Tag: Oyo State

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Across Nigeria, governors urge support for armed forces on remembrance day

As Nigeria marked the 2026 Armed Forces Remembrance Day, governors across the country paid tribute to fallen heroes, commended serving and retired personnel, and called for strengthened support for the nation’s military.

In Zamfara State, Governor Dauda Lawal, represented by Secretary to the State Government Malam Abubakar Nakwada, assured security agencies of the state government’s unwavering cooperation in discharging their duties. Speaking at the ceremony held at the Domestic Trade Fair Centre in Gusau, Lawal pledged to improve logistics, welfare, and intelligence-driven strategies aimed at safeguarding lives and property.

Highlighting the sacrifices of security personnel in restoring peace to communities, he said, “Many brave sons and daughters have paid the ultimate price in the course of ensuring stability. Today, we salute their courage and reaffirm our collective resolve to build a safer and more prosperous Zamfara State.”

He further commended the fallen heroes of the Nigerian Army, Navy, Air Force, Police, and other security agencies, pledging continued government support for initiatives aimed at improving the welfare of their families.

In Bayelsa State, Governor Douye Diri urged corporate organisations and private individuals to support Nigeria’s armed forces through contributions and partnerships, citing the need to enhance conditions of service. The governor made the call during the remembrance ceremony at Peace Park, Yenagoa.

Paying tribute to serving, retired, and fallen soldiers, Diri stressed that “the Armed Forces are the bedrock of national security. Without them, the very fabric of our country would be torn apart.” He also highlighted his administration’s recent completion and handover of residential accommodation to the Nigerian Army 16 Brigade at Elebele and invited the Armed Forces to collaborate with the state on agricultural initiatives to boost food security and sustainable livelihoods.

The ceremony featured wreath-laying at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier by Governor Diri, the Speaker of the State Assembly, service commanders, representatives of widows, and traditional leaders.

In Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening the state’s security architecture during the ceremony at Lekan Salami Stadium, Adamasingba, Ibadan. He emphasized the importance of security for economic growth and social stability, assuring that his government would continue to work closely with security agencies to protect lives and property.

Makinde also announced plans to implement a welfare scheme for the families of five forest guards recently killed at the Old Oyo National Park, describing them as heroes who died in service. He commended security personnel for their professionalism and dedication, assuring residents that their welfare and operational needs would remain a priority.

The Commandant-General and Chairman of the Nigerian Legion in Oyo State, Julius Alabi, lauded both federal and state governments for improving welfare for ex-servicemen and urged sustained support for families of fallen heroes to preserve their legacy.

Across all states, the remembrance events underscored the sacrifices of Nigeria’s armed forces and the continued responsibility of government, communities, and private citizens to support their welfare. The ceremonies combined solemn tributes with public reflection on the courage and dedication of men and women who risk their lives to ensure national security. (Vanguard)

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Makinde reshuffles cabinet, appoints new SSG, others

The Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has announced a cabinet reshuffle.

According to a statement by his Special Adviser (Media), Sulaimon Olanrewaju, Governor Makinde has relieved the Secretary to the State Government, Professor Olanike Kudirat Adeyemo, of her appointment with immediate effect.

Professor Musibau Adetunji Babatunde has been appointed as the new Secretary to the State Government.

The statement further said that Temilolu Seun Ashamu has been moved from the Ministry of Environment and Natural Resources to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning.

Also, Governor Makinde has announced his Senior Special Assistant on Public Works, Ademola Aderinto, as a commissioner-designate. He will consequently be presented to the Oyo State House of Assembly for screening.

The statement also announced the appointment of Honourable Abiodun Adedoja as Special Adviser on Energy Security and Kolawole Elijah Akanmu as Senior Special Assistant on Budget and Economic Planning. (Channels)

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“Purveyor of Unprecedented Achievements”, Alaafin hails Makinde on 58th birthday

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Akeem Owoade 1, has congratulated the Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, on the occasion of his 58th birthday, describing him as “a leader who demonstrates the rare combination of thinking and doing.”

Alaafin conveyed the congratulatory message in a Thursday statement signed by his Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye.

Alaafin expressed that Makinde has exhibited the quality of a good leader who has the courage not only to take actions but also to face the consequences of his actions.

Oba Owoade commended Makinde as a leader with a vision, courage and competence, underscoring his believes in probity as a factor for steady growth in Oyo State.

Owoade said, “Governor Makinde is more interested in people who can sustain his institutional reforms and other legacies and not in his own personal preferences.

“If you are brilliant, truthful and hardworking, he will work with you. He runs an inclusive government but you can only get something from him if you key into his vision of RTR, meaning reformation, transformation and repositioning. Makinde is a true believer who fears God and in tune with the spirit of the word of God . He is not arrogant, uncouth, and incoherent.”

