₦airaland Forum

This historic photograph was taken in Nagasaki, Japan, in September of 1945, shortly after the atomic bombing of that city.

A Japanese boy stood in front of a cremation pyre and waited for his turn to cremate his dead little brother.

Joe O'Donnell, The American photographer who clicked this picture said - "After the men held the body by the hands and feet and placed it on the fire, the boy stood there straight without moving, watching the flames.

He child was biting his lips so hard to prevent crying that blood was dripping down the corner of his mouth."

Even today, the photograph stands as a symbol of strength found in the face of unspeakable tragedy, reminding us of the profound cost of war on the most vulnerable.

Ex-Gov Fayose’s brother threatens to demolish Abuja house over tenants’ indebtedness


Isaac Fayose, brother of former Ekiti State Governor, Ayo Fayose, has threatened to demolish his house in Abuja because of some tenants who he said were owing him three years rent.

Fayose issued the demolition threat in a viral video sighted by PUNCH Online on X.com on Tuesday.

At the beginning of the video footage, Fayose, who spoke in pidgin was heard saying the tenant(s) refused to pay him rent for three years.

He further explained that the said tenant(s) dragged him to the court so that the court adjournments would extend their living in the house.

He said, “Three years, you never paid rent. You dey do gra-gra inside the court. Na your house? Na your baba house? God go punish you.”

Another person suspected to be a tenant in Fayose’s apartment was heard in the viral video responding, “You dey craze. God go punish you.”

Fayose also called out the tenants over an alleged plan to claim ownership of the property.

He restated that he would demolish the property despite the consequences.

He said, “The tenant said na dem get the house. Ole tenants.

“I will demolish the house. Let the Nigerian government jail me if they want to. How can I get a house and tenants go dey owe me to the tune of three years and dem go dey hide for court? No justice. No be by forced to stay in Abuja o. If you cannot pay rent in Abuja, go to your village and stay.

“No dey play wayo-wayo game inside the court and be staying inside person property for free. Let me commit the offence. Let me break the house. Make dem detain me for one week after they will bail me.

“But una go don comot first. The rest go be history. Okay?”

Fayose had earlier shared a video of himself ordering the removal of the doors and roofs of a recalcitrant tenant who he claimed refused to pay rent for four years.

In the post shared, he said the tenant had the guts to take him to court despite owing rent.

The video he shared showed artisans removing the doors and windows of the apartment.

Ola9ja23:
😀😁😁😀

Failure attract failure 😀😁😁😀

$2.5bn fraud: EFCC to collaborate with UK prosecutors in Diezani’s case

There were signs over the weekend that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission plans to join forces with the United Kingdom prosecutors as an interested party in the trial of former Petroleum Minister, Diezani Alison-Madueke, in a UK court.

A team from the anti-graft commission is expected in London to initiate this process by filing relevant documents, the Nation reports.

According to a source privy to the information, the EFCC intends to share its findings and the Abuja high court’s forfeiture order concerning Diezani’s $2.5 million properties and vehicles with the UK court.

“This country may not be able to retrieve questionable assets from Diezani if the EFCC does not file an application as an interested party. We have received an advisory on this important bend to Diezani’s trial and we will be part of the case in the UK. A team will leave for London any moment from now to explore legal opportunities and file necessary papers as an interested party.

“The overall aim is for Nigeria to benefit from Diezani’s trial, especially the recovery of all assets linked to funds looted in this country. The EFCC has sufficient evidence against Diezani, including a court order on the former minister’s $2.5 million homes and cars.

“In another case, a former chairman of EFCC confirmed that the commission recovered $153 million and secured the final forfeiture of over 80 properties in Nigeria valued at about $ 80 million. The allegations against Diezani by the EFCC border on the alleged stealing of about $2.5 billion from Nigeria’s coffers as a minister.” the source said.

