Oluwasegun Adesuyi, Author at SocietyGazette.com

Don’t Support Political Aspirants Openly, Obasanjo Tells Ooni

OFormer President Olusegun Obasanjo has advised Adeyeye Ogunwusi, the Ooni of Ife, against openly supporting political office seekers.

Obasanjo gave the advice at an event organised to honour Nteranya Sanginga, director-general of the International Institute for Tropical Agriculture (IITA), and his wife, Charlotte, with the chieftaincy title of Aare and Yeye Aare Afurugbin-Ola over the weekend.

The event which held at the palace of the ooni in Ile Ife, Osun state, drew huge personalities and became an opportunity for political engagement towards the 2023 elections.

The Ooni is a known friend of president Muhammadu Buhari and gave his endorsement to the president in 2019.

He also identified with Vice President, Mr Yemi Osinbajo, understandably as both share the same ethic affinity.

Obasanjo, whose presentation at the event touched on political issues, advised Ooni and other Yoruba traditional rulers to reduce their open declaration of support for those vying for political offices as that has the potential to also push their subjects into supporting such contestants.

He advised Ooni that as a father to all, politicians will approach the monarch for support, but the best he should do is to “pray for such a person and let him go”.

In his words, “All the sons and daughters of Yorubaland, no matter where they are or their standpoint, will come to meet you. This is expected because you are the father of all,” Obasanjo said.

“Anyone of them who says that he is interested in politics, just pray for him and let them go. Anyone who approaches you and says that he wants to be president or governor, just pray for such a person and let him go.”

According to him, differences in political idea, affiliation, direction and aspirations are reasons while traditional rulers should limit their open support so as not to be seen to be partisan.

It has become a usual practice where office seekers visit traditional rulers for their blessings and often seek their endorsements.

Obasanjo therefore advised: “Don’t direct Yoruba people to support any aspirant, as we don’t all go in the same direction, which is part of our strength in Yorubaland.”

Samuel Eto’o Elected President of the Cameroon Football Federation

Former Barcelona striker, Samuel Eto’o has been elected the President of the Cameroon Football Federation, the body has announced.

Eto’o defeated his rival, the acting president Seidou Mbombo Njoya with 43 votes the body revealed on Saturday. Njoya secured 31 votes.

The former Cameroon international had expressed confidence of becoming the next president of the football body when he filed his candidacy last November.

Njoya had won the position in a 2018 election, but the Court of Arbitration for Sport in January annulled his victory.

The 40-year-old will oversee Cameroonian football for the next four years.

He said on his Instagram that, “I’ll be remembering today as one of the proudest moments of my life.

‘I’m deeply grateful to be elected as the new president of @fecafootofficiel.

“Every single vote represents the energy and ambition of our football family to take our beloved sport to a level we’ve never seen before. Let’s get to work.”

Over 1,200 orphanages apply for Davido’s N250m Donation

Davido has announced that his charity panel has received 1,234 applications from orphanages, for a share of his N250 million donation.

Davido made this known in his Insta story while giving an update on the selection and disbursement process of the funds.

The music star said that verification of applications is currently ongoing and would be finished by 15 Dec whereby selection and disbursement would follow.

“Verification is ongoing, and the report will be out by 15 December. Selection and disbursement 18th/19th and the press release should be 20th Dec.

“1234 responded; 852 without orphanage names; 382 with orphanage names.

“The national association of orphanages in Nigeria sent the list of orphanage homes within their coverage, which to some extent, is helping us in the verification process. God bless. We rise by lifting others,” Davido wrote.

Davido announced his donation to orphans as part of celebration of his birthday after he raised over N200m and added N50 million of his own.

The N200 million winffall came after Davido jokingly asked his friends and fans to send him N1m each first of all to clear his Rolls Royce at the port.

Later he said the donation will be for his birthday. Naira rain flooded his Wema Bank account.

He setup a five-man committee to oversee the disbursement of the funds.

How Tinubu Convinced Obasanjo To Accept Buhari As APC Candidate In 2015 – Akande

Former National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Chief Bisi Akande has revealed a political masterclass that happened in 2015.

In his autobiography titled “My Participations,” launched in Lagos on Thursday, Akande said the APC National Leader, Bola Tinubu, had to convince former President Olusegun Obasanjo before he supported the candidacy of President Muhammadu Buhari in 2015.

He said Tinubu had to tell Obasanjo to speak to Buhari about his views about the latter’s ambition, adding that some Northern elites opposed Buhari’s presidential ambition.

Akande said, “When the party was ready and we were going around to all the leaders, someone reminded us that we had not seen Obasanjo and (former Head of State, Ibrahim) Babangida, and asked them to join us.

“We also met Obasanjo and asked him to join us. He said he would not join us but that he had his sympathy for us. He said he had decided not to join any political party since he left the Peoples Democratic Party.

“Behind the scene, however, I understood he was pressurising some of our leaders not to use Buhari as our candidate. It got to a point when Bola Tinubu had to confront him thus: ‘It is not fair sending me to Buhari. Buhari was a soldier and he was one of your junior officers in the army. Why don’t you call Buhari and let him know how you feel about his intention to be President?’

