuda, and others to implement the charge.

Why the Hike in PoS Charges?

Speaking to TheCable, Sarafadeen Fasasi, National President of the Association of Mobile Money and Bank Agents in Nigeria (AMMBAN), confirmed that the levy had triggered an adjustment in PoS transaction fees.

“Yes, it is because of the electronic levy. We have to transfer the cost of the charges being imposed. It started immediately after FIRS implemented the directive for the ₦50 charge,” Fasasi explained.

Clarifying the ‘Stamp Duty’ Policy

Fasasi further noted that the stamp duty itself is not a new policy but that its implementation had been inconsistent. Previously, only bank-affiliated PoS agents were charged the ₦50 levy.

However, the policy has now been extended to fintech companies, which control about 70% of the PoS market.

Fasasi stated, “Stamp duty is not new but the implementation has been partial. Only agents that are of banks origin… you know we have two types of agents. There are agents that are deployed by commercial banks, the UBA, Zenith and we have those that are of non-banks, that are of fintechs, like OPay, Moniepoint, Paga and Palmpay.

“Before now, only bank agents that are of bank origin are being charged N50 because the bank has implemented it for long. But now, the regulator has now extended it that whether you are fintech or anything, just go and charge that N50. So immediately they started… and you know they control the larger part of the agent space, about 70 percent. That is why it’s like a new policy.

“It is not a new policy but it’s because it is now being implemented by the majority of fintech. Then, the PoS agents have no choice than to also implement it immediately.”

The Lekki Central Mosque in Lagos State has taken down a controversial banner that stated, “Jesus Christ is Not God.”

Naija News reports that the message conveyed on the banner caused a series of mixed reactions on social media, with Christians, Muslims, and people of traditional beliefs sharing their thoughts.

These commentators strongly disapproved of the mosque’s management, calling on relevant authorities and stakeholders to take action.

See the image below:

Hours after backlash on the above, a community member named Tunde Alabi took to X to confirm its removal.

In a viral video clip, Alabi claimed to have visited the mosque on Wednesday evening to confirm the banner’s removal.

By removing the banner, the mosque’s administration appears to have responded to the considerable public outcry and criticism, acknowledging the banner’s perception as inflammatory and divisive.

In a video shared by an X user, Adeleke Opeyemi, the community source, Tunde Alabi, said the backlash pushed him to ask for the removal of the banner.

The video narrator said: “My name is Tunde Alabi. I am a member of the Lekki Muslim Community. I noticed a banner pasted in front of our mosque, causing some controversies. I sent a message to the mosque community and was told that it had been removed, so I came to confirm myself. As you can see, the one that was removed is supposed to be behind me.”

Alabi also expressed remorse for the controversies that followed the placement of the religious banner.

“I am not speaking on behalf of the mosque. I am speaking for myself. I am sorry for any inconvenience this might have caused. Today is the 18th of December,” he added.

Nigerian singer, Timi Dakolo, has reflected on his journey to becoming a professional musician.

The ‘Great Nation’ crooner explained that music for him was initially a hobby and not a career.

Featuring in a recent episode of the ‘On The Record’ podcast, Dakolo said he decided to do music professionally after winning the inaugural season of Idols West Africa in 2007. In his words:

“I still see myself as an accidental musician. Yeah, I used to sing in choir. I used to just like that I sang. The first idea of music was during morning devotion.

“Then, we started singing street songs. We used to have notebooks where we write songs and they were girls to impress. So music was not something I thought I would do professionally. It was after Idols that I decided to do music professionally.

“I said to myself, ‘Okay, we are here. Sometimes you meet your destiny on the road you take to avoid it.”

Versatile Nollywood actress Wumi Toriola has made a remarkable entry into cinema with her debut film, Queen Lateefah, which has shattered seven records at the Nigerian box office.

Toriola took to Instagram to celebrate the film’s achievements, listing its record-breaking milestones. Among the accolades, ‘Queen Lateefah’ is now recognized as the Highest Grossing Nollywood Release for a Non-Festive Period, Highest Opening Weekend for a Non-Holiday Season, 7th Highest Grossing Nollywood Film of All Time, and Highest Grossing September Release of All Time, among others.

The film grossed ₦365.4 million, breaking records in the Nollywood history.

In her message to fans, Wumi Toriola expressed deep gratitude for the support that propelled the movie to success. She wrote:

“Thank you to all the incredible Nigerians and Lateefanzz who made ‘Queen Lateefah’ a massive success during its cinema run,”

“This was all possible because of your unwavering support. Your love and dedication mean the world to us!”

Toriola credited her fans’ love and loyalty for the film’s success, adding that their turnout at cinemas helped ‘Queen Lateefah’ achieve unprecedented feats in the market.

Nollywood actress Etinosa Idemudia has sent social media into a frenzy as she unveils a new mystery man, announcing her latest relationship.

The actress, who made headlines in 2019 for revealing the end of her six-month marriage to Ighorosa, shared an exciting update with her fans on Instagram.

In a recent post, Etinosa introduced her mystery partner, sparking curiosity among her followers.

The post included a video in which the actress and a Caucasian man were seen in matching outfits, sharing a sweet moment as they posed for the camera and exchanged a gentle kiss.

“Please wish me well ❤️. I don carry my two legs enter new relationship.” the video’s caption read.

Fans and celebrities flooded the comment section with congratulatory messages, expressing excitement.

