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Tag: Ekiti State

  • We will win 2026 Ekiti governorship election – APC Chairman

    We will win 2026 Ekiti governorship election – APC Chairman

    The acting Chairman of All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ekiti, Mr Sola Elesin, says the party has begun aggressive mobilisation and is taking strategic actions to ensure victory in the 2026 governorship election.

    Elesin stated this on Tuesday at a political meeting held in Ado-Ekiti.

    He said that the party’s quick action came on the heels of the release of the time-table for the off-season governorship election by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

    Elesin said that the efforts were targetted at ramping up awareness on the governorship time table released by INEC so that members could begin aggressive mobilisation in their respective domains.

    He expressed confidence that the party would work hard to ensure victory in the forthcoming governorship poll.

    “We invited the women leaders from the three senatorial districts and the 16 local government areas to officially inform them that INEC had released the Ekiti governorship time table, knowing that women are great mobilisers.

    “What we are doing is a prelude to the readiness for political campaign when INEC finally lifts the ban.

    “The election time-table is out. We need to keep our people abreast of the happenings so that we can effectively  mobilise our supporters ahead of the election,” he said.

    On how the party is going to win the governorship election, Elesin said: “Go and do your independent findings, you will see things for yourself.

    “It is something that is visible and you can see who is going to win the election. Our party is firmly on ground and highly acceptable to the populace,” he said.

    The acting chairman said that the governorship primary that was gradually becoming a fait accompli on account of the series of endorsements accorded Gov. Biodun Oyebanji shouldn’t generate any anxiety.

    “Primary is an internal affairs of a political party. You can see the series of endorsements that Oyebanji had received from the three senatorial districts and other interest groups.

    “These won’t create any crisis. When we get to the bridge, we will know how to cross it,” he said.

    INEC had  recently announced that the governorship elections in Ekiti would hold on the state on Aug. 8, 2026.

  • Flooding: Ekiti Govt to demolish illegal structures on waterways

    Flooding: Ekiti Govt to demolish illegal structures on waterways

    The Ekiti Government has ordered the demolition of structures on waterways across the state to avert flooding.

    The Ekiti Deputy Governor, Chief (Mrs) Monisade Afuye, gave the directive, on Monday, during the flag off of a stakeholders’ engagement on 2025 Flood National Disasters and Response Campaign (NPRC).

    The meeting had as its theme: “ Strengthening Resilience, Enhancing Preparedness and Response

    Speaking at the event organised by the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) in Ado Ekiti, Afuye directed local government councils and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development to begin the marking of structures on waterways.

    She expressed regrets that Ekiti witnessed repeated and devastating cases of flooding, and windstorms that wreaked havoc in some towns in 2024 and 2025.

    The deputy governor said that NiMet had warned that Ekiti  would be one of the possible flashpoints for flooding in 2025.

    According to her, this makes it expedient for the local government chairmen to prevent desertification, ensure regular desilting of waterways, encourage tree planting and stop people building on flood prone areas.

    Afuye also encouraged the involvement of community based disaster strategies.

    She advised the council chairmen to work with traditional rulers in the respective areas to sensitise people on flooding in view of  NiMet’s prediction.

    The  Director General of NEMA, Mrs Zubaida Umar, said that the sensitisation programme was a swift response to  the Nigeria Meteorological Agency (NiMet) predictions that some states would be affected by flooding in 2025.

    Umar, represented by Fred Anusim, the team lead and NEMA’s Head of Research and Planning, lamented the death of 150 persons in Mokwa, Niger State, where houses were submerged by flooding.

    The D-G said that the danger was caused by human interference with nature.

    Zubaida commended NiMet and Nigeria Hydrological Service agency on their annual flood outlook that had helped in preventing calamities in the country through accurate predictions for each climatic year.

    “With the use of weather satellite surveillance and flood risking modelling software, they have been able to forecast at 90% accuracy of rainfall patterns in the country for all the LGAs.” she said.

    The General Manager, Ekiti  Emergency Management Agency (SEMA), Mr Oludare Asaolu, said the proactive steps taken by Governor Biodun Oyebanji in dredging of waterways and drainages, has mitigated cases of flooding in Ekiti.