The source continued, “It is necessary for this nation to rise to the occasion because, in March 2023, the NCA also provided evidence to the US Department of Justice that enabled them to recover assets totalling $53.1 million linked to Mrs. Alison-Madueke’s alleged corruption.

“Like the P&ID case, the EFCC has sufficient evidence to pull through a case against Diezani. We want all stolen, diverted and questionable assets back in the custody of Nigeria for the good use of our citizens.I think the EFCC is collaborating with the NCA in the UK on this.

“It is also unclear if the UK court will ask Diezani to return to Nigeria to serve prison terms if convicted. This is why we also need to be an interested party in the case in the UK.”

Last year, the Head of the NCA’s international corruption unit, Andy Kelly, said the “charges are a milestone in what has been a thorough and complex international investigation”.

“Bribery is a pervasive form of corruption, which enables serious criminality and can have devastating consequences for developing countries.

“We will continue to work with partners here and overseas to tackle the threat.”

Diezani is currently facing trial at the Southwark Crown Court in the UK over an alleged £100,000 bribe.

The National Crime Agency alleged that Diezani could have received benefits worth at least £100,000, including cash, chauffeured cars, private jet flights, luxury family vacations, and multiple London properties.

On October 2, 2023, a Magistrate Court granted bail to the former Minister for £70,000, considering her a potential flight risk.

The trial proceedings for Diezani’s case are scheduled to commence in November 2025.

In October 2023, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Lateef Fagbemi, submitted a warrant of arrest and request to the Crown Prosecution Services of the United Kingdom for the urgent extradition of a former Minister of Petroleum, Diezani Allison-Madueke.

Knocks as Korra Obidi travels to Hawaii for vacation after fans donated $50,000 for legal fee

Nigerians across social media have begun to slam popular Nigerian-American singer and dancer, Korra Obidi, as she flew immediately to Hawaii in the United States after completing her GoFundMe $50,000 target.

Obidi created GoFundMe on Friday to seek a good lawyer, adding that she wants to overturn the right of her ex-husband, Justin Dean, over their kids.

According to her, she would need money to get a good lawyer, which is why she created the GoFundMe account to meet the target of $100,000.

The account generated over $50,000 raised from over 950 donors worldwide.

“As a mother, it’s time to fight for myself and my kids,” Obidi said. She also shared her GoFundMe account details, seeking the assistance of fans and friends.

However, on Sunday, the dancer, after raising the money, said during a live session on Facebook that she had plans for a vacation in Hawaii.

Her decision has been greeted by outrage from her fans, with many alleging that the main intent of the GoFundMe was never to file a suit against the husband but to lavish on her extravagant lifestyle.

Wanda Johnson, a Facebook user, said, “She got y’all’s money, now she’s at the airport. Some of you are so weak to believe her foolishness. She is always begging, scamming, and manipulating.”

“You are gradually becoming a professional beggar on social media,” one Chigoziri Ohochukwu on Facebook opined.

“Mad that she can’t post pictures because without posting pictures she can’t make money. She needs to post pictures of her kids to make money. But she would rather go to Hawaii than see.Her children sickening and people gave her $.Or whatever was on that go find me.People needs to report the go fund me everybody needs to report to get their money back,” a user who identifies as Jennifer Lynn Russell claimed.

Nene Peters stated, “WTF you was just on here crying about you need a lawyer now, you traveling. I’m done with you wow.”

“Two days ago she was crying for donation now she is traveling,” said Hermi Matilya

Meanwhile, Bridget O’Connell said, “Yeah I’m not gonna lie Traveling to Hawaii is crazy after receiving all that money for Lawyer girl! You shoulda did that in silence.”

Also, Mary Monique Napont said, “It’s none of your business lady. She is an influencer, performer, student, and most importantly a great mother. Leave her be. You are a part of the problem. She’s not hurting you in any way. If you don’t like her, don’t follow her. It’s that simple.”

