Nelson Ugwuagbo

Veteran actor, and folk singer, Jimi Solanke, is dead.

The legendary poet and playwright died on Monday at the age of 81.

He was said to have died while being rushed from his country home at Ipara Remo in Remo North Local Government Area of Ogun State to Babcock University Teaching Hospital, Ilisan when he succumbed to the cold hand of death.

Chief Solanke was said to have been in and out of hospital from December until he died on Monday morning.

Jimi Solanke celebrated at 80 with week-long events

 I ran away from home to fulfil my dream of becoming a thespian –Jimi Solanke

Hon Dickson Awolaja representing Remo North State Constituency at the state Assembly confirmed the exit of the highly gifted artiste to our Correspondent.

Hon Awolaja said “I got wind of the demise of Pa Jimi Solanke not long ago. His death is no doubt another big loss to us in Remo North and Ogun State as a whole given his worthy contributions to the development of our dear nation. May his soul rest in peace”.

He is known for Kongi’s Harvest, Sango, Shadow Parties, and many more. He is also referred to as Uncle Jimi.

Abductors of the wife of Peter Aremu, the late Onikoro of Koro-Ekiti in Ekiti LGA of Kwara state, are now reportedly demanding N40 million as ransom for his wife and other abductees. 

On Thursday, gunmen invaded the residence of the traditional ruler, killed him, and abducted his wife and two others.

Speaking with reporters on Sunday, Kehinde Bayode, chairman of the transition implementation committee (TIC), said the abductors had earlier asked for N100 million, but later reduced their request to N40 million.

“The kidnappers had got in touch with the family. They were demanding N100 million ransom, which has now been reduced to N40 million,” NAN quoted Kehinde as saying.

“But we are still negotiating with them and right now, I am on my way to Koro to get the latest information on the negotiation.

“We will continue to brief you (journalists) as the situation unfolds and we will keep you posted.”

Toun Ejire-Adeyemi, spokesperson of the Kwara police command, said the commissioner of police in the state has deployed a tactical team to the community to fish out the perpetrators of the incident.

“The commissioner of police has deployed a tactical team to Koro-Ekiti to fish out the perpetrators,” Ejire-Adeyemi said.

“Policemen are working with other security agencies to free those that were abducted during the kidnapping incident.

“No arrest has been made yet. We are going to keep you abreast of developments as they unfold.”

A ferocious fire yesterday wreaked havoc at Sango Market, Ibadan, Oyo State consuming goods worth millions of naira.

The goods  were lost to an overnight fire incident which occurred in the market.

The inferno, which was said to have been caused by an electric spark, burnt over 20 shops.

This came a few days after a similar incident occurred at Ire Akari Estate, Soka, Ibadan.

Some traders whose shops were affected by the incident expressed their challenges in rebuilding their shops and businesses, emphasising that the ventures were their sole sources of livelihood.

A victim of the inferno who gave her name as Mrs. Tola Korede said, “I received a call that my shop was burning. On getting to this place, I discovered that everything was gone.’’

Women Producers of Local Bread known as Gurasa in their numbers, took to the streets of Kano in protest against the high cost of flour, calling on President Bola Tinubu to come to their aid.

The women carrying placards reading, “Government must do something urgently on the hyper rise of cost of flour’, ”We need government intervention, save our lives,” said they decided to go on the protest to attract the authority’s attention to the cost of flour.

The Chairperson of the Women Gurasa Producers, Fatima Auwal Chediyar Yangurasa, said before now, they buy a 50kg Bag of flour at less than N16,000 but in less than a month the price has skyrocketed to N43,000.

She said, “Life has gradually become difficult for us with many of our members being imprisoned because of debts and their children left to wallow in destitution and abject poverty”.

Fatima added that in Kano, hundreds of children of their members have been sent out of school as their parents can no longer provide for them through the only business they have.

She said, “BUA Floor was the one we largely depend on and it is no longer available in the market because of its high price, most of our members use the BUA products because it yields enough Gurasa for sales”.

The Chairperson also called on the Chairman of BUA, Abdussamad Isiyaku Rabiu to do more by reducing the prices of his flour and consider the difficulties the producers face in their businesses.

