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Ikenne, Ogun State, was thrown into chaos on Saturday as a standoff between security forces and local youths turned violent.
The clash was sparked by the Ikenne Local Government Area’s decision to prohibit the celebration of the Oro festival, citing concerns about potential unrest amid a lingering royal dispute.
Defying the ban, youths took to the streets, setting up bonfires and facing off against police. The situation rapidly deteriorated, with reports of sporadic gunfire and the arrest of 20 individuals. Two vehicles were also impounded.
According to Police Commissioner Abiodun Alamutu, the unrest was fueled by simmering tensions over a recent court ruling related to the community’s protracted Obaship crisis.
“It is a fallout of the longstanding Obaship crisis in the town. Recently, the court dismissed the one currently on the throne, but the judgement had been appealed,” he explained.
He further elaborated on the local government’s decision to halt the festival.
“Based on the tense atmosphere, the local government, which is the consenting authority for the festival, decided that it should not be celebrated to prevent any breach of peace.
“We did the same thing last year, but some youths, who are being misguided, decided they must have their way.
“We have arrested 20 of them, impounded two vehicles and everyone will soon be brought to the state command at Eleweran, Abeokuta to answer for their misdeeds,” Alamutu said.
The police chief confirmed that those arrested would be taken to the state command in Eleweran, Abeokuta, to answer for their actions.
The Federal Government has tightened security across all the nations borders ahead of the planned nationwide protests scheduled for August 1.
Kemi Nandap, Comptroller General, Nigeria Immigration Service, (NIS) said this in a statement issued by the Service Public Relations Officer (SPRO), Kenneth Udo, on Saturday in Abuja.
Nandap directed all Zonal Heads, State Command Comptrollers and Divisional Immigration Officers (DIOS) of the Service across the country to be extra vigilant.
She said officers and men of the service should intensify surveillance in view of the planned protest by some groups.
She also said that the directive was to ensure that foreign elements do not come into the country to participate in the protests.
“In keeping with the responsibility of safeguarding the nation’s gateways placed on the shoulders of the Service, officers especially Heads of Border Commands, are tasked to rise to the occasion.
“This is by ensuring that no foreign element can take advantage of the protest to distabilise the country,” she said.
The NIS CG directed temporary suspension of all leave applications and charges officers to exercise utmost professionalism and patriotism in the discharge of their duties.
This, she said should enduring and after the protest, saying, “Nigeria is the only country we have as our own.”
Nandap assured all Nigerians of the Service’s preparedness to safeguard the nation’s borders towards enhancing national Security.
Days before a nationwide protest over bad governance and a high cost of living, the federal government is offering its young people jobs in the state-oil company and billions of naira worth of grants among other incentives to discourage the action.
Nigerian activists have been looking to emulate youth-led protests elsewhere in Africa which have rocked the government in Kenya and prompted a tough security response in Uganda.
Nigeria's state oil firm, which seven years ago warned job seekers against falling prey to fraudulent messages about job placements in the company, published on Friday nationwide job vacancies in a post on X for the first time in nearly a decade.
An NNPC Ltd spokesperson said a flood of applications crashed the company's website.
Nigeria's ministry of youth development on Friday also relaunched a 110 billion naira ($70 million) youth investment fund that was started in 2020, aimed at providing grants to Nigeria's youth to generate jobs.
The youth ministry had said in May that it would revive the programme but little had been heard about it until Friday.
On Tuesday, Nigerian lawmakers passed a new minimum wage, more than doubling the amount the least paid worker will earn monthly.
Nigerians are organising online for nationwide protests next week in response to a cost of living crisis that has seen inflation rise to a 28-year-high of 34.2% which followed President Bola Tinubu's removal of fuel subsidies and a currency devaluation.
Religious clerics, traditional rulers and other prominent Nigerians have joined the government in discouraging young people from embarking on protests slated to begin from Aug. 1, fearing Kenya-style protests will wreak havoc on the economy.
The government has sought more time to end hardships and both the policeand army leadership have warned against the protests, saying they could get out of control.
Protesters have said they have a right to peaceful demonstrations, calling the government's warnings of violence a smokescreen for a potential crackdown.
Nigerian poultry farmers have complained that several poultry farms are shutting down operations due to skyrocketing prices of poultry feed and unsustainable cost of production, among other challenges in the sector, the Premium Times has reported.
The farmers, who spoke with correspondents within the week, said the worrying trend could lead to a total collapse of Nigeria’s poultry industry in no distant time if not addressed by those in authority.
The skyrocketing prices of essential livestock feed ingredients such as maize and soybeans and the growing spate of insecurity across farming communities are negatively affecting poultry output.
The farmers also lamented that general price levels have impacted the purchasing power of most Nigerians, with an attendant effect on the poor sale of poultry products such as eggs and broilers.
Concerns
In recent years, the prices of widely consumed staple food items have skyrocketed amid widespread insecurity and fluctuating weather patterns (climate change), among other concerns.
Meanwhile, the situation became worse in the past year after President Bola Tinubu, upon assuming power in May 2023, announced subsidy removal alongside other policies that triggered a spontaneous economic crisis and other concerns.