Recall that the divorce and custody battle between Obidi and Dean has been on the public scene lately. Recent developments have granted Justin the right to restrict their two children from featuring on Obidi’s online content.

She posted a plea online, accusing Dean of abuse and “gaslighting” during their marriage, claiming he is now subjecting their daughters to similar treatment.

Stop electricity subsidy, IMF tells FG

The International Monetary Fund has warned the Nigerian government to remove what it called implicit fuel and electricity subsidies.

In a report published recently by the IMF, the organisation told Nigeria that the subsidies would guzzle three per cent of the nation’s Gross Domestic Product in 2024 as against one per cent in the year before.

According to the report, the IMF commended the Federal Government for, among other things, phasing out “costly and regressive energy subsidies”, saying this was critical to creating fiscal space for development spending and strengthening social protection while maintaining debt sustainability.

President Bola Tinubu’s administration removed fuel subsidies during his inauguration on May 29, 2023.

IMF noted, however, that “adequate compensatory measures for the poor were not scaled up promptly and subsequently paused over corruption concerns. Capping pump prices below cost reintroduced implicit subsidies by end-2023 to help Nigerians cope with high inflation and exchange rate depreciation.”

The body also acknowledged that the price of electricity had tripled for high-use premium consumers on Band A feeders, 15 per cent of the 12 million customers who account for 40 per cent of electricity usage.

As Nigerians agitate for the reversal of the Band A tariff from N206.80 per kilowatt-hour to N68, IMF submitted that “the tariff adjustment will help reduce expenditure on subsidies by 0.1 per cent of Gross Domestic Product, while continuing to provide relief to the poor, particularly in rural areas”.

The IMF advocated that “once the safety net has been scaled up and inflation subsides, the government should tackle implicit fuel and electricity subsidies”.

It warned, “With pump prices and tariffs below cost-recovery, implicit subsidy costs could increase to 3 per cent of GDP in 2024 from 1 per cent in 2023. These subsidies are costly and poorly targeted, with higher income groups benefiting more than the vulnerable”.

The IMF reechoed that “as inflation subsides and support for the vulnerable is ramped up, costly and untargeted fuel and electricity subsidies should be removed, while, e.g., retaining a lifeline tariff”.

It projected that the implicit fuel subsidy could gulp as high as N8.4tn in 2024 from N1.85tn in 2023, N4.4tn in 2022, N1.86tn in 2021 and N89bn in 2020.

The electricity subsidy being paid to customers under Band B, C, D, and E was projected to stand at N540bn by the end of 2024.

The PUNCH reports that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company and the Minister of State for Petroleum (Gas), Heineken Lokpobiri, have repeatedly debunked claims that the Federal Government was paying fuel subsidies through the back door.

Meanwhile, the IMF’s call for the removal of electricity subsidy is coming amid protests from Nigerians who are calling on the Minister of Power, Adebayo Adelabu, to return the Band A tariff to the status quo.

The organised labour has threatened to stage a protest on Monday if Adelabu fails to heed their calls.

Nyamiriflathed:
Perhaps OP should be able to read beyond the headlines.

Stop being stupid IPOB boy.

CountinBlessins:
All these uncivilized Dandaba are always quick to attack anything. What did he say now that you want to turn it to a North vs South thread ?

When they say go to school you will refuse and spend your time trolling on the Internet.

What warranted this derailing now tell us?

Nyamiriflathed:
OP is the bigot.

Mo Abudu, the anchor and chief executive of EbonyLife media group, then asked the audience to suggest a Nigerian name for Meghan.

“Ifeoma,” someone shouted from the excited crowd, a name from Nigeria’s Igbo tribe which means ‘a treasured thing.’ “Omowale” another suggested, from the Yoruba tribe, which means ‘the child has come home.’ and Edidiong which means ‘blessing’.

Nigeria’s defence chief calls for army generals’ participation in politics

“They are still strong, capable and ready. We need them to contribute so much to the nation,” the defence chief added.