Alaafin said that the State will always be grateful to Governor Makinde as the purveyor of unprecedented achievements that have far-reaching effects on the lives of the people.

Oba Owoade therefore prayed God to grant Gov. Makinde long life, good health and divine guidance in the arduous tasks ahead of him. (TVCNews)

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Akpabio mourns police escort killed by tanker

The President of the Senate, Godswill Akpabio, has announced automatic employment for the two sons of his police rider, Deputy Superintendent of Police Hussani Ibrahim, who died in a motor accident on the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway on Sunday.

Akpabio made the announcement on Tuesday on the floor of the Senate while formally informing lawmakers of the officer’s death.

The late DSP Ibrahim, who served as the Senate President’s rider, according to a Premium Times report, was killed on Sunday when a petrol tanker rammed into Akpabio’s convoy.

The incident reportedly occurred in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, after the Senate President was picked up at the airport following his attendance at the chieftaincy conferment for Senator AbdulAzeez Yari and Seyi Tinubu in Oyo.

Speaking on the incident during plenary, Akpabio said, “We went to Oyo State for the installation of our colleague and the vehicles that came to pick me at the Ibadan airport… Unfortunately, my dispatch rider was run over by a tanker driver, and his head was shattered. We just buried him 15 minutes ago in Kogi State. He left two wives and four children.”

The Senate President appealed to heads of ministries, departments and agencies of the Federal Government to grant automatic employment to the children of the late rider.

He added that if no vacancies were available, he would personally ensure their employment.

“By the grace of God, I’m recommending two of his senior children for employment immediately in any parastatals that may wish to, otherwise I’ll employ them personally in any of my private concerns,” Akpabio added.

In a solemn address, Akpabio paid tribute to the deceased officer, describing him as a disciplined and dedicated professional whose life was defined by service.

Addressing the bereaved family, the Senate President said, “Your late father understood the value of work and service. He devoted himself to it. Unfortunately, instead of earning a laurel for the devotion, he earned death.

“But it is death that is not in vain. It is death that testifies to his legacy of service. May the Lord accept his soul.”

Akpabio also extended condolences to the family of the deceased, the Inspector-General of Police, and the Nigeria Police Force, describing Ibrahim as courageous and fearless.

“I commiserate with the family, the Inspector General of Police and the Nigeria Police Force over the loss of this courageous, fearless, and daring officer.

“While I pray to God to accept his soul, may He in His infinite mercy grant the family and the Nigeria Police Force the fortitude to bear the irreparable loss,” he said.

The Senate President explained that the pledge of automatic employment for the late officer’s sons was a personal gesture aimed at honouring his sacrifice and years of dedicated service.

Shortly after the announcement, Kogi West senator, Sunday Karimi, raised a motion for personal explanation to formally present the incident to the Senate through a substantive motion.

While sympathising with the Senate President, Karimi said the late dispatch rider was due for retirement next year.

He added that Mr Hussaini, a native of Kogi State, had served in Akpabio’s convoy since 2023, when he assumed office as Senate President.

Also on Tuesday, the Senate paid tribute to Alhaji Ibrahim Tukur, who died recently.

Tukur was described as a committed and dedicated driver who served for 25 years under the senator representing Kogi East Senatorial District, Jibrin Echocho.

The Senate observed a minute’s silence in honour of both deceased individuals and offered prayers for the repose of their souls. (Punch)

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2023 Election: I regret supporting Tinubu — Makinde

Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde, has said he regrets supporting President Bola Tinubu during the 2023 presidential election, admitting that the decision did not produce the outcome he had hoped for.

Makinde made the disclosure on Tuesday while speaking with journalists at the Government House in Ibadan.

The governor was one of five Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governors — popularly known as the G5 — who openly worked against their party’s presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, in the 2023 polls.

The group, led by then Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike, opposed Atiku’s candidacy over zoning concerns, arguing that the PDP should have presented a southern presidential candidate following the eight-year tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, a northerner.

Makinde said his decision to back Tinubu, who was then the presidential candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), was based on the belief that he would act in the national interest if elected.

“I said it earlier, I’m human. I supported the current president, even though in another party at that time, because I thought we’ll do what is right for the country,” Makinde said.

He added that he believed the president would “reset the country” and bring together competent individuals from across Nigeria to address the nation’s challenges.

“But unfortunately, that is not what we’re seeing. I regret that action. Yes, I do,” the governor stated.

Citing concerns over the survival of democracy and the future of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the governor vowed that President Tinubu won’t have his support in the coming 2027 presidential election.

Makinde also disclosed the reason behind his political disagreement with the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.

