Oyo State Commissioner of Police, Hamzat Adebola, on Thursday, paraded the former Chairman of the Park Management System, Lamidi Mukaila, commonly known as Auxiliary.

The arrest came following months of pursuit after the Department of State Services detained Auxiliary at his Olodo residence in Ibadan, the state capital, on the penultimate Tuesday.

Mukaila had been on the run since the police declared him wanted for his alleged involvement in a string of armed robbery, kidnapping, and murder cases.

Adebola, addressing the media while parading the suspect at the state police command, emphasised that Mukaila would face charges in court.

He stated, “Discreet intelligence-led search commenced for the sacked PMS chieftain with the help of technology, collaborative efforts with sister services and community policing, many locations were identified, traced and combed for months until his recent arrest in a concerted effort with our sister services.”

The Commissioner outlined the extensive list of exhibits recovered from Mukaila’s possession at his Diamond Hotel residence around Alakia-Isebo Egbeda under Egbeda Local Government Area.

The recovered items include one AK-47 Rifle, four AK-47 magazines, 84 live AK-47 Ammunitions, 19 pump-action rifles, one Barreta pistol, seven cut-to-size guns, one English-made Barrel Gun, 724 live cartridges, 25 cutlasses, Seven Jack knives, 33 mobile phones, one Samsung laptop, charms, one Mazda Bus, one Toyota Sienna, and a cash sum of N3,450,000.00.

Continuing, the Police chief affirmed that Mukaila would be charged to court for the offenses committed.

He expressed gratitude to the public for providing credible information to help curb crime in the state.

Adebola also reiterated the commitment of the command to deal decisively with any criminally motivated individual or group aiming to regress the state into the historical dark ages of the “Wild West.”

In a bid to address mounting challenges including insecurity, rural-urban migration, decaying infrastructure, and widespread unemployment, the Senate has called upon President Bola Tinubu to spearhead advocacy efforts for the full autonomy of local governments across Nigeria.

The upper chamber emphasised the urgency of the matter, highlighting the need for concerted efforts to mitigate the prevailing issues.

It urged the president to initiate a comprehensive national dialogue involving key stakeholders such as governors, state legislators, local government officials, civil society organisations, and community leaders.

The aim is to devise a strategic roadmap towards achieving full autonomy for local governments.

Lawmakers, echoing widespread sentiments, underscored the critical nature of reforming the local government system, which they described as the most abused.

They emphasised the necessity of amending the 1999 constitution to facilitate the desired independence.

Senate Minority Leader, Senator Abba Moro, lamented the prevalence of caretaker committees in over 17 states, which, he argued, has led to administrative gridlock within the local government setup.

Moro stressed the imperative of launching thorough investigations into systemic abuses to ensure accountability.

Adding his voice to the discourse, Senator Ifeanyi Ubah of Anambra South revealed alarming statistics regarding local government elections in his state.

He disclosed that Anambra has not conducted such elections in the past 18 years, citing the non-implementation of the 1999 framework as a major hindrance to local government autonomy.

The Lagos State Police Command has freed renowned street artist, Habeeb Okikiola, popularly known as Portable, following a night spent in police detention.

Portable was apprehended on Tuesday in Lagos’ Abule Egba vicinity for purportedly defaulting on the balance payment for a G-Wagon vehicle he had purchased from an auto dealer.

Reports suggest that although the ‘Zazoo Zeh’ maestro acquired the vehicle valued at ₦27 million, he only disbursed ₦13 million, leaving a ₦14 million outstanding balance.

In footage that went viral, Portable was observed scaling a gate as law enforcement officers approached him with an arrest warrant.

Subsequently, another video emerged depicting him being restrained, handcuffed, and conveyed by approximately four policemen into a waiting vehicle.

During the altercation, a female voice, purportedly that of the car dealer, was heard in the background, issuing profanities and recounting Portable’s alleged threats when confronted about settling the debt.

The Police spokesperson in the state, Benjamin Hundeyin, confirmed that Portable was released on bail on Wednesday after spending Tuesday night in police custody.

He further disclosed that both Portable and the car dealer are expected to reconvene at a later date.

“He (Portable) has been released; he was granted bail on Wednesday to come back with the complainant later,” Hundeyin stated, stressing that “the outcome of that meeting will determine our next line of action.”

This incident marks not the first encounter between the singer and law enforcement.

In April 2023, Portable was detained by the police in Ogun State and arraigned on five charges related to alleged assault and theft at the Ifo Magistrate Court, in the Ifo Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Subsequently, he was held at the Ilaro Correctional Centre before being released upon meeting bail conditions.