The Chief of Defence Staff, Christopher Musa, says he is working toward having more retired armed forces officers in governance.

Mr Musa said this while speaking with journalists on Thursday in Kaduna after the pulling-out dinner organised by the Infantry Corps in honour of retired infantry generals.

He said the retired generals, who were used for more training at operational and strategic levels, would be needed in governance where they could bring their experiences to benefit the nation.

“The nation has spent so much in training them. Such vast knowledge should not just go like that. We want these top military men to continue to contribute their own quota to the development of the nation,” he said.

The defence chief pointed out that some retired generals had served the Nigerian Army for 35 years, with some going beyond that number.

“It means they have accumulated experiences that we cannot afford to do away with.

“They are still strong, capable and ready. We need them to contribute so much to the nation,” the defence chief added.

The palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi, on Thursday, disowned a claim by a man in a viral video, who said the monarch was his father.

A statement by the monarch’s spokesperson, Moses Olafare, said the man in the viral video engaged in an act of impersonation, noting that the matter had been reported to the security agencies for further action.

Olafare said Oba Ogunwusi, being a responsible father and custodian of tradition, knew and acknowledged all his children and would stop at nothing to take full responsibility for them.

Ooni of Ife
Self-acclaimed son of Ooni.
He declared that the self-acclaimed prince was unknown to the palace and the Ile-Ife populace.


“He is not a child of Ooni Ogunwusi as fraudulently claimed and also never related in any way to any lineage of the Ogunwusi royal family and the Giesi royal compound of Ile-Ife at large,” the statement stated.

It reads in part: “Our attention has been drawn to an amateur video clip featuring a grown-up individual claiming to be a son of our father, Arole Oodua Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, Ojaja ll, the Ooni of Ife, virally trending across various online platforms.

“We categorically condemn and denounce this shameless act of impersonation in the strongest possible terms.

“It is imperative to clarify that the Ooni of Ife, as a responsible father and custodian of tradition, knows and acknowledges all his children and stops at nothing to take full responsibility for them (both those who are in Nigeria and outside the country).”

The palace listed all the children of the traditional ruler and their respective locations.

“As all of Ooni’s children are well known to the palace and the people of Ile-Ife, the eldest child of the Ooni is Princess Adeola Ogunwusi, a Masters degree holder working and residing in Canada, followed by Princess Adewamiwa Ogunwusi, who recently relocated to further her education in Dublin, Ireland, from where she had come three years ago for her secondary school education in her home country, Nigeria.

“Princess Adesewa is doing very well, Prince Tadenikawo Ogunwusi is widely known to be with his mother, hale and hearty while the newborn twins, Prince Adebisi Kehinde and Princess Taiwo Adeayo, are being planned to formally make their historic entry into the palace in a couple of days, in accordance with the customs and traditions of the Ife palace,” it stated.

The release added, “His marauding impersonation tactics to exploit the revered status of the Ooni of Ife for fraudulent personal gains is not only sacrilegious but also criminal.

“Impersonation of any member of the royal family is a sacrilege against the sanctity of the palace and the heritage it represents.

“While the palace leaves no stone unturned to go after this criminal using all possible means to scapegoat him, with a view to making him face the law for necessary deterrence, we hereby urge the law enforcement agencies, particularly the Nigerian Police Force and Department of State Security to thoroughly investigate this matter and bring the perpetrator to justice as swiftly as possible.”

It asked that any individual with useful information about the whereabouts of the impersonator to seek an audience with the palace or the police.

It also called on the said impersonator to refrain from engaging in or promoting such deceptive practices.

The release assured that the House of Oduduwa remained committed to preserving the rich cultural heritage of the Yoruba people and would not tolerate any attempt to undermine or tarnish its legacy through fraudulent means.