An immediate impact of the president’s decision was the sudden jump in the price of petrol by over 200 percent, with an attendant increase in transportation costs. The aftermath of this became obvious in the increasing prices of goods and services across the country.
In less than two months after Tinubu took office last year, he declared a state of emergency on food insecurity, with the hope of addressing the increase in food prices.
Consequently, the prices of major staple food items and livestock feed ingredients such as maize and soybeans rose from what they were before he took over power from his predecessor, Muhammadu Buhari.
Meanwhile, the rising cost of poultry products has made the prices of basic protein such as eggs also unaffordable for many. An egg which was selling for less than N100 last year is being sold for N200 and above, depending on its size.
The continuous increase in the prices of goods and services over the past year has made many farm owners close shops, poultry farmers said, and that many others have cut down on their production quantity amidst fears that feed producers might have also compromised livestock feed qualities due to skyrocketing prices of feed ingredients.
Meanwhile, a review of the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) data in the past year indicated that despite moves by the government to boost food production, inflationary pressure subsisted.
Nigeria’s inflation rate has risen since Tinubu became president. According to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), inflation rose to 33.95 per cent in May 2024 from 22.41 per cent in May last year. Food inflation followed a similar trend, climbing to 40.66 per cent in May 2024 from 24.82 per cent last year in May.
According to the latest NBS National Agricultural Sample Census (NASC) Report 2022, published last month, there are about 40.2 million agricultural households in Nigeria. Of this figure, the report says only about 42.5 per cent (approximately 17.1 million) of agricultural households raise birds, most commonly chicken.
“While chicken is the most common poultry type raised by more than 95 per cent of poultry-raising households in most of the States, turkey is raised by only 5.4 per cent of those households,” the NBS said.
Poultry farmers lament
Speaking on the recent development, a former president of the Kaduna State chapter of the Poultry Association of Nigeria (PAN), Timothy Okunade, said people are already running away from the poultry industry due to the continuous increase in the prices of poultry feeds and day old chicks ( pullets).
“There is no money in circulation. The purchasing power has dropped to an unimaginable level,” Okunade said, adding that poultry products are now luxury as far as Nigerian society is concerned.
Okunade lamented that a bag of maize and soya beans, which are essential ingredients for feed formulation, is selling for N85,000 to N87,000 per bag in his region.
This, he said, is affecting the industry because the higher the prices of these products ( Soybeans and maize), the higher the price of finished products (feedstock).
“As of today, eggs are selling from farms at N4,200/crate. I don’t know how much an egg is being sold at the retailer’s end,” Okunade said, stating that a man who has not eaten since morning, or who is probably receiving N20,000 as salary, cannot afford to buy it conveniently anymore.
In the previous year, Okunade said a bag of maize was sold for between N50,000 and N60,000 but that things took a turn due to the economic crisis.
“This is the first time in the history of Nigeria or the industry ( maize/Soy would be selling for N87,000 and above). We thought the worst had come when we bought a bag of maize for N20,000, not knowing that we had not reached anywhere,” the farmer said.
He explained that when the price of maize rose to N40,000 and above, they were still managing the situation. However, he described the current situation as a “complex one” because farmers are being kidnapped on their farms daily.
“You dare not enter the bush now as a farmer as you’ll regret making such a mistake because kidnappers will kidnap that farmer, and the money he/she has not seen in their life is what the kidnappers are demanding,” Okunade explained, adding that most of the farmers kidnapped don’t survive the trauma.
“I’d rather stay and be hungry than go and die,” he added.
The farmer lamented that the high cost of feed has also made him cut down his production.
On his part, Jolayemi Christopher, who runs a poultry farm in Abuja, explained that the rising cost of poultry feed in the market has also affected his poultry business over the past year.
This, he said, was triggered by the continuous increase in the prices of maize and soybeans in the market.
In his explanations, Christopher said, “For feedmill companies selling layer feeds below N20,000, it is either one or two things; it is either they have kept maize for long that they are now using or they are not milling according to standard.”
The farmer stated it has been observed that some feed mills, instead of using 50 per cent maize, only use 30 per cent maize in their feed.
“That is why farmers cannot get value for their money because the most expensive feed in the market is less than N15,000 in the market. So, how do you want feed millers to make a profit with their production costs at that price? It is simply because they are compromising,” the farmer argued.
He said that most poultry farms are shutting down also because the increase in the prices of maize and Soya is making feed millers compromise some of the components of poultry feed for profit.
Christopher, who is also a veterinary specialist, explained that when some of the components of feed are compromised in terms of concentration, maybe where maize that was supposed to be 50% is now 35%, it will affect the farmers in terms of production.
“When they are supposed to have 90% on their farms, they would be battling with 70-75% in a well-managed system,” he said.
“This is the rainy season. It is the best time for these birds to produce because the weather is cool, but because of the compromise in the feed, production is just about 70% for well-managed farms. Other average farms, of which they are the majority in the country, are just managing 50-50%.”
On his part, Onallo Akpa, director general, The Poultry Association of Nigeria, described the challenges poultry farmers in the country are facing as ‘very bad’.
