TheNewsGuru

Tag: ondo

  • JUST IN: Barely three days after Owo massacre, gunmen kill six in Ondo

    Barely 72 hours after, no fewer than six persons were shot dead at Sabo Area of Ondo town, Ondo State on Wednesday night by some men suspected to be bandits.

    This came 72 hours after some terrorists attacked St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, killing about 40 people.

    Several other church members were injured in the attack.

    It was gathered that the gunmen were on motorcycles when they carried out the attack.

    Another source said the gunmen also robbed some residents of the area before they left the scene.

    The Police Public Relations Officer of the state, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident.

    Owo killing: Death toll hits 40, says Ondo govt

    She, however, said it was a robbery case, adding that men of the command were already on the trail of the perpetrators.

  • Owo attack, attempt to instigate religious hatred – Northern governors

    The Northern Governors Forum has described the Sunday attack on worshippers at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State as an attempt to instigate religious hatred.

    The Chairman of the forum and Governor of Plateau, Mr Simon Lalong said the attack was to inflame passion among Nigerians, in a statement by his spokesperson, Dr Makut Macham on Monday in Jos.

    “The Northern governors commiserate with survivors, families of victims, the Catholic Church and Christian body in Nigeria.

    “We condemn the evil act and urge security agencies to apprehend perpetrators of the sacrilege, their sponsors and collaborators.”

    Lalong said the action would not only ensure the administration of justice , but also serve as a stern warning and deterrent to criminals, who remained determined to cause chaos in the country.

    He also declared the solidarity of the governors with their colleague, Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu and the government of Ondo state, assuring them of their prayers and support at this very sober moment.

  • Owo attack: Tinubu commiserate with Gov. Akeredolu, donates N75m to victims, church

    A frontline Presidential Aspirant of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Sen. Bola Tinubu, has donated N75 million to the victims of Sunday’s gunmen attack on St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo.

    He made the donation on Monday in Owo, during his visit to commiserate with Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu and the people of the town.

    The donation was announced by Gov. Rotimi at the palace of Olowo of Owo, Oba Ajibade Ogunoye, and he thanked the APC leader for the gesture.

    According to the governor, N50 million will go to victims of the attack and N25 million to the Catholic Diocese of Ondo.

    Earlier, the former Lagos State governor said the security apparatus should be enhanced in tackling the current security challenges in the country.

    Tinubu tasked the government at all levels to ensure the protection of lives and property.

    He prayed to God to console the families of the deceased and grant the community and the state government the fortitude to bear the loss.

    Responding, the Olowo of Owo urged the government to do the needful and ensure that those involved in the dastardly attack were arrested.

  • Owo attack: Catholic lawyers condemn killing of worshippers

    The National Association of Catholic Lawyers (NACL) has described as cruel, the killing of worshippers on Sunday at a Catholic Church in Owo, Ondo State.

    President of NACL, Mr Chukwuemeka Ezeala, said, in a statement on Monday, that the worshippers were massacred in cold blood.

    Newsmen reports that many worshippers were killed at the St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo on June 5 when unknown gunmen opened fire on the congregation.

    A viral video on social media depicted several of the worshippers in a pool of blood.

    According to Ezeala, it is cruel and sacrilegious that innocent worshippers are attacked in the serene town of Owo and massacred in cold blood.

    “The National Association of Catholic Lawyers condemns in absolute terms the reckless and abominable crime perpetrated by the monsters.

    “May the souls of the martyrs rest in the Lord,” he said.

    Ezeala condoled the Catholic Bishop of Akure and the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria on the loss.

    He prayed God to console the families of the dead and grant quick recovery to the wounded.

    He called on the state government to arrest and prosecute those involved in the abominable act.

  • CAN describes Owo church killing as wicked, barbaric

    CAN describes Owo church killing as wicked, barbaric

    The Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) has described the killing of worshippers at St. Francis Catholic Church, Owo, Ondo State, on Sunday as barbaric and wicked.

    Rev. Anselm Ologunwa, the Chairman of CAN in the state, in a statement on Sunday in Akure, condemned the attack.

    “The killing of some innocent souls in the name of whichever guise is the highest criminality everybody should rise up and condemn in our society.

    “How can some people just wake up from no where and decide to kill their fellow men unjustly without any recourse to the judgement of God,” he said.

    Ologunwa called on the government to address the security challenges confronting the country.

    According to him, “no where is safe in Nigeria with the recent kidnapping of Prelate of the Methodist Church and two others on the road, the train attack and on the air and now is inside the church of God.”

    The CAN Chairman noted that the day was the feast of the Pentecost Sunday in the history of the Catholic Church, assuring the people that the Holy Spirit of God would definitely fight for those that were killed in the incident.

    Ologunwa called on the state government and security agencies to as a matter of urgency go after the perpetrators of the henious act and bring them to justice.

    The chairman condoled with families of the victims, the Catholic Community and the entire state, and prayed God to give them the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss.

    He assured that CAN would continue to promote religious harmony and equal opportunities for all in the state without discrimination.

