Governor David Umahi of Ebonyi State has said that the South East governors, Ohanaeze Ndigbo and other important persons in the zone were making efforts for Nnamdi Kanu to be released from detention as soon as possible.
Umahi said this during the 2021 harvest, thanksgiving and bazaar of the Father Ejike Mbaka’s Adoration Ministry, Enugu Nigeria (AMEN), held in Enugu on Sunday, October 24, 2021.
He used the opportunity to plead with Father Mbaka not to say anything against Nigerian President, Muhammadu Buhari, when he visits the South East.
Umahi donated thirty million naira (₦30 million), 200 yams and 100 bags of rice during the thanksgiving service.
He advised Nigerian leaders to provide good governance to the masses who elected them.
Governor Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi of Enugu State and other dignitaries were present at the occasion.
Telecommunication subscribers are clamouring for a two-month extension of the October 31 deadline for National Identity Number-Subscriber Identity Module data verification.
The President of National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, highlighted the need to further extend the deadline of the SIM-NIN exercise to allow for the full implementation of the security policy.
He said, “We have been at it for close to one year now. They started by giving a six-week deadline, and on and on till March, then June, and now October 31.
“In view of the current security situation, which necessitated the policy, we want the deadline to be extended to the end of the year, so that from January 1, there won’t be any excuse. But I also would want a situation where subscribers should take advantage of the remaining days left in this window.”
According to Ogunbanjo, registration centres for NIN are now jam-packed because the deadline is about to expire.
“Unfortunately, the centres are now jam-packed. I was at one on Friday. Another two months won’t be bad. We are pleading for a two-month extension – November and December – so that full implementation of the security policy can start in January,” he said.
Speaking on the number of registrations, he said about 60 million unique subscribers had linked their SIMs to their NIN.
Ogunbanjo said, “According to Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria, they said they had done close to 60-something million. And there are over 110 to 118 million unique subscribers. There is a need for an extension to cover everyone. Whoever doesn’t register afterwards by end of December would have themselves to blame.”
When asked if the date for the SIM-NIN linkage would be extended, a source in the NCC told one of our correspondents, “What I know is that the deadline is there. There has not been any statement yet on whether it would be reviewed or not.”
The Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Umar Danbatta, had recently disclosed that over 180 million telephone lines had been linked to NINs.
Since the SIM-NIN policy came into effect, telecommunications companies have lost over 18.58 million subscribers after the total number of subscribers peaked at 207,578,237 in October 2020.
The NCC, in a recent radio broadcast, said the October 31 deadline for SIM-NIN linkage was sacrosanct.
According to the NCC, Nigerians without NIN will be denied the opportunity of acquiring driving licences and passports.
“Soon, people without NIN will be denied of necessary services that play vital roles in their lives including acquisition of driving licence, passport,” NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, had said.
Reacting, the President of the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, Ikechukwu Nnamani, said, “When we check how many people have been registered and see if we’ve met the target, if it does it may not extend. If it doesn’t, they may not. It all depends on the analysis of the target. This analysis would be done a few days before the expiration of the deadline.”
Also, a source in ALTON, said, “We think so, there should be an extension. Because there is still a long way to go. There are only about 81 million unique subscribers that have been confirmed. And there are about 187 million subscribers.
“Because of the NIN-SIM exercise, there has been a loss of subscribers. However, the NIMC still has capacity issues, as they cannot absorb everyone and need to expand their capacity. They need to expand their capacity. Based on the telecom ban in some states, there is hope for an extension. Otherwise, the people there would be disenfranchised. We as an association are also pushing for an extension.”
The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission grilled a former Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Anyim Pius Anyim, in connection with the ongoing probe of a former Aviation Minister, Senator Stella Oduah.
Anyim, it was learnt, was grilled on Sunday for several hours in connection with the fund which was traced to a company in which he was a director.
The former senate president reportedly arrived at the EFCC office in the afternoon on Sunday and was quizzed for over six hours.
Sources said Anyim, who is still in custody late on Sunday night, may be detained till Monday.
This is coming days after Oduah was named in the Pandora Papers as one of 10 Nigerians hiding their wealth in tax havens.
The EFCC is believed to have commenced a probe of Oduah and others named in the report.
A source said, “Anyim’s invitation and interrogation is in connection with a case of money laundering involving a former Aviation Minister and serving senator, Senator Stella Oduah.
”Investigations revealed that part of the aviation ministry’s N780 million was traced to a company in which Senator Anyim has an interest. He is presently cooperating with investigators.”
