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Lawyer Lauds Police Over Arrest of Oyo Lawmaker’s Suspected Killer

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CP Abiodun Odude

Calls for Probe Into Other Political Murders

An Ibadan-based lawyer, Barrister Olumuyiwa Afolabi, has commended the Oyo State Police Command for the arrest of a suspect linked to the 2016 assassination of 41-year-old lawmaker, Hon. Gideon Aremu, describing it as a significant breakthrough, urging security agencies to intensify efforts to unearth those behind other unresolved political killings in the state.

Hon. Aremu, who represented Oorelope State Constituency in the Oyo State House of Assembly under the Labour Party (LP), was gunned down by a three-man gang on 1 July 2016 in front of his residence at Alaakia area of Ibadan.

Late lawmaker, Hon. Gideon Aremu

A vocal opposition figure, he served as Chairman of the House Committee on Information, Public Relations and Security before his untimely death.

Following the murder, the Oyo Police Command, through its Public Relations Officer, Mr Adekunle Ajisebutu, had vowed to bring the killers to justice. Over a year later, the State Commissioner of Police, Mr Abiodun Odude, announced that a breakthrough had been recorded.

CP Odude revealed that the arrested suspect had fled to his hometown in Ekiti State after the incident and had been on the police wanted list ever since. His arrest came after he re-entered Ibadan quietly and led a gang to snatch a motorcycle in the Egbeda area of the city. It was during investigations into the robbery that detectives linked him to Aremu’s killing.

Reacting to the arrest, Barrister Afolabi, who spoke from an undisclosed location, praised the diligence of the police and described the development as “a step in the right direction.” However, he called for a broader and more thorough investigation into the killing, which he insisted bore clear political undertones.

“The arrest is commendable, but we must go deeper. Hon. Gideon Aremu’s killing was politically motivated. It’s time the police cast their net wider to ensure that not just the trigger men, but also the masterminds, are brought to justice,” Afolabi said.

The legal practitioner also highlighted a troubling pattern, noting that another opposition leader and grassroots politician, Hon. Busari Adelabu, was assassinated in Ibadan two years before Aremu’s murder. He revealed that his pursuit of justice for the late Busari had exposed him and his family to grave danger.

“In the course of investigating Hon. Busari’s murder — who was my client — my law office was attacked. My security guard, Mr Sunday John, and my secretary, Miss Sandra Kingsley, were killed. My home was also targeted, but by sheer providence, my family and I were not present. The assailants slaughtered my security dogs instead,” he recounted with emotion.

Afolabi stressed that justice must not remain elusive, referencing the high-profile assassination of former Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister for Justice, Chief Bola Ige, in Ibadan in 2001, which remains unresolved to date.

“We can’t continue like this. When those behind political killings are allowed to walk free, it emboldens others and threatens our democracy. The police have shown that with commitment, results can come. They must now pursue every lead and expose the forces behind these killings,” he urged.

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Crime & Court

Police Arrest Self-Styled PFIPC DG Hours After Court Orders His Arrest

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The police have arrested the self-styled Director-General of the Presidential Foreign Intervention Promotion Council (PFIPC), Adeniyi Adeyemi, hours after a Federal High Court in Abuja ordered his arrest for failing to appear for his arraignment.

Justice Mohammed Umar issued the warrant on Tuesday after granting an oral application by the prosecution counsel, Mr Wisdom Madaki, who informed the court that the defendant had failed to honour the court’s summons.

Adeyemi is facing an eight-count charge bordering on alleged forgery, fraud and impersonation.

According to the charge, the defendant allegedly held himself out as the Director-General of the PFIPC and is accused of offences involving forgery and fraudulent misrepresentation.

Following the prosecution’s application, Justice Umar ordered the defendant’s arrest to compel his appearance before the court to answer to the charges.

The police subsequently arrested Adeyemi, paving the way for his arraignment before the court.