You promised to marry a wife for me from Israel but you’ve not done so – Actor Kenneth Chinwetalu drags OPM Pastor

Veteran Nollywood actor, Kenneth Chinwetalu, also known as Aguba, has expressed his disappointment towards Apostle Chinyere Chibuzor of The Omega Power Ministry for failing to fulfil the promises he made to him nearly two years ago.

In 2022, Chibuzor came to the rescue of Aguba after his dire living conditions in Enugu were shared online.

The actor was homeless at the time and the OPM pastor provided him with an apartment in Port Harcourt, Rivers State capital, employed staff to take care of his needs and promised to find him a spouse.

In a now-viral video clip of an interview, Aguba was heard addressing the OPM pastor predominantly in the Igbo language.

He expressed his disappointment and frustration with Chibuzor for not fulfilling all the promises he made to him.

“Come and fulfil all the promises you made to me. You promised to marry a wife for me from Israel and build a house for me in the village and in the city, but you have not done any,” he said.

Aguba added that Chibuzor promised him a house both in the city where he currently resides and in his hometown.

He, however, insisted on marrying an Israeli bride as that is his nationality.

Meanwhile, he commended the pastor for paying for his medication which he is currently using.

Elder Statesman and Dean, Borno Elders Forum, Prof. Khalifa Dikwa said President Bola Tinubu’s administration was blackmailed into making the cybersecurity levy policy initiated by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

Dikwa stated this in an interview on Channels Television on Wednesday.

He said, “These forces can’t be seen and rely on intimidation to get their bidding done while saying the Tinubu administration is blackmailed into making these policies.

“It is the wrong time to impose the cybersecurity levy.

“I’m not surprised by the directive because Nigeria is seemingly controlled remotely by external forces,” he said.

Meanwhile, the House of Representatives has stepped down a motion calling for the suspension of the cybersecurity levy which has elicited negative reactions from Nigerians.

Honourable Manu Soro, who moved a motion on the floor of the house on Wednesday, had explained that the levy was coming at the wrong time, considering the current living conditions of Nigerians.

The lawmaker had argued that the National Security Adviser is a political office, and has no mandate to manage accruals.

However, the Speaker, Tajudeen Abbas, urged the lawmaker to step down the motion to allow the leadership of the House to deliberate on how best to address the situation.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), had described the planned cybersecurity levy introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) on all electronic transactions as another burden on Nigerians.

According to a circular issued to various financial institutions, including commercial, merchant, non-interest, and payment service banks, the apex bank indicated that the levy would come into effect in two weeks from May 6.

The levy’s introduction has sparked widespread criticism among Nigerians and civil society organisations.

Rejecting the policy, the NLC President, Joe Ajaero, said such deductions directly affect the disposable income of workers, and further diminish the purchasing power of the common citizens.

He said the directive is another gang up by the ruling elite, to continue its extortion and exploitation of helpless workers and the masses.

“The Nigeria Labour Congress recognises the importance of cybersecurity in today’s digital age,” the statement reads.

Akpabio: Since prisons were renamed correctional centres, we’ve had more jailbreaks

Senate President Godswill Akpabio says since the name of the Nigerian Prison Service was changed to Nigerian Correctional Service there have been more jailbreaks in the country.

Akpabio spoke on the floor of the senate on Tuesday while commenting on two pieces of legislation billed for concurrence.

The bills for concurrence were one to repeal and enact the law establishing Revenue Mobilsation Allocation and Fiscal Commission, and another to repeal the Fire Service Act and enact Federal Fire and Rescue Service.

Abba Moro, senate minority leader, argued that there was no need to change the name because the “rescue component” is already part of the responsibility of the fire service.

“I do not think there is a need for that,” Moro said.

In his response, the senate president said there is a need to examine such laws.

“This is something to be looked at. When you are convicted, you are supposed to learn a skill,” Akpabio said.

“But since we changed the name to the correctional centre, there have been more jailbreaks.”

In 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari signed into law the bill that changed the name of the Nigerian Prison Service to Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS).