“I don’t know whether Obasanjo stopped at it. From the start, he did not want Buhari to be President.”

Akande disclosed that a Northern leader also met with the former Governor of Osun state and Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, to persuade him to prevail on the APC leaders to drop Buhari.

He, however, said the APC decided to present Buhari as its flagbearer given his charisma and the support he had receved in his previous attempts.

He said: “It was apparent from the start that Buhari would be our choice for president. That was one of the bases for the merger. However, there were pressures from the elites, especially from the North, including royal fathers, piling pressure on us not to allow Buhari be our presidential candidate.

“A prominent aristocratic leader from the North stayed several nights in Osogbo, persuading Governor Aregbesola to prevail on us not to field Buhari. He threatened that if we did, there would be trouble in the North.

“Buhari had been losing elections before because he had no structure to harness his support and transform it into votes.

“Now through the APC, we had created a formidable structure for him; bigger and better than that of any other party in Nigerian history.”

Emirates Gives Condition To Resume Operations In Nigeria

In what seems like a retaliatory move by the Dubai-based airline, Emirates, its management stated on Friday that it will stop flights to and from Lagos and Abuja by Saturday until certain condition is met by the Nigerian government.

This is coming after the director general of the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA), Musa Nuhu, had limited Emirate operations to Nigeria by one flight per week for not granting the flight request of one of its home grown airlines.

“With the recently imposed directive limiting Emirates to operate one flight per week to Nigeria via Abuja, Emirates will be suspending its flights between Nigeria and Dubai from 13 December 2021, until the UAE and Nigerian authorities work on a solution to the ongoing issue.

“The last flights to operate on 12 December 2021are EK 783/784 to/from Lagos and EK 785/786 to/from Abuja.

“Customers holding tickets with the final destinations Lagos and Abuja will not be accepted at the point of origin,” Emirates stated on its website.
To lift its suspension, the airline stated that the Nigerian government will have to remove the restrictions it imposed on its operations.

“Emirates is committed to its operations in Nigeria, and we stand ready to reinstate services once restrictions are lifted by the Nigerian authorities, ensuring travellers have more choice and access to trade and tourism opportunities in Dubai, and beyond to our network of over 120 destinations.
“Emirates regrets any inconvenience caused,” it stated.

BREAKING: Kidnapped Imo Monarch Regains Freedom

The traditional ruler of Mbutu Ancient Kingdom in Aboh Mbaise Local Government Area of Imo State, Eze Damian Nwaigwe has been rescued from his abductors.

News about the Monarch’s freedom was made known by the Imo State Police Public Relations Officer, Michael Abattam on Saturday.

Abattam said the Royal Father was rescued unhurt and had returned to his family.

“The abducted Royal father, HRH Eze Damian Nwaigwe of Mbutu Ancient Kingdom, who was kidnapped on 09/12/2021 at about 0300 hours in his residence has been rescued unhurt and reunited with his family.”

Details on how he was rescued is still sketchy as at the time of filling this report.

The Royal Father was kidnapped on Thursday at his palace by yet to be identified gunmen.

Sources said the gunmen numbering about ten stormed the Monarch’s palace around 2:30 am, barricaded the compound while shooting sporadically before the king was whisked away.

His rescue came barely 24 hours after the traditional ruler of Atta Ancient Kingdom in Njaba local government area of Imo, Edwin Ezike was killed by his abductors and his body dumped at the village square.

HRH Eze Damian Nwaigwe of Mbutu Ancient KingdomMbutu Ancient Kingdom

Pastor ‘Anointed’ His Manhood Before Raping Me During Deliverance, Pregnant Woman Alleges

A five-month-old pregnant woman, Bukola, has narrated how a pastor in a white garment church hypnotised her and had sex with her in the church.

The 19-year-old lady said she had gone to the church for deliverance but ended up being raped by the pastor.

While speaking with journalists at the Ondo State Police Command Headquarters in Akure on Friday, Bukola claimed that the pastor also ‘anointed’ her private parts before inserting his manhood there.

She explained that the church used to conduct a programme every Wednesday and she went but unfortunately the service had ended before she got there.

She said, “He ( pastor) collected the list they gave me from the hospital and said the items on the list were too many. He later said I should go and do the photocopy which I did.

” He then said I should take it to the altar. While I was sitting down, he started pressing my stomach. He asked me how many months my pregnancy was and I said five months.

“He said he was going to do some spiritual work on me before my delivery. He stood up and entered a room. He later called me to enter and I did. He asked me to sleep which I did. He also said I should remove my clothes and I obeyed him.

“He asked me to open my legs and dipped his middle finger with oil in my private parts. He said my baby was in a horizontal position instead of being vertical. He said he would put oil in my private parts and would help me insert it with his manhood so that the oil would get into the baby.

“He then rubbed oil on his private parts and had sex with me. He said he was not supposed to do it but he helped me because my husband was not around. It was later after he had sex with me that I came into my right senses.”