According to him, the rift between him and Wike began after the minister told Tinubu during a meeting that he would “hold PDP” for the President ahead of the 2027 election, a statement Makinde said was made without the consent of other party stakeholders.

“I was in a meeting with the President and Wike and a few others, and Wike said to the President that I will hold PDP for you against 2027,” Makinde said. “So, we got up, and I asked Wike, did we agree to this?”

Makinde noted that while Wike is entitled to support Tinubu’s re-election bid, other members of the party also have the right to protect the PDP and oppose any move that could weaken democratic pluralism. (Vanguard)

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Insecurity: Sanwo-Olu, other South-West Govs meet in Ibadan

Governors of the South-West states on Monday held a closed-door meeting in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.

The meeting was attended by Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu of Lagos State, who is also the Chairman of the regional forum.

Others included Lucky Aiyedatiwa (Ondo), Ademola Adeleke (Osun), Dapo Abiodun (Ogun), Biodun Oyebanji (Ekiti), and the host governor, Seyi Makinde (Oyo).

Channels Television reports that the venue of the meeting is the Oyo State Secretariat in Agodi, Ibadan, where Makinde’s office is situated.

Although it is unclear why the emergency meeting was called, it may, however, not be unconnected with the security situation in the country where bandits have abducted some schoolchildren in Kebbi and Niger states, as well as some worshippers in a church in Kwara State.

Sources said the governors would deliberate on the security threats, fast-track infrastructural development, and strengthen regional integration under the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN).

They are also expected to review ongoing collaborative security initiatives, including the operations of the Amotekun Corps, with a view to enhancing its capacity amid emerging challenges. (Channels)

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Driver killed as 40ft container falls on car in Oyo

A yet-to-be-identified driver was killed on Sunday afternoon after a 40-foot container-laden truck fell onto a commercial Nissan Micra car at the Soka area along the Lagos–Ibadan Expressway.

The tragic incident, which occurred around 2 p.m., involved a trailer loaded with bales of clothing and a Micra taxi with registration number BDJ 981 ZY. The impact crushed the car, trapping the driver inside.

When our correspondent arrived at the scene around 4 p.m., officers of the Federal Road Safety Corps, the Nigeria Police, and the Oyo State Traffic Management Authority were on the ground making efforts to remove the wreckage and retrieve the body of the deceased driver.

Our correspondent, who monitored the incident, observed that the car was pinned under the tail section of the truck, with one of the rescuers using a machete to cut through parts of the vehicle to reach the victim’s remains.

An eyewitness, identified as Yusuf, blamed the accident on concrete barricades left on the road by contractors after completing repairs in the area.

He said, “The accident happened around 2 p.m. when it was still raining. The trailer was coming from Lagos inward Ibadan. When it got to this point, the driver tried to dodge those big concrete barriers placed on the road during construction. In the process, he hit the Micra. I think he tried to regain balance, but that was when the truck fell, trapping the driver.

They finished this road a long time ago; those barriers shouldn’t still be there.”

A FRSC officer at the scene, who spoke on condition of anonymity, corroborated the eyewitness account.

“This is how we met the accident. From what we can see, the trailer swerved to avoid the barrier, hit the Micra, dragged it off the road, and eventually fell on it,” the officer said.

Speaking with PUNCH Metro on the incident, the General Manager of OYTMA, Adeoye Adekola, confirmed the driver’s death.

“I just left the scene. We have removed the corpse and deposited it at the Adeoyo Hospital, Ring Road. The container, fully loaded with clothes, is still there, but we have detached the truck from the container and moved it to Sanyo Police Station,” Adekola said.

He identified impatience, speeding, and the lack of reflectors on the road barriers as major causes of the crash.

“There are two major factors, impatience and speeding by the drivers, and the construction barriers without reflectors. Before the truck driver noticed the barrier, it was already too late. He tried to swerve, but there was a Micra parked to pick up a passenger. In an attempt to avoid it, the truck overturned, crushing the Micra. The driver was the only occupant, and he died on the spot.

“The traffic situation has now been cleared, and vehicles are moving smoothly,” Adekola added.

The incident caused heavy traffic congestion along the busy route for several hours before normalcy was restored.

The latest crash has again raised concerns about the frequency of accidents at the Soka junction of the Ibadan Expressway.

In June, five people were killed and several others injured when seven vehicles, including two Nissan Micra taxis, two trucks, a tanker, and two Toyota Camry cars, were involved in a multiple collision at the same spot.

Barely a week later, another accident occurred, claiming the life of a driver whose car rammed into a stationary trailer left behind from the earlier crash. (Punch)

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Protocol arrangement kept me from Olubadan coronation – Atiku

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar on Tuesday attributed his absence at the coronation of the former Oyo State Governor, Oba Rashidi Ladoja, as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, to protocol arrangements.