“The situation is such that has never been witnessed in the last 13 years of my being in the industry. Poultry farms, especially the medium scale, the small and medium scale farms are shutting down,” he said.
Akpa said further that farms that are still in existence, especially the industrial poultry and integrated poultry farms, are also threatening to shut down because of operational hazards.
“They can’t break even since there are difficulties in sourcing raw materials, especially maize and soybeans, as well as other raw materials,” he said.
The farmer argued that the situation became worse due to the regulation of petroleum products (subsidy removal), naira floatation, and insecurity.
Akpa emphasised that the insecurity in the country has made it impossible for farmers to go to their farms to produce and that the prices of soybeans and maize in just one year have moved from N300,000 per metric ton to almost N1 million currently, making it difficult for farmers to afford.
“Today we’re threatened and worried that Nigeria may become a dumping ground for all kinds of foreign poultry products,” Akpa said.
Way forward
To remedy the situation, Christopher said there is a need to revamp Nigeria’s storage facilities across the country.
“During the season, we have everything in abundance, but in the off-season, we’re lacking,” he said, adding that most food-producing states like Benue lack effective storage facilities to prevent spoilage of food commodities at peak season.
“During the peak season, the government should provide storage and processing facilities. We have more than enough even with the insecurity; we always have food in abundance during the season, but they are not properly stored,” Christopher said.
He said the naira should be strengthened to curb farmers from selling farm produce to neighbouring countries in the bid to make more profit.
“Immediately, what they ( the government) can do is to at least import grains and give to farmers through the poultry association and all other associations, and give to farmers at a subsidised rate. If not, farmers may not be able to cope,” he said.
In his intervention, Akpa said there is a need for real practical action on the ground across states in the country to address the challenges.
Beyond the rhetoric, he said there should be real practical action on the ground across states.
“A lot of money is being shared with state governments, but nothing is being done. The government should mandate every state with their comparative crop advantage, to produce, secure their environment and let farmers go into the farms to produce while the government serves as off-takers and then stores the produce,” he said.
The United Nations has again predicted that 82 million Nigerians, may go hungry by 2030, calling on the government to tackle climate change, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity.
The prediction comes in the wake of a persistent hike in food prices in the country.
According to the National Bureau of Statistics, Nigeria’s food inflation rate hit a record high of 40.66 per cent in May 2024, surpassing the previous month’s 40.53 increase.
This surge represents the largest year-on-year increase in food prices since records began in 1996.
Historically, food inflation in Nigeria has averaged 13.42 per cent, with the lowest point of -17.50 per cent in January 2000.
In 2023, the Food and Agriculture Organisation predicted that no fewer than 2.6 million Nigerians in Borno, Sokoto and Zamfara states, and the FCT may face a food crisis between June and August 2024.
According to a government-led Cadre Harmonisé analysis released in March, 2024, approximately 4.8 million people in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states are experiencing severe food insecurity, the highest level in seven years.
Also, as Nigerian workers commemorated the 2024 May Day, Organised Labour expressed concern about the country’s rising food prices and fuel scarcity, saying that the current situation threatened the survival of workers.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Olisa Agbakoba, also recently warned that a hunger riot might soon break out in Nigeria, calling on the Federal Government to act fast.
Speaking recently at the launch of CropWatch in Abuja, the Resident Humanitarian Coordinator of the Food and Agriculture Organisation, represented by one of the UN officials, Taofiq Braimoh, said, “The government of Nigeria, in collaboration with others, conducts an annual food security survey. This year’s results are alarming: approximately 22 million Nigerians will face food insecurity in 2024, and around 80-82 million are at risk of severe food insecurity by 2030.
“Nigeria, like many countries, grapples with food insecurity, climate change, unreliable water patterns, pest infestations, and other threats to agricultural productivity. As an agrarian society, our farms’ success directly impacts food availability for our population. Leveraging technology is crucial to strengthening our agriculture sector and ensuring food security.”
He stressed that satellite-based crop monitoring provided real-time data on crop conditions, enabling farmers and policymakers to make informed decisions and optimise agricultural practices.
He noted that the technology could help expedite the accomplishment of sustainable development goals in food and agriculture.
Fresh queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, surfaced in Abuja, parts of Niger and Nasarawa States on Friday, following the closure of many filling stations operated by independent marketers.
Dealers closed their retail outlets due to their inability to access petrol as a result of the hike in the ex-depot price of the commodity to N710 per litre by private depot owners.
Motorists besieged the few stations that dispensed petrol on Friday, particularly those operated by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and some major oil marketers in Abuja and neighbouring states.
This led to massive queues in outlets, such as the NNPC mega station on the Gwarimpa axis of the Zuba-Kubwa Expressway, Conoil and Total filling stations directly opposite the headquarters of NNPC in the Abuja city centre, and Salbas filling station at the Dei-Dei end of the Zuba-Kubwa expressway, among others.
Independent oil marketers, who own over 70 per cent of filling stations across the country, blamed the hike in the ex-depot price of petrol as dispensed by private depot owners.
