Crime Facts

Oyetola Declared Winner Of Osun APC Governorship Primary

  Osun State Governor, Adegboyega Oyetola, has won the governorship primary of the All Progressive Congress (APC) in the state. The governor secured 221,169 votes to defeat a former Secretary to the Government of the State (SSG), Moshood Adeoti, and a former Deputy Speaker of the House of Representatives, Lasun Yusuff, according to the vote tally announced for the exercise. Governor Oyetola was declared winner of the primary election by the Chairman of the poll, Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazak of Kwara State, at the APC secretariat in Osogbo where votes from the 30 local government areas of the state were tallied. The APC conducted the exercise using the direct mode of primary across the 332 wards in the state. This mode allows all party members to choose the candidate of their choice as against the option of using delegates. See the primary results from the 30 LGAs below: Atakumosa East Oyetola – 2,637 Adeoti – 165 Lasun – 2 Atakumosa West Oyetola – 4,655 Adeoti – 305 Lasun – 7 Ayedaade Oyetola – 3,615 Adeoti – 540 Lasun – 0 Ayedire Oyetola – 3,274 Adeoti – 279 Lasun – 3 Boluwaduro Oyetola – 6,399 Adeoti – 62 Lasun – 0 Boripe Oyetola – 15,034 Adeoti – 5 Lasun – 0 Ede North Oyetola – 7,117 Adeoti – 311 Lasun – 2 Ede South Oyetola – 2,664 Adeoti – 628 Lasun – 0 Egbedore Oyetola – 5,500 Adeoti – 420 Lasun – 0 Ejigbo Oyetola – 8,007 Adeoti – 360 Lasun – 0 Ife Central Oyetola – 10,843 Adeoti – 344 Lasun – 1 Ifedayo Oyetola – 4,214 Adeoti – 141 Lasun – 0 Ife East Oyetola – 12,030 Adeoti – 326 Lasun – 0 Ifelodun Oyetola – 11,873 Adeoti – 631 Lasun – 27 Ife North Oyetola – 3,377 Adeoti – 242 Lasun – 5 Ife South Oyetola – 8,268 Adeoti – 43 Lasun – 0 Ila Oyetola – 8,834 Adeoti – 47 Lasun – 0 Ilesa East Oyetola – 4,857 Adeoti – 483 Lasun – 1 Ilesa West Oyetola – 3,877 Adeoti – 446 Lasun – 0 Irepodun Oyetola – 7,928 Adeoti – 732 Lasun – 214 Irewole Oyetola – 7,560 Adeoti – 537 Lasun – 0 Isokan Oyetola – 6,468 Adeoti – 279 Lasun – 13 Iwo Oyetola – 9,432 Adeoti – 2,543 Lasun – 1 Obokun Oyetola – 5,245 Adeoti – 527 Lasun – 2 Odo Otin Oyetola – 7,735 Adeoti – 384 Lasun – 0 Ola Oluwa Oyetola – 3,771 Adeoti – 363 Lasun – 0 Olorunda Oyetola – 7,103 Adeoti – 555 Lasun – 1 Oriade Oyetola – 10,935 Adeoti – 438 Lasun – 11 Orolu Oyetola – 6,652 Adeoti – 130 Lasun – 0 Osogbo Oyetola – 22,265 Adeoti – 655 Lasun – 170 Final Result (total) Oyetola – 222,169 Adeoti – 12,921 Lasun – 460 The build-up to Saturday’s primary highlighted a division within the ruling party in the state following a disagreement between incumbent Governor Oyetola and his predecessor, Mr Rauf Aregbesola. This prompted the former governor to seek to unseat Oyetola whom he supported to succeed him in September 2018. Aregbesola, who serves as the Minister of Interior in President Muhammadu Buhari’s cabinet, has now declared his support for Adeoti, as his anointed candidate for the forthcoming election. The primary also came with drama and controversy as the members of the camps of the minister and governor traded blames and accusations, including accusing each side of instigating violence. Both sides denied doing anything to disturb the peace or to illegally influencing the outcome of the poll. Notwithstanding the disagreement, the minister asked members of the party in the state loyal to him to conduct themselves in a peaceful matter throughout the exercise. While the primary was in progress, the faction of the APC loyal to the minister condemned it. In a statement by its spokesman, Abiodun Agboola, the faction alleged widespread irregularities in the exercise conducted by the Osun APC Primary Election Committee led by Governor Abdulrasaq of Kwara State. “The Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq led Osun APC Primary Election Committee should know that the primary lacks credibility and fairness,” it said. “It is necessary and important to inform the general public and Governor Abdulrahman Abdulrasaq led Osun APC Primary Election Committee of the ongoing irregularities in the conduct of the primary election of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the State of Osun. “We strongly condemned the conduct of the primary election because it is nothing but a sham with a fraudulent process to favour Governor Adegboyega Oyetola. Verified information from the agents of Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, our governorship aspirant, has it that there are no record and result sheets in any of the 332 wards of the state.” Governor Oyetola, on his part commended the process, and described as free and fair after voting.

