The Nigeria Correctional Service, Oyo State Command, says 837 awaiting trial inmates escaped from the Abolongo Correctional Centre in Oyo Town, when suspected gunmen attacked the facility.
Its Public Relations Officer, Olanrewaju Anjorin, made this known in a statement on Saturday in Ibadan.
Unknown gunmen invaded the facility on Friday at about 9.30 p.m after they used dynamite to blast the wall.
Anjorin said all the 837 awaiting trial inmates were freed by the attackers, pointing out that the cell housing the convicts and the inmates were not vandalised.
He said that a total of 262 escaped inmates had been recaptured, while 575 were still at large.
“The invaders arrived at the centre heavily armed with sophisticated weapons and after a fierce encounter with the officers on guard, they gained entrance into the yard, using dynamite to blast the wall.
“All the awaiting trial detainees were forced out of custody, the cells housing the convicts and the female inmates were not vandalised.
“Meanwhile, a total of 262 of the escapees have been recaptured leaving 575 still at large.
“Following the directives of the Controller-General of Corrections, Haliru Nababa, the State Controller, Noel Ailewon, has commenced the process of search and recapture after visiting the scene of the incident,” Anjorin said.
He said the state controller had assured the public that no effort would be spared to recapture the fleeing inmates.
According to him, the controller-general has solicited for credible intelligence to assist the security agencies in tracking down the fleeing inmates.
He said that the Oyo Custodial Centre was established in 2007 with a capacity of 160 inmates, but had a total population of 907 at the time of attack.
“Of this number, awaiting trial persons were 837 representing 92 per cent with just 64 convicts,” Anjorin said.
Thousands of supporters of Mr Bola Tinubu on Saturday urged the leadership of the All Progressives Congress, APC, to grant the APC National Leader right of first refusal as a candidate of the party in 2023.
While Tinubu is yet to publicly speak about his presidential ambition, his supporters have ramped up the pressure on him to declare and have made the party’s presidential candidate Mr Tinubu’s affair and no one else.
On Saturday in Abuja at an event organized by the Tinubu Support Group TSG and tagged, ‘Unveiling of Asiwaju’s Legacies and Inauguration of States’ Steering Committees of Tinubu Support Group’, they urged Tinubu to come out and declare as he is far ahead of all those scheming to replace President Muhammadu Buhari.
The event which attracted dignitaries from all states of the federation including Sen. Adamu Mikal and six former state assembly members from Yobe state; members of the House of Representatives led by Hon. James Abiodun Faleke; Hon. Tunji Bello from Lagos State, Alhaji Sanusi Gamji from Kogi; former Secretary to the Government of the Federation SGF, Mr Babachir David Lawal, Senators Solomon Olamilekan, Opeyemi Bamidele, Ganiyu Solomon, Ibrahim Gobir, state assembly lawmakers from Kano and a host of others spoke of the difference Tinubu would make if he emerges Nigerian President.
Speaking at the event, Hon Faleke said; “It is not often that history nurtures a particular person to fit into the needs of a particular time. Our party is therefore lucky that it does not need to go on a wild goose chase for the man to fly our party’s flag in these challenging times; a time when the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria must go to the person who can continue to end banditry, to crush kidnappers and engage separatists so that our people can live in peace and prosperity.
“This is a man who will use his financial wizardry to further the gains of economic transformation.”
He explained that, “To secure the votes of the majority in 2023, we must present a candidate who knows where the shoe pinches the average Nigerian, not just because he has been there, but because, as the governor of the most difficult, most complex state in Nigeria, he put smiles on the faces of the poor by convincing the rich to join the government to chase poverty from the streets.
“That man is Bola Ahmed Tinubu, the Asiwaju of Lagos, Lagos State. The Jagaban of Borgu, Niger State, The Eze-obaIu-dike ngu of Oko, Anambra State. He is already our national leader. By the practice and standards in other climes, when the issue of raising a Presidential Candidate is on the burner, such a personality should be given the right of first refusal”.
Speaking at the event, the Director General of Tinubu Support Group TSG, Arc. Umar Ibrahim Mohammed said, “In our search for credible leadership to consolidate and improve on the enormous gains of the Buhari administration in the next dispensation, we have painstakingly and consciously undertaken to observe, study and critically analyze the challenges confronting the nation as well as our immense resources, potentials and strength.
