Ibadan Stamped: Naomi, Others Must Be Prosecuted — Governor Makinde Says Over

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State, has pledged that those responsible for the tragic stampede at the children’s funfair on December 18, 2024, which claimed the lives of 35 children at Islamic High School in Ibadan, will be prosecuted.

The governor said this at an event held at the Governor’s Office Secretariat car park.

The organisers, including Prophetess Naomi Silekunola Ogunwusi, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife; Oriyomi Hamzat, the owner of Agidigbo FM; and Fasasi Abdullahi Babatunde, the Principal of Islamic High School, have been detained at Agodi Custodial Centre.

According to him, “35 innocent souls were lost; we won’t see such again in Oyo State by God’s grace.

Quite a number of people reached out to me, saying that this happened in Anambra and FCT and nobody went to jail. Why is it that in Oyo State, some people will go to jail? Oyo is not Anambra, and no matter how highly placed, justice must be done.

The judiciary is here, after all; it’s in their court. If they think they can grant bail pending the trial, I don’t have anything against it, but they must go on trial.

Even if the entire country decides not to follow the rule of law, Oyo State will dare to be different.”

You Have 72 hours To Return All Government Vehicles With You - Edo Governor Tells Ighodalo, Running Mate, Others

The Edo State Government has issued a 72-hour ultimatum to Asue Ighodalo, the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate in the recent governorship election, and other politicians to surrender government vehicles in their possession.

This directive was issued by Kelly Okungbowa, Chairman of the Government Assets Recovery Committee, on Tuesday, as part of the state's efforts to recover public assets.

The Recovery Committee has made allegations that certain vehicles formerly owned by the defunct Edo Line government transport company were illicitly sold and have since been located in a spare parts market in Benin City, Edo State's capital.

“We want to use this medium to appeal to those people whose names have been mentioned, to please return those vehicles to the authorities, because they are not my property,” Okungbowa was quoted by Channels TV as saying.

He continued: “Those vehicles are the property of the state government, for the Edo people. And we all know the cost of buying one vehicle.

“To buy a brand-new Hilux costs you nothing less than N120 million. Where do they expect the governor to get that kind of money to purchase new vehicles?

“We want to appeal to them, especially the candidate of the PDP, Barrister Asue Ighodalo and his running mate. It is good for us to also advise them as a father and leader in the state, that they should do the right thing by returning those vehicles.

“It may interest you that those vehicles that have been recovered - the governor has directed that we should reallocate them to the agencies, and we have done that.

“Mr Governor went to Edo Line during the time of his electoral campaign. He said he would revamp Edo Line. When we got there, there was no vehicle. We got some information that those vehicles were taken from the Edo Line and sold.

“This morning, we got information, and we went to a place called Uwelo Spareparts. We discovered about 12 vehicles there. Six were movable, six were not movable. We have the video here.

“While we are appealing, the government will also decide on its own. We are not here to witch-hunt anybody. We are doing our job according to the law. It is not that we don’t know where some of them were kept. They took some of the vehicles to Lagos, Abuja, and Abeokuta. But we are appealing to them, and follow due process.”

The committee also listed the names of officials attached to the previous administration who are allegedly still in possession of government vehicles, and advised that such vehicles be returned within 72 hours.

“We are giving them another 72 hours to do the needful. If they fail to do it, then, we will do the needful,” he added.

Lagos Govt Seals Cubana Chief Priests Restaurant Over Noise Pollution, Others

 

The Lagos State Environmental Protection Agency (LASEPA) has sealed Donald’s Fast Food, a restaurant owned by Pascal Chibuike Okechukwu, also known as Cubana Chiefpriest, due to persistent noise pollution and environmental violations.

The fast food outlet, located on Adebayo Doherty Street, Lekki 1, was closed by LASEPA after failing to comply with environmental regulations despite several warnings and abatement notices.