Air Peace, Arik Air increase base fare for economy flights to N50,000

  Nigerian airlines have increased the cost of economy flight tickets for domestic routes from about N35,000 to a base fare of N50000, TheCable understands. The airlines include Azman Air, Max Air, Ibom Air, Arik Air, Air Peace and Dana Air. In a statement issued last week, the Airline Operators of Nigeria (AON) condemned attacks on airline staff and facilities at the various airports by passengers over flight delays or cancellations, saying they will no longer allow the attacks to go on unrestrained. The association also lamented the high cost of jet A1 fuel, forex scarcity, inflation, increase in ground handling charges, cost of buying and importation of spare parts. Findings by TheCable showed that most of the airlines have increased their base rate to N50,000 for Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Kaduna and Warri routes. For instance, Azman Air and Max Air for Sunday go for N50,000. Ibom Air for the day costs N53,000 while Arik Air, Air Peace and Dana Air fixed above N50,000 for an economy seat. On the other hand, flights from Lagos to Port Harcourt is pegged at N50, 750 for United Nigeria, Air Peace N50,000 and Arik Air at N50,250. Aero Contractors — which used to be about N30,000 — placed its airfare for N48,365 for Lagos to Abuja while Green Airways Africa — which had a base fare of N22,000 –is now about N33,000 for economy class. The same base price of N50,000 was fixed for Lagos to Abuja flight of March 3. When contacted, Adebanji Ola, public relations and communications manager for Arik Air, directed TheCable to the company’s website for the cost of flights. He declined to speak further on the matter. Allen Onyema, vice-president of AON and chairman/CEO of Air Peace, did not answer his calls. Speaking with aviation correspondents last week, Obiora Okonkwo, chairman of Nigeria Airlines (UNA), had said the sudden rise in the price of Jet A1 hurt the operations of airlines. “The least ticket we sold a year ago was N23, 000 when aviation fuel was N190 and the official rate of naira to a dollar then was N340, but today, if forex is available, it is N450, but when it is not available, the alternative market is N570 to a dollar,” he had said.

IGBOHO: You can’t criminalise Yoruba Nation struggle, Akintoye dares FG

  Leader of the umbrella body of Yoruba self-determination groups, Ilana Omo Oodua Worldwide, Professor Banji Akintoye, has urged the Yoruba people who believe in the actualisation of Yoruba Nation to keep hope alive. He also said he would not be marking his 87th birthday yesterday when Chief Sunday Adeyemo (Sunday Igboho) is in detention. Akintoye, a renowned historian and Second Republic senator spoke in a statement signed by the Communications Secretary of the Self-Determination Movement, Mr Maxwell Adeleye. He pointed out that “The Yoruba Nation is an idea whose time has come”. The statement reads “Today, I clock 87. I thank God for this unusual grace and favour from God. I am grateful to God for the strength, energy and good health that I am enjoying. “My message to the Yoruba people worldwide who are passionate for the country of their own is not to lose hope. “I am more than convinced that we are on our way to freedom. Our agitation is an idea whose time has come. “We shall keep the struggle alive, and beyond the manipulation of the Nigerian government. “We won’t allow the Nigerian Government to criminalise our struggle. The Yoruba people worldwide are urged never to be deterred. “Many Yoruba patriots worldwide planned to celebrate my birthday but I pleaded with them not to do so in honour of my son and one of the heroes of our struggle, Chief Sunday Adeyemo, fondly called Sunday Ighoho, by all of us. I cannot be celebrating a birthday when Ighoho is in detention”.