National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abubakar Maigandi, said that private depot owners had raised the ex-depot price of PMS to N710/litre, whereas the pump price of the commodity at NNPC retail stations was N617/litre.
Maigandi said, “The current situation is a result of how the private depot owners have been selling their products. It has been very difficult for independent petroleum marketers to get the product and sell it in Abuja and neighbouring states, as well as in other states in the North.
“So, the queues you are seeing now are because of the cost of PMS by private depots. The private depots are selling at N710/litre, but if you check the price of the same product at NNPC retail outlets, it is N617/litre.
“Therefore, by the time the independent marketers buy from private depots and bring it to our filling stations, we will not be able to sell our product because our cost price is already so high, while the cost at NNPC retail outlets is far lower.
“And you know that when we buy it at the rate of N710/litre, we have to add transportation cost again because there is no equalisation. And when we add the cost of transportation, the pump price is going to be higher than the N710/litre ex-depot price, whereas NNPC stations sell at N617/litre.”
Maigandi explained that because of the widespread number of stations operated by IPMAN, any distortion in the supply of products to members of the group would lead to fuel queues because major marketers and NNPC stations were fewer in number.
On whether IPMAN members cannot get direct PMS supply from NNPC, instead of buying the product from private depots, he replied, “That is what we have been negotiating with them (NNPC), and they promised us that they will start giving us our allocation.
“They have started, but the quantity is small compared to the number of retail outlets operated by IPMAN nationwide. We are getting products from NNPC, but the volume is too small for our members.
“So, we are requesting additional volumes because, in Abuja alone, we have over 250 retail outlets belonging to IPMAN members. This is just for Abuja. We have not talked about Niger, Kaduna, and other states in the North, not to mention the number nationwide.”
Maigandi, however, stated that the queues for petrol were not pronounced in remote villages, adding that “when you go to the villages, you will see that there are no queues.”.
“But in the city centres, where you have NNPC stations selling cheaper than the N710/litre price, you will see queues there, as well as in front of the few outlets that have products to dispense.”
The IPMAN president said petrol was not scarce, as there were enough volumes in-country concerning what was imported by NNPC – Nigeria’s sole importer of the commodity.
“There is no scarcity. The product is available. The queues are caused basically by the market challenge, as I have explained to you. But as soon as we get products from NNPC or at fairly good prices, we will dispense and the queues will vanish,” he stated.
Officials at the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources confirmed that there was enough product in the country, and stated that the market had been deregulated.
“It is a deregulated downstream oil sector, so dealers buy and sell based on demand and supply. There is enough product from NNPC. There is no scarcity,” an official at the ministry, who requested not to be named due to a lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, stated.
Another official at NNPC assured motorists that the queues would clear out fast because the company had enough product in-country.
The National Open University (NOUN) has scrapped its law programme, putting the careers of over 1000 students at risk.
The decision, ratified by the University’s Senate in January 2023, affects final-year students who are nearing completion of their projects.
Concerned law students have written to the House of Representatives seeking intervention, and a meeting was held between student representatives and university management in November 2023.
However, no meaningful progress has been made. Students are lamenting the lack of communication from the university, with many learning about the development on social media.
They alleged that the university has neglected to address their queries and concerns, placing them in a challenging situation.
The discontinuation of the law programme means that students who have invested millions of naira and five years of study may not be able to graduate or receive their certificates.
The university’s decision to suspend the admission of new law students until fresh accreditation is obtained has also raised alarms.
Ibrahim Sheme, the Public Relations Officer of NOUN, declined to comment on the issue, instead requesting reporters to visit him at his office.
Residents of Inisa in Odo-Otin local government area of Osun State were thrown into mourning as two elderly friends were found in their pool of blood after a fight.
It was gathered that the two aged friends; Ali Baba, a Ghanaian in his sixties and Kayode Olete, 52, engaged in a fight late on Thursday in their dwelling house at Okunoye compound in the town.
A resident in the area, Ismail Odewale, on Friday, disclosed that passer-by who heard noise within the isolated house could not intervene as the two men were known to be close associate in the area that settles their differences without external intervention.
According to him, few minutes later some other passers-by discovered blood flowing from the house, hence, alerted other residents in the area.
"On getting to the compound, we discovered the two men in the pool of their blood lying down lifelessly, hence, we called attention of security operatives to the scene".
Confirming the incident, the Spokesperson, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, Osun command, Kehinde Adeleke disclosed that the two men have died when officers arrived the scene.
It was discovered that they both attacked each other with Cutlass and matchete as their intestines were popping out of their stomachs already.
"On Thursday evening around 21:05 hour, we got a report that two people were fighting at Baale Okunoye Compound, Inisa.
"The two of them were said to be closed friends. Nobody knows what led to their fight as the house where the incident happened is isolated and dilapidated.
"When we got to the scene this morning, it was discovered that the two of them have passed on. The families of the two victims were contacted and they gave their consent for them to be buried", she stated.
Commercial activities were put to abrupt end Friday afternoon in Ughelli, Delta State, as daring armed robbers in a Commando style attacked a customer at the premises of a new generation bank.
