News & Announcements

Prince Bola Ajibola, a former judge at the International Court of Justice in The Hague, Netherlands, has passed away.

Ajibola, a former Nigerian attorney general, passed away at the age of 89.

The founder of Crescent University in Abeokuta, Ajibola, passed away at midnight on Saturday following a protracted sickness brought on by advancing age.

Segun Ajibola, SAN, the late lawyer’s eldest child, revealed this in a statement on Sunday in Abeokuta.

He wrote, “With very deep heart and gratitude to Almighty Allah.

“Our Dad, Prince Bola Ajibola, departed this world over midnight. May Almighty Allah bless him with Aljanah Firdaus.”

Samuel Wina, a member of the Gombe State House of Assembly who represents the Pero-Chonge Constituency, has asked the governor to make up for the mistakes of the first term after his recent re-election.

Wina, who switched parties from the All Progressives Congress to the Peoples Democratic Party, claimed that his constituents have been without electricity for more than three years. He lost his bid to run for re-election to the house after being defeated by Golkos Gaji of the All Progressives Congress.

He revealed this in a thank-you letter to his constituents that also served as a word of congratulations to the newly elected governor on his victory in the previous election.

He said that the governor’s ascent was divine and said that his people had not seen much progress in infrastructure, particularly in the four years since Governor Muhammed Yahaya’s ascent.

Wina said, “In the same vein, I congratulate His Excellency Alhaji Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya, on your return for a second term run in office. Your success is indeed an act of God; and also an opportunity to right the wrongs of the first tenure. I also advise that you fulfil all the promises made to our people because if the polls will not judge in the future, then God and posterity definitely will.

“Since your emergence in 2019 Pero Chonge has been without electricity, which is a paramount necessity in this 21st century. You promised township road for Gwandum and rehabilitation/upgrade of our District heads palaces across the Constituency.

“I urge you to complete the Filiya-Gwandum-Gundali Road because they kept faith and voted massively for you (whether under any influence or not).
“Furthermore, Pero-Chonge requires at least 2 boarding schools, a well serviced secondary health facility, sources of portable drinking water etc.

“The Galdimaru, Nyualimi and Duduai communities behind the mountain with a population of nearly 10,000 are in dear need of access roads. The good people of Gombe State have hearkened to your pleas, kindly return this gesture.”

The departing member reassured his constituents that he would maintain an open door policy even after leaving office, as he revealed that this had been his method of operation, and he emphasized that he would come back stronger.

“To all our teeming supporters, I assure you that we remain resolute in our commitment to the development of our people, in and out of office. Political office has never been a precondition to my contribution to Pero-Chonge, neither will it be in the nearest future.

“My door will always be open to all and sundry as it has always been. The struggle for the liberation of our people is a continuous one -until we are free from political monopoly, nepotism, self aggrandisement and mandate theft, so be rest assured we shall come back stronger.

“I congratulate my brother Gaji Gaius Golkos, on his emergence as the member-elect of the Pero-Chonge constituency. I urge you to realise that your loyalty is first to the people of Pero-Chonge, before even party. I advise you to speak for the weak and the oppressed, be kind and just to everyone, regardless of all differences,” Wina added.

The family of Kabirat Sobola, a 22-year-old woman who was allegedly murdered by her boyfriend, denies that they did not file charges against their daughter’s alleged killer.

The woman was discovered dead in her room, her body covered with knife wounds to various portions of her body, including her neck.

Following the event, the police detained one Akeem Kabiru, the deceased’s boyfriend, after he was thought to have been involved in the woman’s murder.

However, the family asserted that more suspected accomplices of the daughter’s murderer had not yet been apprehended by authorities.

Kehinde Sobola, a family spokesman, said in Abeokuta that three of the young woman’s killers had been freed by the police.

Sobola, who is the twin brother of the deceased’s father, claimed to have been a member of the squad that found the girl’s body in her room.

He asserted that Akeem Kabiru, his 26-year-old partner, had more accomplices who were involved in the murder case and that he was being held by police and lodged in a jail.

He claimed that the room where the corpse was found contained both the knife and the pillow that were used to kill the woman.

According to Sobola, the police summoned Kabirat’s buddies Fola and Akeem to provide a statement regarding the woman’s death because they were suspected in the killing.

He claimed that Fola, who had previously been arrested, was later released surprised the family.

He also took issue with the fact that the herbalist and the cleric who the key suspect allegedly gave the deceased’s photo to had not been detained.

