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Tag: Akure

  • Festival: Oba orders closure of markets, shops in Akure

    Festival: Oba orders closure of markets, shops in Akure

    The Deji of Akure, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi, has ordered the closure of markets and shops in Akure on Thursday, in observance of an age-long Aheregbe festival.

    This is contained in a statement issued on Wednesday by Mr Adeyeye Michael, the Chief Press Secretary to the Deji of Akure.

    “There will be no opening of markets, stalls, trading or opening of shops under any guise during the festival.

    “Residents, market women and shop owners are kindly enjoined to comply with this directive and ensure strict observance of the rules,

    “It is imperative to clarify that ONLY Pharmacy shops and Patent Medicine Stores will be allowed to open during the festival,” the statement read.

    It noted that the festival would not in any way restrict both human and vehicular movement.

  • We have arrested 2 suspected armed robbers terrorising Akure – Police

    We have arrested 2 suspected armed robbers terrorising Akure – Police

    The Police in Ondo State say they have arrested two suspected armed robbers who have been terrorising residents of Akure in recent months.

    CSP Funmilayo Odunlami, Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in the state, disclosed this in a statement made available to newsmen on Thursday in Akure.

    Odunlami identified the suspects as Amubieya Emmanuel ‘m’ age 26 years old and Ogunmola Akintola ‘m’ age 26 years.

    She said they were apprehended on Feb. 25, 2025 by operatives of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) team in Ondo Town.

    According to the PPRO, preliminary investigations revealed that the suspects have been actively involved in series of robbery incidents in Akure since August 2024.

    “Their modus operandi was targeting ladies, they pick their victims at night (around 10:00 PM) using a Toyota Camry, drive them to remote areas within Akure, and rob them of their mobile phones.

    “The victims are compelled to transfer money from their bank accounts at gunpoint (though the gun used was later discovered to be a toy gun)

    “The following items were recovered from the suspects: Toyota Camry used in the operations, knife, iron rod and a toy gun,” Odunlami said.

    The PPRO, who said that the suspects had been on the command’s watchlist, said they confessed to the crime, while investigations were ongoing to apprehend any other accomplice(s).

    “The Ondo State Police Command remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all residents. We urge the public to remain vigilant and report any suspicious activities to the police,” she said. (

  • Akure stands still as Akeredolu’s body arrives governor’s office

    Akure stands still as Akeredolu’s body arrives governor’s office

    Residents of Akure, the Ondo State capital, on Wednesday paid their last respect to the late former Governor of the State, Rotimi Akeredolu.

    Students lined up at the major road side in the state capital to wave to the motorcade that brought the late governor to the state.

    Civil servants and residents were present at governors office, Alagbaka, to bid the former governor farewell.

    The body of the late governor arrived the governors office at 12:30pm for the brief lying-in-state programme which last for about 10 minutes.

    Gov. Lucky Aiyedatiwa, while speaking at the programme, said the event was symbolic being the last workplace of the former governor.

    Aiyedatiwa said Akeredolu served the state meritoriously with passion and equity.

    He said Akeredolu was also a lover of workers which was why he cleared six out of seven outstanding salaries of workers he inherited from previous administration with further prompt payment of salaries.

    “This very session is symbolic because this was the last place of work of the governor, this complex, where he served the people of Ondo State meritoriously with passion and equity, all he did as governor of Ondo State is there for all to see.

    “This is to pay our last respect for the people to see him,” Aiyedatiwa said.

    Aiyedatiwa said Akeredolu lived a fulfilled and well-spent life.

  • Petrol station owner machetes wife to death, commits suicide

    Petrol station owner machetes wife to death, commits suicide

    A socialite and petrol station owner in Akure, Mr Sesan Adelabu, popularly known as Emirate, has reportedly macheted his wife to death and committed suicide by drinking sniper, an insect-killing substance.

    It was gathered that the incident happened on Friday in the Alagbaka area of Akure, Ondo State capital.

    His body and that of his wife were deposited in the morgue.

    Adelabu was the owner of the Emirate filling stations in Akure.

    Confirming the incident, the state  Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Funmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya,  said the command had commenced investigation into the matter.