Lagos State Commissioner for Environment and Water Resources, Tokunbo Wahab, announced the closure on Sunday via his social media handle, stating: “After several warnings and abatement notices, LASEPA sealed Donald’s Fast Food on Adebayo Doherty Street, Lekki 1 over noise pollution and other environmental infractions.”

Lifting Ban On Alcoholic Beverages Will Lead To Increased Accidents, Others, Experts Warn

Medical experts have warned that lifting the ban on alcoholic beverages will lead to acute health complications, increased road traffic accidents, increased risk of abuse of alcohol, liver problems, heart-related problems, and cancers, among others.

The experts spoke following the resolution of the House of Representatives and the National Agency for Food and Drugs Administration and Control (NAFDAC) to lift the ban on the sale and consumption of sachet alcoholic beverages in the country.

The deputy spokesman for the House of Reps, Philip Agbese, said lifting the ban would end when the economy fully recovered from its current strain.

Iranian President, Others Confirmed Dead

 

"No survivors" were found at the crash site of the helicopter carrying President Ebrahim Raisi, according to Iranian state news channel IRINN and semi-official news agency Mehr News.

Reuters has also reported that the helicopter was "completely burned" in the crash, citing an Iranian official.

"President Raisi’s helicopter was completely burned in the crash... unfortunately, all passengers are feared dead," the official said.

Minutes ago, Search teams confirmed finding the crash site of the helicopter, state TV says.

The head of Iran's Red Crescent society has told state TV that the situation is not "good".

The Iranian Red Crescent Society had announced early Monday that they had found the location of the wreckage of President Ebrahim Raisi's helicopter after it was detected by a Turkish Akinci unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

Speaking to local media, the head of the Iranian Red Crescent, Pir Hossein Kolivand, said that two kilometers are left to reach the area where the wreckage is located.

Iran's official news agency IRNA also confirmed the finding.

The news was posted on IRNA's Telegram account.

"The location of the President's helicopter has been found. Search and rescue teams approached the place where the accident occurred," the agency said.

After the helicopter carrying Raisi crashed, the Turkish Ministry of National Defense assigned an Akinci UAV and a Cougar type helicopter with night vision capabilities to participate in search activities.

President Raisi had attended the inauguration ceremony for a dam on the Iran-Azerbaijan border on Sunday by helicopter.

Iranian state television reported that the accident occurred when Raisi's helicopter made a hard landing while returning from the region.

Iranian Foreign Affairs Minister Hossein Amir-Abdollahian, Malik Rahmeti, the governor of East Azerbaijan Province, and Imam Ayatollah Ali Hashim of Tabriz province were also on board the helicopter.

Search and rescue teams say that work continues with difficulty due to adverse weather conditions. (Pieced together from reports by CNN, BBC and Anadolu Agency)

NDLEA Boss, Marwa Blast Adekunle Gold, Burna Boy, Others For Glorifying Drug Abuse

Chairman, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (Retd) has slammed Nigerian artistes who glorify the abuse of drugs and substances in their songs.

Marwa lamented how the drug-promoting lyrics from songs have become a buzzword among youths, noting how the young population, on the strength of these songs, have come to see drug abuse as a ‘grand idea of leisure’.

The NDLEA boss who was represented by Dr. Segun Oke said this during the 2nd edition of the Vanguard Mental Health Summit held in Lagos on Thursday with the theme being: ‘Mental Health in a Distressed Economy’.

According to Marwa, drug abuse is a ‘serious’ problem in the country, revealing that 10.6 million Nigerians abuse cannabis.

He stated that the agency has continued to put measures in place to curb the abuse of drug and substances in the country.

“The “high syndrome” is so entrenched among young people it has become a sort of self-prescription therapy for dealing with some of life’s issues. For some, it is the grand idea of leisure. It is a buzzword in their everyday life and a motif in popular music. Offhand, I can give you three quick examples of hit songs that glorify the abuse of psychoactive substances in the name of “getting high”.