Further details on the circumstances surrounding his arrest were not immediately available as of the time of filing this report.

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Crime & Court

NDLEA busts Oyo meth lab, arrests Mexican, four Nigerians

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The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency has uncovered and dismantled a large methamphetamine production facility concealed inside a forest in Oyo State, arresting a suspected Mexican drug expert and four Nigerians in what officials described as a major breakthrough against an international drug trafficking syndicate.

The industrial-scale laboratory was discovered at Tapa Village in Ibarapa North Local Government Area during an operation conducted by NDLEA operatives on June 17.

Among those arrested was a 56-year-old Mexican national, Jose Villa Ochoa, who was allegedly recruited to provide technical expertise for the large-scale production of methamphetamine.
Four Nigerians identified as Maxwell Uche Nevoh, Olatunji Yusuf, Bankole Akeem Owolabi and Ganiu Monsiu were also apprehended during the raid.

The Chairman of the NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (retd.), said the clandestine facility was equipped with substantial quantities of precursor chemicals and industrial processing equipment used in the manufacture of methamphetamine.

According to the agency, forensic analyses conducted at the site confirmed the presence of methamphetamine, while all recovered substances, chemicals and equipment had been secured as exhibits for further investigation and prosecution.

The discovery came barely four weeks after NDLEA operatives dismantled another large methamphetamine laboratory hidden in a forest in neighbouring Ogun State, heightening concerns over attempts by drug cartels to turn the South-West into a hub for synthetic drug production.

Marwa said the latest operation underscored the agency’s determination to dismantle transnational drug trafficking networks operating within Nigeria.

He warned both local and foreign drug syndicates against viewing the country as a safe destination for illicit drug activities.

“Let the message go out clearly to all drug cartels, domestic and international, that Nigeria is not, and will never be, a safe haven for your illicit trade,” Marwa said.

“We will find you in the cities, we will track you into the forests, and we will dismantle your infrastructure of death.

They thought hiding in dense forests would shield them from the long arm of the law. They were wrong.”

The NDLEA described the operation as another significant blow against organised drug trafficking networks and commended the officers involved in the raid for their professionalism, resilience and courage.

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Crime & Court

Police recover Rivers SUV stolen five years ago in Gombe

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Operatives of the Gombe State Police Command have recovered a Toyota Highlander reported stolen in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, five years ago.

The vehicle was recovered on June 8, 2026, during a routine verification exercise conducted by detectives attached to the State Intelligence Department in collaboration with officials of the Federal Road Safety Corps at the Gombe State Internal Revenue Service vehicle licensing office.

The spokesperson for the command, DSP Buhari Abdullahi, disclosed this in a statement issued on Saturday, saying the vehicle was flagged as suspicious during the process of uploading and verifying vehicle records.

According to him, the joint team identified the Toyota Highlander bearing registration number FH823PHC and subjected it to further scrutiny, which revealed that it had been declared stolen on September 17, 2021.

Preliminary findings showed that the vehicle belonged to one Cecilia A. Duru of Akwaka Lane, Rumuodumaya, Port Harcourt, Rivers State.

Abdullahi said investigators subsequently uncovered a transnational movement of the vehicle, establishing that it was taken to the Niger Republic in 2023 before returning to Nigeria through Illela Local Government Area of Sokoto State on October 17, 2025.

He added that the sport utility vehicle was later sold in Kaduna State and eventually brought to Gombe for re-registration, where it was detected and recovered by security operatives.

“Investigation is ongoing, as efforts are being intensified to identify and apprehend those involved,” the police spokesperson stated.

He urged members of the public to exercise caution when purchasing vehicles, advising intending buyers to verify ownership documents and authenticate vehicle records through the appropriate authorities before concluding any transaction.

The command reaffirmed its commitment to combating vehicle theft and other trans-border crimes, assuring residents that efforts were underway to arrest all those linked to the theft and illegal trafficking of the recovered vehicle.

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