The law provides that the correctional service is split into the custodial service and non-custodial service.

In the non-custodial service, convicts are eligible for community service, probation, and parole.

Since Buhari signed the bill into law, more than 1,000 inmates have escaped from correctional centres across the country.

On April 25, 119 inmates escaped from the Medium Security Custodial Centre in Suleja, Niger state, following a downpour.

Nigerian comedian, Oluwaseyitan Aletile, also known as Seyi Law, has fumed over the 0.5 per cent cybersecurity levy recently introduced by the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN.

DAILY POST reported that the apex bank on Monday directed banks operating in the country to start charging a cybersecurity levy on transactions.

Reacting, Seyi Law said the new CBN policy was “unacceptable”.

He urged the apex bank to revisit the policy.

Tagging President Bola Tinubu, the comedian asked the President to allow the masses “breathe,” querying when the new minimum wage would be announced and implemented.

He said some ministers are not doing their jobs well, stressing that one year into the administration and there is nothing much on ground.

On his X handle, Seyi Law wrote: “I hate when government agencies don’t speak up to the understanding of the citizens and allow wrong narratives to fester before tackling it. Cybersecurity level, according to the act, is 0.005%, and different figures from 0.5% to 3% are being thrown around.

“A 0.5% charge in the Nigeria of today is in itself too much punishment on Nigerians. Are we trying to discourage banking transactions again and encourage cash keeping? @cenbank should revisit this abeg.

“Stamp duty is something, and now this. It is unacceptable. @NGRPresident @officialABAT, let the poor breathe. When will the new minimum wage be announced and implemented? Some of your ministers need to look for another job. One year is here and we are counting.”

The Central Bank of Nigeria has directed banks to stop charges on cash deposits until September 30, 2024.

The apex bank disclosed this in a circular dated May 6, 2024, signed by its Director of Banking Supervision, Adetona Adedeji.

Customers of some of the Deposit Money Banks raised concerns that the banks have begun collection of processing fees for cash deposits as of May 1.

Our correspondent sighted this in an email shared by one of the customers of the banks.

Based on the bank’s move, two per cent was to be charged on deposits above N500,000 for individuals, while corporate account holders were to be charged two per cent on deposits above N3m.

According to the latest circular to financial institutions and non-financial institutions, CBN said the processing fees have been suspended.

The circular read, “Please refer to our letter dated December 11, 2023, referenced BSD/DIR/PUB/LAB/016/023 on the above subject, suspending processing charges imposed on cash deposits above N500,000 for Individuals and N3,000,000 for Corporates as contained in the ‘Guide to Charges by Banks, Other Financial Institutions and Non-Bank Financial Institutions’ issued on December 20, 2019,” CBN said.

“The Central Bank of Nigeria hereby extends the suspension of the processing fees of 2% and 3% previously charged on all cash deposits above these thresholds until September 30, 2024.”

The apex bank directed financial institutions to continue to accept all cash deposits from the public without any charges till the end of the third quarter.

EFCC resumes raid on BDC operators after war against crypto fails to save naira fall

A BDC operator at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja’s currency exchange hub, confirmed EFCC’s raid to Peoples Gazette.


The Economic Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) on Tuesday resumed raids on bureau de change operators in Abuja as naria dipped against the dollar.

A BDC operator at Wuse Zone 4, Abuja’s currency exchange hub, confirmed EFCC’s raid to Peoples Gazette.

“EFCC people are here!” he said.

“Na EFCC. Them come here two times. Carry people money,” another BDC operator at the scene told The Gazette.

Today’s raid comes as another episode since the EFCC started raiding BDC operations nationwide in a bid to stabilise the naira.

Last week, the anti-graft agency paraded over 20 BDC operators arrested in Abuja.

On claims that BDC operators aid currency speculators damaging naira, the anti-graft agencies have continued to raid BDC operators since February.