” ‘I just want to be high’, ‘I need Igbo and Shayo’, ‘Sometimes food no dey give man joy, but Canadian loud, the feeling is different.’ These street anthems motivate young people to abuse alcohol, cannabis and other illicit substances. It is now commonplace for young people to organise cannabis parties.

Marwa lauded Vanguard Newspapers for putting together the summit, emphasizing how silence, passivity and complacency have contributed to the rise in the level of drug abuse in the country.

Our silence, passivity and complacency in the past is what led us to where we are today. That is why every effort to now salvage the situation, including this summit, is welcome and laudable and most importantly, must be decisive and sustained.

We Need $8.92million World Bank Loan To Buy Furniture Stationery Others, Nigeria’s Ministry Of Finance Says,

 

The Home Finance Department of the Ministry of Finance, Budget and National Planning has requested about $8.93million from the World Bank to procure 21 items, which included office stationery, office furniture, office supplies, office equipment, and vehicles.

 The requests were made under the State Fiscal Transparency, Accountability and Sustainability (SFTAS) project, which was initiated in 2018.

The SFTAS project was designed to strengthen transparency and accountability at the sub-national level, and will end this year.

A total of $1.5billion was committed to the project in two batches of $750m (December 2018 and December 2020) by the World Bank.

Although the money is a grant to state governments, it is a loan to the Federal Government.

A copy of the procurement plan for the project covering a period from February 2019 to August 2020 was recently obtained by PUNCH.

The procurement plan is in line with the World Bank’s Procurement Guidelines which establish the arrangements to be made for procuring the goods and works (including related services) required for a project.

According to the procurement plan for the SFTAS project for the period disclosed by the World Bank, the Home Finance Department requested an estimated $25,713 to acquire office stationery and supplies.

There was another $33,000 request for office equipment and supplies for the SFTAS Programme Coordinating Unit.

For the furniture items, the department requested $64,190 for furnishing and equipping SFTAS Public Service Institute space; $17,000 for additional office furniture and partitioning of the STFAS office, as well as $17,250 for additional office equipment and furniture for the Debt Management Office.

The department also requested $25,000 for the procurement of video conferencing equipment for the SFTAS PCU and MiFi modems for the DMO.

However, the biggest request was for the provision of spatial data to states, which was estimated at $8m.

There was also a $291,804 request for the procurement of project vehicles for the PCU and independent verification agent.

Out of the 21 items proposed, three were cancelled, one was successfully completed, and another was under implementation. Also, four were pending implementation, and the rest were only signed as of the time the document was released in October 2022.

 

Singer R. Kelly Sentenced To 30years Imprisonment For Sexual Abuse, Others

 

Embattled American R&B star, Robert Sylvester, popularly known as R. Kelly has been sentenced to 30 years in prison for racketeering and other crimes.

The 55-year-old who has been in police detention since his arrest in 2019, was sentenced by a federal judge on Wednesday, June 29, in Brooklyn, New York.

Judge Ann Donnelly sentenced Mr. Kelly to 30 years imprisonment and an additional five years of supervised release and a $100,000 fine during a hearing where seven of his victims spoke about suffering under his control.

He was found guilty in September of racketeering and sex trafficking charges stemming from a decades-long practice of recruiting and grooming girls and young women for illegal sex.

Donnelly condemned Kelly for the “serial rape and sexual abuse” he perpetrated on his victims.

“These crimes were calculated and carefully planned and regularly executed for almost 25 years. You taught them that love is enslavement and violence These victims were disposable to you, and you left in your wake a trail of broken lies,” the judge said.

Breaking: Bola Tinubu Defeat Osinbajo, Tunde Bakare, Amaechi, Others To Win APC Presidential Primary

 

70years old former Lagos state governor, Bola Tinubu has emerged the flag bearer of the All Progressive Congress (APC) presidential candidate for the 2023 election.

