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Tag: Oyo

  • Police arrest suspected killers of Oyo State’s retired permanent Secretary, 30 others

    Police arrest suspected killers of Oyo State’s retired permanent Secretary, 30 others

    Police in Oyo State have arrested five persons suspected to be killers of a 68- 68-year-old retired Permanent Secretary in the state’s civil service, Mrs Olaitan Gbenle.

    Assailants strangled Mrs Gbenle in her apartment at Apata area of Ibadan on Nov.10, 2023.

    Commissioner of Police in Oyo State, Mr Adebola Hamzat, paraded the suspects before newsmen on Wednesday in Ibadan alongside 30 others arrested on suspicion of murder, armed robbery, and cultism.

    He said the five persons arrested over the murder of the former permanent secretary attacked the victim at her residence while armed with sophisticated weapons and dispossessed her of huge sums of money.

    He added that the suspects collected the deceased’s mobile phones, a big generating set, laptops, and many other valuables and carted same away in her Toyota vehicles.

    “As if that was not enough, the suspects murdered the deceased, leaving her in a pool of her own blood.

    “The suspected leader of the robbery syndicate and two of his syndicate members were arrested at their various hideouts,’’ Hamzat said.

    He added that the suspects voluntarily confessed to the crime and their leader explained that Gbenle was murdered because she recognised her attackers.

    Hamzat said further investigations led to the arrest of the receiver of the two vehicles and the generating set stolen from the deceased’s residence.

    One of the suspects told newsmen that he lived in the same community with the deceased and was the one who contacted other gang members to execute the crime.

    “I was given N200,000 has my share after we sold her two vehicles,’’ he said.

    Hamzat said some of those on parade attacked a pregnant woman who was in labour while on her way to the hospital on July 17, 2023 in company of her husband.

    “The suspects dispossessed the couple of their Toyota Venza vehicle,’’ he said.

    The items recovered from the 35 suspects were 18 exotic vehicles, N820,000, mobile phones, one Master key, and one articulated vehicle.

    Also recovered from them were six firearms, one human skull, a generating set, and 3,137 cartons of seasoning cubes valued at N18 million.

  • Makinde suspends Oyo traditional ruler

    Makinde suspends Oyo traditional ruler

    The Oyo State Government on Friday in Ibadan announced the suspension of the traditional ruler of Ido town in the Ido Local Government Area of the state.

    Mr. Suleiman Olanrewaju, Chief Press Secretary to the state governor, Mr Seyi Makinde, disclosed in a statement that Oba Babalola Gbolagade, the Onido of Ido, was suspended on Thursday.

    He said Gov. Makinde approved the suspension “in exercise of the powers conferred on him.

    ”The powers were conferred on him by sub-section 1 and 2 of section 26 of the Chiefs Law, Cap. 28 Vol I, Laws of Oyo State of Nigeria 2000, and by virtue of all other enabling powers in that regard,” Olanrewaju added.

    He disclosed also that the suspended traditional ruler has been directed to hand over all government property in his possession to the chairman of Ido Local Government.

  • Saki rerun: Oyo REC commend voters, describes election as seamless

    Saki rerun: Oyo REC commend voters, describes election as seamless

    The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in Oyo State, Dr Adeniran Tella, has described the Saturday rerun election in Saki West State Constituency as seamless.

    Tella, while monitoring election at polling units 007 and 019 ward 11 both located in Odo Osun and Ogbalanja areas of Saki, commended voters who participated in the rerun for their peaceful conducts.

    He also commended men and officers of security agencies led by the Commissioner of Police, Mr Hamzat Adebola, for maintaining order and effective manning of the two polling units.

    Tella said the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed for the exercise performed well, adding that there wasn’t any hitches as regards the rerun election.

    The REC visited the two polling units alongside the commissioner of police and other management staff of the commission while the exercise was still on.

    He expressed optimism that the exercise will be a success.

     

  • Unknown gunmen abduct Oyo State PMS Chairman

    Unknown gunmen abduct Oyo State PMS Chairman

    Unknown gunmen, on Saturday, kidnapped Alhaji Akeem Akintola, the Oyo State Chairman, Tipper, Lorry and Quarry Park Management System (PMS).

    Akintola, popularly known as KUSO, was kidnapped at his residence at Ajiboye area, Omi Apata, Ibadan.

    A source, who did not want his name published, said that the gunmen stormed Akintola’s residence in the early hours of Saturday and abducted him to an unknown destination.

