The Federal Government has said Yoruba Nation activist, Sunday Adeyemo, aka Sunday Igboho, is trying to acquire a new passport to flee the country. According to the Punch, It added that the government had placed Igboho on the stop-list in order to facilitate his arrest and directed the security agencies to apprehend him anywhere he is found. In the security circle, a person whose name is on the stop-list is denied all constitutional rights and privileges a citizen is entitled to. The Federal Government’s directive against Igboho was contained in a letter by the Nigeria Immigration Service dated July 9, 2021, addressed to the Director General, Department of State Services, the Inspector General of Police and the DG, National Intelligence Agency. The activist, a spearhead of the separatist agitation for the Yoruba Nation, had been declared wanted by the Department of State Services on allegations of stockpiling arms to destabilise the country, which he has since denied, but his whereabouts remain unknown. The whereabouts of Igboho, a lead figure in the separatist agitation for the Yoruba Nation, has been unknown since he narrowly escaped arrest during the July 1 midnight raid by the secret police, ahead of a major rally in support of the call for Yoruba Nation in Lagos. Following the bloody raid on Igboho’s Sooka residence, the DSS arrested and detained 13 of Igboho’s associates, adding that during a “gun duel,” it had killed two of Igboho’s supporters later identified as Adogan and Alfa. The International Criminal Court, on Tuesday, acknowledged a 27-page petition filed by Yoruba Nation agitators signed by the Leader of Ilana Omo Oodua, Emeritus Professor Banji Akintoye; Igboho; and 49 Yoruba self-determination groups. The petition was filed against the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd); the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN; former Chief of Army Staff, Tukur Buratai; and former Inspectors General of Police, Ibrahim Idris and Muhammed Adamu. They accused the Nigerian leaders and security chiefs of genocide and crimes against humanity against the Yoruba people of Ekiti, Oyo, Osun, Ondo, Ogun, Okun Land in Kogi, and Kwara states. The NIS letter issued to facilitate Igboho’s arrest was signed on behalf of the Comptroller General of Immigration by Assistant Comptroller General of Immigration, Investigation and Compliance, A.B. Baba. The letter titled ‘Stop-listing of person: Adeyemo Sunday Adeniyi (aka Sunday Igboho), male, Nigerian, passport number A11613637, date of birth 10/10/1972’ was copied to all zonal controllers and control posts nationwide. It read, “I am directed to request that you kindly place the above-named person on stop-list. Credible intelligence revealed that Adeyemo is making efforts to obtain a police extract and/or court affidavit to enable him acquire a new Nigerian passport, apparently to facilitate his escape out of the country. “In addition, he should be arrested wherever and whenever sighted and referred to the Director-General, Department of State Services vide letter no: S.605/A/246 dated 05 July 2021.” The NIS spokesman, Amos Okpu, however, said he was not aware of the letter. He added that he had no update on the manhunt for Igboho. He said, “I’m not aware of the letter. Has Ighoho been declared wanted? Well, I don’t have any information on him.” The DSS spokesman, Peter Afunanya, has yet to respond to inquiries on the issue as at press time. Following the raid on Igboho’s Sooka residence on July 1, Afunaya told journalists in Abuja that the raid was carried out based on an intelligence report that Igboho had stockpiled arms in his residence. He explained that Igboho and his group, in the guise of the campaign for self-determination, had become well-armed and determined to undermine public order. The agency presented seven AK-47 rifles allegedly recovered during the raid on Igboho’s house, as well as three pump-action guns, 30 fully charged AK-47 magazines, 5,000 rounds of 7.62mm ammunition, five cutlasses, one jack-knife, one pen knife, two pistol holsters, a pair of binoculars, a wallet containing $5, local and international driving licences in his name, ATM cards, a German residence permit No. YO2N6K1NY bearing his name, two whistles, 50 cartridges and 18 walkie-talkies. Others were three charm jackets/traditional body armour, two laptops, one Toshiba and one Compaq laptop, Igboho’s passport and those of his aides.

in Oba, Anambra State, on Friday when a nightclub owner, Obi Iyiegbu, aka Obi Cubana, buried his mother in grand style. Several celebrities, businesspeople and politicians turned out in large numbers for the funeral. This was even as huge amounts of cash were ‘sprayed’ at the event, in addition to several gifts he had got before the event, including cows, foodstuff and drinks. Though it was reported on several blogs that the businessman got about 246 cows, Saturday PUNCH could not independently verify this. However, one of his associates, Cubana Chief Priest, was said to have given him 46 cows. In a list that went viral on social media, Iyiegbu was said to have got over N200m from friends and associates. Though the authenticity of the list which had 198 names on it could not be verified by Saturday PUNCH, the people on it include Mighty Mighty Umuchu (N1m), Ekene New Age (N1m), Sir Makuachukwu Okeifeadigo (N1m), Wale Cubana (N1m) and Igirigi Uli (N500,000). The nightclub boss also bought a diamond chain and pendant from a popular jeweller, Efobi Stephen, which had his late mother’s face engraved on it. In a post on his Instagram page, Stephen stated that Iyiegbu asked him to make a chain worth $100,000. He wrote, “Obi Cubana told me, ‘I want something special to commemorate my mum. What can my $100k do for me’. I told him, ‘Say no more big brother.’” The funeral rites started on Thursday, July 15, 2021, with a service of songs and Christian wake, followed by the burial and reception the next day at St Paul’s Anglican Church, Oba Anambra. A thanksgiving service is also scheduled for Sunday, July 18, at the Good Shepherd Anglican Church, also in Oba. People who could not attend the event physically also had the opportunity of watching it online, as it was live streamed on the Internet. In what seemed like a bid to outdo one another, several guests sprayed Obi Cubana with 200, 500 and 1,000 naira notes. In one of the videos that went viral, two of guests were seen having a playful cash fight as they threw wads of money at each other, while other guests looked on. Veteran actor, Kanayo O. Kanayo also took to social media to show off bundles of N500 notes he planned to spend at the party. The deceased was eventually interred in a golden casket, said to be worth about N30m. Some of the guests at the event include a member of the House of Representatives and Club Quillox’s proprietor, Shina Peller; pop star, Davido; D’banj, Alex Ekubo, Kenneth Okonkwo (Kcee), Emeka Okonkwo (E-Money), Poco Lee and Ubi Franklin.