“We have also reflected deeply on the outstanding leadership qualities, personal attributes and antecedents of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a man with the attributes of hard work, extensive vision, rich experience and striking intelligence, networks of vital contacts, sense of equity, justice and fairness with high regard for the rule of law.
“We therefore call on Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to avail the nation of his enormous wealth of experience, outstanding and visionary leadership qualities, to contest the 2023 Presidential Election.
“Tinubu is a bridge builder across regional, ethnic and religious lines that is capable of uniting the Country We have identified him as an exceptional manager of resources and a seasoned administrator and we are convinced that the nation needs him in the next dispensation.
“We have no doubt that he has the capacity and the political will to institute a new concept of governance and a new agenda of sustainable development, to provide effective leadership, capable of providing solutions to the numerous challenges confronting the nation.
“We have identified Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, as a patriot in words, in action, and indeed, a leading light among the people, a detribalized strategic thinker, with national outlook and balanced judgment, an exceptional manager of resources, a quintessential and visionary leader, an accomplished politician and a seasoned administrator, a statesman in Spirit and in physique, whose strides in the nation’s political landscape remain outstanding, as the man the nation needs in the next dispensation”, Mohammed added.
Hired Fulani mercenaries have been fingered as being responsible for Friday night’s attack on Abolongo correctional facility, Oyo town in Oyo State, Southwest Nigeria.
It was earlier reported today that prisoners have escaped from the Abolongo facility in Oyo town after some gunmen attacked the correctional centre and freed many inmates.
The gunmen arrived in their numbers around 11pm and started shooting sporadically. They then released inmates who fled to their various destinations.
It is understood that there was a bit of panic around the prison vicinity, as residents thought it was a robbery attempt.
The Nigeria Correctional Services (NCS), Oyo state Command, on Saturday morning confirmed the attack on the prison, stating that it is assessing the situation.
Now, fresh information coming in says the attack was planned and carried out by invading bandits.
According to Sahara Reporters, the gunmen carried out the attack specifically to free Iskilu Wakili, a prominent Fulani man accused of being among those behind most kidnappings and mindless killings in Ibarapa axis of Oyo State. Wakili, who has sight problem, was arrested by the Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC) in March. He was immediately handed over to the Police, and has since been in custody.
Information has it that gunmen struck on Wednesday on Oyo-Ogbomosho Road. And these invaders who attacked Abolongo prison are believed to be same terrorists who struck three days ago on Oyo-Ogbomosho road.
Thomas Partey was delighted to finally net his first Arsenal goal on Friday night, saying he’s been ‘waiting for this moment for a long time,’ but club legend Ian Wright wants to see him score a lot more regularly from now on.
Partey opened the scoring in Arsenal’s encouraging 3-1 win over Aston Villa at the Emirates, a result which saw them climb into the top half of the table and put their dismal early season form further behind them.
The Ghanaian had previously made 39 appearances for the Gunners without scoring, but he finally broke his duck as he nodded in a header from a corner in the first half.
The 28-year-old was delighted to get the win after two frustrating draws in the Premier League and he was relieved to score, knowing he should be contributing more goals from midfield.
‘All the team was frustrated and we wanted a win,’ Partey said via The Mirror. ‘That was the mentality we brought to this game today and we were able to get our result.
‘I’ve been waiting for this moment for a long time. I think it was the right moment to have it and I’m very happy.
‘The team performed very good. We have to do this every weekend and every game and with this, we can achieve beautiful things.
‘They deserve it. they have been supporting us when we have been down and when things have gone bad. This win is for them and I hope they enjoy it.’
Wright, who scored 185 goals for Arsenal, was pleased for Partey, but feels he should be contributing more in terms of goals.
The Gunners had scored just seven goals in eight Premier League games before Friday night and Wright wants the likes of Partey, Emile Smith Rowe and Bukayo Saka to be scoring more often.
‘He [Partey]’s somebody that he’s been shooting from some crazy places, so he was desperate to get his goal. I’m quite pleased that he finally got it,’ Wright told Premier League Productions.
‘I would like to see him getting more goals because Arsenal are going to need more goals from the midfield.
‘We’re seeing with Emile Smith Rowe, we’re seeing with Saka, there is going to need to be more goals than just the dependency on [Pierre-Emerick] Aubameyang.’
It was a satisfying night for Arsenal, with Aubameyang and Smith Rowe scoring the other goals as they climbed to ninth in the table with the win.
Suspected gunmen have attacked one of the facilities of the Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), in Oyo State.