She said, “We started the protest against the hike in the price of flour by BUA Flour mills when a bag was sold at N16,000, demanding immediate reversal but today despite our stance the price has reached a whooping N43,000 far bag”.

In a tragic incident, gunmen invaded the palace of Oba Segun Aremu-Cole in Koro Community, Kwara State on Thursday night and fatally shot the monarch and abducted his wife along with two others.

The attack occurred around 7p.m in the community bordering Egbe town in Yagba West Local Government Area of Kogi State.

The Kwara State Governor, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, confirmed the attack, describing it as shocking and abominable.

A statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Rafiu Ajakaye, said: “The monarch was reportedly shot dead in his palace on Thursday night by some unknown gunmen, who also whisked away his wife and two others.

“The governor condemned the development, which he said was reckless, shocking, and abominable.

“He charged the security agencies not to spare any resources to track down the perpetrators, free the spouse and others taken away, and bring them to book.”

He assured that “We will certainly get the perpetrators and ensure that this is their last crime against humanity.

“My profound condolences go to the people of Koro. Our hearts are broken, and we stand by them at this time and always.”

Ned Nwoko, senator representing Delta North senatorial district has said that his proposed bill allowing Nigerians to carry firearms was born out of desperation and the need for the citizens to protect themselves from the rising insecurity in the country.

LeadingReporters learnt that Nwoko stated that the Police force also is ill-funded and does not have enough manpower needed to secure Nigeria.

“My bill is predicated on the lawlessness that is currently pervading the nation. We all have experienced it or we know someone that has experienced it. We have come to a point in this nation where we have to make an honest admission to ourselves which is that the security agents cannot really protect lives and properties as stated in the constitution. The common man is left to his fate. He does not get any kind of support from the police and the police force is unequipped, ill-funded, not capable of discharging those onerous duties and that is the fact.

“I am in the senate committee on police matters and I can tell you that we do not have the number of police men that we need to secure Nigeria as a country. The military on the other hand, have been spending billions of Naira over the years, buying warplanes, different arms and ammunition in the name of fighting terrorism and other crimes. But they are also not able to deal with the issues and a lot of money has been spent and lives lost, and we are nowhere in finding solutions.

“The idea of a bill to enable Nigerians to carry arms to defend themselves is born out of desperation, the fact that people do not have the kind of protection that they need. In Nigeria, what stops us from having an emergency number and this is one of those things that we just need to address. How do you help the ordinary Nigerians to reach out to the security forces or emergency services in the event of trouble?”

The Delta North senator also outlined strategic measures that would ensure the smooth running of the bill, if approved.

  “Its not just about people carrying arms. There are measures that are proposed and they are very strict measures. What i am trying to do is to have a system where people who are willing to carry arms are given the opportunity to so do. The first condition that must be met is that every local government must have a gun shooting school and if you want to have a gun and a license, the first thing is to be trained on the use of arms. These shooting schools will be run by former military officers and owned by them.

“When you have gone through the process and you are able to use the arms, the next step is to go to your king or your Emir or Oba who will give you a letter of certification, to confirm that you are from that particular place. Then the next thing to do is to go to two doctors who will certify that you are mentally fit to bear arms.

“Next is your local government chairman who will also confirm that you are from that place and then you go to the DPO of that locality who will also confirm that you don’t have any criminal record. Majority of Nigerians are responsible. If you own a gun and the would-be attackers know that, the possibility of them coming to attack you or rape in your house is almost Nil. There are many vigilantes and security companies in Nigeria who are not even allowed to carry arms.”

Ned Nwoko had earlier in January, proposed a bill for Nigerians to carry firearms in order to check the threat of violence and insecurity in the country.

A former Deputy Clerk of the National Assembly, Dr Olaide Adelami, has been sworn in as the Ondo State Deputy Governor.

Last Tuesday, Adelami was picked by the state governor, Mr Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the deputy governor after which his name was sent to the state House of Assembly for screening and ratification.
At a ceremony held at the International Culture and Event Centre, Akure on Thursday, the new deputy governor was sworn in by the Chief Judge of the state, Justice Olusegun Odusola.