    She said that the Commissioner of Police, Abayomi Oladapo, had ordered homicide section to take over the case.

    According to the PPRO, on  Feb. 9, a distress call was received by the police of ‘A’ Division Akure, by men of Special Protection Unit over alleged murder and suicide of a socialite and petrol station owner Sesan Adelabu, and his wife Bolu Adelabu.

    “The officer attached to the deceased in his house at Alagbaka area in Akure, received a call from the deceased child around 6:00 p.m. asking after his father, because he was not picking his calls.

    “The policeman, while trying to inform his principal, discovered him faced down and lifeless in the toilet while his wife’s body was found on the bed with multiple cuts, suspected to be machete cuts on her head and face.

    ” Meanwhile, an empty container of sniper was also found at the scene.

    “Investigation has commenced to unravel the circumstances leading to the unfortunate incident and the scene cordoned off to enable police to do the needful ,” the PPRO said.

  • How I hit Guinness World Record in Akure – Ezekiel explains

    How I hit Guinness World Record in Akure – Ezekiel explains

    A Guinness World Record holder in most skips on one leg, Gbenga Ezekiel has explained how he challenged the record held by Rasel Islam from Bangladesh.

    He attributed his feat to Coach Chibuisi Ukandu, who encouraged him to go for the contest.

    Gbenga Ezekiel successfully erased Bangladesh’s Rasel Islam’s record of 262 skips in one minute on one foot to set a new Guinness World Record with 265 skips.

    The 16-year-old pupil of Ijapo High School in Akure told NAN on Wednesday in Akure that not long after he took to skipping that his coach told him that he could break the record.

    He said it was during the secondary school interschool competition that his coach identified his talent and started training him and promised to help him apply for the Guinness World record.

    “When I was training, the coach said I was close to the Guinness World Record with my performance and that I could do it, and when I did it, he helped me apply and I did it and we achieved it,” the Senior Secondary School student said.

    Ezekiel said that he normally skips for fun at the back of the class and for recreational purposes until a senior informed him of an interschool skipping competition where the coach discovered him.

    He expressed delight to have broken the record thereby bringing glory to the country.

    “One day when we were skipping at the back of our classrooms, one of the senior perfects came and informed us that there would be interschool rope skipping at the stadium and we went for training.

    “They allowed me to participate in one event, in the training and I skipped and that day my coach said I can beat the Guinness World Record and I did,” he said.

    Ezekiel said he loved the sport and appealed to the country’s sports authorities to recognise skipping rope as a competitive sport in Nigeria and organise competitions.

    “I feel happy that I am the first Ondo State-born athlete to achieve the feat since its creation in 1976,” he said.

    Also, One of his classmates, Precious Ayodele, said Ezekiel was very nice and a friend of everybody in the class.

    Ayodele said when the class heard about the record he had broken, everyone was happy for him and this has also encouraged them to take up skipping too.

    The Vice Principal of Ijapo High School, Mrs. Bukola Faola, said she was happy because the boy had brought the school to the limelight in a positive way, saying,” we all applaud the boy for the record set.”

    Also, the Coach of Ondo State Rope Skipping, Chibuisi Ukandu, said he was happy that Ezekiel was the first Ondo State-born athlete, first Nigerian, and First African rope skipper to achieve such record.

    Ukandu said the boy did not do well during the inter-school rope skipping championship but had the desire to improve and always coming back to training after school hours demanding to be trained more.

    According to the coach, after the application, he got approval from Guinness and his approval date was given as Oct. 31, 2022.

    Ukandu said all the recordings and evidence were sent for approval and a mail was thereafter received that Ezekiel had actually broken the record.

  • VIDEO: Ondo student, Ezekiel becomes Guinness World Records holder

    VIDEO: Ondo student, Ezekiel becomes Guinness World Records holder

    Master Gbenga Ezekiel, a student of Ijapo High School in Akure, the Ondo State capital has entered the Guinness World Records for the most skips in one minute on one leg.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that 16-year-old Ezekiel, in SSS 1, achieved the feat at the Ondo State Sports Complex in Akure.