It was gathered that the robbers armed with guns had trailed the customer unknowingly to the bank premises and shot severally into the air before attacking their victim.
It was gathered that the victim was yet to enter the banking hall before the gunmen struck and made away with three sack bags containing money.
It was gathered that the bank's private security guard and two others were shot by the gunmen who arrived the bank premises with a Toyota Venza.
The incident led to panic as shop owners quickly shut down while vehicular movement was on hold while the operation was on along the ever busy Isoko Road in Ughelli.
The Lagos State Commissioner of Police, Adegoke Fayoade, has ordered the immediate trial of police officers seen in a viral video assaulting a suspect during a drug raid on July 2, 2024, in the Oregun area of the state.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, Benjamin Hundeyin, made this known in a statement on Wednesday, describing the actions of the officers as “unprofessional and unethical”.
According Hundeyin, the raid, which aimed to arrest drug users and dealers, turned violent when the policemeb met resistance.
The statement also disclosed that an inspector was stabbed in the head with a broken bottle, and the Olu of Alausa and CDA Chairman were assaulted.
While condemning the actions of the youth who attacked the police, Fayoade also criticised the reinforcement team’s unprofessional and unethical methods, which were captured on video.
The statement read, “Alausa Division of the Lagos State Police Command, having received numerous complaints on the flagrant abuse of hard drugs on Makinde Odewale Street, Oregun, mobilised some officers on July 2, 2024 to arrest the drug users and dealers.
“They, however, met stiff resistance leading to serious injury to one Inspector of police, who was stabbed in the head with a broken bottle, and assault on the Olu of Alausa and CDA Chairman. The injured Inspector has since been hospitalised.
“Nonetheless, a reinforcement team succeeded in arresting some suspects with substances suspected to be illicit drugs. Regrettably, the reinforcement team, in their bid to ensure the arrest of the mastermind of the attack on the police officer, resorted to unprofessional, unethical and uncouth methods, which were captured on video.
“CP Fayoade totally condemns the actions of the police officers as those actions are not in tandem with the values and professional ethics of the Nigeria Police.
“He equally condemns the actions of the youth in attacking police officers, warning that any person found culpable in this regard would definitely be dealt with in accordance with the law.”
The Lagos State Police Command promises to maintain law and order, prevent and detect crime, and apprehend and prosecute criminals, while ensuring that officers uphold professional ethics.
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The over 200 qualified applicants of the Ogun State Government housing scheme phase III, named Prince Court Estate along Kobape has again rejected the provision to add the sum of three million five hundred thousand (₦3,500,000) naira to the five million five hundred thousand naira (₦5, 500,000) already paid since 2021, asking how and where would they get such amount within 60 days?
The rejection which was contained in a statement signed by, Mr Olumuyiwa Oludaisi urged the Dapo Abiodun led government to stop playing undue tricks with innocent applicants who paid the amount the government charged in 2020/2021 describing such act as inconsistent, irresponsible and fraudulent.
He said the reaction was coming on the heels of a letter dated July 1st (Monday), 2024 and signed by the commissioner for Housing, Jagunmolu Akande Omoniyi demanding that the sum of three million five hundred thousand (₦3,500,000) naira will be added within 60 days as contribution for provision of infrastructural facilities in the estate failure of which the subscribers stand the risk of forfeiting the allocation.
The applicant alleged that there is a shift in position of the government not to allocate the phase lll houses to the 235 legitimate subscribers published earlier as qualified in 2022, but their ploy is to re-sell to the highest bidders after using their money to build the estate.
Mr Oludaisi who thanked Governor Dapo Abiodun for allocating 110 houses to applicants out of the 235 qualified applicants after three years of payment to the government coffers said the governor should be magnanimous enough to allocate houses to the remaining subscribers and remove the said additional fee, as it was never part of the agreement.
He said the government must be responsible and stop the politics on innocent applicants as it is clear that those 110 applicants allocated houses would automatically lose it upon their failure to pay 3.5millon naira, while such lost allocation would be given to their cronies who are not qualified for such low cost scheme.
According to the statement, "the 235 applicants are surprised to see what the Dapo Abiodun led government called 'a proviso' to add the sum of three million five hundred thousand (₦3,500, 000) within 60 days as contribution for provision of infrastructural facilities in the estate failure of which the allocation would be forfeited, as this was never part of our agreement in 2021."
"The agreement was to buy forms for the allocations for five thousand naira (₦5,000) with each house costing five million five hundred thousand naira only (₦5,500,000) and a rebate for retired civil servants who were asked to pay four million nine hundred and fifty thousand naira only (₦4,950,000) which were duly paid for in year 2020 and 2021 respectively."
"The agreement was to give us 2 bungalow semi-detached shell house to be roofed, plastered outside with external casement windows, entrance and exit doors, painted outside with grey color and with basic infrastructure facilities exactly as allocated to both phase 1 and 2."
"Having fulfilled our own part of the bargain by duly paying fully in 2021, we were not responsible for the delay in allocation or hike in price of building materials. Thus, It is quite clear that government's abandonment, delay and non allocation on time caused the price variation, the reason the Dapo Abiodun led Administration must take responsibility for its failure to meet their side of the bargain."