    Also, Chairman, Ekiti Council of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ayorinde Ilori-Faboro, appealed to the Federal Government to focus attention on erosion ravaging many communities in the state.

    He described this as the most troubling crisis bedeviling some towns.

    Participants at the engagement include: Chairmen of local governments, representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Road Safety Corps, Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and Red Cross.

    Others were representatives of the Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Fires Services, National Orientation Agency, civil servants, traditional rulers, traders, among others.

  • Like Lagos, Ekiti govt moves to ban SUPs

    Like Lagos, Ekiti govt moves to ban SUPs

    Following in the stead of the Lagos State Government, the Ekiti State Government has revealed plans to ban single-use plastics (SUPs) in the State to address environmental concerns, including flooding and plastic pollution.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports Speaker of the Ekiti State House of Assembly, Mr Adeoye Aribasoye made this known during a pre-legislative stakeholders engagement workshop on plastic pollution in the state.

    Recall that the Lagos State Government had said it will commence full enforcement of the ban on Single Use Plastics (SUPs) from July 1, 2025, just like with the successful enforcement of the styrofoam ban.

    Speaking on the ban in Ekiti State at the workshop organised by the Triple Green Environmental Development, TGED Foundation in partnership with the Assembly’s committee on Environment, Mr Aribasoye revealed that the bill has scaled first reading.

    The Ekiti Speaker pledged that there would be accelerated hearing of the bill for the Governor’s assent, hoping that it would help rid the state of pollution caused by indiscriminate disposal of plastics.

    The Chief Executive Officer, TGED Foundation, Seyi Ebenezer said the stakeholders forum themed: ‘Towards a Plastic-Free Ekiti Building Consensus for Legislative Action’ became imperative because of the risk plastic use poses to the environment.

    She used the medium to encourage all stakeholders to preach against single use of plastic in their communities by adopting alternative use of disposing their waste.

    The keynote speaker, Mrs Iyabode Fakunle-Okeimen, Chairman, House Committee on Environment, stressing the importance of banning single-use plastics in the state.

    The guest speaker from Ekiti State University, Prof. Wole Adebayo in his presentation tilted “Understanding the Impact of Plastic Pollution Environmental, Health and Economic Consequences “ harped on more awareness and sensitisation of single-use plastic and the danger it poses to the health.

    He also said that used plastics can be converted into wealth by purchasing these products and recycling them into a refined product.

    In their goodwill message, the Director-General of Ekiti State Tourism Board, Mr Wale Ojo-Lanre harped on the danger the single-use pose to human health such as terminal illness, expressing support for the banning of single-use in the state.

    Stakeholders at the workshop included market women, artisans, hoteliers, plastics manufacturers, students, environmentalists among others.

    The stakeholders noted the need for proper ways of disposing used plastics into the right channels and not on the streets to clog the drains, leading to flooding.

    The stakeholders also used the medium to urge the government to turn plastics into wealth by buying them from the people thereby reducing the plastics on the streets and protecting the environment.

  • Nigerian man sentenced to death for kidnap, murder of sex worker

    Nigerian man sentenced to death for kidnap, murder of sex worker

    A Nigerian man, David Isaiah has been sentenced to death for kidnapping and killing a commercial sex worker, Comfort James, in Ekite state.

    TheNewsGuru reports Justice Olalekan Olatawura of the Ekiti State High Court, Ado Ekiti Division, delivered the judgment on Monday, where he noted that the prosecution proved beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendant conspired with his late friend (Saviour Daniel) to kidnap and murder Comfort James.

    The judge said, “Consequent upon the foregoing, the defendant is found guilty as charged. Any sympathetic consideration in favour of the defendant cannot, therefore, be justified.

    “Consequently, the defendant is sentenced to 21 years imprisonment for conspiracy, life imprisonment for kidnapping and for murder, the judgment of this court upon you is that, you be hanged by the neck until you be dead, may God have mercy on your soul.”

