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Soldiers arrest ex-militant leader, others ahead of Osinbajo’s visit

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Ahead of Tuesday’s visit by Vice-President Yemi Osinbajo to Gbaramatu Kingdom in Warri South-West Local Government Area of Delta State, tension on Sunday enveloped the Niger Delta region over alleged arrest and invasion of some ex-militant leaders’ homes in the state by soldiers.

Our correspondent reliably learnt that scores of ex-militants, including a top ex-militant leader, Mr. Bounanawei Smith, alias King of the Forest, were arrested in a fresh crackdown in what sources said were not unconnected with renewed hostilities and fresh threat by the Niger Delta Avengers to attack oil facilities.

Osinbajo is scheduled to visit Gbaramatu Kingdom where the embattled ex-militant leader, Chief Government Ekpemupolo, popularly known as Tompolo, hails from.

Osinbajo’s visit is for the purpose of holding talks with leaders of Gbaramatu, which had become a hub of militants’ activities in recent times.

Security, ahead of the visit, has been beefed up both on land and in the sea, as gunboats and military personnel, dispatched to strategic locations in Warri South-West were seen, while military vans were also seen on Saturday and Sunday patrolling flashpoints in the state.

Sources close to Smith told our correspondent on Sunday that operatives of the Joint Task Force, code-named: Operation Delta Safe, invaded the ex-militant leader’s home at Esiso Estate along Effurun/Sapele Road in Effurun, Uvwie Local Government Area in the late hours of Saturday.

The ex-militant leader was said to be holding a meeting with some members of the Ijaw Youth Council when the soldiers allegedly forcefully broke into his home before arresting him and seven others, whose identities were not known as of the time of filing this report.

It was further learnt that some other ex-agitators were also arrested on Saturday by the military and were held at the Warri Naval Base of the Nigerian Navy Ship Delta awaiting to be moved to the Defence Headquarters in Abuja.

Smith was only recently appointed by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa as a member of the state’s Land and Waterways Security Committee, charged with the responsibility of working with security agencies to ensure peace in the state.

The Commander, NNS Delta, Commodore Joseph Dzunve, when contacted on the telephone on Sunday, confirmed that several persons were arrested and were being held at the Naval Base Warri. He declined to give details of the arrest.

The spokesman for the IYC, Mr. Eric Omare, confirmed the arrest of the ex-militants in a statement issued on Sunday in Warri, describing the arrest as primitive and capable of fuelling restiveness in the region.

The statement read in part, “The Ijaw Youth Council states that the Federal Government is inciting crisis in the Niger Delta by the continued invasion, arrest and detention of Niger Deltans, especially ex-agitators, without any justifiable reason. The latest of such invasion and arrest is the commando-style arrest of ex-agitator, Bounanawei Smith, alias King of the Forest.

“Mr. Bounanawei was arrested in his guest house by military men while hosting some Ijaw Youth Council members. They invaded and ransacked the whole of his guest house and some of the IYC members who were with him narrowly escaped death when the military officers shot sporadically into his apartment.

“The IYC condemn this naked, primitive and unwarranted display of force. It is on record that Mr. Bounanawei had since accepted amnesty and had been very active in maintaining peace and security in the Niger Delta especially in Delta State.”

The IYC recalled that the invasion, arrest and detention of Niger Deltans by the military had become a norm in the region.

“On January 1, 2017, while the entire world was celebrating the New Year, military officers invaded Gbaraun community, Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State, shot into the community, arrested a youth leader, Kalami Inakemeduo, under the guise that he is a militant and he is being detained up till this moment.

“This is in addition to several other Ijaw youths languishing in military detention such as Aboy Muturu, Ezekiel Daniel, Victor Odogu (the IYC spokesman, Abuja chapter) and several others. These persons have been in the DSS and military detention for more than eight months without trial and no reason has been given for their arrest,” the statement added.

The IYC, in the statement, demanded immediate release of all ex-militants arrested by the security agents including Smith, Aboy Muturu, Ezekiel Daniel, Victor Odogu, Kalami Inakemeduo and other Ijaws in detention across the country.

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Ibarapa East/Ido: I’ll sustain quality representation, development, says Osuolale 

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File photo of Hon.Osuolale Niyi Yusuf

The All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency, Hon. Osuolale Niyi Yusuf, has promised to sustain quality representation and development in the constituency if elected.

Osuolale made the promise on Saturday in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital while speaking with journalists on his ambition and his plans for the constituency.

The former Education Secretary and councillor said his focus would be on effective legislation, people-oriented representation and the facilitation of projects that would address the immediate needs of the people.

According to him,  representation should not be limited to attending legislative sessions, but must also involve listening to the people, understanding their challenges and ensuring that their concerns receive attention at the appropriate level.

The APC chieftain said people of Ibarapa East/Ido need a representative who would remain close to them and continue to engage with them after elections as it is presently witnessed.

“I want to assure the people of Ibarapa East/Ido that if given the opportunity, I will give them quality and effective representation. My interest is to represent the people well and ensure that projects and interventions are directed towards areas where they are most needed,” he said.

Osuolale also acknowledged the work of the incumbent member of the House of Representatives, Hon. Aderemi Oseni, saying that his performance had created a standard that any successor would have to respect.