Newspot gathered that the facility, christened Abolongo correctional facility was attacked by the gunmen Friday evening.
It was gathered that the gunmen set all the prisoners at the facility free during the attack.
Our correspondent gathered on Saturday that the attackers stormed the facility at about 10pm on Friday.
It was gathered that the attackers used grenades to gain access and set prisoners free.
Spokesman for the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) in the state, Olanrewaju Anjorin confirmed the attack to Newspot on Saturday.
Anjorin in a telephone conversation with Newspot Saturday morning, said that the senior officers of the agency were on their way to access the level of damage.
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He said, “Yes. It has been confirmed that the attack actually happened.
“And right now, the comptroller of Nigerian Correctional Service (NCS) and other top officers are assessing the situation.
“But, I can confirm to you that the incident actually happened”.
FBN Holdings Plc has said that it is not aware of billionaire, Femi Otedola’s widely-reported share acquisitions.
Reports emerged on Friday that an entity owned by Otedola is behind a massive mop-up of the shares of FBN Holding, one of Nigeria’s tier one banks. The reports claim Otedola is now the majority shareholder of the bank “with an announcement imminent in the coming days”.
But now, the holding company for First Bank of Nigeria Limited, in a statement signed by its Company Secretary, Seyi Kosoko, and filed with the Nigerian Exchange Limited on Friday, said it had not received any notification of such acquisitions.
It said, “The attention of FBN Holdings Plc has been drawn to media reports today (Friday) that a certain individual has acquired significant shareholding interest in FBN Holdings Plc.
“As a listed company, the shares of FBN Holdings are publicly traded, and sale and acquisition of shares is expected in the normal course of business. We operate in a regulated environment, which requires notification of significant shareholding by shareholders to the company, where shares are held in different vehicles, further to which the company will notify the regulators and the public as appropriate.
“The company is yet to receive any notification from the individual mentioned in the media report, of such acquisitions.”
Otedola is a former chairman of Forte Oil PLC, an importer of fuel products. He is the founder of Zenon Petroleum and Gas Ltd, and the owner of a number of other businesses across shipping, real estate and finance. He has recently invested in power generation.
The Federal Government of Nigeria has accused that leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, IPOB, Nnamdi Kanu of ordering the burning of a house belonging to Imo state governor, Hope Uzodinma and instigating the looting of the Oba of Lagos Palace during the #EndSARS protests.
This was contained in a statement on Friday by the Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami. The government claims that Kanu hijacked the #EndSARS protests and used inciting statements to compel members of his group, IPOB to attack security agents and destroy public property.
The statement, sent to POLITICS NIGERIA, read in part; “The destructive activities of IPOB/ESN pose serious threat to Nigeria’s National Security and its corporate existence, which resulted into re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu and members of his group.”
“The eventual re-arrest of Nnamdi Kanu in June 2021, and some members of his group led to the inauguration of a Presidential Ad-hoc Committee, comprising twenty-four (24) members drawn from:
1. Federal Ministry of Justice (MoJ),
2. Federal Ministry of Information (MoI),
3. Nigeria Police Force (NPF),
4. Department of State Services (DSS),
5. National Intelligence Agency (NIA), and
6. Defence Intelligence Agency (DIA),
“The Committee, inaugurated by the President, and Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces, Federal Republic of Nigeria, Muhammadu Buhari (GCFR), was headed by the Honorable Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.”
“The Committee finds as a fact, that consequent upon the instigating directives of Nnamdi Kanu, members of IPOB/ESN carried out massive attacks on democratic institutions especially INEC Facilities with a view to hampering democratic process in Nigeria. These attacks that were carried out between October 2020 and June 2021 include the following:
“That the Headquarters of the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Umuahia, Abia State was also attacked by IPOB/ESN leading to the death of one (1) officer;”
“That there were several IPOB/ESN attacks and destruction (arson) of public and private properties during the EndSARS and Biafra agitations across the country, especially in the South-East and South-South regions, notably the Palace of the Oba of Lagos where twelve (12) flats were completely looted and vandalized, the country home of the Governor of Imo State, Senator Hope Uzodinma, was burnt, over one hundred and fifty (150) buses burnt at the Lagos Bus Terminal, Sen. Ndoma Egba’s home in Calabar Municipal, Cross River State, was completely looted and vandalized, Lagos State DNA and Forensic Centre, City Hall Race Course, First Bank Branch Lagos, Lagos State Public Works Commission, Nigeria Port Authority (NPA), Marina, Lagos, High Court Igbosere, Lagos, were all burnt, amongst other heinous crimes committed.”
The Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice Abubakar Malami, SAN, has accused Yoruba nation agitator, Sunday Igboho, of transferring millions of naira to a suspected terrorist financier.
Speaking at a press conference on Friday, Malami alleged that Igboho received huge funding from unnamed sources to destabilize the country.
Citing a Federal Government investigative report, the AGF said Igboho, through his registered company, Adesun International Concept Limited, received financial inflows in millions and gave out millions to “Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman”, who according him are indicted for terrorism financing.
“The major financier of the fugitive and separatists was found to be a Federal Law Maker in the National Assembly. A total sum of ONE HUNDRED AND TWENTY-SEVEN MILLION, ONE AND FORTY-FIVE THOUSAND NAIRA ONLY (N127, 145,000.00) wasreceived by Igboho from his financiers between 22nd October, 2013 and 28th September, 2020 through Adesun International Concept Ltd accounts.
“A total sum of TWO HUNDRED AND SEVENTY-THREE MILLION, ONE HUNDRED AND NINETY-EIGHT THOUSAND, TWO HUNDRED NAIRA ONLY (N273,198,200.00) transaction outflows was recorded from Sunday Igboho’s account between 15th March, 2013 and 11 the March, 2021.
“Investigation reveals that Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) transferred the sum of twelve million seven hundred and fifty thousand naira (N12, 750,000) to Abbal Bako & Sons.
“It might be recalled that Abbal Bako & Sons and its promoter Abdullahi Umar Usman are suspects in the on-going Joint Terrorist Financing Investigation. Abdullahi Umar Usman is by way of financial transaction connected to SURAJO ABUBAKAR MUHAMMAD (who was sentenced to life imprisonment in UAE on charges of financing terrorism [Boko Haram]).
‘This report shows the nexus between separatists’ agitation, terrorism financing and disruptions of peace in the country.
“The report found connections of financial transaction between Adesun International Concept Ltd (belonging to Igboho) and some construction companies and businesses among others,” he said.
Igboho is in Benin Republic where he is facing extradition proceedings.
His lawyers had denied any wrong doing prior and after the invasion of Igboho’s residence in June by operatives of the Department of State Services.
Nigerian billionaire businessman and investor, Femi Otedola, on Friday, reportedly took over First Bank of Nigeria Plc.
According to The Street Journal, Otedola took over the bank with the acquisition of about ₦30 billion worth of shares, making him the single largest shareholder of the bank.
Otedola, being the largest shareholder, holds the highest voting shares, giving him power to dictate the direction of the bank through his voting power.
Recall that Femi Otedola had in 2019 divested his 75% direct and indirect share holding in Forte Oil, via a merger of his company Zenon Oil and former African Petroleum.
This act made many wondered why he made such a decision especially because of the lucrative nature of the oil and gas sector.
The billionaire had expressed interest in going into refining and petrochemicals as well as investing in the real estate and financial sector.
It was gathered that Otedola decided to take over First Bank Nigeria because of the internal crisis rocking the bank.
Recall that the leadership crisis rocking the bank led to the Central Bank of Nigeria sacking both the chairman of the bank, Ibukun Awosika and Obafemi Otudeko, the chairman of FBN Holdings.
American actor, Alec Baldwin, has accidentally killed a film crew member and injured another after firing a prop gun on the set of the movie “Rust”.
According to CNN, the Santa Fe County Sheriff’s office has released a statement saying the victim, a director of photography, Halyna Hutchins, 42, was transported to the hospital via helicopter and pronounced dead by medical personnel at University of New Mexico Hospital.
The movie’s director, Joel Souza, 48, was transported to Christus St. Vincent’s Regional Medical Center by ambulance for care. Details on his condition were not released.
“According to investigators it appears that the scene being filmed involved the use of a prop firearm when it was discharged. Detectives are investigating how and what type of projectile was discharged,” the statement read.
The law enforcement agency said the investigation remains open and active and no charges have been filed.
“Rust” is a Western film set in the 1880s that stars Baldwin, Travis Fimmel and Jensen Ackles.
Alec Baldwin is known for movie like “It’s Complicated, Still Alice, The Aviator” and two of the ‘Mission Impossible movies, Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation and Mission: Impossible – Fallout.’