    He successfully erased the record of 262 skips in one minute on one leg by Rasel Islam from Bangladesh to set a new Guinness World Record with 265 skips.

    Ezekiel’s feat has been communicated to the national coach of the Nigeria Rope Skipping Federation, Chubuisi Ukandu. It has been updated on the Guinness World Records website as well.

    “The most skips in one minute on one leg is 265 and was achieved by Gbenga Ezekiel (Nigeria), in Akure, Nigeria, on 31 October 2022,” Guinness World Records stated on the website.

    With the feat, Ezekiel becomes the first athlete from Ondo State as well as the first Nigerian and African rope skipper to achieve a Guinness World Records title.

    Watch video below:

    https://twitter.com/ajaGunSEgun_/status/1626394102991298560

    Akeredolu to host Guinness World Records holder, Ezekiel

    Meanwhile, the Ondo State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Mr Bamidele Ologunloluwa has disclosed that the State Governor, Rotimi Akeredolu will soon host the Akure Guinness World Records holder.

    Ologunloluwa, who visited Ijapo High School, expressed the willingness of the state government to host Gbenga Ezekiel soon.

    The commissioner congratulated the entire management and students of Ijapo High School, Akure, and the family of Gbenga Ezekiel for the great feat.

    Ologunloluwa, who noted that arrangement was on to schedule an official meeting of Mr Governor with the Ijapo High School pupil, charged Ezekiel to remain focused.

    “With this achievement, I will urge you to always listen to your coach in order for you to continue to do well in your sporting career.

    “On behalf of the state government, I want to congratulate you for this achievement and the glory you have brought to this state,” he said.

    While appreciating the Governor of Ondo State through the Commissioner, the Vice Principal of the School, Mr Oki Francis, expressed the joy which the news brought to Ijapo High School.

    Francis promised on behalf of the Principal that Ijapo High School, through the Ministry of Education would always cooperate and collaborate with the Ministry of Youth and Sports Development in its grassroots sports development programmes.

  • Fire guts petrol filling station in Akure

    Fire guts petrol filling station in Akure

    An Optimal Filling Station located on Aule Road in Akure, the Ondo State  Capital caught fire on Monday.

    The fire, which destroyed the administrative block of the filling station and dispensing pumps, was put out by some fire service personnel.

    Speaking on the fire, the Public Relations Officer of the Federal Fire Service in the state, Mr. Ayodele Ajulo,  attributed it to the heat in the underground tank.

    Ajulo advised filling stations operators to be extremely careful while offloading fuel from tankers into their underground tanks, especially during this period of extreme heat.

    ” We always tell people to be extremely cautious during this period. The hot weather makes it easy for fire to erupt from anything inflammable.

    “It is important for people, especially filling station operators, to take all necessary precautions and also have enough fire extinguishers around in case of any emergency,” he said.

    He commended the concerned residents that cooperated with fire fighters to quench the inferno, thanking God that no life was lost.

    Also, Mr Abiodun Adelekun, a resident in the area,   said that some youths in the araea had to come out en masse to ensure that the fire was put out to prevent it from spreading to other buildings within the vicinity.

    “The fire started when the tanker was offloading its content into the underground tanks. All we heard was a bang and we saw fire everywhere coming out of the tanker.

    “We came out to assist the fire fighters to save our houses,” he said.

    He urged the state government to discourage having petrol stations in clustered areas, adding that it was not the best.

    “If not for the fire service today and the support of youths from this area, the fire would have escalated beyond control,” he said.

    An elder who has a shop beside the filling station, Mr. Asabari Elelubo, said the loud noise he heard when the fire started sent shivers down his spine.

    “When I heard the loud noise, I nearly fainted. I had to first run to safety. The panic from the fire which caught my shop seven months ago is still in me and it made this more frightening.

    “I am glad the fire service and the youth were able to contain it before it extended to surrounding houses,” he said.

  • Tragedy: 2 die in early morning accident in Akure

    Tragedy: 2 die in early morning accident in Akure

    Tragedy struck at dawn on Wednesday in Akure, when a commercial motorcyclist conveying a passenger to the hospital crashed into a stationary truck resulting in the death of the two.