ASUU knocks FG, blames poor pay for worsening varsity brain drain

  THE Academic Staff Union of Universities has come hard on the Federal Government over the mass departure of Nigerian lecturers to other tertiary institutions abroad. The union lamented that the development was affecting the university system, attributing the exodus of Nigerian lecturers to poor remuneration. It added that the situation was responsible for the dearth of university teachers in the country. ASUU is currently on a month strike, saying the industrial action will be comprehensive and total. “NEC resolved to embark on the four-week roll-over total and comprehensive strike as the government has failed to implement the Memorandum of Action it signed with the ASUU in December 2020. “We invite all lovers of education to join our struggle for a greater Nigeria. Nigerian politicians keep proliferating educational institutions without prioritising education. “ASUU will not relent in its historic responsibility of advocating an improved university system. This is because it holds the key to our collective prosperity and better future for our children and our children’s children; so, let us work together to fix it.” ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, told Sunday PUNCH that while countries like Ghana, the United Kingdom and United States of America were paying their varsity lecturers attractive and competitive salaries, the case remained different in Nigeria. He explained that though university lecturers were always employed from all over the world, Nigeria was experiencing a deficit because foreign lecturers were no longer seeing the need to teach in the country due to poor remuneration. Osodeke specifically said while a professor in a Nigerian university earned $700 per month, his counterpart in Ghana was paid $3,000, adding that in the United Kingdom, a professor would go home with between £8,000 and £10,000 per month. He said, “Lecturers are recruited from every part of the world, not from a particular country. We have thousands of Nigerian lecturers across the world. You go to Benin Republic, go to South Africa, go to the United Kingdom; you have Nigerians teaching in all these countries. “But because of our poor remuneration, nobody is coming to teach in Nigeria. That is the deficit; while some people are going out to teach outside, nobody is coming in to teach here because of the poor remuneration. “A professor is earning about $700 a month in Nigeria; would he leave the UK where he is earning between £8,000 to £10,000 to come and teach in Nigeria? Would he leave Ghana where he earns between $2,000 and $3,000 to come and teach in Nigeria? No! That is the deficit. “So, when Nigerians are going to teach in other countries, nobody is leaving these countries to teach in Nigeria as we had in the 70s, 80s and early 90s. That is why we are having this shortfall.” Explaining that the dearth of lecturers in the nation’s universities had forced government to devise a means of employing persons with poor academic qualification as lecturers, Osodeke lamented that graduates with Third Class now found their way into the university system as lecturers after going for their Post-Graduate Diploma. “In some cases now, those who have no business with lecturing have been packed into the system. Some would have Third Class, and they go to the university and get Post-Graduate Diploma and say they want to become lecturers. “This should not be accepted anywhere. But we have them now because of the deficit. That is why they are packing people in. So, we still have a crisis in the system. “Nigerian lecturers who have left the shores of this country are in the tens of thousands. Go to the UK, America, Malaysia, and South Africa, they are just all over the place. I think in two countries, Nigerians were Vice Chancellors. ASUU issue conflicting strike directives Punish dirty petrol importers, overhaul imports system, LCCI tells FG Eavesdropper: Of FG, ASUU and varsities in need “Many Nigerians have left the university system. Remember that in the 80s, they were leaving in droves during the military era, even in the early 90s, they were leaving; brain drain. Then the 2009 agreement helped to reduce the exodus of lecturers. “The lecturing job is not like any other job that anybody can just enter. For you to be a true lecturer, at the entry point which is Graduate Assistant, you must have a First Degree with Second Class Upper. For you to move to the next level, you must have a Masters. For you to cross from Lecturer 1 and above, you must have a PhD. For you to be promoted, you must have XY amount of publications and visibility. “The blame should go to the Federal Government and to Nigerians. When we struggle and we go on strike on these issues, the public will be against us, saying their children are at home. But now, the impact is coming from the government side, not from us. You now have fewer lecturers in the universities than we should,” the ASUU boss further said. He stated that the university system would have collapsed like the public primary and secondary school system if ASUU had not continued with its struggle, adding that the public schools were now like fraud centres where students get WAEC results even when they could not write letters correctly. Osodeke expressed dissatisfaction that Nigerian lecturers were currently earning the same salary they were getting since 2009, saying like medical personnel in the country, the lecturers were also leaving. He said, “You can’t be earning the same salary since 2009 and you are still earning the same amount in 2022. In 2009, the exchange rate was about $1 to N60 or N80. Now, it is $1 to N500. So, people are moving out just like the medical practitioners are doing. “They train the people and the people leave to work for other countries, which is not healthy. Therefore, there is the need for the Federal Government to look at the educational sector, upgrade it, and pay salaries that can encourage people to