"Since all applicants paid at the same time and we were divided into 3 phases (based on criteria known to them), while 2 phases had been given shelter with basic facilities, why is all of us in this 3rd category being exempted for this kind of punishment, cheating and arm twisting? We decry such increment in all forms and we are not ready to add any more money. Some of us paying to the Gateway Mortgage Bank are paying with interests from the loan we took to upset the ₦5.5 million "
"While we thank Governor Dapo Abiodun for allocating houses to 110 people. We want to humbly ask him to remember the remaining applicants and promptly allocate to them. We also want to appeal to him to remove the additional 3.5 million naira added as we reject such payment which was never part of our agreement. He must remember that his name would either be written in gold or mud depending on his act. What legacy is he leaving behind? How can a low-cost housing for citizens turn to such fraudulent practice?, the statement reads."
"We once again wish to set the records straight and appeal to the Dapo Abiodun led government in Ogun state and the ministry of Housing to be aware that we vehemently reject the 3.5million addition in the Prince Court Estate, it is a breach of trust after meeting our side of the bargain. It should be noted that the transaction in itself is a concluded deal, since about 3 years ago.
Information has it that the commissioner in the ministry is behind the mess as he is the one assuring the governor that nothing would happen, thus the house of Assembly should summon him"
"After using our money to build, any increment from 5.5 million naira to 9 million naira as stated by the ministry for housing or refund at this time would amount to fraud, arm twisting and cheating and this in no small measure would reduce the confidence and trust in the government of Ogun State."
"We are calling on well spirited Nigerians, activists, the media and other stakeholders to come to our aid and save us from this daylight robbery."
A Federal High Court, sitting in Abuja, on Thursday invalidated the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) primary election that produced Asue Ighodalo as the party’s candidate in the forthcoming governorship election in Edo State.
Justice Inyang Ekwo, in a judgment, held that the PDP’s primary held on Feb. 22 failed to comply with the provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022; the guidelines for the conduct of the poll and the party’s constitution.
Justice Ekwo, who said that Exhibit PDP 1 tendered by the party was bereft of evidence, held that the plaintiffs, through the exhibits tendered, were able to establish their case against the defendants.
The judge said that from the exhibit presented by the PDP, he found that the returning officers who prepared the result sheets only sat down in a place to manufacture the outcome, of the poll.
He said the exclusion of the 381 delegates, including the plaintiffs, was against the provisions of the law.
Justice Ekwo held that, though INEC, the 1st defendant, filed a memorandum of appearance in the suit, it was unfortunate that the commission did not file any process in the case.
According to the judge, the 1st defendant’s counsel only said it would be bound by the court’s decision.
“I found that the case of the plaintiffs succeeds on merit,” he said.
It would be recalled that three aggrieved ad-hoc delegates, on behalf of the 378 others, had sued the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the PDP, its National Secretary and the Vice Chairman, South South as 1st to 4th defendants respectively.
In the suit marked: FHC/ABJ/CS/165/2024 dated Feb. 7 but filed Feb 8, the plaintiffs sought for two orders.
These include an order for the defendants or their agents not to act but to show cause why the reliefs of the plaintiffs in their originating summons should not be granted about the plan of the 2nd, 3rd and 4th defendants to exclude them and 378 other delegates, whose names and election results are contained in “Exhibits BID 8A to 8L,” from participating in the primaries.of Feb. 22 in Edo.
The plaintiffs, which include Hon Kelvin Mohammed, Mr Gabriel Okoduwa and Mr Ederaho Osagie, on behalf of others in 12 local government areas and 127 wards, averred that it would be in the interest of justice for their reliefs to be granted.
Suspected cultists on Wednesday, stormed an examination hall at the Tai Solarin University of Education (TASUED), Ijagun, Ogun State, dragging out a final-year student, Ahmed Ayinla Fabiyi and brutally murdered him, according to a platform times report.
Fabiyi, a student of the History and Diplomatic Studies department, was set to take his final paper and celebrate his birthday on the same day.
The tragic event occured around 3pm, just as the exam was about to commence.
Eyewitnesses reported that the gang disguised themselves as friends, ostensibly there to surprise Fabiyi for his birthday, and “carried” him out of the hall under this pretence.
According to Mrs. Ayotunde Odubela, the institution’s Public Relations Officer, the gang’s true intentions became apparent only when they began dragging Fabiyi towards a bushy area near the university’s technical workshop.
There, they viciously beat and macheted him.
“Everyone thought they were celebrating his birthday until he was dragged to the bushy part of the institution’s technical workshop and attacked,” Odubela said.
It was gathered that despite immediate intervention by the school’s security and medical teams, Fabiyi’s injuries proved fatal.
Odubela said “the student was actually carried out of the examination hall as if they were celebrating because today (Wednesday) was actually his birthday.
“That did not make people feel that there was anything happening. They took him out of the hall and it was later they started dragging him to the ground around technical workshop.
“That was when the school security unit was contacted but by the time they would get to the place of the incident, he had been actually beaten and macheted. So, when they saw the security men coming, they dropped him and left.
