After much speculation and uncertainty, Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has officially approved the appointment of Oba Akinloye Owolabi Olakulehin as the 43rd Olubadan of Ibadanland. The approval was confirmed in a memo signed by the governor on June 14, 2024, leveraging the powers conferred by Section 19 (Cap 28) of the Law of Oyo State 2000 as amended. Olusegun Olayiwola, Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, released a statement confirming the approval as the culmination of a series of processes mandated by the state’s laws for royal ascension. Governor Makinde had previously acknowledged the receipt of the Olubadan-in-Council’s…
Author: Editor Francis
In response to escalating violence over the tenure of local government chairmen and councillors, the police yesterday retained control of the 23 local government secretariats in Rivers State. This action followed Tuesday’s clashes, which led to the deaths of three individuals: Police Inspector David Mgbads, vigilante member Samuel Nwigwe, and former student leader Endwell Ejindu. Governor Siminalayi Fubara’s appointment of caretaker chairmen ignited the violence, with protesting council members demanding tenure extensions. Both groups were denied access to the secretariats by the police, who aimed to prevent further disorder. Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun has ordered an investigation into the…
The trial judge and prosecuting lawyer in the high-profile terrorism case against Nnamdi Kanu have distanced themselves from the defendant’s proposal to explore reconciliation procedures. Kanu, leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) group, is facing a seven-count amended charge of terrorism, treasonable felony and related offences before the Federal High Court in Abuja. At Wednesday’s court session, Kanu’s lawyer, Alloy Ejimakor, stated that his client wants the court to invoke Section 17 of the Federal High Court Rules, which provides for “reconciliation” and facilitation of amicable settlement in criminal or civil cases. However, both Justice Binta Nyako,…
The Director of the International Labour Organization (ILO) Abuja Country Office for Liberia, Sierra Leone, Ghana, Nigeria, and Liaison Office for the ECOWAS, Ms. Vanessa Phala, has made a passionate call for stakeholders to intensify efforts to eradicate child labour. Speaking at a commemorative event in Akure, Ms. Phala emphasised the need for unity in the fight against child labour and forced labour, advocating for a world where every child can grow up in a safe and nurturing environment. The event, funded by the United States Department of Labour through the ILO’s Action against Child Labour in Agriculture in West…
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission has referred a complaint against the popular video-sharing app TikTok and its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, to the Department of Justice. It was alleged that they failed to protect children’s privacy. The FTC said in a statement that it uncovered reason to believe TikTok and ByteDance were violating or were about to violate the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act. The regulator did not provide any further details of the alleged violations in its statement. The FTC said that it did not typically make referrals of complaints public but “determined that doing so here is in…
Rivers State governor, Siminalayi Fubara, has said there is no provision for tenure elongation for elected local government chairmen in the 1999 Constitution (as Amended). Mr Fubara made this known while addressing journalists at the end of a security council meeting with heads of security agencies in Port Harcourt. The governor said that the security council meeting was called because of the threat to the peace of the state brewing from the tenure expiration of the outgone local government chairmen. He said, “We will fearlessly lead the way to ensure that peace continues to prevail in the state while protecting…
The Speaker of the Edo State House of Assembly, Blessing Agbebaku, has defended the impeachment of the state’s former Deputy Governor, Philip Shaibu, calling it a “good achievement” for the legislative body. Agbebaku made the remarks on Wednesday during a press briefing marking the first anniversary of the 8th Assembly. He stated that the impeachment process followed due process and demonstrated the Assembly’s independence. “To me, I stand tall to say that the impeachment of the former deputy governor is a good record because we are doing our legislative duty. That also showed that the 8th Assembly is very independent,”…
Nnamdi Kanu, the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has expressed willingness to seek negotiations with the Federal Government of Nigeria, according to his lead counsel, Alloy Ejimakor. Kanu, who has been detained by the Department of State Services (DSS) since 2021 when he was re-arrested in Kenya and repatriated to Nigeria, is currently facing trial for terrorism-related charges before an Abuja Federal High Court. During the court proceedings on Wednesday, Ejimakor informed the court of Kanu’s intentions to negotiate with the Federal Government, citing Section 17 of the Federal High Court Act, which states: “In any Proceeding…
Anambra State Government, through the Ministry of Women and Social Welfare, has transferred a couple and an accomplice to the police over allegations of human trafficking in Ifitedunu, Dunukofia Local Government Area. This development was announced in a Facebook statement by Chidinma Ikeanyionwu, the media aide to Women Affairs Commissioner Ify Obinabo, on Tuesday. The incident came to light when community chairman Mr. Arinzechukwu Azodo alerted Commissioner Obinabo about a suspected trafficking operation. Mr. Azodo reported that his team commander had received information about suspicious activities in the community, prompting the commissioner to order the arrest of the suspects. Upon…
Abdullahi Abbas, Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Kano State, has urged security agencies to arrest Senator Rabi’u Musa Kwankwaso. Abbas’s call follows Kwankwaso’s accusations that the federal government is fostering insecurity in the state. In a statement issued on Tuesday, Abbas demanded that Kwankwaso be detained and compelled to identify those he claims are recruiting Boko Haram terrorists under federal directives. “We want to call on security agents in the strongest terms to arrest this man so that he reveals the identity of the people he referred to as enemies of the state working for the federal…
Governor Siminalayi Fubara of Rivers State has transmitted a list of nominees to serve as caretaker chairmen for the 23 local government areas to the state House of Assembly. This move comes amid a renewed political crisis in the state, with former council chairmen refusing to vacate their offices after the expiration of their tenure. The list was sent to the three-member Rivers State House of Assembly led by Speaker Victor Jumbo. In a statement issued on Tuesday night by the Clerk of the House, G.M. Gillis-West, the Assembly has invited the nominees for screening on Wednesday at 8:00 am.…
The Lagos State Police Command has apprehended a 29-year-old suspect, identified as Sodiq Ishola, for a vicious attack on a 65-year-old man at Pako Bus Stop in Iyana Ipaja. The incident occurred on Monday evening around 8:30 pm. According to the police, Ishola and an accomplice trailed the victim and his wife from Lagos Island to Iyana Ipaja on a motorcycle. In a shocking act of violence, Ishola used a hammer to inflict severe head injuries on the elderly man. Fortunately, the timely intervention of officers from the Rapid Response Squad (RRS) on patrol prevented further harm. The suspect was…