No fewer than 20 people have been allegedly killed in Igangan, one of the towns in Ibarapa North local government, as unknown gunmen opened fire on Saturday night.
The Palace of the Asigangan as well as a popular petroleum station were not spared as they were razed by the suspected bandits numbering 50, who were said to have invaded the town around 11 pm in more than 20 motorcycles.
This is coming few days after the chairman Oyo State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps, General Kunle Togun (rtd) alleged that foreign Fulanis have encamped the entire Southwest region and may strike if nothing is done urgently.
A former caretaker chairman of the council, Tunji Omolewu, who confirmed the attack to journalists said he had to rush down around 5 am this morning (Sunday).
According to him, ”People had barely retired to bed when they said they sighted motorcycles entering the town. Before our people could know what was going on, they had started killing people. I got the call around 11 pm. We were on our way from Ekiti where we had gone to do the Yoruba nation rally.
“I got to Ibadan around 12 am and when the calls did not stop coming, I decided to come home. I have counted more than 20 dead bodies. The palace of our monarch was torched. Adolak filling station too was burnt. We are assembled here” he said, almost breaking down in tears.
A former caretaker chairman of neighbouring Ibarapa Central, Yemi Akinlabi, who is holidaying in the United States, said his phone was bombarded with calls.
”It is so sad. Only few days ago, our people got intelligence report and forwarded it to the appropriate quarters for actions but here we are today. Are we going to continue to live in fear in our land? I have spoken to General Toogun about last night’s incident and we would want him and his team to do something. Our people must not be allowed to resort to self-help,” he added.
It could be recalled that last Wednesday, during the tour of project to mark his two years in office, Governor Seyi Makinde had disclosed that insecurity in Ibarapaland has been the most challenging and that his government has put in place several measures, including the creation of a Base for Operation Burst in the area and deployment of more Amotekun corps, among others.
He said that these measures have yielded positive results in the last few months.
The leader of the Indigenous People Of Biafra, IPOB, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, has said that God is about to disgrace Prophet TB Joshua over his statement that Nigeria will never break up.
Society gazette had reported that TB Joshua said Nigeria would be covered by a cloud of “crisis, murder, killings, destruction”, but would not break up.
“Nothing will happen to Nigeria. Nigeria will remain one,” Joshua assured the congregation during a service at SCOAN.
Reacting over the statement, Nnamdi Kanu during a live broadcast monitored by 9NEWS NIGERIA said God is about to disgrace TB Joshua because he is spewing out prophecy year after year and non is coming to fulfillment.
He said : “TB Joshua you’ve been releasing these prophesies every blessed year. The more you release the more Yoruba people you have in IDP camps, the more you release the more Fulani takes over your land!.”
“If you’re arguing that Nigeria should be one, then you are questioning the reason the Israelite left Egypt.”
Former Nigerian President, Olusegun Obasanjo, has urged Nigerians to take the current security and economic challenges besetting the country to God.
According to Obasanjo, the situation is now beyond what an ordinary man can solve, adding that everyone is overwhelmed.
Obasanjo, a two term President and also a former military Head of State, noted that leaders at all levels were overwhelmed by the current challenges in the land.
Obasanjo spoke in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Saturday during the 16th edition of Prayer Breakfast held virtually and organised in his honour by the Christians Association of Nigeria, Ogun State chapter.
Obasanjo emphasised the need for prayers to battle difficult situations in the country.
“We seem to have been overwhelmed with the crises in our land, that is why we are here,” Obasanjo said.
“We have some challenges. These are beyond what we can handle we have to cry to God.
“Our land needs to be healed. We have been overwhelmed, those in government, executive, legislators, public servant, civil servant, private sector, we are overwhelmed.
“God cannot be overwhelmed. He is omnipotent, Omnipresent, I believe God will heal our land. That is the reason we are here.”
Temitope Balogun Joshua, frontline Nigerian preacher, televangelist, and founder of The Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) has been reported dead. The clergyman, popularly known as Prophet T.B. Joshua, who was famous for his miracles, philanthropy and prophecies, died in Lagos on Saturday evening, shortly after concluding a programme at his church. He was 57.