“Hon. Aderemi Oseni has set a standard that must not be lowered. Whoever is coming after him must be prepared to sustain the quality of representation and, where possible, improve on it,” he said.

The APC candidate said his experience in public service had given him an understanding of the importance of consultation and accountability in governance, stressing that he would make the people central to his legislative activities.

He identified education, infrastructure, youth development, women empowerment , health care services among others as areas that deserved continued attention, adding that he would work with community leaders and other stakeholders to attract meaningful development to Ibarapa East/Ido.

Osuolale therefore appealed to the people of the constituency to support his aspiration, promising that, if elected, he would regard the mandate as a responsibility to serve rather than an opportunity for personal gain.

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Oyo 2027: Alli appoints Oladele, Olaosebikan, Tunji media directors

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The All Progressives Congress (APC) governorship candidate in Oyo State, Senator Sharafadeen Alli, has appointed three experienced journalists and communication professionals as directors in his campaign media and publicity team ahead of the 2027 governorship election.

The appointees are the former South-West Bureau Chief of The Nation, Bisi Oladele, who was named Director of Media and Publicity; a former Chief Press Secretary to the late Oyo State Governor, Lam Adesina, Kehinde Olaosebikan, as Director of Strategic Communication; and a former Special Adviser to the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Communication and Strategy, Bolaji Tunji, as Director of Public Affairs.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Media Consultant to Alli, Dare Adekanmbi, and made available to journalists in Ibadan on Thursday.

Also appointed to the team are the immediate past Chairman of the Oyo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists, Ademola Babalola, as Deputy Director, while the Oyo State APC Publicity Secretary, Olawale Sadare, will serve as Secretary.

Oladele, a multimedia journalist and communication strategist, has over 25 years of experience in journalism and public relations.

He was until his latest appointment the Executive Editor of Newspeak Media and Chairman of the South-West Guild of Online Publishers.

Oladele holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Education (English) from Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, and a Master’s degree in Communication and Language Arts from the University of Ibadan. He is also concluding a PhD programme in Political Communication at Lead City University, Ibadan.

He is expected to work with other communication professionals, including Ayotunde Olude, to drive the campaign’s media, publicity and strategic communication activities.

Olaosebikan, a veteran journalist and media practitioner, served as Chief Press Secretary to the late Governor Lam Adesina and brings considerable experience in government media relations and strategic communication to the campaign.

Tunji, also a journalist and communication practitioner, served as Special Adviser to the late Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Communication and Strategy.

According to the statement, the appointments were made to strengthen the campaign’s media visibility, strategic communication, public engagement and information management ahead of the 2027 general election.

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Oyo South: Ibadan security groups back Oseni’s senatorial bid 

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Oyo APC senatorial candidate, Aderemi Oseni addressing the crowd in Ibadan today

The Ibadan Security Initiative, a coalition of indigenous security groups operating across the six local government areas of Oyo South Senatorial District, has declared its support for the senatorial ambition of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Hon. Aderemi Oseni.

‎The declaration was made on Wednesday at the Recreation Club open field in Ibadan, where leaders and members of the groups gathered to publicly endorse Oseni ahead of the election.

‎The coalition comprises no fewer than 20 indigenous security organisations, including the OPC Fasheun, Agbekoya Solidarity, OLM, Ifenisese Oodua, Agbekoya Peace and Unity, LLVG, OPC Gani, Omo-Ibile, Agbekoya Warriors, OPC New Era, FYCC Alajobi, Agbekoya Farmers, IROD, IYF, Itesiwaju Agbekoya, Hunters Ode, Soludero Hunters Guide, Oyo State Vigilante Group, Soludero Association, Kobolese Vanguard and Majiyagbe Vanguard.

The groups have structures and members across the local government areas that  make up Ibadanland.

‎Speaking on behalf of the coalition, its Commandant, Chief Musliudeen Kehinde Ege, commended Oseni for what he described as his “superlative performance” as a member of the House of Representatives.

‎Ege said the groups had followed reports of Oseni’s interventions and representation before deciding to identify with his senatorial aspiration.

‎He said: “We have been hearing a lot of good things about you as a result of your quality representation and impactful development, even beyond Oyo South.We are proud to identify with you and openly declare our unflinching support for the realisation of your ambition. We will not only make this happen at the polls with our huge followership and networks, we are also going to ensure that the votes are well secured.”

‎Addressing the gathering, Oseni thanked the security groups for the confidence reposed in him, assuring them that he would remain committed to quality representation and people-oriented development.

‎The lawmaker said his legislative agenda for Oyo South would focus on people-centred legislation, strategic engagement at the national level and efforts to attract meaningful development projects to the district.

‎Oseni, who is currently representing Ibarapa East/Ido Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives and chairs the House Committee on the Federal Roads Maintenance Agency (FERMA), also assured residents that his interventions in communities would continue.

‎He said his support for communities, religious bodies, artisans, traders, market associations and other development stakeholders across the district was driven by his desire to improve the welfare of the people and would continue until the election.

‎The APC candidate also appealed to the gathering to support President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Senator Sarafadeen Alli and other APC candidates.

‎Responding to requests earlier presented by the security initiative, Oseni donated a bus, three Hajj slots and N20 million to support the activities of the groups.

‎The donations, according to him, were part of his commitment to supporting initiatives that contribute to community development, security and the welfare of the people.

(c) Mega Icon Magazine 

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