TheNewsGuru

Tag: Kwara

  • UTME: Public school student, in Kwara, Olukayode, 15, scores 362 marks

    UTME: Public school student, in Kwara, Olukayode, 15, scores 362 marks

    A student of a public secondary school, Government Secondary School, Omu Aran, Kwara State, Olukayode Victor Olusola, scored 362 marks in this year’s Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination, UTME.

    By this feat, he is among the contenders for the highest scorers in the examination.

    Though the Registrar of the Joint Admission and Matriculation Board, JAMB, Prof. Isaq Oloyede, organisers of the exam, had said the Board would not announce the highest scorer to avoid last year’s experience of confusing claims, Olukayode’s score is celebratory, as it is among the highest in recent years.

    He scored 95 marks each in Mathematics, Physics and Chemistry and 77 in English Language.

    His exploit, according to a report by Vanguard, was coming against the backdrop of the poor performance of candidates in the exam in which 1.4 million scored less than 200 marks out of 400. The exam was taken by over 1.8 million candidates

    “Also, Olukayode’s excellent performance is coming at a time when confidence is greatly eroding in what public schools have to offer and some private schools are boasting of being the most expensive in the country,’” the report said.

    Olukayode was born in 2009 and hopes to study Electrical Electronic at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

    His mother, Beatrice Tosin, while giving all the honour to God, also praised the studious and hard working nature of her child.

  • Ex-Kwara Senator is dead

    Ex-Kwara Senator is dead

    Former Senator who represented Kwara South Senatorial District, Rafiu Adebayo Ibrahim is dead.

    He died on Wednesday morning, leaving behind a legacy of dedication, service, and profound impact, according to a statement by his family.

    “We kindly request your prayers and support during this difficult time. His burial arrangements will be communicated in due course.

    “We pray Allah forgive his shortcomings and grant him Al-jannah Firdaus. Ameen,” the statement added.

  • DISHONESTY! Three traditional title holders suspended in Kwara

    DISHONESTY! Three traditional title holders suspended in Kwara

    Three traditional title holders of Ekan land in Oke-Ero Local Government Area of Kwara State have been suspended.

    They are High Chief Obajemu of Ekan land, Michael Ademola Oyinloye, High Chief Esinkin of Ekan land, Thomas Olarewaju Ashaolu and Chief Obaoye of Ekan land, Gabriel Oluwasegun Olarewaju.

    The decision to suspend the chiefs was taken at the expanded meeting of Elekan in Council held at the palace of Elekan of Ekan.

    A Communique issued at the end of the meeting and signed by Chief Obanurin of Ekanland, Chief Awoyemi Raphael Ajiboye and Osolo of Ekanland, Chief Timothy Jolayemi, accused the suspended chiefs of failing to attend scheduled meetings, disloyalty, breach of confidence, intolerable level of indiscipline, and abominable behaviour that are not compatible with the exalted positions they occupy within the community.

    The communique noted that as a result of the various allegations, the Elekan in council, resolved to suspend the affected chiefs indefinitely, with immediate effect pending further investigation and disciplinary proceedings.

    It further stated that the affected chiefs are forbidden from parading themselves as high chiefs of Ekanland and are barred from partaking in all palace and traditional activities of the town until they purge themselves of the numerous traditional misconducts and offences which are not compatible with their oaths of office.

    It urged all sons and daughters of Ekan and the general public to note the development and treat accordingly.

  • Kwara CP warns NLC against violent protest

    Kwara CP warns NLC against violent protest

    The Commissioner of Police in Kwara, Mr Victor Olaiya, has warned the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and other unions against violenct protest in the state.

    This is contained in a statement signed by the command Spokesperson, DSP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi in Ilorin.

    According to the statement, the CP has directed the deployment of Police personnel across the state in anticipation of the planned protest scheduled to take place on Feb. 27 and 28, organised by the NLC, in collaboration with other unions.

    Olaiya said the deployment was to guarantee the safety and security of people of kwara during the peaceful protest.

    “In compliance with the directives of the Inspector General of Police, IGP Kayode Egbetokun, CP Victor Olaiya emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and order,” he said.

    He emphasised that while citizens had the right to a peaceful protest, any form of violence or disruption of public peace would not be condoned.

    “The Commissioner of Police held a strategic meeting with Area Commanders, Tactical Commanders and Divisional Police Officers (DPOs), directing them to implement proactive measures to prevent any potential breach of law and order.

    “To facilitate a smooth and orderly protest, CP Olaiya engaged in dialogue with representatives of the NLC and other relevant stakeholders on Feb. 26.”

    “The discussion was to ensure a conducive atmosphere for a peaceful demonstration while safeguarding the interests of all parties involved.”

    Olaiya reiterated the command’s commitment to uphold the rights of individuals to express themselves peacefully, emphasizing that any individual found instigating violence or engaging in unlawful behaviour would face the full wrath of the law.