Sobola claimed that he was there at the police station when the main suspect admitted to sending the deceased’s photo to a herbalist and an Alfa (an Islamic cleric).

“We want the government to intervene and ensure that justice is served and necessary investigations are done. Those responsible for Kabirat’s death be brought to justice.”

Abimbola Oyeyemi, the state’s police public relations officer, calmed the family’s fears when she was contacted.

He said that the homicide division had taken charge of the situation and that the suspect had been remanded in custody.

Yet the PPRO advised the family not to blame innocent people in the murder case.

He said, “We have not released any suspect. The suspect had been in the correctional centre. The matter is a murder case.

“The case is a serious one. We cannot just arrest anyone, because it will take a long time for an innocent person to prove himself.”

Professor Onje Gye-Wado, a former deputy governor of Nasarawa State, has been kidnapped. His captors have demanded a N70 million ransom before releasing him.

A family source who is keeping track of the situation revealed to our Lafia-based correspondent on Saturday that the kidnappers had made their first phone call since snatching the professor on Friday.

According to reports, unidentified gunmen abducted Onje Gye-Wado on Friday morning in the Gwagi village of the Wamba local government area.

The report claims that because to the shortage of cash brought on by the Easter break, the family members are pleading with the kidnappers to accept N2 million rather than the N70 million that was demanded.

“The kidnappers are in touch with the family of Prof and they have demanded the sum of N70 million, but we are appealing that they should collect N2 million because we can not raise anything more than that due to the public holidays declared by the Federal Government for the Easter celebration,” the source said.

The Gwadabawa village in Sokoto state experienced tension as a result of an altercation between the Hausa and Fulani residents of the area.

Many locals on both sides of the conflict died as a result of it, including a security guard.

Aminu Gwadabawa, a local authority, stated in a Saturday interview with the VOA Hausa that “People in the area were living in fear as the violence even claimed the life of a soldier.

“They are afraid of reprisal attacks from the Fulani bandits.”

According to a survivor, “the Fulani attacked my relation with knives. But he has spiritual powers that would not allow sharp objects to pierce his skin.

“So they intensified the attack on him and succeeded in hacking his head off his body.”

Similarly, a Fulani man who survived the violent communal clash, narrated his ordeal.

According to him, “I was shot at twice but I survived. I begged them not to kill me. But they shot at me.”

The VOA Hausa reported that when the police in Sokoto were contacted, they said they were still waiting for details of the attack.

During the fighting, numerous people reportedly died and were injured.

Attacks in the area, purportedly carried out by Fulani bandits, were nothing new as of late.

Communities in Rabah and other areas of the Northwest state reportedly came under attack by bandits.

The member-elect of the Kwara State House of Assembly representing the Owode/Onire Constituency, Rukayat Shittu, has asserted that her identity as a woman and youth are not barriers in politics.

On May 31, 2018, President Muhammadu Buhari signed the Not Too Young to Run Act into law with the aim to reduce the minimum ages for elective offices provided for by law.

The enactment paved the way for Shittu’s historic emergence as the youngest female House of Assembly member-elect in Nigeria.

Speaking on Channels Television’s breakfast show, Sunrise Daily on Friday, the All Progressives Congress (APC) member stated that the stereotype of being a young person and a woman did not stand in the way of her political ambition.

“I don’t see that as a hurdle to me; it is not an obstacle, because I believe no matter what you want to do in life, you just have to face one thing or the other,” she said.

“Regarding my age and gender, the atmosphere in Kwara has already redefined the roles of youths and women in governance, so I didn’t find it so difficult for me to sell myself to people because I am a female or a young person.”

The 26-year-old described her drive and enthusiasm for governance and community development as a strong test to counter stereotypes in the political sphere.

“I have been someone who has been very passionate about governance and politics and this is something I have engaged myself with since my university days,” she said.

“I have been able to prove to people that I have the capacity, I have the capability to do things and I know what the legislative work is all about. I did so well to occupy the legislative arm of the student union government.”

The former Senate President of Congress of NOUN Students (CONS) admonished young people to be optimistic, responsibility-inclined and not to shy away from political positions, adding that competition is a major part of achieving democracy.

“This is not something I woke up from the bed one day [to pursue]. Young people need to be optimistic. We don’t have more youths, we don’t have more women in the decision-making table,” she said.

“If I am privileged to get this kind of position, I want to use it judiciously to inspire young people and women in governance.”

Professor Wole Soyinka has continued to weigh in on the 2023 general elections and the rhetoric of political actors following the electoral exercise.