Mr Tinubu defeated Vice president Yemi Osinbajo, Pastor Tunde Bakare, Rotimi Amaechi, Governor Fayemi, Ibikunle Amosun and more.

The self acclaimed 'Jagaban' got the ticket after other contestants, Like Ekiti state governor, Fayemi, Ibikunle Amosun, and others stepped down for him at the dying minutes.

With this victory, Mr Tinubu will be facing, Peter Obi of Labor Party, Atiku Abubakar of People's Democrats Party (PDP) and other presidential aspirant of other political party to battle for who replaces president Muhammad Buhari in 2023.

Meanwhile, Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo came second and Pastor Tunde Bakare with the third position.

I Didn’t Mean To Humiliate Buhari, Osinbajo, Others – Tinubu Retracts Explosive Comments After Heavy Backlash

 

Presidential aspirant of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu, has claimed his statement in Ogun State wasn’t meant to humiliate President Muhammadu Buhari, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and Governor Dapo Abiodun.

Tinubu had on Thursday while meeting with delegates of the APC in Abeokuta said he made Buhari, Osinbajo and Abiodun President, Vice President and governor respectively.

“You have not heard this from me before. This is the first place I am saying this,” Tinubu who addressed the delegates in Yoruba said.

“If not for me that led the war front, Buhari won’t have emerged. He contested first, second and third times, but lost. He even said on television that he won’t contest again.

“But I went to his home in Katsina, I told him you would contest and win, but you won’t joke with the matters of the Yoruba.

“Since he has emerged I have not been appointed minister. I didn’t get nor request a contract. This time, it’s Yoruba turn and in Yorubaland, it’s my turn.

“The second time, he picked another Igbo, (Edwin) Ume-Ezeoke, Nigerians didn’t vote for him. And he said that even if he went to bring the Pope to run as his deputy, Nigerians won’t vote for him, but he said, ‘You, Bola Tinubu, you have six governors, you have never lost an election before, come and be my deputy.”

“He knew all the calculations then favoured us, that is why he wanted me as his deputy, but I told him to let us build the party first. And when we finished building the party after we brought in people from the PDP, (Bukola) Saraki now saw that those from the PDP would not get anything if Buhari, a Muslim, became the president and I, also a Muslim, became his deputy. He won’t get the Senate president because the Senate president cannot also be a Muslim; that was how they started the campaign of calumny against me.

“And I told them that I have a candidate that is a Christian that I could nominate so that the party would not break. That was how I nominated Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. I surrendered my right to him (Osinbajo).

“I was asked to submit three names, Yemi Cardozo, Wale Edun, and Yemi Osinbajo, but I told them if I submit three names, they would play a game, they might make it four and pick the fourth one. I gave them one name and that was Osinbajo.”

The former Lagos governor is currently being criticised over the comments.

Reacting in a statement by his spokesperson, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu said he only went down memory lane to provide specific instances when he brought his political clout and strategic skills to assist individuals, groups and tendencies in the party to gain political power.

The statement read, “It is on record that the leading presidential aspirant in the forthcoming primaries of the All Progressives Congress, Bola Tinubu addressed the national delegates of the party in Ogun State, with Governor Mr.Dapo Abiodun in attendance.

“In his effort to convince the party delegates to vote for him at the primaries, he went down memory lane to provide specific instances when he brought his political clout and strategic skills to assist individuals, groups and tendencies in the party to gain political power.

“These factual references are already in the public realm. They have been reported and analysed in the media in the last eight years. They are therefore, matters of public knowledge. While we recognise that recent unexpected interventions in the time table and the heat generated by the proximity of the event might have led to some anxiety, this campaign organisation believes that the main thrust of Asiwaju’s presentation, was that his huge contributions to the formation and electoral success of the All Progressives Congress should count in his favour as a true party man who desires to be the flag bearer.

“Since the video of the speech he delivered in Yoruba hit the social media, varied interpretations have been given to the speech, which in the main was about Governor Abiodun, who in the true tradition of Yoruba culture bowed to his leader after Tinubu’s short speech.

