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Makinde charges Judicial service commission to fast-track system

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Oyo State Governor, Engineer Seyi Makinde, said on Tuesday that his administration would work with the judiciary to bring about the needed reforms that will make Oyo State greater.

The Governor, who stated this while inaugurating the State’s Judicial Service Commission, maintained that the commission had the mandate to fast-track the judicial system in the State by ensuring the quick dispensation of justice and the independence of the judicial arm of government.

A statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Mr. Taiwo Adisa, indicated that Governor Makinde made the declaration at the Executive Council Chambers of the Governor’s Office, Secretariat, Agodi, Ibadan.

The Governor urged the commission, which had as its members the Chief Judge of Oyo State, Justice Muntar Abimbola (chairman); the Commissioner for Justice and Attorney-General, Professor Oyelowo Oyewo; the President of the Customary Court of Appeal, Eni Esan; Mr. Lateef Adetunji Adedigba; Mr Kehinde Alade; Mr Yusuf Olatunji; Mr Adedigba Wahab and Mrs Medinat Akanbi (secretary), to “get straight to the tasks.”

He said: “I am always delighted to perform ceremonial functions, especially the ones that work to strengthen democracy. For me, the most beautiful part of democracy is checks and balances provided by each arm of the government. So, we are here today to inaugurate and swear in the Oyo State Judicial Service Commission.

This has just been done. This is in line with the provision of Chapter 6, Section 197, subsection 1(c) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, 1999 as amended, which states that “there shall be each state of the federation a state judicial service commission”.

The Governor added: “This commission has an important mandate, which borders on activities to ensure the independence of the judiciary and the quick dispensation of justice.

For the benefit of non-legal minds here, we have heardbefore now about a legal maxim which goes thus: justice delayed isjustice denied, which basically means that if a wrong is not corrected within a reasonable time, it may not have been well corrected at all. The Bible also has a version for this and it records that when asentence for a crime is not quickly carried out, people’s hearts are
filled with schemes to do wrong.

“These two sayings emphasise the importance of not just dispensingjustice but doing so in a timely manner. A situation where cases drag in court because there are not enough judges to hear the cases is an aberration and a gift to the guilty.

“In fact, in 2017, a civic tech organisation took Oyo State government to court because according to them, about 80 per cent of the inmates in what should now be called Agodi Correctional Centre are awaiting trial. Aside from persons who are in prison, there are also several cases in the judicial system that are being delayed. If these cases are  heard within a reasonable timeframe and pronouncements are made of them, then people will not abuse court processes. “Well, I am not trying to indict the judiciary because an indictment on the judiciary is an indictment on all of us because the various arms of government are a reflection of who we are as a people. So, this is one reason why this inauguration is important.”

Governor Makinde added that the commission is to appoint judges and to see to the promotion and disciplinary control of judicial and non-judicial staff members, among other tasks.

He said: “The members of the commission are to appoint judges. They are also expected to see to the promotion and disciplinary control of judicial and non-judicial staff members. It is my belief that with this inauguration, members of the commission will get straight to this
task so that we can get our judicial system working faster.

“I am also hoping that working with the Legislature. We can domesticate the Nigerian Correctional Service act 2019 and begin to implement the provision of that act, especially regarding the number of inmate in correctional facilities and the condition under which they are kept. If we say that Oyo State is a Pacesetter State, we should set the pace in having a reformed judiciary.

“I look forward to working with you in bringing about the judicialreforms that will make Oyo State greater.”

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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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