Military arrests ISWAP terrorist in Sango Ota on his way to Lagos

The Defence Headquarters says the troops of Operation Awatse have arrested a suspected member of Islamic States West Africa Province (ISWAP) in the Sango Ota area of Ogun State. Acting Director, Defence Media Operation, Brigadier General Bernard Onyeuko, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on operations of the armed forces between June 18 and June 30 on Thursday in Abuja. Onyeuko said the arrest of the suspect, Ibrahim Musa, was made during standing patrols and raid operations at strategic areas in the area. According to him, intelligence report revealed that Ibrahim was on a mission to Lagos to acquire certain items for ISWAP’s operations in Maiduguri, Borno State. Onyeuko also disclosed that the troops, acting on intelligence, arrested one Oyeshola Saheed, for illegal oil bunkering activity at Alimosho NNPC pipeline. “However, he named one Mr Akanbi as the sponsor and financier of bunkering activities in the area. “Both vehicles and equipment used for their operations were recovered and handed over to appropriate agency for necessary action.’’ He said. The Defence spokesperson said that the Chief of Defence Staff, General Lucky Irabor, had engaged with retired military generals in the South-West as part of his non-kinetic engagements. He said the interaction was part of efforts aimed at tracing causes of security challenges in the country and to tap from the wealth of experience and knowledge of the retired officers and other stakeholders.

OPIC: Between Abiodun’s men and Amosun’s loyalists

Sentry

The rivalry between supporters of Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun and loyalists of his predecessor and senator representing Ogun Central at the National Assembly, Ibikunle Amosun, is not abating.

If anything, the gulf between the two prominent blocs within the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the Gateway State is deepening. Recently, the intra-party grudges heightened after Amosun’s loyalists went to town with allegations that Abiodun may have quietly embarked on a move to probe the former governor’s administration.

Sentry gathered that the crux of the disagreement is than action taken by Ogun State House of Assembly. During the week, the assembly through its Committee on Public Account and Anti-Corruption called on the immediate past Managing Director, Ogun State Property and Investment Corporations (OPIC), Jide Odusolu, to explain the finances of the corporation under his watch – especially in relation to the running of its investments.

Hardly had the assembly issued the directive before tongues started wagging that Amosun was the target of the alleged probe. For their part, Abiodun’s supporters wondered why the senator and his men were disturbed if they had no skeleton in their cupboard.

“Abiodun hasn’t got time to chase shadows. They are just afraid of their handiwork. Otherwise, must they interpret everything as being targeted at them,” a party leader asked on Wednesday.

Reminding Sentry that Committee Chairman, Musefiu Lamidi, also directed the management of OPIC to furnish it with more documents on how the corporation was ran under Odusolu, a known ally of Amosun, a former commissioner in the state challenged the governor to come out openly with his intentions.

“If he wants to probe his predecessor, he should say it and stop using ideas,” he told Sentry. As we speak, the rumbling continues

End SARS: Ogun panel receives 20 petitions, announces days of sittings

Less than two weeks after its inauguration by Governor Dapo Abiodun, the Ogun Judicial Panel of Investigation has received no fewer than 20 petitions.

Ottagistreel reports that the panel was set up by Gov Abiodun to investigate complaints and petitions of victims of police brutality and abuse of human rights by security operatives in Ogun State.

This was part of the demands of the End SARS protesters as they sought justice for individuals who were victims of police brutality and extrajudicial killings.

Speaking after a meeting with members of the panel on Friday, the Chairman, Hon. Justice Solomon Olugbemi (Rtd), said “we have received 20 petitions already and sitting starts immediately.”

According to him, the sittings of the panel would be transparent and open, saying media stations are invited to cover same.

Olugbemi disclosed that the maiden sitting of the panel would hold on November 5

He added that the panel would be sitting on Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, by 10am at the Magistrate Court 1, Isabo, Abeokuta.

A statement by the media officer of the panel, Femi Osipitan, called on members of the public, who may have complaints to send in their petitions to the Secretary of the Panel or send an email to endsarsjudicialpanel@ogunstate.gov.ng.

“Justice will surely be delivered,” the statement read.

Ogun: Truck crushes woman in front of father’s hotel

The Ogun State Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Corps (TRACE) has said that a truck crushed a middle-aged woman at Onihale area, near Owode-Ijako, in the state on Thursday.