The Nobel Laureate in his latest communique titled; “Fascism On Course,” stated that a climate of fear is being generated by political actors who have refused to entertain corrective criticism.

According to Soyinka, Nigerian Democracy 2023 has witnessed innovations largely in the retrogressive vein, as violence, ethnic profiling and intimidation continue to be easily overlooked even as they are directed against dissenting voices.

Soyinka’s comments came a few days after he noted that his trust has been broken down completely, even as the minimum restraint that is expected from seasoned politicians have been jettisoned completely.

About a day ago, the Nobel prize winner slammed Labour Party’s Vice Presidential Candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, for utterances made during a recent interview.

In the said interview, Baba-Ahmed, called on President Muhammadu Buhari and the Chief Justice of Nigeria not to swear in Bola Tinubu, whom INEC declared as the president-elect, insisting that declaring Tinubu a winner and issuing him a certificate of return was against the constitution.

Baba-Ahmed who was a guest on Channels TV’s Politics Today, went on to stress that “whoever swears in Mr Tinubu” has “ended Democracy” in Nigeria, a position that did not sit well with Professor Soyinka.

Reacting to the interview that elicited great criticism from political stakeholders as well as a N5 million fine for the TV station, the Nobel Laureate described the remarks as a “kind of do-or-die attitude and provocation” that goes contrary to democratic disposition.

Speaking further on the matter in his latest communique the acclaimed dramatist said Nigerian Democracy 2023 has witnessed innovations largely in the retrogressive vein, even as violence, ethnic profiling and intimidation continue to be easily overlooked when they are directed against dissenting voices.

Soyinka condemned the sanction against Channels TV and praise the professionalism of the anchor who he stressed made several attempts to keep Baba-Ahmed in check while on air.

He went on to challenge the LP’s vice presidential candidate to a debate as regards his claims of Nigeria’s democracy ending if Tinubu is sworn in come May 29th.

2023: Soyinka Challenges Baba-Ahmed To One-On-One Interview

Below is a full statement by Prof Soyinka.

    FASCISM ON COURSE

 It would appear that a record discharge of toxic sludge from our notorious smut factory is currently clogging the streets and sewers of the Republic of Liars. It goes to prove the point that provoked the avalanche EXACTLY! The seeds of incipient fascism in the political arena have evidently matured.

A climate of fear is being generated. The refusal to entertain corrective criticism, even differing perspectives of the same position has become a badge of honour and certificate of commitment. What is at stake, ultimately is – Truth, and at a most elementary level of social regulation: when you are party to a conflict, you do not attempt to intimidate the arbiter, attempt to dictate the outcome, or impugn, without credible cause, his or her neutrality even before hearing has commenced. That is a ground rule of just proceeding. Short of this, Truth remains permanently elusive.

The ensuing cacophony has been truly bewildering. It strikes me as a possible ploy to smother recent provocations by other, far more trenchant issues, such as revelations of declarations of a religious war. If so, let it be known that I have long declared war against religious fundamentalism, the nature of which justifies the butchery, kidnapping and enslavement of students in the name of religion.

That aspirant’s alleged gaffe cuts no ice with me. Far more alarming was the grotesque fantasy of the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court disguised as a wheelchair, zooming off in space to a secret meeting with other parties of the conflict. On its own, that is sufficiently scary. Swiftly followed thereafter by a television tirade of intimidation, it strikes one as more than the mere antics by the mentally deranged. The tactics are familiar: ridicule, incriminate, then intimidate. Objective: undermine the structure of justice .Just as a reminder: this writer was not being rhetorical when he declared, on exiting prison detention: Justice is the first condition of humanity.

The instigating contest – Nigerian Democracy 2023 – has witnessed much that is innovative – largely in the retrogressive vein. Violence and ethnic profiling. “Spiritual” warfare in the shape of sacrificial rams to keep “disloyal” communities under restraint – in short, intimidation yet again! Easily overlooked however are those missives of violence directed against dissenting voices, real or suspect. Such, for instance, were the virulent attacks and threats to the musician Seun Kuti, his family and iconic music Shrine. His crime consisted of nothing more than declaring the name “Obidient” derogatory to his sense of civic dignity and activist history. Such beginnings – and instances are numerous – have culminated in the open intimidation of the Court of Last Resort, even before proceedings have begun. By the way, I do agree with Seun Kuti; ‘Obidients’ is one of the most repulsive, off-putting concoctions I ever encountered in any political arena. Some love it however, and this is what freedom is about. Choice. Taste. Free emotions. By contrast, I have no quarrel with “Yes Daddy”. Roman Catholics are used to saying “Yes, Father”. Secularists say “Enh, Baba”.