    Efforts by NAN correspondent to confirm the incident from the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) in Oyo State, SP Adewale Osifeso, proved abortive.

    Several calls put through to his number were not answered.

  • Gunmen invade Oyo community, kidnap two

    Gunmen invade Oyo community, kidnap two

    Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has confirmed the kidnap of two persons in the early hours of Saturday in Otu town of Oyo State by unknown gunmen.

    The Public Relations Officer of NSCDC in the state, Samuel Opabiyi, gave the confirmation in a telephone interview with NAN in Ibadan on Saturday.

    “Yes, it is true, but the police have taken over the investigation because it falls under their purview,” Opabiyi said.

    Otu is one of the towns in Itesiwaju Local Government Area of the state.

    It was gathered that the two victims were identified as Dayo Olayanju and one Mrs Obasola, whose husband, Kehinde, was said to have escaped with gunshot wounds.

    A community leader in the local government area, who preferred anonymity, said the incident happened in the early hours of Saturday.

    “They were kidnapped in different areas. One was kidnapped on Okeho road.

    “I have confirmed it. Two people were kidnapped, but we don’t know where they have been taken to as at now,” the community leader said.

    However, efforts to get the reaction of the Police Public Relations Officer of the Police Command in the state, Adewale Osifeso, proved abortive, as calls put through to his telephone line were not answered as at the time of filing this report.

  • N3.4b judgment debt: Accountant-General didn’t contradict Makinde – Oyo govt.

    N3.4b judgment debt: Accountant-General didn’t contradict Makinde – Oyo govt.

    Oyo State Government has said that the Accountant-General of the state, Mrs Kikelomo Adegoke, did not contradict the position of Gov. Seyi Makinde on the payment of judgment debt to the sacked local government chairmen and councilors.

    The clarification is contained in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor, Mr Sulaimon Olanrewaju in Ibadan on Monday.

    Olanrewaju noted that there were reports in a section of the media twisting the contents of a letter sent to some banks by the accountant-general, claiming that she contradicted the governor’s stance that the state had no money to defray the judgment debt.

    He said the letter sent to the banks in respect of the garnishee order placed on the state’s account in 10 commercial banks by a Federal High Court in Abuja in December 2023 was consistent with Makinde’s position.

    “In the letter, the accountant-general informed the affected banks that the Oyo State Joint Local Government Allocation Account domiciled with First Bank of Nigeria, had already been put on lien to the tune of N3,425,300,000, being the total amount of the judgment debt.

    “Having adequately provisioned for the debt, it is, therefore, both unconscionable and inequitable for nine other banks to do the same in the circumstances. This is, in fact, consistent with Gov. Makinde’s position,” he said.

    Olanrewaju further stated that it was unfortunate that some misguided individuals, bent on creating an imaginary division within the state government had coloured the contents of the letter to make it appear as if the governor lied.

    He also refuted the report that said the state would not pay the debt owned the former local government chairmen sacked by the Makinde-led administration.

    Olanrewaju said what the governor said regarding the judgment debt was that the process of the law would be followed to a logical conclusion to avoid paying the state’s money to wrong people.

    “For the avoidance of doubts, Gov. Makinde has not said that the state will not pay the judgment debt nor did he say the state does not have the funds to pay.

    “Rather, the position of the governor is that the whole process of the law must be pursued to a logical conclusion before the money is paid to avoid the state’s fund getting into the wrong hands,” he said.

  • How agents of Oyo monarch attack us with machetes – Witnesses tell court

    How agents of Oyo monarch attack us with machetes – Witnesses tell court

    Two witnesses on Wednesday gave account of how they nearly lost their lives to machete injuries allegedly inflicted on them by agents of an Oyo state traditional ruler, Oba Solomon Akinola, the Oloko of Oko.

    The witnesses, Pastor Owolabi Olusegun and Mr Olufemi Adelakun gave their testimonies before an Oyo State High Court in Ogbomoso.

    The court is sitting on a case of attempted murder, grievous bodily harm, robbery, land grabbing against the traditional ruler of Oko in Surulere Local Government Area of Oyo state, and 14 others.

    Olusegun, a prosecution witness who was led in evidence by a lawyer prosecuting the matter, Mr I.O. Abdulazeez, informed the court that the incident occurred on May 10, 2021 when he was walking in front of the palace of Alagba of Aagba town, a neighboring community to Oko.

    “The assailants who are agents of Oba Akinola were holding cutlasses and they started pursuing me.

    “When they catch up with me, they strike my head with their cutlasses, but I managed to escape.