The Head of Media and Publicity of EFCC, Mr Wilson Uwujaren, said he had no information on Anyim’s detention.
The Ebonyi State Police Command yesterday confirmed the death of a member of suspected Hoodlums who attacked the Unwana Police Division in Afikpo Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, PPRO DSP Loverth Odah and made available to EveryDay News said that the attackers invaded the police division ta about 3am Sunday, 24th October 202.
She stated that the yet to be identified gunmen suspected to be members of proscribed IPOB/ESN numbering about thirty-five (35) attacked Unwana Divisional Headquarters in Afikpo North Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.
According to her, the attackers on arriving the division started shooting sporadically at the policemen on duty, who immediately repelled them, in the gun battle that ensued.
“One (1) of the hoodlums was killed and two AK47 rifles/other incriminating items were recovered while others escaped with bullet wound injuries”.
She noted that regrettably, one Police Inspector attached to the Division was fatally wounded(Shot Dead) adding that the Police Facility/Operational vehicles are intact and we’re not destroyed.
DSP Odah stated that the Commissioner of Police Ebonyi State Command, CP Aliyu Garba has embarked on, and on the spot assessment of the Division and has also ordered a manhunt on the fleeing hoodlums.
She stated that the CP has appealed to law-abiding citizens of the State to promptly volunteer useful information that will assist the Command in the investigation.
DSP Odah further started that preliminary investigation revealed that the deceased suspect had been on the police wanted list for various attacks on police stations adding that one of the recovered AK-47 rifles has been identified to be the rifle stolen from Ohaukwu Police Division early this month.
Meanwhile, residents of the area said that apart from the police Inspector who was shot dead, 2 others sustained various degrees of injuries.
They noted that there has been palpable fear in the community following the unfortunate attack by the hoodlums. Ends.
Some of the abducted students of Govt Science Secondary School, Kankara (Photo: KSG)
The Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court is set to investigate the numerous cases of abduction of Nigerian school children, especially in its northern region following a petition filed by the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project.
The investigation is set to begin after the Prosecutor gets authorisation from the Pre-Trial Chamber of the court which will focus on the persistent failure of Nigerian authorities at both the federal and state levels to bring an end to the abductions.
This was made known in a statement signed by Deputy Director, SERAP, Kolawole Oluwadare on Sunday which said, “The severe and lifelong harms that result from depriving children the right to education satisfy the gravity of harm threshold under the Rome Statute.”
According to the statement, SERAP had sent in the petition in September 2021 to the ICC prosecutor, Mr Karim A. A. Khan, and received a response from the Head of the Information and Evidence Unit, Mark P. Dillon, on behalf of the ICC Prosecutor.
“By this decision, the ICC prosecutor has taken a significant step toward ensuring that those suspected to be responsible for grave crimes against Nigerian schoolchildren are exposed, and held to account.
“The victims of these crimes deserve justice. Impartial justice and reparation will deal a decisive blow to impunity of perpetrators, and improve access of Nigerian children to education. SERAP will work closely with the ICC to achieve these important objectives,” Oluwadare said in the statement.
Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, has sacked two lecturers found guilty of sexually harassing their students.
This decision was made during the 98th meeting of the Governing Council of the Polytechnic which was held on Saturday.
The dismissed lecturers are Musa Baba Abubakar of the General Studies Department and Adebusoye Michael Sunday of the Nutrition and Dietetics Department.
The PUNCH reports that a Human Rights Organization, Prison Inmate Development, had, in a letter of complaint addressed to the Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Ministry of Justice through the Director, Public Prosecution of the Ministry, Bauchi, and signed by Japhet Ikita, alleged that the management of the Federal Polytechnic Bauchi was trying to cover up Baba who is “adjudged a serial rapist, sexual harasser and intimidator of female students in the institution without making it public for prosecution.”
The letter which was dated October 7, 2021, was titled, ‘Emergency: PIDI-Nigeria condemns concealment of rape, sexual harassment and intimidation of two female students by Abubakar Baba, a lecturer and the Management of Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi’.
He said, “That the lecturer, having defiled one 17-year-old female student was caught red-handed by the Rector of the school. He has been accused of sexually molesting many female students and forcing himself on them.
“That for emphasis sake, he was perhaps not ready to stop without applying any form of the big stick, when he was caught red-handed, pardoned and his colleagues apologized to the school management.”
