Economy

Ajumose Complex Traders Protest Proposed Construction on Parking Lot

By Web News 330

By Maxwell Oyekunle

Traders at the Ajumose Complex within the popular Dugbe Market in Ibadan have staged a protest against what they described as a breach of agreement and a potential threat to their means of livelihood by the Ibadan Northwest Local Government.

The traders, led by their chairman, who identified himself as Mr Ola Bakare, gathered at the entrance of the market complex on Sunday to express their displeasure over plans by the local government to build new shops on the only parking space available in the complex.

Speaking with reporters, Mr Bakare explained that shop owners acquired their spaces in 2019 on a 15-year lease agreement, each paying 805,000 naira.

According to him, the situation began to change following the assumption of office by the current local government administration, which started adding more shops within the complex — including around the toilet facilities.

He said the latest development that triggered the protest was the arrival of several trucks loaded with building materials such as blocks, gravel, and iron rods at the market entrance on Sunday morning.

The traders said the local government officials who accompanied the vehicles informed them of plans to commence construction on the parking area.

 “The parking space is the only one we have for customers coming to patronise us,” Mr Bakare said. “If the government builds shops there, it will affect our businesses badly.”

Mr Bakare further explained that he only received information about the proposed construction from the Local Government Chairman on Thursday or Friday.

He said a meeting was held where the chairman promised to consider their request not to use the entire parking space for new shops.

According to him, the chairman instructed that officials should only take measurements of the parking area to determine what could be done.

However, when the officials arrived, they allegedly attempted to offload all the building materials instead, contrary to the chairman’s directive.

This led the traders to lock the market gates, preventing the trucks from entering.

The situation reportedly became tense until officers of the Nigerian Police intervened to restore calm.

As at the time of filing this report, the trucks had left the scene, while the traders proceeded to the Ibadan Northwest Local Government Secretariat to further express their grievances.

All efforts by our correspondent to reach the Ibadan Northwest Local Government chairman for comments proved abortive.

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Security

State of Police Barracks in Oyo: A Cause for Concern

By Web News 365

Kayode Oguntona in this piece looks at the ordeals and accommodation problem of the Nigeria Police.

Apart from food and clothing, shelter is another essential human basic need of life.

Perhaps,this is why the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, in a news release made public sometimes ago, hammered on the need to elevate the standard of living of his personnel by exploring avenues for affordable and decent housing.

This laudable decision, therefore, provides good opportunity to take stock of existing barracks accommodation and available utilities in order to have understanding of their housing needs.

For instance, in Oyo State, particularly Dubar and Ogbomoso area commands, findings revealed that some police barracks now serve as offices and operational units while many others are structurally outdated and in need of urgent rehabilitation.

Most police barracks in Ogbomoso and Oyo towns also have damaged roofs and asbestos resulting in shortage of accommodation for the police men.

Some policemen and their wives living in Awe and Dubar division barracks narrated their ordeal to our correspondent,” When rain is falling, everybody will just be worried, thinking of the roof. We are just managing. The roof is not okay at all. There is also no water, we need to go to the station.
Some people came, I think 2012 to inspect this place. Later on we didn’t see them again”.

Located on Oyo-Ogbomoso road, is the Atiba divisional police barracks which could easily be mistaken for blocks of students’ hostel, and also dilapidated, unlike certain others in Ibadan, Oyo state capital.

The Divisional Police Officer, Mr. Kayode Fadogba, expressed optimism that someday the facility would receive government attention, saying for now, his men have adopted the attitude of half bread is better than none.

A police officer, who was recently transferred to one of the divisions in Dubar area command, Mr.Ademola Ibrahim,expressed his passion for barracks accommodation.”what I heard is that it was somebody, a person in the town that built this accommodation for the police because of the new environment division where the division was located. That is why we are living there”.

Mr.Ibrahim said when corporate bodies and public spirited individuals join hands with government to provide solution to housing challenges facing the Nigeria Police, the problem would have been half solved in the spirit of public -private partnership initiative.

Human Angle

5 People Seriously Injured as Minibus, Truck, Collide

By Web News 1216

By Jeffery Ahonmisi

Five people have been seriously injured in an accident involving a minibus and a truck along Dugbe, Oke Ado Road in Ibadan.

The incident which occurred around ten o’clock this morning caused gridlock around the axis.

A witness who did not want his name mentioned said the minibus conveying cosmetic products was coming from the Molete Axis to Dugbe before veering off to the other side of the road and ramming into the truck transporting cement.

Scene from the accident

He alleged that the minivan had been trying to evade being stopped by security personnel before getting to where the incident happened.

In the meantime, personnel of the Nigerian Police arrived promptly at the scene to restore order and supervise the evacuation of the victims to the nearest hospital.