    The CAN chairman admonished the people of the state to complement Gov. Rotimi Akeredolu’s efforts on security, charging them to be security conscious at all times.

  • [Video] Unkown gunmen invades Catholic church in Ondo state

    A yet to be confirmed number of persons have been killed by unknown gunmen on Sunday, June 5, at a church in Owo, Ondo State.

    As at the time of gathering this report the unfortunate incident was still sketchy, it was gathered that the attack occurred during a service at st. Francis Xavier Catholic Church, Owo.

    In a video that surfaced online, several persons were seen lying on the floor inside the church in a pool of blood.

  • Aggrieved Ondo senator retrieves vehicles given to party leaders after losing

    The representative of Ondo Central Senatorial District, Ayo Akinyelure, has allegedly started retrieving the vehicles he had given to some Peoples Democratic Party, PDP leaders in the state.

    TheNewsGuru.com, (TNG) reports this development comes after the senator lost his bid to return to the Red Chamber of the parliament for the third time.

    In the Ondo Central Senatorial District primaries on Monday, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Ethics, Privileges and Public Petitions came second behind Ifedayo Adedipe (SAN), who clinched the ticket with 82 votes.

    Akinyelure got 58 votes, while ex-Ondo State PDP Chairman, Chief Clement Faboyede, came third with 57 votes.

    An official of the party claimed that Akinyelure had retrieved the vehicles given to Chief Segun Adegoke, a member of the Board of Trustees of the PDP, and that of Wole Akindiose, a former PDP Chairman in Ondo East Senatorial District and national delegate to the forthcoming convention of the party.

    However, Akinyelure’s Media and Strategy Adviser, Charles Akinwon, said the senator only retrieved the vehicle given to Akindiose because of the role he played during the primaries.

    Akinyelure had blamed the immediate past Governor of the state, Dr. Olusegun Mimiko, for the loss on Monday.

  • Abductors seize cleric, son in Ondo, reject N1m ransom offer

    Abductors seize cleric, son in Ondo, reject N1m ransom offer

    Police in Ondo State on Sunday confirmed the abduction of a cleric and his son on Ifon-Okeluse Road in Ose Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    Police spokesperson in the state, SP Funmilayo Odunlami, confirmed the incident to newsmen and said assailants abducted the duo on Saturday.

    “It is true that the cleric and his son were kidnapped by unknown gunmen, but efforts are on-going by detectives to rescue the victims,’’ the spokesperson said.

    An eyewitness earlier told newsmen that the victims were traveling when the abductors accosted and dragged them into the bush and to an unknown destination.

    He said the bandits thereafter contacted the family and demanded an N10 million ransom, but the family was able to raise only N1 million, which the abductors refused to collect.

    “The kidnappers contacted the family and demanded a ransom of N10 million, but the family raised N1million, which the kidnappers rejected,’’ the eyewitness said.

  • Senate: Business mogul Jimoh Ibrahim picks N20m APC Expression of Interest, Nomination forms

    Senate: Business mogul Jimoh Ibrahim picks N20m APC Expression of Interest, Nomination forms

    Business mogul, Dr Jimoh Ibrahim, an APC aspirant for the Ondo South Senatorial District on Wednesday, picket the party’s N20 million Expression of Interest and Nomination forms at the APC Secretariat, Abuja.

    Ibrahim, the founder of University of Fortunes, Igbotako, confirmed this to newsmen on telephone in Okitipupa.Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

    “My ambition is to empower my people to be self-reliant. Ondo South deserves a better representation at the National Assembly.

    ” I have collected the forms because I have all the qualities to vie and win the APC ticket and the senate seat,” Ibrahim said.

    Newsmen recall that Ibrahim declared his intention to run for the senate at his Igbotako Ward 2, Okitipupa LGA on April 28.

  • 2023: Jimoh Ibrahim formally declares for Senate under APC

    2023: Jimoh Ibrahim formally declares for Senate under APC

    Dr. Jimoh Ibrahim, a business mogul, has formally declared his intention to run for Ondo South Senatorial District on the platform of the APC.

    Ibrahim made the declaration on Thursday in Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo state after meeting with leaders and chieftains of the APC in Igbotako Ward 1 and 2.

    Ibrahim, also a legal practitioner, appreciated the APC leaders for believing in him, saying that the meeting was to get prepared for the party’s primary election scheduled for May.

    The billionaire noted that there was need for him to keep the leaders abreast of his political interest.

    “I made the decision after due consultations with family members, APC stakeholders and chieftains of Igbotako Ward 1 and Ward 2.

    “There is need for a representative who have capacity to make life-changing impacts in the senatorial district.

    “People will benefit more from the largesse in the district when i become a senator, because I have a large heart to bring positive transformation to the senatorial district,” Ibrahim said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Sen. Nicholas Tofowomo of the Peoples Democractic Party (PDP) who hails from Ile-Oluji/Oke Igbo is the current senator representing Ondo South at the National Assembly.

    NAN also reports that Ondo South consists of six Local Government Areas: Okitipupa, Irele, Ilaje, Ese-Odo, Odogbo and Ile-Oluji/Oke Igbo.