Foreigners now troop into Nigeria for medical treatment – Health Minister, Alausa

The Federal government has said the country’s healthcare system is attracting foreign patients, including Indians seeking medical treatments.

In an interview on Arise TV on Monday, Minister of State for Health, Dr Tunji Alausa, claimed that the nation’s healthcare was no longer in crisis.

He claimed that with improvements in the healthcare system, the country was witnessing a reversal of the ‘japa syndrome,’ suggesting that medical personnel were returning home from abroad.

The Minister pointed out that Nigeria had become a preferred destination for medical tourism, particularly for surgical procedures, which were more cost-effective compared to other countries.

According to him, the proliferation of aesthetic hospitals, numbering close to 900 across Nigeria, also contributes to attracting patients seeking services such as plastic surgery.

“Today, we have almost 900 aesthetic hospitals around Nigeria. People are coming to get plastic surgery,’’ he said.

He noted that the administration’s commitment to prioritising public health led to positive changes in the healthcare sector.

“We have a President now that believes a healthy nation is the core to harnessing our biggest asset, which is our human capital,” Alausa said.

He added that the government allocated dedicated funds and initiated collaborations to enhance primary healthcare services and expand health insurance coverage.

“The President has mandated us to increase coverage from about seven million to about 50 million people to have health insurance in the next two to three years. This marks the highest budget allocation for the health sector in almost 24 years”, he said.

Evacuation: Lagos taskforce threatened to kill us in Osun forest, victims allege


Some victims have narrated how the officials of the Lagos State task force threatened to kill them in Osun Forest after they were allegedly arrested in the Marina area of the state and later dumped at the forest in Ilesha, Osun State, on Saturday.

The state government had vowed to clamp down on miscreants across the state after it uncovered about 86 partitioned rooms, measuring 10×10 and 12×10, being used as makeshift apartments under the Dolphin Bridge.

According to the state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, an ongoing operation was undertaken by the government to tackle the security risk in Lagos caused by the influx of miscreants, beggars, and the destitute in different parts of the state.

Omotoso further stated that some suspects were arrested under the Dolphin Bridge, and some pleaded for assistance to relocate to their various hometowns, while others were in rehabilitation due to their medical state.

“As part of the exercise, 450 miscreants were rescued at the weekend. Of the lot, 371 pleaded for assistance to relocate to their various states due to the hardship they are facing in Lagos; 79 have been absorbed into some government facilities for rehabilitation after showing signs of being unwell,” the commissioner partly said on Sunday.

The victims told PUNCH Metro on Sunday after they escaped from the Ilesha forest that they were arrested without proper investigation and found themselves in Osun, where they were threatened with being killed if they refused to cooperate with them.

While recounting their ordeals, they told our correspondents that they were numbering about 500, including people living with disabilities, jam-packed in cramped conditions inside the chartered bus provided by the state government to the forest.

One of the victims who said he sold phone accessories at the Marina area of Lagos, Miracle Chukwu, claimed he was not allowed to speak before being pushed into the bus and that the officials threatened to shoot anyone who disobeyed them in the forest.

“I was coming back from where I was selling phone accessories at the CMS area around 11 a.m., so some task force officials and police officers stopped me and forced me into their Black Maria vehicle. They beat me up and collected my bag, which contained my iPhone XR, over N20,000, and my house key.

“That night, they arrested innocent people, took me to the Lion Building, and then transferred us to Elemoro Police Station, Area J. They ordered a bus to pick us up and take us to Osun State, including people living with disabilities and a lot of traders in all kinds of businesses in Lagos.

“We were about 500 that they arrested. The bus dropped us at a forest in Ilesha, asked us to enter the bush, and they vowed to kill anyone who did not cooperate. We stayed in the forest for thirty minutes before we came out. We were begging people to help us until we got to the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway; it was the sibling of one of us who came to rescue us,” Chukwu narrated.