    He gave the names of those who allegedly inflicted the injuries on him as; Matthew Akintaro, a.k.a.  Paimo, Sheriff Adam, a.k.a.  Adamo, and Timothy Aderinto.

    Olusegun showed the scars from the alleged inflicted injuries to the court.

    Also testifying, Adelakun said he was yet to recover from the machete injuries to his skull because his eyeballs were badly damaged.

    “On that day, I came out of my house, when I heard the cry of Olusegun calling for help while he was being attacked.

    “I hid in the bush, thinking that they would not see me/

    “When they eventually saw me, they inflicted severe cutlass injuries on my head.

    “The injuries badly affected my sight, I cannot see properly again,” Adelakun said.

    The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that after hearing the testimonies of the two witnesses, Justice K.A. Adedokun adjourned the trial until Dec. 14 for cross examination by the defense counsel and further hearing.

  • Late Alaafin’s son, AbdulFatai Adeyemi, dies hours to 47th birthday

    Late Alaafin’s son, AbdulFatai Adeyemi, dies hours to 47th birthday

    One of the sons of the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, Prince AbdulFatai Adeyemi, is dead.

    Adeyemi, popularly known as D-Gov, died at the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, in the early hours of Friday.

    The Oyo prince, who was the immediate past Chairman of Oyo State Local Government Pension Board, died few hours to his 47th birthday.

    The Public Relations Officer of UCH, Mrs Funmilayo Adetuyibi, confirmed the death of the late Alaafin’s son, saying that he died at the hospital on Friday morning.

    Adetuyibi told NAN that AbdulFatai was brought to the hospital around 12.05 a.m. on Friday and died at exactly 3:50 a.m.

    She, however, declined when asked about the disease that the late Oyo prince was suffering from which eventually resulted in his death.

    “I can’t disclose his diagnosis or what killed him because it is against our professional ethics,” the UCH spokesperson said.

    Another source from UCH also spoke about the death of the late Alaafin’s son.

    “Fatai Bayo adeyemi, one-time Secretary of Atiba Local Government, died this morning (Friday). He was married with children. He was reported very ill sometime last year but survived,” the source said.

    AbdulFatai had contested the House of Representatives seat in Oyo Federal Constituency on the platform of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in 2019.

    He, however, lost to his brother, Prince Akeem Adeyemi, popularly known as Skimeh, of All Progressives Congress (APC).

    AbdulFatai’s death, it was gathered, has thrown the family of the late Oba Adeyemi and the ancient town of Oyo into mourning.

  • Alaafin: Court adjourns kingmakers’ fresh suit against Gov. Makinde

    Alaafin: Court adjourns kingmakers’ fresh suit against Gov. Makinde

    An Oyo High Court sitting in Awe has adjourned for hearing a fresh suit filed by Oyo kingmakers (Oyomesi) against Gov. Seyi Makinde and two others on the vacant stool of Alaafin of Oyo till Dec. 14.

    The Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters were joined in the suit as co- defendants.

    The claimants in the suit No. HOY/41/2023 are: High Chief Yusuf Ayoola, (Basorun of Oyo), High Chief Wakeel Oyedepo, (Lagunna), High Chief Amuda Yusuf (Akinniku), High Chief Waheed Oyetunji (Aare Ago Basorun) and Chief Gbadebo Mufutau (Baale Alapo).

    The kingmakers, in the suit filed on their behalf by their Lead Counsel, Mr Kazeem Sobaloju, after the withdrawal and subsequent striking out of a similar case by the court, had approached the court on Thursday with a fresh suit.

    Sobaloju reminded the court that he had two pending applications filed on Nov. 1 on the subject matter before the court.

    He said that the counter affidavit to the notice of preliminary objection and the interim injunction were served on him barely 45 minutes ago.

    Sobaloju prayed the court for maintenance of the status quo in spite of the notice of the preliminary objection filed by the defence counsel.

    He equally said that he had filed a counter affidavit to the notice of the preliminary objection.

    However, the defence counsel, Mr L.A. Abiola, who doubles as the Director, Department of Civil Litigation and Advisory Council in the state Ministry of Justice, assured the court of his preparedness to move the application for his notice of preminary objection.

    He said that they were not, in any way, running away from the legal battle.

    According to reports all the claimants were present in court.

    The Presiding Judge, Justice Ladiran Akintola, said following the agreement between both counsel, the matter was adjourned till Dec. 14 for hearing of the preliminary objection filed by the defence counsel.

    NAN