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Sport

One Service, One Medal Games Begins In Abuja

By Web News 1507

Five hundred and ninety two athletes from nine Military and paramilitary agencies will take part in fifteen sports at the 4th edition of the One Service, One Medal Games which begins today in Abuja.

According  to a statement by the Media Office of the Minister of Youth and Sports Development, Fifteen Military and Paramilitary Agencies had indicated interest to participate in the event which was earlier billed for Kaduna last year while nine Agencies eventually registered for fifteen sports.

Events to be competed for include Athletics, Table-Tennis, Tennis, Weightlifting, Squash, Badminton, Boxing, Shooting and Tug of War.

Others are Swimming, Golf, Chess, Beach Volleyball, Scrabble and Taekwondo.

Participating agencies are Correctional Service, Federal Fire Service, Nigerian Customs Service, Immigration, Nigerian Police, EFCC, Federal Road Safety Corps, FRSC, NSCDC, Nigerian Airforce and Nigerian Navy.

Olaolu Fawole

Crime

One Million Boys’ leader killed in Ibadan Gang War

By Web News 3736

A notorious gang leader, Biola Ebila, has been reportedly killed in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

It was gathered that Ebila was killed in a crossfire at Olomi area on Sunday following a clash between two rival groups.

The Police later waded into the area to quell the hostility.

Ebila had been declared wanted in May by the Police for his alleged involvement in the murder of a rival gang leader, Ekugbemi.

Residents of the area had since been under the fear of reprisal attacks by the Ekugbemi boys.

According to reports, the Police Public Relations Officer, Oyo State Command, Olugbenga Fadeyi, said he has not been properly briefed on the incident.

He said, “Our men had been dispatched to the area to investigate the incident. When properly briefed, we shall be able to give a detailed account of what actually happened. For now, I cannot tell you much.”

Curled From Punchng.com

Security

Akinyele Killings: Police Arrests Suspect, Pledges to Fish out Perpetrators, Restore Normalcy

By Web News 1160

The Oyo State Police command says the spate of killings in Akinyele local government area of the state will soon be a thing of the past, as the command is doing everything possible to fish out the perpetrators and restore normalcy to the areas.

The Police Public Relations Officer, Eleyele headquarters, Ibadan, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi, who stated this during an interview with Radio Nigeria, said a suspect had been arrested in connection with the attacks and is assisting the police with information.

Mr Fadeyi noted that the police will not leave any stone unturned in bringing the perpetrators of the dastardly act into the book.

Mr Fadeyi urged residents of the areas to always be vigilant and cooperate with the police in putting an end to the senseless killings in the community.

It would be recalled that five people have been killed by suspected assailants, while a mother and daughter were recently attacked at Alaka area, Moniya Ibadan, leaving them battling with their lives with serious head injuries.

Oluyemi Olugbenga

Crime

Ogun Police Command Apprehends Robbery Suspects

By Web News 888

Ogun state Police Command has arrested four armed robbery syndicate alleged to be terrorizing the people of Mowe/Ofada areas of Obafemi Owode local government.

The suspects according to a statement by the command spokesman, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi include Sukanmi Tajudeen, Habeeb Oladimeji, Sunday Akintunde and Ishola Samson.

He said they were arrested by the men of the Special Anti-robbery Squad at their Adesan area hideout in Mowe.

Mr. Oyeyemi said some members of the gang also escaped through the nearby bush during the operation which lasted for an hour.

Exhibits recovered from the suspects include one locally made pistol, triplet barrel pistol, one locally made single barrel pistol, thirteen live cartridges and one Bajaj motorcycle.

The statement further noted that the Commissioner of Police in Ogun state has ordered serious manhunt for fleeing members of the gang and clamp down on other armed bandits across the state.

Security

Ekiti Youths Protest Poor Response of Police to Abduction of House Leader

By Web News 955

Ekiti State Government has announced abduction of the State Commissioner for Agriculture, Chief Folorunso Olabode, by suspected bandits on his way from Ado-Ekiti to his hometown in Iye-Ekiti, Ilejemeje, local government of Ekiti State last weekend.

The Commissioner for Information and Values Orientation, Mr Muyiwa Olumilua made this known in a statement in Ado Ekiti.

He also confirmed that the kidnappers shot one person among his entourage, the driver of the vehicle, who is a serving Councilor in Ilejemeje in the ensuing fracas. 

Governor Kayode Fayemi has mandated the security Agencies in the State to ensure prompt and safe release of the abducted Commissioner, while assuring residents that adequate measures were ongoing, to maintain peace and security of the state. 

He promised that all perpetrators of the dastard act would be brought to book. 