    The Commissioner assured residents, visitors, and stakeholders in the state that adequate security measures had been put in place to safeguard lives and property during the protest.

    “He urges members of the public to report any suspicious activities or incidents to the nearest police station or through the Command Control Number: 07032069501 or 08125275046.”

     

  • Police confirm rescue of kidnapped Kwara queen, one other

    Police confirm rescue of kidnapped Kwara queen, one other

    The Police Command in Kwara said it had rescued the wife of the late Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, the Onikoro of Koro-Ekiti and one other in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara.

    Recall that suspected gunmen on Feb. invaded the Oba`s palace, killed him and abducted his wife and two others.

    DSP Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, the command`s spokesman who disclosed this in statement on Tuesday in Ilorin, said that the operation also led to the arrest of 13 suspects.

    He said that in the course of investigation, the Inspector-General of Police (I-G), approved the deployment of a police helicopter for aerial surveillance, to help comb the forest and boundary between Kwara and Ekiti.

    “The operation led to the rescued of kidnap victims and they have been re-united with their families, hale and hearty.

    “The suspects are undergoing vigorous interrogation with a view to aid the arrest of other members of the gang who are at large,“ he said.

    He said that the Commissioner of Police, Mr Victor Olaiya, remains resolute to prosecute the perpetrators of the dastardly act.

    He further urges the public to be calm and security conscious as they go about their daily activities without fear or anxiety.

  • Fresh details emerge on murder of Kwara’s monarch, Olukoro of Koro

    Fresh details emerge on murder of Kwara’s monarch, Olukoro of Koro

    Fresh facts have emerged on how the killers of Oba Olusegun Aremu-Cole, the Olukoro of Koro plotted his death in a pub popularly called beer parlour in Ekiti Local Government Area of Kwara State.

    Oba Aremu-Cole, a retired senior military officer, was shot dead on Thursday night by the assailants, who invaded his palace, and his wife and two natives who live near the palace were whisked away to an unknown destination.

    He was crowned in 2017 and he would have been 66 this year as he was born in 1958.

    According to PUNCH, It was gathered that the killers also lured a salesgirl at the pub to lead them to the palace, which is located in the area.

    A source in Koro, who did not want his name in print said on Friday that when the assailants arrived in the town on Thursday evening, they settled in the pub to take some drinks.

    The source stated, “After spending several hours at the relaxation centre and being good customers t, they now asked the salesgirl to lead them to the palace to pay obeisance to the monarch and discuss the progress of the town.

    “The girl ignorantly led the three men to the palace to see the monarch and went back to continue her work at the joint.”

    Another native of Koro, Funsho Akorede, said the monarch had just returned from a journey and was relaxing when the gunmen attacked him.

    He added that following the killing, a team of soldiers had been dispatched to comb forests in Kwara and neighbouring Kogi and Ekiti states to smoke out the assailants.

    The immediate junior brother to the monarch, Mr Adelaja Aremu, on Friday, narrated how gunmen killed the Oba.

    Adelaja noted that the assailants shot his brother dead for refusing to follow their orders to stand up and come with them.

    He said, “I am his immediate younger brother and I live very close to the village. Immediately gunshots were heard in the palace, I was contacted and told the gunshots.

    “They (gunmen) came into the palace and met him (the monarch) and asked him to stand up. They wanted to abduct him. He refused to get up, saying that nobody could command him like that. He refused to take orders from unknown people, so they shot in the air to scare him but he wasn’t afraid.

    “Of course, they knew that they met a stubborn person and that was how they shot him. This was what the houseboy told us. He (houseboy) bolted out of the palace through the back door when my brother was shot, but he saw all that transpired.”

  • Police confirm killing of traditional ruler, abduction of wife in Kwara

    Police confirm killing of traditional ruler, abduction of wife in Kwara

    The Police Command in Kwara on Thursday in Ilorin confirmed the killing of a traditional ruler in the state, Oba Peter Aremu, the Onikoro of Koro-Ekiti in the Ekiti Local Government Area.

    CSP Ejire Adeyemi-Tohun, the Public Relations Officer (PRO) for the state Police Command, confirmed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) late Thursday in llorin.

    She added that the king’s assailants also kidnapped his wife.

    “The gunmen invaded the residence of the traditional ruler in the evening and killed him and went away with his wife,” the Police PRO said.

    The Police spokesperson said some police personnel, led by the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) in Koro-Ekiti, were already at the palace of the late traditional ruler.

    “They have began investigations into the whereabouts of the killers, as well as the abductors of the late king’s wife,” she said.

  • Media workers down tools in Kwara state over unmet demands

    Media workers down tools in Kwara state over unmet demands

    In Kwara state, media personnel under the auspices of various labour unions in all State-owned media houses have insisted on proceeding on the declared warning strike effective from Tuesday, Today.

    The unions have set up monitoring and compliance teams that would man each of the state-owned media houses from Tuesday morning.