    Isaiah, 26, was charged with conspiracy, kidnapping and murder alongside his friend, Saviour Daniel, who died during the pendency of the court trial.

    Justice Olatawura tried and convicted Isaiah on three counts of conspiracy, kidnapping and murder.

    While he was condemned to death for murder, the court sentenced him to life imprisonment for kidnap and 21-year jail term for conspiracy.

    The prosecutor, Ibironke Odetola, had told the court that the offences committed by the defendant, who was arraigned on 18th April, 2024, “are contrary to sections 280, 279 (a) and 234 of the Criminal Law of Ekiti State, 2021”.

    In his testimony before the court, the Director of Afrika Brothel, Irona, Ado Ekiti said the lady had been kidnapped and was only found dead days later.

    He said, “I was called by other commercial sex workers in the brothel, that they had not seen the victims (sex workers) since the previous day.

    “The missing sex worker was said to have called to inform her colleagues that she had been kidnapped and that the kidnappers were demanding N100,000 ransom.

    “I reported the matter at the police station and the Civil Defence office. Their telephone lines were tracked and later arrested. They took Civil Defence Officers to where they killed and dumped the dead body of the sex worker,” she narrated.

    The prosecutor, Odetola, called six witnesses and tendered defendants’ statements, pictures of the deceased, a warrant to bury the corpse, a pair of slippers, SIM cards and herbicide as exhibits.

    The defendant, who spoke in his own defence, told the court that “after having sex with the deceased, we used her number to call her colleagues that she had been kidnapped and demanded a ransom of N100,000.

    “Her hands and neck were tied all along, but when the ransom was not forthcoming and on realising that she had seen our faces clearly, to avoid being implicated, we poured herbicide in her mouth and she later died, the defendant said as he called no witness.”

  • Gov Oyebanji laments rainstorm havoc in Ado-Ekiti

    Gov Oyebanji laments rainstorm havoc in Ado-Ekiti

    Governor Biodun Oyebanji of Ekiti State has lamented the massive destruction of property in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, during Saturday’s torrential rain.

    Oyebanji said this on Sunday, while inspecting the areas affected to evaluate the level of damage by the rainstorm.

    Represented by the Deputy Governor, Mrs Monisade Afuye, the governor expressed happiness that there were no casualties during the torrential and stormy downpour.

    He sympathised with the victims and pledged government’s support for those who were affected to rebuild their damaged structures.

    The governor noted that while some structures experienced partial damage, it was a complete sweeping for the rooftops and the entire structures in some places, which he said would subject the owners to emergency financial burden.

    Oyebanji commended the Ado-Ekiti traditional institution for demonstrating concerns over the incident, by making representation to tour the metropolis to appraise the level of destruction.

    The governor assured that his government would not abandon the victims in subduing the emergency shock occasioned by the natural disaster that rendered hundreds homeless.

    He assured that officials of the Ekiti State Emergency Management Agency and National Emergency Management Agency would revisit the affected areas to evaluate the damaged structures and enumerate the victims to guide the government on how best to intervene.

    Oyebanji, however, appealed to the Federal Government for timely intervention in the Ekiti rainstorm incident, regretting that thousands across the 16 local governments have become homeless, while some had lost their means of livelihood.

    Buildings, infrastructures and electrical facilities were not spared by the rainstorm as many poles and telecommunication masts were pulled down in the metropolis.

  • Ekiti APC caucus endorses Oyebanji for second term

    Ekiti APC caucus endorses Oyebanji for second term

    The Ekiti Caucus of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has unanimously endorsed the second term bid of Governor Biodun Oyebanji.

    The endorsement was passed at a special caucus meeting of the state chapter of APC held at Iyin Ekiti.

    The meeting was attended by the first civilian Governor of the state, Otunba Niyi Adebayo and the immediate past governor of Ekiti Dr Kayode Fayemi, as well as Oyebanji.

    Speaking while moving the endorsement motion, the Speaker of Ekiti House of Assembly, Mr Adeoye Aribasoye, said that the governor had demonstrated outstanding leadership qualities through his commitment to the welfare of the people of the state.

