Nation
Wakili: We Won’t Stop Arresting Criminals, OPC Insists …As Police Release Detainees
Members of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress (OPC) say they will not stop arresting criminals threatening peace in any part of Yorubaland.
The National Coordinator of the Oodua Peoples’ Congress, Gani Adams, in a press statement, yesterday, described the detention of the OPC members as “unjust”.
Three members of OPC who are members of the team that arrested a Fulani warlord, Iskilu Wakili, were arrested by police for alleged murder and arson.
They were arrested shortly after OPC handed over Iskilu Wakili to the police, and later released, yesterday.
The three detained OPC members are Dauda Kazeem, Awodele Adedigba and Ramon Hassan.
Adams, who doubles as the Aareonakakanfo of Yorubaland, in the statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, decried the detention of the men.
He noted OPC will continue to ensure the arrest of criminals in collaboration with security agencies.
Adams said, “It is most important news is that the police had released our men in their custody, and it is great. I want to appreciate everybody that have raised their voices against the unjust detention, including well-meaning Nigerians, public opinion experts, socio-cultural groups, such as Afenifere, Yoruba Summit Group and the media for their support while the situation lasts.
“I want to assure Nigerians that the OPC will continue to support and complement the efforts of all security agencies, including the police in ensuring that the South-West is safe.”
OPC Coordinator in Oyo State, Rotimi Olumo, disclosed this in a telephone interview, yesterday.
Olumo said, “The three men were released on bail today from the State Criminal Investigation Department in Iyaganku, Ibadan.
“The police released them on health condition; the three men are seriously ill and need urgent medical attention.
“The police said the three of them should report regularly at the state CID for the ongoing investigation.”
Olumo had also said the men were not moved from the state to Abuja as reported in some sections of the media.
The OPC, last Sunday, arrested Wakili accused of terrorising villages in the Ibarapa area of the state.
The OPC later handed over Wakili to the Oyo State Police Command but the police subsequently detained three OPC operatives for allegedly burning down Wakili’s house and killing an unknown woman in the process.
However, the OPC said the murder and arson allegations were false, adding that it immediately handed over Wakili and three of his accomplices to the police in Igboora after their arrest.
Before Wakili’s arrest, farmers and residents of Ayete, Kajola and neighbouring villages in Ibarapaland lived in perpetual fear of Wakili who was accused of displacing them from their farms, kidnapping their rich men and raping their women.
Nation
Lawmaker Charges Politicians On Electoral Promises
A Lawmaker representing Lagos Mainland, Federal House of Representatives, Mr Olanrewaju Oshun, on Saturday charged politicians to fulfil their electoral promises to the masses, to continually gain their trust.
Oshun said this in an interview with The Tide’s source after casting his vote at PU 03, Ward 008, Lagos Mainland Local Government Area, for the Governorship and State House of Assembly Elections in Lagos.
According to him, Nigeria’s politics has changed to an era where electorate expect that only politicians who deliver on their mandate should be voted for.
“At this era, politicians must understand the fact that they need to fulfil their electoral promises and be close to the people.
“The masses are more conscious that it is only politicians who perform well that should earn their vote”, he said.
Oshun expressed optimism that the will of the people would prevail in the elections, having voted for their choices.
On his assessment of the election, he lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for improving on the conduct of the election, compared to the performance of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.
According to him, the INEC officials arrived early at most polling units across the state, the Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioned effectively, while the overall process of the election was seamless.
“There is a great improvement in the conduct of the election, compared to the hitches we had at the last election.
“People have voted and made their opinion known, so it should be counted and let the best candidate win”. he said.
The lawmaker noted that the turnout for the election was impressive.
Oshun said, “one cannot say there is voter apathy as such, as reported in some quarters because people cast their votes in few minutes and left almost immediately.
The source reports that Oshun was re-elected during the Feb. 25 National Assembly Election to represent his constituency.
Nation
ICPC Arrests Four Vote-Buyers In Sokoto, Katsina
The Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) arrested four vote-buyers in Sokoto and Katsina states during the just-concluded Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections last Saturday.
In its election monitoring operations across the states of the federation, officers of the anti-corruption agency encountered some vote-buyers at Kauran Miyo Primary School in Bodingo Town of Bodinga Local Government Area of Sokoto State.
The Spokesperson, ICPC, Azuka Ogugua, revealed this on Saturday night in a statement obtained by The Tide source.
She noted that the Sokoto State monitoring team of the commission arrested three male vote-buyers; Mahe Bello, Musa Adamu and Mustapha Mohammed, all of Kauran Miyo Bodinga.
Ogugua said, “Mahe Bello was caught in possession of a cash sum of N38,000, two PVCs, one ATM card and an Infinix phone, while Musa Adamu had CFA228,000 in his possession which was being offered to voters. The third suspect, Mustapha Mohammed, was arrested with some PVCs in his possession”.
According to her, the ICPC monitoring team, however, came under attack while carrying out the arrest of the three vote-buyers.
This was as she noted that an officer of the commission, Rabiu Ibrahim, suffered a head injury from being hit by stones, and has been admitted into a hospital and he is in a stable condition.
She added that the three alleged vote-buyers were kept in the custody of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps before being conveyed to ICPC’s detention facility in Sokoto.
In a related development, the ICPC election monitoring team in Katsina State arrested one Tanimu Tabale for vote-buying at Tashar Yamma Polling Unit in Zango Local Government Area of the State.
Tabale, a 35-year-old man, claimed he was an observer in Makama Polling Unit but was arrested at Tashar Yamma Polling Unit with the sum of N20,000 in different denominations attempting to buy the votes and was apprehended.
Nation
Elections: LG Chairman Lauds Officials … Says No Security Breach In Keffi
Chairman of Keffi Local Government Area (LGA), Nasarawa State, Alhaji Muhammad Baba-Shehu, has lauded concerned officials for ensuring the absence of security breach during Saturday’s elections in the area.
Baba-Shehu gave the commendation while speaking with Newsmen shortly after the State’s Governorship and House of Assembly elections in Keffi.
Baba-shehu noted that the success recorded was as a result of the zeal and commitment of security agencies in the area.
According to him, officers of the concerned security agencies worked hard to ensure no one carried out any act that would destabilise the peace being enjoyed in the area.
“So far, as the Chief Security Officer of the area, I have not received any report of any breach in security and that is because our security personnel are up and doing.
“All the security agencies in Keffi LG did what they know best and what was expected of them. They were in every corner of the community”, he said.
Baba-Shehu who stated that the peaceful conduct of the elections in the area was commendable, and lauded the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for ensuring the process met Nigerians’ expectations.
“I also have to commend INEC officials because the electoral materials reached polling units in good time and the election process also started early. So, there was no complaint of delay of accreditation or voting in Keffi”, he said.
-
Nation4 days ago
FCTA Transform Fisheries Sector To Cash Cow
-
News4 days ago
Labour Leader Hails Wike Over Workers’ Promotion, Employment
-
Environment18 hours ago
Reactions Trail Another Flood Predictions …As FG Says 178 LGAs May Be Flooded This Year
-
Niger Delta17 hours ago
Benin Traders Make Brisk Business At Polling Areas
-
Featured16 hours ago
Rivers Guber: INEC Declares Results In 17 LGAs
-
Niger Delta4 days ago
INEC Distributes Election Materials In Delta
-
Politics4 days ago
Why I Ordered Arrest Of Federal Lawmaker – Bauchi CP
-
Education18 hours ago
Why Children Should Not Skip Classes – Educationist