A job seeker, Arius Awodeji, who identified himself as a Lagos resident, said they were deceived that they were heading to Ikeja to see the governor, but surprisingly found themselves in the forest.

“I am still searching for a new job. I decided to stay in the Marina with my friends. On Thursday, I went to watch a football match, so I decided to rest at the Local Government council, in the front of Oando filling station. Then, I slept off with my bag on my head as I was still searching for a job. Around 2:42 am, I checked the time, and I saw three flashlights pointed at my eyes.

“We stayed up all night without being fed. Around 10:30 p.m., they brought luxury buses to pick us up, and they gave us a pack of rice and a sachet of water. Around 4:30 a.m., we had already got to Osun State.


“They instructed everyone to alight and run into the bush without looking back, so we would not end up being shot. We found it hard to locate our way back because we were trekking, but I was fortunate to see someone who helped me with a lift to Ibadan,” Awodeji said.

Another victim, Peter Ocheja, said he was arrested unjustly on his way to work, and he had no choice but to follow the directives of the task force in the Osun forest because of the fear of being harmed.

“I am based in Onikan, Lagos. I was going to work in the morning and saw the task force officials and police officers in Black Maria. They asked me to enter the vehicle. I told them that I should call my family, but they refused and said it would be until I got to where I was going.

“They threatened that they would waste our lives if we did not cooperate with them. We were taken to Ilesha in Osun State. We got there around 4 a.m.. So, they asked us to alight while flogging us and instructed us to walk towards the forest. They said they would shoot anyone who dared look back,” Ocheja said.

Meanwhile, the Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, said his Lagos State, Babjide Sanwo-Olu, had told him that he didn’t authorise the repatriation of youths believed to be indigenes of Osun to their state of origin from Lagos.

Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson for Adeleke, said in a statement on Monday that the governor urged his Lagos State counterpart to look into the matter and put an end to the incident.

Adeleke’s reaction came on the heels of a report of several luxury buses seen dropping off hundreds of youths at various points in the Ilesa area of the state from various parts of Lagos State.

The statement said, “I spoke with my brother, Governor Sanwo-Olu, on the matter. He too was surprised, and he denied ever authorising any such action. Governor Sanwo-Olu has promised an immediate investigation to unravel the facts of the situation. The Lagos team will update us as quickly as possible.

“I am subsequently directing our security agencies in Osun to mount surveillance in and around Ilesa to track the deported youths and their destinations. I will update our people on this development. I urge residents to be calm while the security agencies carry out surveillance.”

Omotoso did not pick up his phone when our correspondent dialled his mobile number to comment on Adeleke’s statement as of the time this report was filed.

The Lagos State Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, has cautioned ‘woke Nigerians’ against provoking armed persons.

In a statement on X.com on Monday, he emphasized the importance of prioritising safety.

Hundeyin warned against challenging or daring an armed person to shoot or attempt to disarm an armed person.

He stressed that such actions never end well, anywhere in the world.

He wrote, “Ladies and gentlemen, especially the woke generation, for your safety, please stop challenging/daring an armed person to shoot, asking an armed person, daringly, how many people he/she can kill or attempting to disarm an armed person.

“It never pans out well. Nowhere in the world does it. A shot once fired can never be retrieved. A life once lost can never be brought back.

“Remember, one with gun is majority.

“Note: This is not about armed police officers only. This is about any armed person, security forces, or criminals.”

dangermouse:
Are you not a man?

If you are one then avenge your mum.

For there is a season and time for everything under the sun..

It is obvious you can't get justice legally.

Sharpsharp00123:
Na dem dem

Always causing trouble anywhere they go n if the locals should retaliate they will start blackmailing them by shouting xenophobia

Imagine having the mind to do rubbish in another man’s land n u won’t want him to talk,as in some people get mind ooo

No time now they will start tagging Kenya xenophobic when those ones wake up to their madness

The same way they are blackmailing South Africans now