Ikita quoted Baba’s victims as saying: “He took a knife and threatened me that if I don’t agree to have sex with him, he will injure me. I was very scared, then he came close to me, used his hands and pulled down my clothes by the waist side leaving the rest of my clothes and raped me; there was blood and it was my first time”.
He said that the victim who spoke to the organization in confidence said she lost her virginity to Baba in 2016 when she was 17 years old adding that she lodged her complaint to the Head of the Department of Mass Communication verbally, and she was directed to put it in writing, but nothing was done in that regard to date as we understood.
The Human Rights Activist alleged that the victim was scared by the threat of the school management not to inform her parents or guardians and not to grant audience or approach to any authority.
He further alleged that the school management withdrew the case from the Police station at “D Division” Yelwa, claiming to set a committee for the investigation of the matter within three weeks which elapsed last week of September 2021.
But addressing journalists at the end of the meeting which lasted for several hours, the Rector, Arc. Yahaya Gumau, denied the allegations that the school management was trying to cover up the matters and the erring lecturers.
He said, “I welcome you to witness the final verdict of all that have been making waves in the media concerning the issue of our staff who was reported to have been allegedly involved in rape, Abubakar Musa Baba.
“But what surprises me the most is that it is only his own name that is being mentioned. The other lecturer’s name was silent in the media, I don’t know the reason or the rationale behind it.
He continued, “This issue of Musa Baba, came up on August 3, 2021. The extant rule of the Polytechnic is that, if an issue of this magnitude happens, the complainant has to write. And immediately when she wrote, the Registrar, that very evening, was in my house with her HOD.
“I directed that the staff be queried which was the next line of action as per the extant rules of our institution as provided by the federal government. But when his reply was not satisfactory, we established a committee to investigate that matter thoroughly to its logical conclusion.”
He added that: “After the committee submitted its report, the next authority that should have looked into the issue is the Sub-Committee of the Council. And the Council normally meet quarterly. This issue happened after the last council and it was the next meeting that would decide on the case.
“The Senior Staff Appointment, Promotion and Disciplinary Committee met and invited the suspect. We cross-examined him and made our recommendations to the Council.
“The Council today, has finally, approved the dismissal of Abubakar Musa Baba from the service of the Polytechnic, Bauchi. Also, Adebusoye Michael Sunday is dismissed from the services of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi with effect from Saturday on a similar case. That is the decision of the Council on these issues.”
The Rector said that the two ladies (victims), have military backgrounds noting that, “the case of Musa Baba, the student involved, her father is a military man”, adding that “this second one also, her sister who was financing her, is a military personnel and she was the one who gave her the clue on how to go about the case.”
He said that the issue has been treated to its logical conclusion, stressing that “the Council of the Federal Polytechnic, Bauchi, in its 98th sitting, has finally, dismissed these two staff.”
Gumau said that the dismissal letters of the erring lecturers would be handed to the Police and the Department of State Service who assisted the institution on the matter, for subsequent submission to them.
Security forces in Colombia have captured Dairo Antonio Usuga, the country’s most-wanted drug trafficker.
Better known as Otoniel, the leader of the Autodefensas Gaitanistas de Colombia or the Gulf Clan, was captured on Saturday in a rural area in the Uraba region, Aljazeera reports.
President Ivan Duque hailed Otoniel’s capture as a victory, likening it to the arrest of the notorious Colombian drug kingpin, Pablo Escobar, three decades ago.
“This is the biggest blow against drug trafficking in our country this century,” Duque said during a news conference. “This hit is only comparable to the fall of Pablo Escobar in the 1990s.”
The Colombian president said his government was working on extraditing Otoniel, most likely to the United States, where he was first indicted in 2009 in a Manhattan federal court on drug trafficking charges.
The 50-year-old also faces criminal charges in Brooklyn and Miami in the US on charges of “operating continuing criminal enterprises, participating in international cocaine trafficking conspiracies and using firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking crimes”.
Enugu based tailor who was kidnapped at Lokoanta while returning from Abajas been released.
A close source confirmed the payment of N2 million ransom by the family.
Simply identified as Uzoma, the tailor was kidnapped by hoodlums suspected to be Fulani herdsmen.
The tailor who is also a member of the Coal City Keep Fit Club was said to be returning from a business trip to Aba when the commercial bus in which they were travelling was way-layed.
Our source narrated how the hoodlums found it difficult to open the back door of the bus.
This was said to be happening at about 8:pm at the popular Lokpa Nta, Hausa settlement.