Veteran Nigerian actor Funsho Adeolu has showered his wife with emotional promises as the couple celebrates their 20th wedding anniversary.

Taking to his Instagram page, Adeolu shared a series of nostalgic photos and videos chronicling their journey together.

Reflecting on their two decades of marriage, he expressed gratitude for their memorable and adventure-filled relationship.

In a message, the movie actor who moved abroad some years ago described his wife as his “rock,” “best friend,” and “soulmate,” vowing to love and cherish her forever. Funsho Adeolu wrote:

“20 years? Wow! I am grateful to God for this memorable and adventurous journey filled with memories, moments, and milestones. Our bond grew stronger each year. My rock, my best friend, and my soulmate. Thank you for being my partner in every sense. I promise you a lifetime of love and a new beginning of fresh commitment. Hey, forever is the deal oo. Cheers to many more years together.”

The post garnered an outpouring of love and congratulatory messages from fans and colleagues alike.

Fellow actor Seilat commented, “Happy anniversary sir. I tap into this grace and to celebrate many more years in love and unity.”
Another colleague, Damilola Oni, added, “Congratulations Papa, Happy Anniversary.”

Fans also joined in the celebration. One fan, enemowevents, wrote, “Congratulations to you and your wife, Uncle Funsho! May Almighty continue to bless and uphold you both. You are a great role model. Continue basking in God’s grace!”

In a bid to provide relief for Nigerians ahead of the holiday season, Dangote Petroleum Refinery has announced a price reduction for its Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) product, lowering it to ₦899.50k per litre.

The announcement was made in a statement released on Thursday morning, highlighting the company’s commitment to easing the financial burden on citizens during the festive period.

The statement signed by the Group’s Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, reads, “Africa’s first privately-owned oil refinery, which previously lowered the price to ₦970 per litre on November 24, has now announced a new price of ₦899.50 per litre. “

He added that the company also introduced a special offer to further benefit consumers.

Chiejina said, “In addition to the holiday discount, Dangote Petroleum Refinery is allowing consumers to purchase an additional litre of fuel on credit for every litre bought on a cash basis.

“To alleviate transport costs during this holiday season, Dangote Refinery is offering a holiday discount on PMS. From today, our petrol will be available at ₦899.50 per litre at our truck loading gantry or SPM. Furthermore, for every litre purchased on a cash basis, consumers will have the opportunity to buy another litre on credit, backed by a bank guarantee from Access Bank, First Bank, or Zenith Bank.”

The refinery also expressed its gratitude to Nigerians for their continued support as the country enters the festive season.

Chiejina further emphasised the refinery’s commitment to ensuring Nigerians have access to premium quality petroleum products that are competitively priced, as well as environmentally and engine friendly.

He highlighted that the refinery’s operations mark the end of Nigeria being a dumping ground for substandard and ‘blended’ imported products, which have posed significant risks to human health, machinery, and the environment.

The Dangote Refinery, with a capacity of 650,000 barrels per day (BPD), is the largest single-train refinery in the world. It is fully capable of meeting 100% of Nigeria’s refined petroleum product requirements, with a surplus available for export.

Elder statesman and leader of the Ijaw nation, Chief Edwin Clark, has said that the only solution to the ongoing debates on the Tax Reform Bills of President Bola Tinubu, is the restructuring of the country.

Clark said the arguments made for and against the reforms will be addressed once the country was restructured and a new constitution was produced, or the 1963 Republican Constitution was adopted.

The former National Commissioner for Information made the assertion in a statement on the current debate on the reform bills, on Wednesday.

“Mr. President, the ongoing controversies around this tax reform, to me, highlights the need for a full and comprehensive constitutional review of the country’s fiscal federalism.

“In addition, there is need for political consensus building to foster dialogue among political stakeholders to ensure that tax reforms have broad-based support and are sustainable across political transitions.

“If we must live together as one country, Restructuring is a sine qua non. The issues raised for and against the tax bill, are all among issues which will be addressed if we restructure the country and produce a new constitution, or adopt the 1963 Republican Constitution. Giving priority to restructuring will give room for the overhauling of the tax system of the country.

“It is lack of restructuring that has led us to the quagmire we are today as a people; that is why we are here today. This brings to mind my usual slogan, that ‘except we restructure Nigeria, non-restructuring will kill Nigeria’, the statement partly read

Clark explained that the complexity of the Nigerian tax system arose “from the interplay between constitutional mandates, legislative provisions, and the practicalities of revenue collection and allocation.”

He added that the design of the country’s tax system must prioritize incentives for collection and central remittance rather than emphasizing the fairness of revenue sharing.

“A focus on equitable sharing, without improving collection creates perverse incentives – states can only share what is collected.

“Therefore, to boost overall tax revenue, emphasis must focus on improving the collection and remittance processes to ensure a social contract between the corporate and natural individuals for whom they are responsible. Sub-sovereign capacities to collect taxes must be enhanced.”, he said.

The elder statesman also noted that tax reform had always been an issue if contention, adding that despite how much time had passed, the country was yet to get its fiscal policies right, while blaming successive leaders for failing to manage the country’s diversity.

“The leaders of this country have stoutly refused to manage our diversity as a people, and use our diversity as a gain. Rather, they have instituted themselves as institutions, rather than ensuring that the nation’s systems are strong and are the grand norm of the country,” he added.