Leaders and elders in Yorubaland under the aegis of Afenifere Renewal Group (ARG) have agreed that the 1999 Constitution being operated in the country can no longer sustain the desired togetherness of the people. This is as the stakeholders recommended self-determination or a peaceful dissolution of the country as a panacea for the refusal of the country to give the desired restructuring many groups have been clamouring for in almost three decades. The stakeholders spoke in different remarks at the ARG Summit on Yoruba nation question. The summit themed, “Rekindling Yoruba Nationalism: Whither Yoruba Nation?” held yesterday at Otunba Subomi Balogun Conference Centre Mini Hall, UI Hotel, Ibadan. At the summit, stakeholders expressed divergent views on the issues of secession, restructuring, federalism and constitutionalism amidst the various agitations for self-determination, advising that the Yoruba should repackage their clamour by bringing together eggheads and experts to brainstorm on the way forward. The event was attended by various groups, scholars, leaders, elder statesmen, market leaders, representatives of social cultural groups, youths among other stakeholders. Speaking on the rationale for the summit, Chairman, ARG, Wale Oshun, said the country is at a cross-road and the Yoruba need to consult with relevant stakeholders before taking a position. He said: “Nigeria is at a cross-road and we the Yoruba people have always bear the brunt and burden of nationhood. And we are paying a disproportionate price for keeping the country united and we thought that there is a need now to start introspecting, listening to the voices of the ordinary Yoruba persons on what they ordinarily want in Nigeria, is it being part of the country or not? What would they like to see as changes because the present constitution cannot sustain any development mode? “So, is it restructuring? But you also realise that people have also been advocating for restructuring since 1992. So, people are now saying 29 years down the line, what is the sense in keeping and asking for the same thing that nobody is listening to? “So, we want to find out amongst ourselves, what is the way forward. And as you can see from the interactions that we are actually at a crossroad. But something will emerge and an idea will evolve.” One of the guest speakers, who is a former National Commissioner with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Professor of Sociology at the University of Lagos, Lai Olurode, said the way the idea and message of restructuring is being presented is not good enough. He faulted the agitation and clamour in that it presented the idea as a winner take all plan, even though it holds the potential for a win-win situation for all the parties, geo-political zones in the country. The Leader, Ilana Omo Oodua, Prof. Banji Akintoye, who was expected to speak at the event, could not join online due to poor network while the summit lasted. FacebookTwitterPinterestLinkedInWhatsAppEmail

No fewer than ten people died Friday night in a fatal road accident in Kanbi, Moro Local Government Area of Kwara State. The accident, Daily Trust gathered, involved a white coloured commercial Toyota Hiace with registration number XC157SMK and a blue Ford Truck used for transporting log. It was also gathered that 19 people were involved in the accident out of which ten died instantly. Others who sustianed serious injuries have been taken to the hospital for treatment. The corpses of the dead have been deposited at the University of Ilorin Teaching Hospital (UITH), it was further gathered. The commercial bus driver, who was on top speed, had a head on collision with the truck, an eyewitness said. When contacted, the Sector Commander of the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Jonathan Owoade, said the incident occured in the wee hours of Friday morning. He said: “The driver of the 18-passenger bus survived. “They were coming from Minna going to Offa but rammed into a stationary log-carrying truck which had broken down on the road. “10 of them died instantly while the survivors, including the driver, have been taken to the hospital. “The corpses have been deposited at the morgue of the UITH,” he added.

Cars and property in several parts of Lagos have been submerged following heavy rainfall on Friday. Both the island and mainland axis of the state were affected by the flood. Several residents have taken to social media to share pictures and videos of their areas. The National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA) has urged residents of the state to observe safety precautions. Ibrahim Farinloye, acting assistant zonal coordinator, south-west zonal office, NEMA, said residents should avoid driving when flood covers half of vehicles’ tyres. “Once the rainwater gets to half of the wheels it sweeps off your vehicle,” he said. “Kindly park and move on to higher ground for safety.” Farinloye also advised that trekking should be avoided during downpours. “The rainwater must have risen above our ankles, once it happens like this, the flood has the capacity to carry us off,” he added. “Residents of Lagos Island, Eti-Osa, Alimosho, Amuwo Odofin, Ikeja, Ojo, Kosofe, Apapa, Epe, Oshodi-Isolo, Shomolu, Surulere and Ajeromi /Ifelodun LGAs are advised to be more careful when it rains.” Flooding issues have become more frequent in Nigeria as a result of climate change. The Nigeria Hydrological Agency had in May released the 2021 flood outlook which predicted severe flooding in 28 states.