    The accident, which occurred at 5.45 a.m., on the Airport Road, Oba-Ile in Akure North Local Government Area of Ondo State, later attracted motorists, commercial motorcyclists and passersby who gathered to mourn the loss.

    A source, who did not want his name mentioned, told NAN that the accident occurred opposite the residence of Chief Olu Falae in Akure.

    The source said that, a truck owned by a block-making industry broke down beside the road two days ago, but was not moved.

    “The commercial motorcyclist who was coming from the Oba-Ile axis and going to Akure with full speed hit the stationary vehicle,” the source said.

    Another source said that the commercial motorcyclist came to Oba-Ile from Akure to convey a passenger, who was ill, to the hospital before the tragedy occurred.

    “The commercial motorcyclist was one of our colleagues living in Akure. He came to pick a brother, who had been sick for some time, to the hospital.

    “The motorcycle did not have any lights and the rider only used a touch to illuminate the darkness before the accident happened

    “The commercial motorcyclist and his passenger died on the spot after hitting the truck in spite of the ‘C caution’ and some blocks placed on the road” the source said.

    SP Olufunmilayo Odunlami-Omisanya, Police Command’s Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Ondo State, who confirmed the incident to NAN, said that the corpses had been deposited at the morgue at the specialist hospital, Akure.

    Odunlami-Omisanya advised motorists to always exercise caution whenever they were behind the wheels.

    “What happened was that the stationary vehicle was parked on the roadside because it had a mechanical fault. It was the commercial motorcyclist that ran into the vehicle.

    “Everybody needs to be careful. I cannot, however, confirm whether the motorcyclist was on high speed or not,” the PPRO said.

  • 3 secondary school students arrested for raping colleague

    3 secondary school students arrested for raping colleague

    The Police Command in Ondo State says it has arrested three secondary school students for alleged conspiracy and defilement of a 14-year-old student.

    SP Olufunmilayo Odunlami, the command’s spokesperson, made the disclosure in a statement on Monday in Akure.

    “The suspects are students of Akure High School. They lured a 14-year-old student into the bush at the back of the school gate and gang raped her.

    “The three suspects are in police custody and will be charged to court after conclusion of our investigations,” Odunlami said.

  • Police arrest 2 serial kidnappers in Ondo

    Police arrest 2 serial kidnappers in Ondo

    Police in Ondo State says they have arrested two 35-year-old serial kidnappers, Olaoye Oluwatosin and Taiwo Olamide.

    The suspects allegedly kidnapped three persons in Ofosu, Idanre Local Government Area of Ondo State between 2021 and 2022.

    Police spokesperson, SP Funmilayo Odunlami, paraded the duo before newsmen on Tuesday in Akure.

    Odunlami said they kidnapped one Mrs. Folasade Akinloye from her shop at Ofosu on Aug. 28, 2022, at 10:40 p.m. using an ash colour Toyota Camry with registration number AKD 797 AP.

    During the investigation, it was discovered that the suspects were also responsible for the kidnap one Mrs. Folasade Akinselure on July 13, 2021, and that of Ms. Stella Stephen on March 9, 2022.

    “They confessed to committing the crime. The victims were rescued unhurt.

    “Police also recovered the Toyota Camry car and two cutlasses the suspects used in committing the crime from them,’’ Odunlami said.

    She assured that the suspects would be arraigned after further investigation.

    Odunlami also told newsmen that the police arrested one Adesina Shittu of Aule in Akure for theft and for faking his own kidnap.

    She explained that a complainant reported to the police that he gave a Bajaj tricycle valued N1.6 million to Shittu for use as a commercial vehicle.

    Shittu was supposed to be delivering N4,000 to the complainant on daily basis.

    “Three days later, Shittu called the complainant and claimed that he was kidnapped, and that the complainant should assist him to pay the ransom to secure his release.

    “During investigation, forensic analysis showed that the suspect was in Badagry, Lagos State and not at Igoba in Akure where he claimed he was being held hostage,’’ she said.

    Odunlami said Shittu was arrested with the tricycle and taken back to Akure.

    Shittu would also be arraigned soon, the police spokesperson assured.