“The Tinubu campaign is not surprised why the opposition in the APC have decided to turn and twist the statement.

The former Lagos governor, a great party man remains the man to beat at the party’s convention on Monday. We are least surprised that he is the target of well-calculated and most unkind virulent attacks.”

Yahaya Bello Beats Tinubu, Others To Buy N100m APC Presidential Forms

Gov. Yahaya Bello of Kogi on Tuesday beats the national leader of All Progressives Congress (APC) Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo and other presidential aspirants the platform of the party to obtain the N100 million presidential Expression of Interest and  Nomination forms to contest the 2023 presidential election.

The governor paid for the N100 million forms on Tuesday morning, making him the first to officially seal his aspiration to the office of the President in 2023, a statement by Director, Media and Publicity, Yahaya Bello Presidential Campaign Organisation, Yemi Kolapo, said.

The governor had declared his presidential ambition at the Eagle Square in Abuja on April 2, 2022.

He is contesting despite the agitation for zoning of the office to the South. Bello hails from the North Central where the National Chairman of the party, Alhaji Abdullahi Adamu, also comes from.

Kolapo in a statement said, “With the payment for the forms, Governor Bello’s teeming supporters should rest assured that he will be on the ballot in the 2023 presidential race. We are highly encouraged by the number of APC Governors, leaders and stakeholders who have demonstrated their strong support for the candidacy of our principal. We reiterate that he is not known for betrayal. He is always very loyal to his own and his priorities have always been Nigeria.

“Though the race officially begins now, it is on record that Governor Bello has consistently been at the forefront of the contest. He has demonstrated this again by being the first to pay for the forms.

“We urge delegates and indeed all Nigerians to shun divisive narratives in the interest of the nation and choose the best of the lot. We have no doubt that our tested and trusted National Working Committee members will put the interest of the party and that of Nigeria first in their activities around the process that will throw up the next flag bearer of the APC.”

 

I Make More Money Than Wizkid, Davido, Others, Burna Boy Brags Again

Graming award winner, Burna Boy, has continued his bragging spree on social media on Saturday.

In an Instagram Live done inside a Private Jet, Odogwu as he’s fondly called claimed that he makes more money than Wizkid, Davido and other artistes.

Responding to a question about Wizkid earning more than him, he said, “He don’t. He’s my man though.”

On Davido making more money than him, he laughed and asked, “How?”

Speaking further, Burna Boy said, “I don’t know why you think I’m joking when I say I’m the highest paid African artiste, it’s not a joke. It’s a fact.

“I do know how much everyone is making, that’s why I’m talking like this. Anybody wey he pain, get more money than me.

“And if they do any disrespect, then I will expose them. Let’s get that clear. Combine, when I say combine, I mean everybody dey inside. I no beat round the bush.”

NDLEA Arrests Singers Zinolesky, Mohbad, Others During Midnight Raid

According to reports and viral video making the rounds on social media, Popular Nigerian singer, Zinoleesky have been arrested by the, Nigeria Drugs Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) during a midnight raid.

Report also said, over 15 people were arrested including the artiste, cars and other valuable items were also damaged during the arrest.

However, Naira Marley has reacted to the arrest of the singer Zinoleesky, Mohbad.

The singer child the agency for carrying an arrest without any warrant.

The agency is yet to make an official statement towards the arrest.

Drop Your 2023 Presidential Ambition, North Has Chosen Orji Kalu – Lamido Tells Tinubu, Osinbajo, Others

The Director-General, Arewa Summit International, Dr. Bashir Lamido, has advised Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, the National Leader of the All Progressives Congress and other presidential hopefuls from Southern Nigeria to drop their presidential ambitions by backing Senator Orji Uzor Kalu.

Lamido, a chieftain of the APC, made this submission while entertaining questions from journalists in Yola.