Atiku gave the explanation when he, alongside prominent African Democratic Congress coalition leaders, paid Ladoja a visit at his private residence in Ibadan.

With Atiku were a former National Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Iyorcha Ayu; ex-Governors Nasir El-Rufai (Kaduna), Liyel Imoke (Cross River), and other prominent ADC members.

The PUNCH reports that Ladoja was crowned last Friday in a grand ceremony attended by President Bola Tinubu and a host of dignitaries.

Atiku clarified that his absence was not deliberate, describing the new Olubadan as a statesman who had played pivotal roles in Nigeria’s political history.

 “We are here to say congratulations to the new Olubadan of Ibadanland, Oba Ladoja. We regretted that we didn’t attend the coronation. It was not intentional. Protocol arrangements did not allow us to come during the coronation, not that we didn’t want to come.”

“We know your roles and relationship with some of us. We are here to congratulate you.

Kindly accept our apologies for not making it to the coronation. We regret not attending the programme,”he added.

In his response, Oba Ladoja declared that he had left partisan politics behind, stressing that his new role demanded impartiality. He recalled his long association with Atiku and others during his political years but emphasised his focus on justice and fairness as monarch.

He said,”I’m not one of you again. I am the Olubadan of Ibadanland. So, I am for everybody now. I am no more one of you. I am not a politician anymore. Welcome to my house.

“Now that I am the Olubadan, I am no more interested in any other thing than the Olubadan. You are welcome to my house.

“We started from the Social Democratic Party, we were in exile together, we were in Peoples Democratic Party together. When I wanted to create identity, I went to Accord Party, which became a household name here. I know you politicians have a way of coming back.

“All the religious leaders, they said that the only thing the leaders can do is to promote justice and fairness. I will serve my people, Ibadan people, the state, Africa and the world at large. I will depend on your support and advice,” the monarch stressed. (Punch)

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Makinde presents staff of office to Ladoja as 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland

Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde has formally presented the staff and certificate of office to Oba Rashidi Ladoja, officially confirming him as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland.

The presentation took place at exactly 3:05 p.m. on Friday during a colourful and historic coronation ceremony held at Mapo Hall, Ibadan.

The coronation, held at Mapo Hall, was attended by notable dignitaries, including President Bola Tinubu, further highlighting the cultural and political importance of the event.

Makinde’s formal presentation of the staff and certificate of office marks the final step in legitimising Ladoja’s ascension to the throne, symbolising both tradition and continuity in Ibadan’s monarchy.

This coronation is especially notable as it brings a former state governor into a revered royal role, merging political experience with traditional leadership at a time when community influence and governance are increasingly intertwined.

Makinde, while speaking, said, “This is a momentous occasion in the presence of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in the presence of people, and in the presence of God.

“In exercise of the power conferred on me as the Governor, I hereby present the staff of office to Oba, His Imperial Majesty, Senator, Governor, Engineer, my Baba, His Imperial Majesty, Rasidi Adewolu Ladoja, Arusa 1st.

“This is in confirmation as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland. I am so present.” (Punch)

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Tinubu hails traditional rulers as ‘sacred custodians’ of history

President Bola Tinubu has described Nigeria’s traditional institutions as sacred custodians of history and vital pillars of national unity.

Speaking on Friday at the coronation of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Rasheed Adewolu Ladoja, Arusa I, as the 44th Olubadan of Ibadanland, the President said the role of monarchs goes beyond cultural symbolism.

He stressed that they embody the resilience of the people and serve as a bridge between heritage and the future.

“Our traditional institutions are the sacred custodians of our varied history and play a crucial role in social cohesion. They embody the resilience of our people and stand as a bridge between our proud heritage and the promise of our shared future,” Tinubu said in a post via his official X handle.

He congratulated Oba Ladoja on his historic ascension to the throne of his forefathers, describing it as a reward for perseverance, resilience, and service to community.

“I congratulate Kabiyesi on this historic ascension to the throne and pray for his reign to be long, prosperous, and impactful,” the President added.

Tinubu also linked the occasion to his administration’s broader vision, assuring Nigerians that despite the difficulties of ongoing reforms, the country is on the path to stability.

“As we honour our traditions, we also reaffirm our commitment to building a stronger economy and a more secure, united, and hopeful Nigeria. The journey of reform has not been without its tests, but together we have turned the corner, and there is indeed light at the end of the tunnel,” he said.

The President prayed that Oba Ladoja’s reign would bring peace, progress, and pride to Ibadanland, Oyo State, and Nigeria as a whole. (Punch)