The context and content are what matters, and lies – where established – raise bothersome issues such as Integrity Deficiency.

Let us remind ourselves of the following: in any adjudication, society finds it unacceptable that a party to the dispute resort to influencing tactics by extra-judicial means – such as bribery. Intimidation and threats are merely the obverse complements of material inducement. Those who fail to appreciate this are entirely free to their existence in an illusory world.

We shall add the following pointer for this particular electoral tussle – the news may be unpleasant, but here it comes. Quite a few pundits have set out in some impressive – not necessarily persuasive – detail the- possibility that the complainants in this presidential election are not as strongly planted on the victory podium as they presume – see, for instance – Ambassador Haastrup’s fascinating analysis inNewspeak etc. April 6. Right or wrong? That is not the issue.

What the nations needs to know right now is if you are planning to send assassins after such negative analysts.! Coming to terms with an unpalatable projected eventuality – sorry – possible eventuality, counsels deep reflection, not demonization of the bearer of sour news. For the seriously committed, it requires pulling back the horns a little in order to regroup, rethink and resurge. Democracy is sometimes a long haul. Some of us have been at it for quite a while

 I am well aware that the foregoing is further invitation for more nauseous bilge from the besotted. Please, be my guest.

It is, after all, one of those special seasons of convergence of two seasons of self-flagellation. Fasting makes bearers of constricted minds even more light-headed. Delusions fill the vacuum.

 Oh yes, could these rabid parochial minds of easy excitation also kindly stop flattering themselves that one’s energies are consecrated solely to the nation space known as `Nigeria? The whines of “silence” are relative to the reading scope and world knowledge of idle complainants as well as their grasp of the chain of continuity. I choose my methods of intervention without the permission of social media border patrols, so where you find a gap, just pick up the baton where last deposited and stop whining and belly-aching – “he stopped talking all this while, why now?” etc etc ad nauseum. Flat, easy disposable lies that gain traction by repetition. However, even more importantly, they remain irrelevant to the rights and wrongs of ongoing material issue. Sadly, these virtue vigilantes succeed with the ignorant and susceptible – especially among the younger, confused generation. The consequence is that the nation is plagued by fake CVs compiled by all kinds of amateur commentators, still wet behind the ears, who have too few truths to build on before they are corralled into positions of No-Retreat. Nowhere has this been more evident than in the effrontery of attempts to place the present contention on the same podium as the twenty-year old anti-Abacha struggle! This gross abuse of historic licence actually provides smug satisfaction for rookie activists. I advise them to seek out the school of survivors where pertinent lessons still exist for those with sufficient humility to LEARN before MOUTHING! Otherwise their world of false mythologies will collapse under their feet, and leave them dangling in the void.

May I cease this opportunity, by the way, to condemn the sanctions imposed on CHANNELS Television which anchored the performance of the LP candidate. As stated, I watched the programme keenly – saw the valiant efforts of the interviewer to ensure fair hearing. I fail to understand just where the station could be faulted, except from a disposition for injustice. To sustain that penalty is to give joy to others who turn Internet into a soakaway for their rancid emissions, yet feel that others should be silenced. If CHANNELS feels up to it, I offer myself willing to engage Mr. Datti – or any nominee of his – on its platform on this very bone of contention – one-on-one – without the malodorous intervention of media trolls, and with the same interviewer as mediator. That should be taken as a serious offer.

 Project NIGERIA, I must confess, has become near terminally soul-searing. Do I still believe in it? I am no longer certain but – first, we must rid ourselves of the tyranny of the ignorant and the opportunism of time-servers. In any case, there is not much else to engage one on a foundation of ownership stakes. There is of course, always the possibility of a Revolution, with a clarity of purpose and acceptance of all attendant risks, including costly errors. Revolutions are not however based on the impetus of speculative power entitlement. No matter, until that moment, the structures that ensure just and equitable cohabitation must be protected from partisan appropriation – be it from material inducement, fake news, or verbal terrorism – the last being the contribution of one who is positioned to assume co-leadership of the nation, no less. Revolution is not about lining up behind the nearest available symbol. When a symbol does emerge however, we are still obliged to examine every aspect of what is fortuitously on offer, and continue to guard our freedoms every inch of the way.