Lamido advised the southern APC aspirants to throw their weight behind the former Governor of Abia state, Dr. Orji Uzor Kalu to emerge as the President in 2023.

He noted that Northern Nigeria were backing the Senate Chief Whip because of his nationalistic background.

According to him, “the North won’t support a regional candidate like Tinubu, Osinbajo, Umahi or Amaechi. It is about trust and who can truly defend Nigeria.

In 2023, we won’t support any regional candidate; Kalu has what it takes to lead Nigeria. He knows Nigeria too well having been in close and brotherly relationship with the North in the past 38 years. We won’t support someone that would emerge and destabilize Nigeria.

“It is important they step down now and adopt Orji Kalu because the North won’t support them. Politics is a game of interest, and Orji Uzor Kalu is the interest of the North and millions of other Nigerians,” he said.

Please Join Us In The One Month Sit-At-Home Fight Against Nigeria – IPOB Begs Yoruba Nation Agitators, Others

Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB) has enjoined other agitators for self-determination from other ethnic nationalities in the country to join its one-month sit-at-home protest commencing on October 21.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Media and Public Secretary of the separatist group, Emma Powerful, on Sunday.

According to him, the one-month protest would be subject to the refusal of the Directorate of State Services to bring its leader, Nnamdi Kanu, to court on the said date.

The group alleged that it had learnt that there was a plan by the Nigerian Government not to bring Kanu to court on that day as a ploy to continue to incarcerate him.

The statement read in part, “Following our earlier declaration of one-month lockdown of Biafra land should the Nigeria Government fail to bring our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, to the court on October 21, we, the global family of the Indigenous People of Biafra request our brothers and sisters in Oduduwa republic and Middle Belt, including Igbo and Biafra businessmen and women, traders who are doing business outside Biafra land, to shut down their businesses to demonstrate our resolve for the emergence of our new nation, Biafra, and support for our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and others who are facing a similar fate with us to join us in sympathy protest.

“We need to put our differences behind us and rise as one people to defend our ancestral land against our common enemy and show Fulani and their cohorts that Nigeria belongs to all of us and any Biafra man residents in Kano, Kaduna, Jos, Jigawa, and other parts of North and western parts of Nigeria must shut down their shops in support of this fight for freedom and release of our leader, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu.

“We cannot afford to abandon him at this point after sacrificing so much for us all. We must not fail to understand that the Federal Government dread Nnamdi Kanu and Sunday Igboho; two heroes of freedom, and that is why it wants to keep them out of circulation. But we must resist the evil plot.”

In June, the IPOB leader was arrested in Kenya and extradited to Nigeria to face treason charges.

SCOA Boss Commends Unity Bank, Others For Facilitating Supply of N15.5B Worth of Trucks, Equipment to Julius Berger

(From left: Mr Babatunde Gbewesa, Business Manager Head Office Annex Branch, Unity Bank Plc; Mrs. A.I. Okereke, GM Finance, SCOA; Ms Chika Osuagwu, Relationship Manager, Unity Bank; Mr. Steve Olorunpomi, Head, Trade Services, Unity Bank; Dr. Massad Boulos, GMD/CEO, SCOA Group; Mr. Wale Ogunrinde Directorate Head, Lagos & South West Zone, Unity Bank; Mr. Emmanuel King, Head Correspondence Banking, Unity Bank; Ms. Chiaka Akujobi, Foreign Operations Department, Unity Bank at the handover ceremony of the trucks to Julius Berger in Lagos.)

The Group Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of SCOA Nigeria Plc, Dr. Massad Boulos has commended Unity Bank Plc and other banks for facilitating a credit facility of N15.5 billion for the importation and supply of 33 MAN Platform Trucks and equipment to construction giant, Julius Berger Plc.

The equipment is to be deployed for the construction of the 380km Abuja-Kaduna-Kano roads.

“I commend Unity Bank, their MD and the members of the Executive Management; and the entire team of banks who have worked closely with us on this project,” he said.