The Commissioner for Police in Ekiti State, Amba Asuquo, has said that a team of police men has already been deployed, and are on the trail of the abductors, with a view to rescuing the victim.

Meanwhile, some youths in Iye Ekiti have taken to the streets to protest the poor response of police officers in Iye Division Police post, to the distress call put across to them immediately the House leader, state Commissioner for Agric and a woman were attacked.

Report says the youths who came out in large number, alleged the police of being lackadaisical which they said worsened the incident.

Radio Nigeria Progress FM learnt that the angry youths had been dispatched with teargas while attempting to attack a van belonging to the Divisional police station.

Oriola Afolabi

Security

Apata Residents Appeal to Police Commissioner over Checkpoint

By Web News 1563 Post a comment

The office of the Commissioner of Police in Oyo State has been called upon to beam its searchlight on the alleged illegal activities of some policemen who usually operate at night at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC Junction, Apata, Ibadan.

Residents who spoke with Radio Nigeria said the police officers were fond of harassing commercial transport workers and other road users at night.

A source, who craved anonymity, said that late Thursday night, one of the three officers at the checkpoint was using a plank to break the headlamps of passing motorcycles who tried to evade their extortion net.

The source further explained that when a commercial motorcyclist whose headlamp had been broken by one of the officers attempted to ask questions to justify why the headlamp was broken, another officer cocked his gun and threatened to shoot him.

The residents implored the office of the police commissioner to take prompt action to prevent the breakdown of law and order.

Recently, the Assistant Captain of Remo Stars Football Club, Tiamiyu Kazeem, known as “Kaka” was allegedly killed by actions of a SARS official.

Efforts to reach the Oyo State Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO, Mr Olugbenga Fadeyi proved abortive as he did not respond to either calls or text messages sent to his mobile phone.

Adedayo Adelowo

Crime

Police Parades Suspects for Defiling 3 Year Old

By Web News 818

The Osun State Police Command has paraded a 29-year-old Adeleye Olusesan who allegedly defiled a three-year-old daughter of his lover.

The police also paraded 5 other suspects over various offences, ranging from murder to armed robbery.

Addressing newsmen at the Command’s Headquarters in Osogbo, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr Johnson Kokumo stated that the incident occurred on the 18th of February at Ifetedo in Ife South Local Government Area, where the three-year-old girl was entrusted in the care of the man who was a lover to her mother.

According to the police boss, the mother upon return met her daughter lying in the pool of her blood, having been sexually assaulted by her mother’s man friend.

Mr Kokumo said, medical reports at the hospital where the girl was still recuperating revealed extensive damage to her private part.

Another case was that of one Idowu Adejare who murdered his friend, James Yankume in Ikotun village, Awo in Egbedore Local Government, over a misunderstanding.

The Commissioner of Police said Adejare allegedly proceeded to his friend’s house the following morning, chased him and his wife into the bush, matcheted and beheaded him, and hid the remains in the bush where it was later discovered.

Other suspects paraded were Babatunde Odunayo and Akinola Tosin who claimed to be military personnel, but robbed people of their belongings.

Mr Kokumo alleged that the suspects had at many times used the military uniform to rob operators of Point of Sale machine, POS, in Ile Ife.

Reacting, Osun State Chairperson of the Nigeria Association of Women Journalists, NAWOJ, Mrs Motunrayo Ayegbayo told newsmen that the Association was particularly interested in the case of the suspect who defiled the three-year-old girl.

Mrs Ayegbayo pleaded with the police to ensure that the accused was charged to court as soon as possible.

The police boss, who promised to promptly charge all the suspects to court, called on the people to support the police with relevant information in the fight against crime.

Adenitan Akinola

Crime

Man Hacks Woman To Death in Ogun

By Web News 1588

Ogun state police command has arrested a 27 year old Ejike Okata for allegedly matcheting a 50 year old woman, Adeyiba Oladipupo to death.

The police Public Relations Officer of the command, Mr. Abimbola Oyeyemi told journalists in Abeokuta that the suspect was arrested today, March 1st, 2020 while trying to board an Ebonyi state bound bus.

Mr. Oyeyemi who explained that the incident occurred at Ayegbami area of Ijebu Ode said the suspect had ran away immediately after the incident before was caught.

The spokesman of the state command said the suspect who hailed from Onueke in Eza south local government area of Ebonyi claimed that the deceased accused him of stealing a phone which infuriated him.

Mr. Oyeyemi noted that the suspect confessed that he cut off the woman’s two hands because she attempted to struggle the matchet with him.

The police P.R.O said the Commissioner of Police, Mr. Kenneth Ebrimson had ordered the immediate transfer of the suspect to homicide section of the state Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department for further investigation and prosecution.

Olusegun Folarin