Details later………

Bandits who abducted seven residents of Kuduru, a neighbouring community of Bwari Area Council in Abuja, have demanded N290 million ransom to release the hostages.

The residents, including a pregnant woman, three children and four adults, who have spent one month and four days in captivity were abducted on January 28 at the Kuduru extension by the bandits.

According to a leader of the community who did not want to be named, the bandits have threatened to kill two out of the victims if the N290 million is not paid on time.

He said the abductors also demanded food items, drugs, bedsheets and cardigans.

“They have reached out to us to bring N290 million to secure their release or that they will kill two of them. We have a pregnant woman and three children among them,” he said.

“They asked us to bring bags of rice, packs of Indomie, cough syrups, antibiotics, bedsheets and cardigans for the bandits’ use.

“They insist that the N290 million ransom must be complete for them to let our people go.”

He pleaded with Kayode Egbetokun, the Inspector-General of Police and Taoreed Lagbaja, the Chief of Army Staff, to come to the rescue of the hostages.

“We know that they are trying their best but we plead with them to rescue our families like they did to the six sisters and the Ariyos,” he said.

“We understand that these people are already falling sick in captivity because of the harsh weather and the treatment there.”

The Imo police command says no fewer than five persons have been killed in an explosion that rocked the Obiti community in Ohaji/Egbema LGA of the state.

Henry Okoye, spokesperson of the Imo police command, said the incident occurred on Tuesday, and blamed vandals for the explosion.

Okoye said Aboki Danjuma, the Imo commissioner of police, has set up a team to unravel the immediate cause of the incident and arrest fleeing culprits.

“It happened on Tuesday and about five persons lost their lives during the explosion. They were burnt beyond recognition and we are currently investigating it in collaboration with other sister security agencies to unravel the identities of those behind the economic sabotage,” Okoye said.

“They went for their normal pipeline vandalism when the incident occurred.

“Our goal is to make sure similar incidents do not occur in future.”

An eyewitness who is a resident of the community, said the vandals stormed the Obitti rubber estate in the area with an articulated vehicle, and dug through to an oil pipeline traversing the area.

“They dug a hole on the pipeline and connected their long pipe to their tanker to steal oil,” the source told TheCable.

“I cannot say exactly what caused the explosion, but I know and from what I saw, many people died, and many others, who narrowly escaped the inferno, sustained various degrees of injuries.

“The fire that raged for hours burnt the tanker and also affected our farmlands, destroying our produce worth millions of naira.”

A public affairs commentator, Mohammed Sanusi has appealed to President Bola Tinubu not to pander to “heavily sponsored blackmail and media trial” against the suspended minister of humanitarian affairs and poverty alleviation, Dr Betta Edu and sack her from his cabinet.
Sanusi said no strategic leader would lose a selfless and zealous cabinet member like Betta Edu in response to sponsored blackmail and campaign of calumny.

He described Edu as one of the most active, innovative, responsive, and result-oriented ministers in President Tinubu’s administration.
The commentator said: “Many Nigerians have watched from the sidelines as she deployed her selfless zeal in bringing succor to those in need.
“In under 140 days, she had visited and successfully initiated various grassroots interventions that had significantly touched the lives of the poor and vulnerable in over 15 Northern states, and some in the southern part of Nigeria as well.

“She has brilliantly represented Nigeria in many national and international fora, successfully attracting donor support to the humanitarian and poverty alleviation ministry.
“For once, the poor and vulnerable across the country can testify to the fact that they are actually benefiting from the federal government’s various programmes.
In the context of the above, why would any strategic leader lose a Betta Edu over paid blackmail?”
Sanusi further claimed that Edu had responded swiftly on behalf of the federal government to humanitarian crises in all parts of the country.

“Little wonder that due to her absence from office when the Ibadan explosion occurred, the federal governments’ humanitarian assistance had scarcely been felt by the victims till date. The same goes for the victims of the renewed Plateau crises. God forbid another crisis should occur, without her at her post,” he said.

Sanusi alleged that the suspension of the minister followed a well-coordinated week-long negative media campaign, coordinated by several known influencers, and heavily sponsored to the tune of over a million dollars from within and outside government circles.