Though the cause of death was not known at the time of filing this report, family sources told The Gazette his body had been deposited at the morgue and was awaiting autopsy.
Joshua, born and raised in Arigidi Akoko in Ondo State, Nigeria, was known across the globe as a miracle worker and fiery preacher on television who used his platform to attract many in search of healing from across the globe. Many prominent individuals, including presidents, celebrities and politicians visited his church headquarters in Lagos for prayers and, also, to seek the face of God.
Known for his humanitarian works, he also provided charity and scholarships to many from far and near. Emmanuel TV, an organ of SCOAN, is one of Nigeria’s largest Christian broadcast stations with global reach via digital and terrestrial switches.
Joshua was steeped in controversy as many doubted not only the genuineness of his faith but also the source of his healing powers, which he attributed to Jesus Christ. In 2014, his church was at the centre of a controversy and multi-national investigation following the collapse of a section of his church headquarters in Lagos, which left at least 115 people dead, 84 of them South Africans and many more injured. However, the highly respected man of God denied allegations of negligence. A trial was still underway prior to his death.
Still, many also believed he was a genuine man of God, what with his miracles, prophecies and humanitarian works. Aside from the healing powers of his prayers, they claim to have been healed through ‘anointing water’ that he had prayed over and given to those who are unable to physically attend his church in Lagos. Others claim they were protected from deadly incidents because they had the water with them.
In 2013, four people died in a stampede in a Ghanaian branch of SCOAN when an unadvertised service where the water was being distributed drew huge crowds far beyond the churches capacity, bringing Ghana’s capital city Accra almost to a standstill.
Joshua also stirred another controversy when he claimed his anointing water could cure the deadly disease Ebola. He subsequently sent 4,000 bottles of the water alongside a cash gift of $50,000 to Ebola victims in Sierra Leone.
Joshua was not only controversial as a miracle worker, but also his birth and childhood was tinged with unusual circumstances. He said in his biography that he spent 15 months in his mother’s womb and narrowly escaped death after a quarry explosion near his house sent rocks through its roof, just seven days after his birth. It is also alleged that his birth was prophesied 100 years before it occurred.
Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola has been reported as describing Yoruba nation agitators as ‘foolish’.
This sweeping description will encompass Professor Banji Akintoye, who leads the Yoruba World Congress, Sunday Igboho and other canvassers for an independent Yoruba nation.
Aregbesola said the agitators are foolish because they have not considered the consequences of war, based on his reasoning that the breakup campaign would lead to war.
Aregbesola spoke on Saturday at the Zenabab Hotel, in his hometown of , Ilesha, Osun State during his 64th birthday celebration.
He urged agitators to consider the women, children, old people and those living with disabilities who would be mostly affected by the consequences of war.
He said Nigeria must be more united or else African countries will be enslaved once again.
He noted that Nigeria is the country that will liberate Africa from all oppressions therefore Nigerians must not give nod to secessionists.
“Anything that threatens and creates a problem for Nigeria may cause backwardness for our country for 50 years,” he added.
The United State Government has kicked against President Muhammadu Buhari government’s decision to ban Twitter in the country.
The US condemned the ban and described it as a poor message to citizens and investors.
The US Mission in Nigeria in a statement on Saturday said the Nigerian constitution provides for freedom of information.
Recall that the Nigerian Government, through the Ministry of Information and Culture had on Friday banned the social media platform indefinitely in the country.
This happened a few days after Nigerians on Twitter had pleaded with the operators of the platform to suspend President Muhammadu Buhari over his war threat on people of the SouthEast Region.
Twitter had in response, deleted the controversial tweet. The decision was said to have angered the government which in return banned Twitter.
In a statement, the US Mission said, “Nigeria’s Constitution provides for freedom of Information. The Government’s recent #Twitterban undermines Nigerians’ ability to express this fundamental freedom and sends a poor message to its citizens, investors and businesses.
“Banning social media and curbing every citizen’s ability to seek, receive, and impart information undermines fundamental freedom.