Before I take myself off for – well, next port of call – the final word goes to a favourite maverick, propagated even as he matched his words by action. I suspect that in this instance we find ourselves on opposite sides of the strategic fence – that is democracy. This now coopted watchword of his formulation remains apt, applicable to all who strive for authentic social transformation: Your mumu don do!

    Ramadan Kareem. Happy Easter!

    Wole SOYINKA

Guinea seized more than 1.5 tonnes of cocaine from a Sierra Leone-flagged ship, the army said Wednesday.

The cocaine was found in the hold of a vessel boarded by the Navy during a routine patrol on Sunday, according to an army statement.

The ship’s crew was made up of four Sierra Leoneans, three Ghanaians and three Guineans, the statement said.

Authorities handed over the cocaine and crew members to prosecutors in Conakry, the capital, where investigations into the incident are ongoing, the statement added.

West and Central Africa have long been key transit hubs in the global cocaine trade, with local drug consumption increasing in recent years, according to a report published last year by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime.

Between 2019 and 2022, at least 57 tons of cocaine were seized in or en route to West Africa, according to the report.

Over that period, 16.6 tonnes were seized in Cape Verde, 4.7 tonnes in Senegal and 3.9 tonnes in Benin, the report said.

A pilot in South Africa made a hasty emergency landing after discovering a highly venomous cobra hiding under his seat.

Rudolf Erasmus had four passengers on board the light aircraft during Monday’s flight when he felt “something cold” slide across his lower back. 

He glanced down to see the head of a fairly large Cape Cobra “receding back under the seat,” he said.

“It was as if my brain didn’t know what was going on,” he told The Associated Press.

After taking a moment to compose himself, he informed his passengers of the slippery stowaway.

“There was a moment of stunned silence,” he said. Everyone stayed cool, especially the pilot.

“Erasmus called air traffic control for permission to make an emergency landing in the town of Welkom in central South Africa. He still had to fly for another 10 to 15 minutes and land the plane with the snake curled up by his feet.

“I kept looking down to see where it was. It was happy under the seat,” Erasmus said. “I don’t have a big fear of snakes but I normally don’t go near them.”

Brian Emmenis, who works at Welkom radio station Gold FM and is also an aviation expert, received a phone call to see if he could help. 

He called the fire and rescue department, which sent emergency responders and a snake handler to meet the plane at the airport. Emmenis was first at the scene and saw everyone disembark, “visibly shaken,” Emmenis said, but all safe thanks to Erasmus.

“He stayed calm and landed that aircraft with a deadly venomous Cape Cobra curled up underneath his seat,” Emmenis said.

Cape Cobras are one of Africa’s most dangerous cobra species because of the potency of their venom.

The drama wasn’t over for the poor pilot.

Welkom snake handler Johan de Klerk and a team of aviation engineers searched the plane for the best part of two days but still hadn’t found the cobra by Wednesday and were uncertain if it had sneaked out unnoticed.

The engineering company Erasmus works for wanted its plane back in the city of Mbombela in northern South Africa. So, he had to fly it back home, a 90-minute voyage with the possibility that the cobra was still onboard.

Unsurprisingly, his passengers decided to look for another way to get home.

This time Erasmus took some precautions: He wore a thick winter jacket, he said, wrapped a blanket round his seat, and had a fire extinguisher, a can of insect repellent and a golf club within arm’s reach in the cockpit.

“I would say I was on high alert,” Erasmus said.
The cobra didn’t reappear on that flight and the plane has now been completely stripped, but still no sign of the snake, Erasmus said.

The theory is it found its way on board before Erasmus and his passengers took off at the start of their trip from the town of Worcester in the Western Cape province, where Cape Cobras are usually found in South Africa. It might have got out in Welkom or might still be hiding somewhere deep in the plane.

“I hope it finds somewhere to go,” Erasmus said. “Just not my aircraft.”

Officers of the Nigerian Police Force have uncovered a den of kidnappers in the Ikorodu area of Lagos.

The gallant officers stormed the den on Thursday night and exchanged fire with the kidnappers.

One of the kidnappers was gunned down. Two victims were rescued in the process.

Confirming the incident, spokesman for the Command, SP Benjamin Hudenyin said arms and ammunition were recovered at the scene.

He added that the victims were receiving treatment at an undisclosed hospital.

“Yes, the incident is true; the Police are on top of the situation, and the tension has been calmed. Two kidnapped victims were rescued at the scene,” he stated.