    The speaker praised the governor for making the party highly acceptable to the people through his sterling performance, people-oriented policies and programmes.

    Earlier, the state APC Chairman, Mr Sola Elesin, thanked Oyebanji for making the party highly attractive and acceptable to all indigenes of the state through his developmental strides.

    He maintained that no town in the state was left out of various government’s interventions including infrastructure development, rural electrification, healthcare improvement, agric revolution, and youth empowerment.

    Also in his remarks, Fayemi said that the state had a lot to thank God for.

    “Generally speaking, I think we have a lot to thank God for and we must thank our governor, everywhere we turn to its BAO, our leader and I do exchange notes regularly,” he said.

    In his contribution, Adebayo said that the caucus had made itself very clear.

    “We are all in support of the governor contesting for another term.

    “Everyone is pleased with the work he is doing, and we believe he should seek re-election, he has our full support as he continues his leadership journey, ” Adebayo said.

    Responding, Oyebanji expressed his gratitude to leaders of the party for their belief in his leadership acumen.

    Addressing concerns over high-profile political alignments outside the APC, the governor insisted that the party remained unshaken.

    He said: “We are not worried. What do you expect politicians to do other than play politics? Whether through lies or propaganda, they have to try something.”

  • Ekiti prophet sentenced to life jail term

    Ekiti prophet sentenced to life jail term

    The Ekiti High Court sitting in Ado-Ekiti, on Monday, sentenced one Prophet Adeleye Akingbaso, 47, to life imprisonment for raping a 13-year-old girl.

    Akingbaso was first arraigned in September, 2022 before Justice Blessing Ajileye on a two-count charge of rape and coercion.

    Delivering her judgment, Justice Ajileye said, “in conclusion, this court has found the defendant guilty on the two count charge of rape and coercion and convicted him accordingly.”

    She said this would serve as deterent to others in the class of the convict who have not been caught up with by nemesis.

    ”On Count one (rape), the defendant is sentenced to life imprisonment and on count two (Coercion), the defendant is sentenced to three years imprisonment, both terms are to run concurrently,” Justice Ajileye declared.

    During trial, the Prosecution Counsel, Taiwo Ajibulu told the court that the convict committed the offences sometime in July 2022, in Ado-Ekiti.

    He said that the defendant raped the 13-year-old girl (names withheld) and also coerced the victim to engage in sexual acts to the detriment of her physical and psychological well-being.

    According to him, the offences contravened Section 31(2) of the Child’s Rights Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012 and Section 4 of the Ekiti State Gender-Based Violence (Prohibition) Law, No.18 of 2019.

    In her testimony before the Court, the girl said “Prophet Adeleye was my mother’s man-friend, he comes and sleep in our house often, but on a particular day, my mummy was on night duty, Prophet Adeleye came to sleep in our house.

    “He woke me up midnight and said I bedwet, I said no. He brought out a bottle of sheabutter and rubbed it on my virgina, that was all I knew.

    “I later discovered I had been raped that night, he threatened me that he will curse me and I will die if I tell anybody. On the second day, my mother was not at home, he came to our house again.

    “I was in the kitchen, he told me he wanted to complete what he started yesterday. He was trying to rough-handled me, but I managed to run out and shouted for help and our neighbours came to my rescue.

    “They called my mother and narrated what happened to her, she slapped the Prophet when she came and later reported the case at the Police Station, she concluded.”

    To prove its case, the prosecutor called four witnesses and tendered the defendant’s statement and the girl’s medical report as exhibits.

    Counsel to the  defendant, Mr Adelanke Akinrata, called no witness.

  • Ekiti: 2 teachers jailed 22 years each for raping students

    Ekiti: 2 teachers jailed 22 years each for raping students

    The Ekiti High Court in Ado Ekiti, on Tuesday, sentenced two teachers to 22 years imprisonment each for offence of rape.

    The Prosecution, Mr Kunle-Shina Adeyemi told the court that the defendants, Gbenga Ajibola, 43, and Olaofe Ayodele, 52, were arraigned on March 2, 2022 on a three-count charge of rape and abuse of office.