Unity Bank advanced the largest sum of N4.24 billion for SCOA Equipment, which is a portion of the N17 billion total line of credit that the Bank extended to both SCOA Motors and SCOA Equipment.

The other seven Banks – Heritage, Zenith, Providus, Wema, UBA, Union and Coronation Merchant Banks – pulled the total sum to facilitate the equipment supply deal to be deployed for the construction of roads across the country.

Of the 33 trucks that the total sum covered, 16 trucks were delivered during the first phase and handed over to Julius Berger. The second phase, which will see to the delivery of the remaining 17 trucks will be executed next month.

Commenting during the official handover ceremony of the equipment to Julius Berger Nigeria Plc, the Managing Director/CEO of Unity Bank Plc, Mrs. Tomi Some fun stated that the involvement of Unity Bank in the project financing deal was in line with the Bank’s strategic business objective to redistribute resources and channel funds to critical sectors of the economy.

“We looked at the strategic importance of this project and how such infrastructure could contribute to stimulating economic activity and decided that Unity Bank must play its part. Unity Bank will continue to provide support to such projects as we have been doing in other critical sectors of the economy such as agriculture,” said Somefun who was represented at the ceremony by Mr. Wale Ogunride, Directorate Head, Lagos and South West Zone, Unity Bank Plc.

Speaking further, Boulos stated at the handing over event that the partnership with Unity Bank and the other banks “is like no other considering the parties involved especially SCOA Nigeria and Julius Berger”.

How Unknown Gunmen Killed Younger Brother Of Sahara Reporters’ Publisher, Sowore, Kidnapped Five Others

 

Suspected herdsmen have killed Olajide Sowore, the younger brother of Sahara Reporters’ publisher Omoyele, the activist said in a statement.

According to Omoyele Sowore, his brother was killed by armed men suspected by witnesses to be herdsmen while travelling between Benin and Ondo on Saturday morning.

He was almost 50 and studying pharmacy at Igbinedion University, Mr Sowore said, decrying his brother’s loss as a huge one for his family and friends.

A spokesman for the police in Akure did not immediately return a request seeking comments from Peoples Gazette on Saturday morning.

The development came as southerners are pushing to restrict herdsmen activities across the region. On Thursday, Ondo became the latest state to adopt a law against open grazing when Governor Rotimi Akeredolu signed the state’s anti-open grazing bill into law.

The state has witnessed repeated deadly attacks linked to herdsmen. In 2019, Funke Olakunrin, daughter of Afenifere leader Reuben Fasoranti, was killed by suspected herdsmen along the same route where Mr Sowore was killed today. The police said they had made arrests in connection to Mrs Olakunrin’s death, but no suspect has been convicted to date.

Mr Sowore described his late brother as selfless and industrious, saying his demise would leave a void in the prominent Ondo family.

“You lived your life so that everyone could be alright but now assassinated by everything that’s not alright!” the publisher said.

2019 Elections: RMD, Jim Iyke, Sani Danja, Sambo, Others Get Atiku’s Appointment

The presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar, has constituted various standing committees comprising over 2,000 members.

The list contains some names of prominent Nollywood actors, including Jim Iyke, Richard Mofe-Damijo and Kannywood Superstar, Sani Danja .

PDP Appoints Ekweremadu, Others As Technical Advisers To Atiku

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), on Monday, appointed the deputy President of the Senate, Dr. Ike Ekweremadu as Technical Adviser to its presidential candidate, Alhaji Atiku Abubakar.

2019 Elections: Buhari, Atiku, Others Must Undergo Mental Tests - CUPP

The Coalition of United Political Parties (CUPP) has demanded that an independent team of experts in mental health examine all Presidential candidates for the 2019 elections.

The CUPP raised the alarm over the health of President Muhammadu Buhari following the allegation made by the president’s wife that the presidency had been hijacked by two or three people.