“As President Biden has stated, our need for individual expression, open public conversation, and accountability has never been greater. The path to a more secure Nigeria lies in more, not less communication, alongside concerted efforts toward unity, peace, and prosperity.”
The Director-General, National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), Shuaibu Ibrahim, has expressed dismay over the news making the rounds on social media of his purported call for corps members to be mobilised for war, saying that his comments were misconstrued.
He said this on Saturday during the commemoration of the 48th anniversary of NYSC held at the Magaji Dan Yamusa Permanent Orientation camp, in Keffi Local Government Area of Nasarawa state.
Mr Ibrahim, a brigadier general, explained that he was interviewed on a national television station where he said that corps members are important when it comes to a national emergency.
“It was misconstrued by mischief makers, especially on social media who reported that I was mobilising corps members for war.
“The March for Unity exercise earlier conducted by corps members in orientation camps across the country is a deliberate reminder to Nigerians that their diversity is their strength.
“There is no country which does not have problems but we have to sit, evaluate such problems critically and sort them out amicably,” he said.
He then charged corps members to use social media for promoting peace and unity rather than fake news.
The NYSC DG said that using social media to promote peace and unity has become imperative due to its huge influence on the youths.
“Social media has become a powerful tool for communication and corps members need to be enlightened on the opportunity it offers towards peace and unity.
“This powerful communication tool should not be used to propagate fake news as the NYSC was established to promote unity and integration in the country.
“Corps members should therefore be sure of the sources of information transmitted in the social media,” he said.
The NYSC coordinator in Nasarawa Stephen Dewan appreciated the DG for the visit, noting that it has motivated the corps members.
The NYSC DG presented empowerment ‘starter packs’ to two corps members, Paschal Chiemeka and Kaladede Tommy.
The duo distinguished themselves in the Skills Acquisition and Entrepreneurship Development (SAED) training in cosmetology and fashion designing.
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has called on Nigerians to defend the country’s sovereignty by supporting the federal government’s Twitter suspension, saying it is in national interest.
The National Secretary of the Caretaker/Extraordinary Convention Planning Committee, Sen. John Akpanudoedehe, in a statement issue Saturday, said the ban on Twitter was a challenge to the Nigerian youths to develop another app.
“APC urges Nigerians talented in the development of social media/software applications to seize the opportunity of the suspension of Twitter operations in the country to develop homegrown applications that can rival existing social media platforms and meet the need of Nigerians.
“Russia has VKontakte (VK), China has Weibo, among several homegrown social media platforms. The APC believes that the country has the potentials and talents that can develop alternative and competitive applications to existing platforms in the world. Twitter’s suspension will undoubtedly serve as a positive trigger to unleash the creative potentials of Nigerians in the global digital space,” the party said.
It noted that this was a challenge to the vibrant youths with such talents, adding that they would get support in the exercise from relevant federal government agencies as well as the numerous Information and Communication Technology (ICT) training and research establishments in the country.
It recalled that it had earlier released a statement asking Twitter and other operators of social media pages to use their platforms to check divisive and inciting rhetoric, particularly in Nigeria.
The ruling party said it had earlier tasked social media service providers on their important responsibility to curb fake news, disinformation, hate speech, among others.
It added that evidently, Twitter failed to do this and even allowed its platform to be used by arsonists, insurrectionists and separatists in the country.
We have always nursed the fear that certain key figures within the All Progressives Congress will cause the untold embarrasement for the party with the way the just concluded All Progressives Congress Local Government Council Primaries elections. It is worrisome that these personalities are not taken into consideration the presidential ambition of our revered National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu as their actions is destroying the fabrics of dignity of our great party.
Majority of Executives and Members of All Progressives Congress in Amuwo Odofin voted overwhelmingly for Dipo Olorunrinu in the Primaries elections which held on Saturday, 29th May 2021. This was followed by the publication of his name (Hon Dipo Olorunrinu) in The Nation (Page 6) and Guardian Newspapers likewise online Newspapers on 4th June 2021.
The people’s joy was elated on the news of his candidature. Hon Dipo Olorunrinu has exhibited so much benevolence as a poltical figure in Amuwo Odofin.