FG Working To Correct Lapses In Niger Delta – Osinbajo

  Vice President Yemi Osinbajo has said the federal government is working with the collaboration of states and local governments to ensure that the distorted lapses in the development of communities in the Niger Delta region are corrected. He spoke Saturday at Angiama, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State while flagging off the construction of the last phase of the bridge linking Yenagoa to Oporoma, the headquarters of Southern Ijaw, initiated by Governor Douye Diri. Osinbajo said the President Muhammadu Buhari administration was determined to attracting development to all sections of the country despite being confronted with challenges. “For a country with the population and geographical span like Nigeria, guaranteeing inclusive prosperity is a major challenge indeed, and this is majorly more so by the working urbanisation of the last two decades, the consequent pressure on cities and the difficulties of allocating scarce resources that are faced by the government at all levels across the country,” he said. The vice president said driving through the Yenagoa-Oporoma-Ukubie road had unraveled the natural beauty and enormous potentials inherent in Bayelsa State, explaining that such natural endowments were seen in few places of the world. While welcoming the vice president, the governor said the road project, which was started by previous administrations in the state, spanned about 36 kilometers and stretched across rivers, creeks and swamps.

Kenya’s high commissioner to Nigeria slumps, dies in Abuja

  Wilfred Machage, Kenya’s high commissioner to Nigeria, has died at the age of 65. Machage reportedly collapsed in his Abuja home on Saturday, after which he was rushed to the hospital where he was pronounced dead. The deceased high commissioner’s wife was said to have been with him when he collapsed. Kenya’s ministry of foreign affairs has released a statement announcing Machage’s demise. The statement reads: “The Ministry of Foreign Affairs regrets to announce the sudden death of Hon Dr. Ambassador Wilfred Machage, Kenya High Commissioner to Nigeria, which occurred today. “Ambassador Machage collapsed at home and was pronounced dead at [the] hospital shortly thereafter at around 12.30pm this afternoon in Abuja, Nigeria. His wife was with him when this unfortunate incident happened.” Sospeter Magita, his twin brother who is a former Kenya ambassador to Russia, told The Standard that he died after eating lunch. “It is a very sad moment that I have today lost my best friend and confidant,” he was quoted as saying. Machage served in the Kenyan senate between 2013 and 2017. Before he was elected as a senator, he had been a member of parliament in the early 2000s. He was appointed high commissioner to Nigeria in January 2018.

Nigeria needs more ‘rebels’, says Obasanjo

  A former president, Olusegun Obasanjo, said that for Nigeria to move forward, it requires “more rebels” that are bold to speak the truth to the power. Obasanjo said Nigeria needs more rebels who would speak the truth to power not minding whose ox is gored. The former president spoke on Saturday in Abeokuta, Ogun State capital, while unveiling the autobiography of the Babanla Adinni of Egbaland, Chief Tayo Sowunmi, titled “Footprints Of A Rebel.” Obasanjo concluded that having rebels remains one of the greatest steps towards rebuilding Nigeria. The autobiography reviewed by Hafsat Abiola Costello, founder of Kudirat Initiative for Democracy, was unveiled as part of the celebration of the 80th birthday of Sowunmi, a former activist and elder statesman. Shortly before the unveiling of the autobiography, Obasanjo submitted that whoever must live life of honesty and integrity has to be a rebel. Obasanjo said “Looking at the title of the book, I ask myself, why would someone call himself a rebel. But it is good. “But the truth is that if you have to leave a life of honesty and integrity, you have to become a rebel. There would be some time you would be asked have to do something, but you would say no, this is not right. And when you say that you will become a rebel. You may even become a persona non grata. “Our country, there is no country that we can call our own except Nigeria. Our country, Nigeria, needs more rebels. Those who would look at things straight in the face and say ‘this is not right, this, I will not be part of, this is not good for Nigeria.” He, however, lauded the octogenarian for living “an exemplary life worthy of emulation by the younger generation.” Earlier in his speech, the Serving Overseer of the Citadel Global Community Church, Pastor Tunde Bakare, called for inter-generational reintegration between older and younger generations, as part of efforts to rebuild Nigeria. Bakare, who spoke on “Worthy Nation Building Legacies by the older generation of Nigerians, said it was a shame that while younger generations are taking over leadership in other countries, the older generation refuses to leave the stage in Nigeria. According to Bakare, the nation rebuilding development has suffered because of the marginalisation of the youth and the progressives who abandoned politics. He also blamed the nation’s challenges on those he called “moneybags and bullion van politicians.” Bakare called for generational reintegration, beginning from the households, embracing cultural values that foster nation-building as well as mentoring and leadership development for the younger generation.