    The industrial action was sequel to the resolution of the joint emergency congress of each union in Kwara State Printing and Publishing Corporation (The Herald Newspapers), Kwara State Broadcasting Corporation (Radio Kwara), Kwara State Television Authority (Kwara TV) and Kwara State Arts and Culture arising from the inability of the state government to immediately implement some of the demands of the unions.

    The unions included National Union of Paper Products, Printing and Publishing Workers (NUPPPROW), Radio, Television and Theatre Arts Workers Union (RATTAWU) and Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).

    According to the various media unions in the state, the warning strike action, which will hold between Tuesday and Wednesday, was due to the failure of the state government to treat state-owned media workers and cultural workers as essential workers in the state employment.

    They noted that the government has failed to meet their demands for the implementation of 100 percent essential allowance due to them.

     

    In an earlier notice of warning strike issued in Ilorin, the unions called for an immediate revision of the weigh-in allowance to be at per with minimum wage of ₦30,000 and a 27 percent increment based on grade level, which has not been implemented.

    Some of the issues leading to the industrial action in the state-owned media outfits include non-implementation of the 2021 and 2022 promotion exercises, inability to overhaul equipment and facilities in the media houses in spite of repeated appeals, annual increment anomalies and stagnation in career progression, which has unjustly restricted workers in Radio Kwara and Kwara TV to Level 16 Cadre as the peak of their career in the civil service.

    The aggrieved media workers are also protesting the imposition of junior officers as Corporation Secretaries and Controllers of Finance and Supply, CFAs, on the state-owned media houses, who are often deployed from the office of the state Head of Service and Ministry of Finance respectively without taking cognizance of the global best practices.

    It would be recalled that the unions held a meeting with the Governor’s Chief of Staff, Prince Mahe Abdulkadir-led state government negotiation team on Sunday where it appealed that the warning strike be shelved.

    But the unions said at the meeting that they can’t act independently of the congresses of each union.

  • Sarkin Fulani, 2 others sentenced to life imprisonment in Kwara

    Sarkin Fulani, 2 others sentenced to life imprisonment in Kwara

    A High Court sitting in Ilorin has sentenced a traditional ruler and two others to life imprisonment for conspiracy and kidnapping.

    Those convicted are the Sarkin Fulani of Kwara, Usman Adamu, his brother, and one Gidaddo Idris.

    They were tried and convicted of kidnapping one Abubakar Ahmad sometime in 2022.

    The convicts were said to have collected a ransom of N1 million before releasing their victim, who had spent 20 days in captivity.

    Kwara state Director of Public Prosecution (DPP), Idowu Ayoola, brought the then defendants before the court for alleged conspiracy to kidnap and kidnapping itself.

    In her judgment, Justice Adenike Akinpelu, held that evidence adduced by the prosecution proved that all three accused persons connived to commit the crime.

    According to her, argument about whether or not they were physically present at the scene of the crime is immaterial.

    The Judge said that the convicts “supposedly arrested their victim claiming that he was a kidnap suspect to extort money from him.

    “I am not persuaded by the submissions of counsel to the defendants to dismiss the two-count charge against them based on the fact that they were not at the scene of the incident.”

    Akinpelu lamented that, “it is saddening and disturbing that community leaders charged with the welfare of their subjects could because of the love of money, breach the security of the same subjects.

    “They are hereby found guilty as charged and are so convicted.” she ordered.

    After listening to the convicts’ allocutus, the judge said: “By Section 15 of the state Anti Kidnapping Law, the court cannot exercise any discretion of leniency.

    “So, you are hereby sentenced to life imprisonment. The sentence is to run concurrently,” she ruled.

    The judge also ordered the convict to pay N600,000 to the victim of the abduction as damages.

  • 8 die in Kwara auto crash

    8 die in Kwara auto crash

    Eight persons died in an auto crash at Oke-Onigbin on the Omu-Aran-Ilorin Highway in Irepodun Local Government Area of Kwara on Friday.

    An articulated vehicle and a bus were involved in the accident.

    Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps in Kwara, Mr Stephen Dawulung, said in a statement issued by its spokesman, Mr Busari Basambo on Saturday in Ilorin that the accident happened in the night.

    “Preliminary investigations showed that the Ilorin-bound Mitsubishi bus was overtaking another bus when it had head-on collision with the articulated vehicle.

    “The collision resulted to the death of eight persons on the spot. They were one male adult, three female adults and four children.

    “Six other persons sustained of injuries in the crash,’’ he said.

    Dawulung said the dead were deposited in a morgue while the injured were taken to another hospital for medical attention.

    He added that the crash was blameable on over-speeding, wrongful overtaking and poor visibility.

    He advised motorists to always avoid night journeys and over-speeding and to ensure they rested for 30 minutes after every four hours of driving.

    “This is to avoid crashes resulting from poor visibility, fatigue, dozing or loss of control of vehicles.

    “The highest level of caution and concentration must be exercised while driving,” Dawulung advised.