As stakeholders, we want to graciously appeal to our National Leader, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene in resolving this issue that is capable of affecting the fortunes of the party in Amuwo Odofin on the following grounds;
1. Hon Dipo Olorunrinu has shown so much committment to the growth of the party since he joined over two years.
2. He is currently spearheading the campaign of Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu Presidential ambition across the Badagry Division with a functional Secretariat at 204 Road, House 5 in Festac Town.
3. Despite that he has been out of office for over two years, all his humanitarian programs such as free school bus, economic support programs for petty traders, youth reformation programs, health support programs, etc for Amuwo Odofin community are still going on.
4. He financially supported the last membership registration of our great party. He also mobilized new members in large numbers for registration.
5. He has acted as a bridge builder between major ethnic groups in Amuwo Odofin.
6. He has remained very peaceful since the primaries despite obvious provocations from one of the Aspirants.
7. He has gotten the commitment of the Igbo communities to not only support but financially support all APC Candidates in the forthcoming 2023 general elections.
8. Those who have lost their shops in the various demolition exercises of major markets (Agboju and 23 Road Market in Festac Town) are strongly hoping that Hon Dipo Olorunrinu will bring succour when he assumes office as the Chairman. They mobilized their respective families to register in the membership registration because of Hon Dipo Olorunrinu.
9. Hon Dipo Olorunrinu have the requisite experience, knowledge, intelligence, expertise, network, etc to revamp Amuwo Odofin from state of dearth infrastructures.
8. The retirees have expressed so much joy when the name of Hon Dipo Olorunrinu was published as the Chairmanship Candidate of All Progressives Congress because Festac Town have lost its glory under the present administration.
9. We are stating emphatically that Hon Dipo Olorunrinu is the most preferred and credible Candidate for All Progressives Congress in the forthcoming Local Government Council elections.
10. Any attempt to substitute Hon Dipo Olorunrinu for Valentine Buraimoh will jeopardize all our efforts in strengthening the party not only in numbers but financially.
11. Hon. Dipo Olorunrinu has been taking good care of party Apex Leaders, Local Government and Wards Executives since Hon Valentine Buraimoh refused to support the party.
Our revered National Leader Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, we are passionately appealing that you should not allow certain high ranking members of our party mislead you into taking a decision that will not only affect the fortunes of our party in Amuwo Odofin but across Lagos as we gear up towards 2023.
We have remained Loyal despite all the sufferings endured under Valentine Buraimoh. Our only hope for taking Amuwo Odofin to a greater height is Hon Dipo Olorunrinu. So he shouldn’t for any reason be substituted.
Issued by;
APC AMUWO ODOFIN STAKEHOLDERS
APC YOUTH VANGUARD FOR PEACE
5th June 2021
Popular Nigerian singer, Olubankole Wellington, better known as Banky W has urged Nigerians to shun voting any politician older than 65 into power during the 2023 general elections since the retirement age in Nigeria is 65.
Banky W made the call while reacting to the suspension of Twitter operation in Nigeria by the Federal Government, which he describes as “clueless”
The 40-year-old singer cum politician in a series of tweets via his Twitter account said the government cannot stop kidnapping and other vices plaguing the country but can come out to ban Twitter.
He tweet, “Nigerian Government banned Twitter, and announced the ban ON Twitter. You can’t make this up. Clueless.
“They can’t stop kidnapping, armed robbery and terrorism, the country is as unsafe as ever and yet they can seize passports and block bank accounts of peaceful protesters.
“They ban cryptocurrency. They ban Twitter. Completely out of touch with the plight of young people.
“The retirement age in Nigeria is 65. Regardless of the party if you’ll be over 65 at the time of elections, we won’t vote for you. It’ll at least eliminate an entire group that has had enough opportunities to fix this mess.
“Can we consider doing #NowToOldToRule? If you’re over 65, you’ve had your chance to help fix this mess. Isn’t it time for that entire generation to rest? The Nigerian Government should not be a retirement home. It’s worth a thought. It’s worth a shot.”