Mrs Temitope Oseni, the Owode-Ijako Unit Commander of TRACE, who spoke on behalf of the Corps Commander, Mr Seni Ogunyemi, told NAN in Ota, that the incident occurred at about 8:23 am.

Oseni said that a FAW truck, marked BHN 1353, was inbound Onihale area when it suddenly lost control due to brake failure and rammed into a motorcyclist and a woman who was about to alight in front of her father’s hotel.

According to her, two boxer motorcycles and four persons were involved in the accident, with a male sustaining injury.

She said that the corpse of the deceased had been released to the family for burial, while the injured was taken to Famous Hospital at Iyana-Ilogbo, Ogun, for treatment.

The TRACE unit commander also commiserated with the family of the victim and prayed to God to grant them the fortitude to bear the loss.

She said, “the truck and the two motorcycles had been removed from the road to ease free flow of traffic in the area

We’ve not received constituency allowance – Ogun lawmakers cry out

Members of the Ogun State House of Assembly have said they are yet to receive their constituency allowance since they were inaugurated in June 2019.

This, they said, was contrary to insinuations by members of the public that the lawmakers have not been embarking on any projects despite receiving constituency allowance.

The Speaker of the Ogun Assembly, Olakunle Oluomo, on Wednesday, said the members were yet to be paid their constituency project allowance.

Ottagistreel gathered that the lawmaker representing Ado-Odo/Ota II constituency, Musefiu Lamidi, had, during plenary, expressed concern over what he called the “misinformation in some quarters that members of the assembly had received their constituency project allowance and had failed to do the needful in their constituencies.”

Lamidi stated that he was accused by his constituents of collecting constituency projects allowance from the government and had refused to use the money accordingly.

Reacting, Oluomo informed that most of the projects embarked upon by the lawmakers in their various constituencies were being financed from their personal resources.

“We have spent one year and a few months; no one has collected constituency project allowance because of the economic situation in the country; anything we do is from our sweat.

“The assembly will not hesitate to do the needful immediately we receive any money from the government

Ogun community tackles Dangote over health hazard

Some youths in the Yewa-South Local Government Area of Ogun State, under the aegis of Ilaro Youth Development Forum, have warned Dangote Cement over the health hazards it has exposed the residents to.

The group, which accused Dangote factory of failing to sign a Memorandum of Understanding with the community on Corporate Social Responsibility, gave a seven-day ultimatum for a redress, failure of which they threatened a mass action.

Speaking on behalf of the group, the Youth Coordinator, Bolu Salako, alleged that recklessness of the truck drivers had resulted in “casualties of over 2,000 indigenes of Yewaland.”

Salako said, “Dangote’s Ibese factory should allocate 20 per cent of its employment to the youths of Ilaro.

“Dangote should construct primary health centres, truck parks to ease the illegal parking of trucks on the roadsides, advancement or growth programmes for artisans, market women and small scale business owners, construct three block of classrooms across the six public secondary schools, offer scholarship and bursary to Ilaro indigenes in tertiary institutions.”

They also appealed to the government to bring an end to Customs killings in the area, calling for the total removal of all Customs roadblocks.

The Group Manager, Corporate Commission, Dangote, Anthony Chiejina, could not be reached as of the time of filing this report

We intentionally gave COVID-19 palliatives to ‘hungry youths’ – Gov Abiodun denies hoarding food items

Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State has said his government on Monday deliberately gave out COVID-19 relief packages to some Sagamu youths, who he said they were angry as a result of hunger.

Gov Abiodun’s comment was a reaction to videos circulating on the social media wherein it was seen that some suspected COVID-19 palliatives warehouses were looted in Sagamu, Ifo and Ijebu-Ode.

The Governor, while addressing a press conference at Okemosan, Abeokuta this evening, said “none of our COVID-19 warehouses were looted.”

Abiodun said he was not aware of any looting incident in Sagamu.

According to him, “We intentionally decided that as part of our continuous engagement with our youths across the state, in Sagamu local government, we made available some palliatives for the youth, knowing fully well that a lot has been happening across the rest of the country. We appreciate the fact that these are very difficult and trying times.

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“There’s a lot of anger derived from hunger and the pandemic has not helped them. It is time we all appreciate that things are a bit tough,” Abiodun stated.

The Ogun Governor denied stockpiling the COVID-19 palliatives, saying the story was a narrative by a few to malign and paint Governors of different states bad.