The Police Public Relations Officer, Mrs Funmilayo Odunlami, told journalists that the pastor has been arrested and was in police custody.

She said, “I have not got full details of the matter but the pastor is with us and investigation has commenced.”

In November, the Ondo State Police Command arrested a 56-year-old prophet, Festus James, for allegedly raping a 22-year-old lady who was eight months pregnant.

The so called prophet was said to have raped the lady at Agbabu village via Ore under the guise of delivering her from an evil spirit.

Osun Lotto Operator Sets Self Ablaze Over Debts

An operator of a gambling house resident in Ikire, Osun State, identified as Seyi, has reportedly committed suicide by setting himself ablaze.

It was learnt that the deceased, whose kiosk is located in the Centre area of Ikire, locked himself up in his gambling kiosk and set himself on fire.

It was further learnt that before residents could realise what had happened, he had been badly burnt.

A resident of the area where the incident happened told Punch that smoke coming out of the kiosk alerted people, who initially did not know Seyi was in the shop.

He said, “We saw smoke coming out of the kiosk. We didn’t initially know Seyi was there. He just went into the shop, locked the doors and windows and set himself ablaze.

“He was a lotto operator. I even learnt he gave money to his child before leaving home that day and he just entered into the kiosk and committed suicide. He was brought dead. People suspected he ran into debts.”

When contacted for comments on Friday, Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Yemisi Opalola, confirmed the incident.

She said, “He was a lotto operator in the Center Area, Ikire. He just entered his kiosk, locked up and set himself ablaze. He died and the family asked for his corpse. Though no foul play is suspected, police will still consider some possibilities.”

Ondo ‘Pastor’ In Police Net After ‘Anointing’ Female Member With His Manhood

A self-proclaimed pastor in Ondo State, Gbenga Filani has been arrested for allegedly raping a married woman inside his Church.

Naija News learnt that the suspect is currently being grilled at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Police Headquarters, Igbatoro Road in Akure, the state capital.

According to reports, the Celestial Church of Christ, CCC pastor had invited the victim who is carrying a five-months-old pregnancy into his church for deliverance.

The 19-year-old victim whose name is withheld explained that Filani who is also known as a presenter of a popular programme in the state, inserted his fingers into her private part and thereafter used his manhood to apply ‘anointed oil inside her.

Naija News understands that the victim had reported the incident after she allegedly started noticing a strange situation with her pregnancy following the act.

Narrating her ordeal at the police headquarters, the victim said: “He dipped his middle finger with oil into my private part. He said my baby is vertical instead of being horizontal. He said he would put oil in my private part and would help me insert it with his private part so that the oil would get into the baby.

“He rubbed oil on his private part and asked me to open my legs. He then had sex with me. He said he was not supposed to do it but helped me because my husband was not around.

“It was after he had sex with me that I came into my right senses. He said I should swear that I should not tell anyone including my mother. He said I will die if I told anybody,” she said.

The Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, in the state, DSP Funmilayo Odunlami has confirmed the arrest of the broadcaster, noting that investigation is still on.

Police arrest man with fresh human parts in Ikorodu

The Sagamu Road Police Division said it has arrested a 41-year-old man, Sikiru Kolawole, for allegedly being in possession of fresh human parts.

The Spokesman of the Lagos Police Command, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, who confirmed the incident, said that the suspect was reportedly found with fresh human hands, intestines and skull from Ojokoro cemetery in Ikorodu.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Hakeem Odumosu, has ordered the case to be transferred to the State Criminal Investigative Department (SCID) at Panti, Yaba, for diligent investigation and prosecution.

Earlier, the Ikorodu Local Government Chairman, Hon. Wasiu Adesina, who led members of his cabinet to the scene of the crime, said the council promised to do everything necessary to curtail the dastard act and its reoccurrence.

The council boss immediately directed the environment department to clear every part of the cemetery to avoid any black spot inside and outside, adding that the apprehended suspect would be dealt with according to the law to serve as a deterrent to others.

“While we take care of the living, the council has mandated itself to cater for our dead ones and that is why we have rehabilitated the Ikorodu cemetery to international standard.

“I will ensure proper security measures are put in place and deal ruthlessly with anybody engaging in such illegitimate act at the cemetery.

“We have done lots of rehabilitation, illuminating the cemetery with solar power, provided water system and perimeter fencing,” he said.

Mr Nurudeen Lawal, one of the local guards at the cemetery, said that they engaged with the suspect in combat before he was apprehended around 1:30 am with a sack full of human parts while trying to escape.

“We carry out surveillance round the cemetery at least three to four times in a shift to observe the surroundings.

“Suddenly, we started hearing some funny sound, on getting there we saw the suspect with a sack loaded so we challenged him on how he got in and his mission at the cemetery.

“During the interrogation, we challenged him to open his sack, he resisted and it resulted in a combat and trying to use the weapon with him to scare us away to enable him flee.

“Subsequently, we grabbed and took him to the police station with the human parts for further interrogation,” Lawal said. (NAN)