    He said that the defendants sometimes in Nov, 2019 in Ado-Ekiti raped two female students, aged 17 years and 15 years respectively (names withheld).

    According to him, the offence contravened Section 31(2) of the Childs Right Law, Cap. C7, Laws of Ekiti State, 2012.

    In her testimony before the Court, one of the victims, said that one of the convicts, Ajibola was her Computer teacher, and always disturbed her while in class.

    “On this fateful day, he told me to be in mufti and gave me N200 to go and wait for him in front of a filling station along Bank Road.

    “He later came there alongside Mr Olaofe, but before they came, one of my classmates also met me there, she told me that Mr Olaofe asked her to wait there for him.

    “When they came, we all left for a hotel, around Oke-Ila area of Ado Ekiti. On getting there, we were taken to different rooms where Mr Ajibola had sexual intercourse with me.

    “After that day, he continued to disturb me, when I could no more bear it, I narrated what happened to my mother who later took the matter up,” she recounted.

    To prove his case, the prosecution counsel called four witnesses and tendered statements of the victims and defendants, medical reports, as well as report of the Panel of enquiry among others as exhibits.

    Also, Counsel to the defendants, Mr Lawrence Fasanmi called six witnesses to prove his case.

    In his judgement, Justice Adeniyi Familoni said, the defendants shared their minds and numb the voice of conscience as they took advantage of the victims with reckless abandonment.

    “They deserved severe sanction for their misdeeds to serve as a warning and deterrent to others who may want to follow their footsteps”.

    Justice Familoni therefore sentenced the defendants, Ajibola and  Olaofe to 20 years imprisonment each without an option of fine on count one and two years each on count two, without option of fine.

    The judge said that the sentences should run concurrently.

  • Photo: Nigerian couple hack each other to death over accusations of infidelity

    Photo: Nigerian couple hack each other to death over accusations of infidelity

    A couple identified as Caleb and Tate living in the Odo Ado area of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State, have killed each other, following a heated dispute which stemmed from accusations of infidelity.

    The state’s police spokesperson, Superintendent (SP), Abutu Sunday, revealed that the incident occurred on Tuesday, February 18.

    He stated that the police are currently investigating the incident.

    Sunday said, “An investigation has begun to determine the true cause of their deaths.”

    However, a male eyewitness noted that the couple, who had four children, had been experiencing frequent disputes before the incident.

    He said, “The man who is an Assistant Superintendent of Police, and his wife has been battling with marital misunderstanding over allegations of infidelity.

    “So, it was one of such misunderstandings that led to the fight between them on Tuesday morning. 

    “The wife attacked the man first by using a knife to cut husband’s manhood and the man in his pool of blood and being a police officer, struggled to machete the wife to death.

    “Both of them died on the spot and there were nothing neighbors and passers-by could do at that stage.”

    The state’s police spokesperson then urged couples to resolve their disputes amicably rather than resort to violence.

  • Nigerian man nabbed while attempting to use nephew for ritual

    Nigerian man nabbed while attempting to use nephew for ritual

    The Ekiti State Police Command has arrested a 23-year-old man identified as Solomon Fabiyi,  for allegedly attempting to use his seven-year-old nephew identified as Jomiloju for a money ritual.

    According to the spokesperson of the command, Sunday Abutu in a statement released on Tuesday, the suspect was arrested on Friday, February 14, 2025, before he could carry out the act.

    Abutu added that the suspect, who lives with his parents and the victim in Ado-Ekiti, confessed to the crime and had already been arraigned.

    Addressing journalists, Abutu said, “He was arrested by our operatives on Friday, 14th February 2025 at about 19:00hrs through a tip-off while he was on the verge of using nephew for money ritual.”

    In a viral footage that surfaced on social media, Fabiyi admitted that a local herbalist instructed him to find someone for the ritual. The herbalist allegedly assured him that the victim would not die but would suffer from an ailment.

    However, in a twist of events, the same herbalist alerted the police when Fabiyi brought the child for the ritual, leading to his arrest.