Osun APC Primary: Aregbesola’s Loyalists Allege Irregularities As Oyetola Sweeps Poll

  The Governorship Primary Election of All Progressives Congress in Osun State witnessed a large turnout of voters on Saturday, but members of the party loyal to the Minister of Interior alleged irregularities as the incumbent Governor, Mr Adegboyega Oyetola, led in the early results. In the unofficial results so far, Oyetola is in the clear lead across the state. In Iragbiji, Oyetola scored 1,612 in his ward while Adeoti scored zero. In Aregbesola’s ward in Ilesa, Oyetola got 309 votes while Aregbesola’s candidate, Adeoti, got 146 votes there. In Ilobu, the third aspirant, Mr Lasun Yusuf, who is the former Deputy Speaker of House of representatives, got 10 votes in his ward while Oyetola got 323 there; Adeoti got 62 votes there. The exercise was peaceful and the results follow the same pattern in most parts of the state. At Ward 12, Gidigbo 2, Post Office, Iwo — the Ward of Alhaji Moshood Adeoti, the candidate endorsed by Aregbesola — the exercise was peaceful, but the process was slow as many were yet to be accredited to vote as of the time of filing this report. The factional Chairman of the party, Alhaji Rasaq Salinsile, rejected the outcome of the party primary election and vowed that the result would be challenged appropriately. Salinsile insisted that the primary election of the party was manipulated in favour of Oyetola and maintained that the result was not acceptable.

Mass Failure: 90% of intending police officers failed recruitment exams — PSC

  The Police Service Commission (PSC) at the weekend in Benin, said over 90 per cent of intending police officers did not score up to 30 per cent in the police recruitment examinations across the country. The Commissioner representing the Mass Media and the South-south Zone in the Police Service Commission (PSC), Austin Braimoh made the revelation at a one-day town hall meeting organised by the Commission and the Edo State Police Command. He said the aim of the town hall meeting is to work on the relationship between the police and the public and also enlighten the public on the ongoing recruitment exercise. Braimoh said, “The Commission has the responsibility of familiarizing the public with the current recruitment exercise and improving citizen relationship with the police for effective policing. “From now, you do not need to go to the National Human Rights Commission if your right is violated by a serving police officer, you go straight to the Police Service Commission, you do not need a third party. “One of the challenges the Commission is facing today is that for a long time those who are applying for recruitment into the force are most times academically challenged as over 90 per cent do not score up to 30 per cent in the recruitment examinations. “So with this kind of situation you can imagine the kind of policemen that will be presented to the public”. Also speaking, the Edo State Commissioner of Police, Mr Philip Ogbadu, bemoaned the lack of interest from Edo people, especially males, to join the police force. He said such an ugly trend is dangerous noting that only females seem to be interested in joining the police force. Details later…

Obaseki: ‘Yahoo Boys’ must be brilliant… we must redirect their thinking positively

  Godwin Obaseki, governor of Edo, says his administration is ready to tackle the proliferation of Internet fraud in the state. Speaking on Friday at an education town hall meeting in the state, the governor said the Internet fraudsters, better known as Yahoo Yahoo boys, must be very brilliant to carry out such illegal activities. Obaseki noted that the government needs to help the fraudsters redirect their thinking into positive ventures. “I am concerned. Cyber fraud and Yahoo culture are big issues. I am calling on everyone to please send as much information as you can to my office,” Obaseki said. “On Monday, I am going to see the chairman of EFCC. I am not condemning those involved. There must be a reason why that culture has become so prolific in Edo state. We must find the root cause and address them as we did in the days of trafficking. “Let’s see how we can correct it because these children must be very brilliant. The kind of things they do, how they hack into other people’s accounts. How do we re-direct that thinking into something more positive?” In January, a video of three teenagers searching for where to learn internet fraud in Edo state had surfaced online and gone viral.