“When the security men picked him up, they took him to the school medical center where he was immediately attended to and referred to the General Hospital Ijebu Ode, immediately.
The General Hospital also referred him to Babcock University Teaching Hospital. Unfortunately, he gave up the ghost before he got to the hospital.”
Odubela confirmed the school has reported the matter to the police and handed over the case to the state command.
Efforts to reach the Ogun State Police Public Relations Officer, Omolola Odutola, for a statement were unsuccessful as calls went unanswered, at the time of filing the report.
Meanwhile, a video has gone viral on social media and multiple student-sources established that the students of the institution were having one of the mandatory papers of their second semester examination when a group of unknown men stormed the unnamed examination hall premises and dragged the student out.
The affected student was also identified as one of the student-leaders under the aegis of Student Union Government (SUG) in the institution.
Some clerics, rights activists, and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria are furious following the decision of the federal government to sign the controversial Samoa Agreement.
The agreement reportedly has some clauses that compel underdeveloped and developing nations to support the agitations by Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) community for recognition, as condition for getting financial and other supports from advanced societies.
Named after the Pacific Island Samoa, where it was signed on November 15, 2023, the agreement is gradually gaining traction, despite opposition by many countries that cherish Islamic and Christianity values, in addition to the sensitivity of their cultures.
Information about the ratification of the deal by Nigeria came to public knowledge on Monday, July 1, when the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu confirmed the development at a reception organised by the European Union (EU) in Abuja.
But when contacted yesterday, Bagudu’s media assistant, Bolaji Adebiyi, said the documents signed by the federal government, which the Minister of Budget made reference to during the reception by the EU, were strictly for economic development of Nigeria.
He said nowhere in the documents were LGBT or same sex marriage mentioned even remotely, and emphatically stating that it would be wrong for anyone to imply that Nigeria had accepted those tendencies.
He insisted that what Bagudu signed was in relation to $150 billion trade component.
When contacted yesterday to know whether they were aware of recent controversies surrounding the Samoa Agreement, Kamarudeen Ogundele, who is the spokesman of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, said he had to make some findings.
He did not call our reporter back to share the information requested up to press last night.
A Lagos State based lawyer and Chairman, Human and Constitutional Rights Committee, African Bar Association (AfBA), Sonnie Ekwowusi, had raised an alarm on the development on Wednesday, in an article on the matter.
He said that the development was nauseating, occurring despite several meetings held with Nigerian officials, and memoranda sent to them. He questioned the judgement of the Nigerian officials in proceeding to sign the Samoa Agreement.
“The Samoa Agreement, named after the Pacific Island, Samoa, where it was signed on November 15, 2023 is a celebration of perversity. Certain Articles of the Agreement especially Articles 2.5 and 29.5 legalise LGBT, transgenderism, abortion, teen sexual abuse, and perversity in African countries. The signing of the Agreement by Nigeria constitutes a threat to the sovereignty of Nigeria and Africa. It further debases our democracy.
“I can wager that neither Bagudu nor the Nigerian officials or diplomats who signed the Samoa Agreement on our behalf, understand the import of the agreement to Nigeria’s sovereignty, let alone the destructive impact of the Agreement in Nigeria. This explains why many African bodies including the AfBA have condemned the agreement and respectfully urged African countries not to sign it.
“Not infrequently, Nigerian officials in Geneva, New York, and other places sign international agreements or treaties over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine with little or no knowledge of their contents,” Ekwowusi said.
He further queried: “Were the Nigerian officials who signed the offensive Samoa Agreement representing their own interests or the interests of the Nigerian people? Having refused to sign the Agreement earlier, why did Nigeria change its mind and proceed to sign the Agreement?”
He recalled that on November 15, 2023, Nigeria, to the bewilderment of the EU, refused to sign the “offensive” deal.
He also said that apart from Nigeria, 34 other African, Caribbean, and Pacific (ACP) countries, including the Republic of Benin, Senegal, Liberia, Botswana, Burundi, Jamaica, Mali, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, Somalia, Namibia, Grenada, Eritrea, Malawi, Guinea-Bissau, Madagascar, Antigua and Barbuda, the Commonwealth of the Bahamas, the Central African Republic, the Republic of Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Equatorial Guinea, the Kingdom of Eswatini, the Cooperative Republic of Guyana, the Republic of Maldives, Mauritania, the Republic of Nauru, the Republic of Palau, Saint Lucia, the Republic of Saint Kitts and Nevis, the Kingdom of Tonga, the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago, and Tuvalu, also refused to sign the LGBT Agreement.
“In fact, on that fateful November 15, 2023, Nigeria not only refused to sign the LGBT Agreement but was conspicuously absent in Samoa on the day of the signing. Frustrated by the refusal of these 35 countries to sign the Agreement, the European Union issued a significant threat dated November 24, 2023,” he said.
He said that the signing of the Samoa Agreement was completely unacceptable and Nigeria must undo the damage, by immediately withdrawing from the LGBT agreement.
He also urged the National Assembly to invite the Nigerian officials who signed the agreement to explain why they did so.
