News
Protesters shut down Ibadan as govt demolishes Ayefele’s radio station
A mammoth crowed abandoned church services to sympathize with the popular gospel singer, Yinka Ayefele over part demolition of his radio station building, Fresh FM, situated along Lagos-Ibadan by-pass.
The demolition team which arrived the office complex around 5 am on Sunday, according to an eyewitness started its operations, with gunshot to scare the residents away from coming out of their respective houses.
Oyo state Government had last week issued a three-day ultimatum to Ayefele, claiming the construction of the station contravened town planning laws.
Ayefele went to court to stop the demolition.
At the expressway, trucks and small vehicles heading towards Lagos and coming into the city of Ibadan were held up in traffic that lasted for over eight hours on Sunday while many going to their respective places of worship were making u-turn.
Many youth ceased the opportunities to destroy some posters and bill boards belonging to a certain political party as part of the grievances against the demolition of the station.
Though, Dr. Yinka Ayefele declined interview with press men but lamented on his Facebook account in a very short but terse statement: “Oyo state government did it at last… My pains, my sweat… So help me God,” he said.
Director of Yinka Ayefele Nigeria Limited, David Ajiboye who told reporters that the edifice has all the documents obtained from the state government for the establishment of business organization at that spot said the station had lost a new equipment worth N28million in the demolition.
Ajiboye said the Challenge-Lagos-Ibadan axis was approved by government as a business premises but was surprised that government could say it was not meant for radio station.
He said the government in its claims said the canteen and spiral staircase in the building were not in the building plan.
The director of the organisation further identified a commissioner in the current dispensation in the state as behind the crisis saying the commissioner had approached the station to stop certain programmes on the station.
He noted that the station was forced to reply him that it was only Nigeria Broadcasting corporation (NBC) that has the right to sanction a radio programme on air or close the station in totality.
He believed that the station was fair to all the political parties in the state as against the believe of the government that fresh FM was working for a certain political party in the state.
Ajiboye said court notice was received by attorney-general and Commissioner for justice on Friday on behalf of the State government which the first hearing was expected to come up on Monday the state government embarked on demolition on Sunday without waiting for the outcome of the court proceedings.
When our correspondent arrived the station around 7:30am, the protesters were raining curses on the people behind the demolition, while many others were crying as sign of sympathy.
Some side-talk showed that many of the protesters travelled from neighbouring states to witness the actions taken by the state government.
A state-owned commercial bus popularly called Ajumose bus was parked at the front of the radio station which people said was deliberately parked at the spot as trap sympathizers.
One of the protesters, also resident in the area, Akeem Jabaru said the government of the day proved that it has no respect for the rule of law with its actions.
He noted that the demolition was inhumane because he knew that over 200 widows are on pay roll of the station while 150 workers are receiving salaries from Ayefele monthly.
“They thought we are going to vandalise the bus so that they can begin to say Ayefele had destroyed the state property, but we have told our people never to do that. We knew it was a trap, but we will play maturely,” he said.
Another sympathiser, Lanre Babatunde said going by his profession as a surveyor, he had observed that there are plots of land that was supposed to be demolished without getting to the station if truly it’s affecting the road.
Politicians in the state also visited the office complex and condemn the development.
A stalwarts of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Barrister Sarafadeen Alli, Femi Lanleyin, Hon. Dapo Lam-Adesina, Hon. Segun Olaleye, former governor Taofeek Arapaja, that of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Engr Seyi Makinde.
They all described it as anti human and undemocratic, saying the crowd at the spot showed that the multitude are happy with Ayefele as against that of the government.
As at the time of this report, commissioner for information, Toye Arulogun, could not be reached.
News
Alleged KGB Infiltration: Police in Dilemma as Senator Natasha Abandons Petition, Snubs Summons
The Nigeria Police Force appears to be in a quandary over its investigation into the alleged infiltration of the National Assembly by Russia’s KGB (Komitet Gosudarstvennoy Bezopasnosti), the former Soviet security agency.
Checks revealed that the police had invited the Senator representing Kogi West, Sunday Karimi, for interrogation following a petition filed by his colleague, Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan of Kogi Central.
In the petition dated March 5, 2025, Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently serving a six-month suspension from the Senate, urged the police to investigate Karimi’s claim that the KGB had infiltrated the National Assembly, posing a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
She specifically alleged that Senator Karimi had circulated a report titled “KGB Agent Group Warns Senate: A Call for Vigilance Amidst Threats to Democracy” on the official WhatsApp group of the 10th Senate on February 23, 2025.