It won’t stand –NSCIA
When contacted Wednesday night, an official of the Nigerian Supreme Council for Islamic Affairs (NSCIA), said that the council’s stance on same sex marriage or LGBT remained unchanged.
Abubakar Akande, who is the Administrative Secretary of the council, said that though they were invited and attended the meeting in March this year, it was not for them to ratify or oppose the draft shared with them.
He said that the 403-page document containing 104 articles was given to the Legal Director of the NSCIA, and that there was no same sex marriage in the draft.
“We (NSCIA) would not welcome such agreement. Our stance remains the same since the administration of former President Goodluck Jonathan. We cannot agree to what is against the injunction of our Creator, Allah, on this matter, and which also disrespects Nigeria’s sovereignty,” he said.
On his part, the Ameer (leader), Abuja Muslim Forum (AMF), Abdulrazaq Ajani, said that the African civil society organisations (CSOs), which the AMF is a part of, had met top government officials and members of the two chambers of the National Assembly yesterday, especially the chairmen of the relevant committees in the House of Representatives, and also the administrative leadership of the legislators.
He said they rejected the move completely.
N/Assembly didn’t consider Samoa Agreement – Rep Yusuf
When contacted yesterday, Rabiu Yusuf, the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Treaties, Protocols, and Agreements, said that the Samoa Agreement had not been brought before the National Assembly for consideration.
“To the best of my knowledge, nothing has happened in the National Assembly regarding the Samoa Agreement,” he said.
It’s a disgrace, if true-African CSOs
Speaking with Daily Trust Wednesday night, a coalition of some African CSOs said that it will be a huge disappointment for Nigeria and its citizens, if it turns out to be true that the deal was signed, and that it is toxic to the moral standing of the citizens of Nigeria.
Richard Kakeeto, a Kenyan lawyer with Family Watch International, Africa Region, told Daily Trust that Africa was counting on Nigeria when it decided not to sign the Samoa Agreement, initially.
“Many African countries, people of goodwill, were hoping that Nigeria will remain in that situation of not signing and probably even withdrawing from the Samoa Agreement totally.
“However, we have received information that on the 28th day of June 2024, the Ambassador of Nigeria in Brussels was given a go-ahead but we don’t know who signed the Samoa Agreement.
“As a result, Nigeria has committed itself to the human rights agenda of the European Union that involves the mainstreaming of sexual and reproductive health and rights, a term or a euphemism that is used to talk about abortion on demand, the sexualization of our children through comprehensive sexuality education, and the proliferation of reproductive sexual and reproductive health services, including hormones to sustain the homosexual lifestyle and transgender practices.
“The word LGBTQ++ that Nigerians have been contesting is now part of our law because Nigeria has decided to sign it. So, Nigerians should be very bitter with what is going on. They should challenge their legislators and policy makers to explain why they chose to commit to this dangerous agreement,” Kakeeto said.
On her part, Mrs. Omoye Olaye, Media Coordinator, World Council for Health (WCH) International and Foundation for African Cultural Heritage (FACH), said the federal government must rescind the deal.
“Our stand is very clear. Whoever signed on behalf of Nigerians needs to apologise to Nigerians. But we need more than the apology. We need President Bola Tinubu, to rescind that signature.
“All he (Tinubu) needs to do is to apologise on Nigeria’s behalf very nicely and tell them that the truth is we have not signed. We are withdrawing from the ACP EU Treaty. That is all we ask the President to do. That is all we will accept. Anything less than that will not be accepted,” she said.
Minister’s speech wrongly interpreted – Spokesman
Speaking more on what the budget minister said, Adebiyi said Ekwowusi’s article was misleading.
“The article does not represent the content of the Samoa Agreement signed by Nigeria. The Articles 2.5 and 29.5 cited made no mention of LGBT rights but rather 29.5 guarantees “support [for] universal access to sexual and reproductive health commodities and health care services, including family planning, information and education, and the integration of reproductive health into national strategies and programmes”, he said.
“Article 2.5 states that: “The parties shall systematically promote a gender perspective and ensure that gender equality is mainstreamed across all policies.
“I fail to see how these articles imply the protection of LGBT rights. Please, note that this is a negotiated agreement among the 27 EU countries and 79 OACPS, which is subject to domestic laws. All 27 EU countries and 74 of the 79 OACPS have signed. Nigeria was the 73rd to sign last Friday, 28th June, in Brussels.
“Following the controversy around the agreement, the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning organised a stakeholders meeting in March in Abuja, comprising NGOs and religious bodies during which concerns were addressed.
“Meanwhile, the EU reception the Minister attended was for the 9th Nigeria-EU Business Forum. It was held in Abuja (not Enugu) on July 1,” he said.
Ex-President Jonathan signed anti-gay law in 2014
Former President Jonathan in January 2014, signed into law a bill that criminalises same sex relationships, defying western pressure over gay rights and provoking United States criticism.
The law contains penalties of up to 14 years in prison and bans gay marriage, same sex ‘amorous relationships’ and membership of gay rights groups.
Various religious bodies across Nigeria have reiterated their commendations to past administrations for maintaining Nigeria’s strong objection to the LGBT tendencies.