Describing the claim as a matter of national security, Akpoti-Uduaghan insisted that the alarm raised by Karimi should not be taken lightly. “No nation can afford to ignore the presence of such a group within its legislative body,” she emphasized in her petition.
Karimi Appears Before Police, Natasha Recoils
Further investigations revealed that Senator Karimi honored the police invitation on Monday, appearing at the Force Headquarters in Abuja to clarify his position.
Sources within the police described his session as “positive and insightful,” revealing that he admitted to sharing the report in question. However, the police were reportedly taken aback when Senator Akpoti-Uduaghan distanced herself from the petition and ignored requests to appear for questioning.
“We reached out to her after our session with Senator Karimi, expecting her to provide further clarification, but she has continuously ignored our invitation,” a senior police source disclosed.
“What is disturbing is how she suddenly abandoned such a serious petition against her colleague. First, she claimed to be outside the country, but a viral video has since surfaced showing her in her constituency. It is difficult to reconcile her claims with the information available to us,” the source added.
The police official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, further hinted at possible political undertones behind the petition.
“We do not want to meddle in the ongoing power play within the Senate. However, it would be scandalous if she attempted to use the police as a tool in her political battles.”
When asked about the possible next steps, the source stated that his superiors would determine the fate of the petition, which he described as “frivolous.”
Twelve inmates have escaped from the Federal Correctional Centre in Kotonkarfe, Kogi State, following an early morning jailbreak on Monday.
Confirming the incident, the Kogi State Commissioner for Information, Kingsley Fanwo, described it as “unfortunate” and assured the public that the government, in collaboration with security agencies, was taking measures to prevent a recurrence.
According to Fanwo, law enforcement officers have already re-arrested one of the escapees.
“The theory that the inmates escaped through the tower without causing any structural damage raises serious concerns. This calls for a thorough investigation to determine the exact circumstances of the escape, arrest the fleeing inmates, and identify possible saboteurs within the system,” he stated.
The commissioner further disclosed that Governor Usman Ododo has directed security agencies to ensure that such breaches do not happen again.
“We call on the public to report any suspicious individuals in their communities. Anyone found harbouring an escaped inmate will be held accountable,” Fanwo warned.
Reassuring residents, he added: “There is no cause for panic. We encourage citizens to go about their daily activities as normal, knowing that the security of lives and property remains our top priority.”
Authorities have yet to disclose further details about the escapees or ongoing efforts to apprehend them.
The United States has announced the termination of legal status for over 500,000 immigrants, ordering them to leave the country within weeks, as President Donald Trump pushes forward with what he calls the largest deportation campaign in American history.
The sweeping directive, issued on Friday, affects approximately 532,000 Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans who arrived under a programme launched by Trump’s predecessor, Joe Biden, in October 2022 and later expanded in January 2023.
According to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), the affected immigrants will lose their legal protections 30 days after the order is published in the Federal Register on Tuesday. This means they must leave the United States by 24 April, unless they secure another immigration status permitting them to stay.
Welcome.US, an organisation that supports asylum seekers, has urged those impacted to “immediately” seek legal counsel regarding their options.
A Reversal of Biden’s Immigration Policy
The Processes for Cubans, Haitians, Nicaraguans, and Venezuelans (CHNV) programme, introduced in January 2023, allowed up to 30,000 migrants per month from these nations to enter the United States for two years. The initiative was designed to offer a “safe and humane” alternative to the dangerous crossings at the US-Mexico border, which had seen a surge in arrivals.
However, the DHS reiterated on Friday that the programme was never meant to provide permanent residency.
“Parole is inherently temporary, and parole alone is not an underlying basis for obtaining any immigration status, nor does it constitute an admission to the United States,” the agency stated.
Mass Deportations Under Trump
Trump, who has made immigration control a cornerstone of his presidency, has vowed to crack down on migrants—particularly those from Latin America.
Last week, he invoked rare wartime legislation to deport more than 200 alleged members of a Venezuelan gang to El Salvador, a country that has controversially offered to imprison both migrants and U.S. citizens at a discounted rate.
The latest order signals Trump’s intent to follow through on his hardline immigration policies, raising concerns among human rights advocates about the humanitarian impact of such mass deportations.
-
News1 week agoIdo LG APC Hails Oseni on FNSE Conferment
-
Education1 week ago
Emmanuel Alayande University Holds 2024/2025 Matriculation March 27
-
Politics1 week ago
Fresh N200bn Loan: Oyo APC Accuses Makinde of Pushing State Into Financial Ruin
-
News6 days ago
Rivers Sole Administrator Announces Release of Withheld Allocations