Their plans of picking up more victims from the bus was thus scuttled and they decided to take the only passenger in the front sit of the bus which happened to be the tailor.
EverydayNews gathered that this incident happened on Thursday.
It was also gathered that the kidnappers have established contact with the family in Enugu.
They reporters have reportedly spoken with the victim’s wife and are demanding a ransom of N2m.
The Federal Government can save over N241bn if the Stephen Oronsaye report on public sector reforms is implemented, Sunday PUNCH has learnt.
The Oronsaye report, which was submitted in 2011, stated that there were 541 Federal Government parastatals, commissions and agencies (statutory and non-statutory).
The report added that 263 of the statutory agencies should be reduced to 161,38 agencies should be abolished while 52 agencies should be merged.
It further recommended that 14 agencies should revert to departments in ministries.
For instance, the report recommended the abolition of the Federal Character Commission. The PUNCH estimates that the government will save at least N3.6bn in allocated to this commission in the 2022 budget if the report is implemented.
About N814.4m will be saved if the same action is taken on the Fiscal Responsibility Commission.
The report further recommended that the law establishing the National Salaries and Wages Commission be repealed and its functions taken over by the Revenue Mobilisation and Fiscal Responsibility Commission. This is expected to save the government N2bn.
The Oronsaye report advised the government to merge the nation’s top three anti-corruption agencies- the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission and the Code of Conduct Bureau.
The average the government is expected to save from the merger amounts to at least N31.5bn.
The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission is expected to be subsumed under the Bureau of Public Enterprise, saving the government N1.9bn.
The Border Communities Development Agency is to be brought under the National Boundary Commission, saving the government N4.1bn.
The government was advised to stop funding recurrent expenditure of the National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies but maintain its capital funding. This will save the government N1.6bn.
The report recommended that the National Emergency Management Agency and the National Commission for Refugees be merged. This is expected to save the government N4.5bn.
The Nigerian Institute of Social and Economic Research is to stop receiving government funding but funded from a proposed National Research Development Fund. This is expected to save the government N1.6bn.
The National Directorate of Employment is expected to be amalgamated with the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria to form the National Agency for Job Creation and Empowerment. This should save the government N15.4bn on the average.
The law establishing the Federal Road Safety Corps is expected to be repealed and the agency reverting to the Highways Department of the Federal Ministry of Works while the personnel are to be absorbed by the Police Service Commission and Vehicle Inspection Office. This would save the government N50.8bn based on budget estimates.
The National Agency for the Control of AIDS will no longer be a stand alone agency but is expected to be subsumed into the Nigeria Centre for Disease Control. This will save the government N5.4bn.
The committee recommended that both the Hajj and Christian commissions should be abolished and government should stop sponsoring pilgrimages. Also, the government was advised to stop granting concessionary foreign exchange to pilgrims. This could save the government N2.6bn.
Nigeria is expected to save N1bn if the Administrative Staff College of Nigeria and the Public Service Institute of Nigeria are merged.
The committee recommended that the Nigerian Communications Commission, National Broadcasting Commission and Nigerian Postal Service be merged into one entity known as the Communications Regulatory Authority of Nigeria. This could save the government N149.2bn.
Similarly, the committee recommended that the Nigerian Civil Aviation Authority, the Nigerian Air Space Management Agency and the Nigerian Meteorological Agency be merged into a body known as Federal Civil Aviation Authority. This could save the government N97.9bn.
The committee recommended that the Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria be fully privatised. This will save Nigeria at least N93.5bn in recurrent and capital expenditure going by FAAN’s 2022 budget.
The Nigerian Communication Satellite is expected to be fully privatised, thereby saving the government N9.2bn.
The National Examinations Council is expected to be brought under the West African Examination Council. This will save Nigeria of at least N16.1bn in recurrent and capital expenditure going by NECO’s 2022 budget.
The committee recommended a merger between the National Universities Commission, the National Board for Technical Education and the National Commission for Colleges of Education to form the Tertiary Education Commission. This should save the government N13bn.
The government was asked to stop bearing the recurrent cost of the National Open University of Nigeria. This ought to save the government N7.6bn.
The Nomadic Education Commission is expected to be abolished while the Universal Basic Education Commission takes over its responsibilities. This will save the government N1.4bn.
Similarly, the law establishing the Mass Literacy Council is expected to be repealed and its functions taken over by UBEC. This will save the government N1.1bn.
The National Oil Spill Detection and Response Agency is expected to be scrapped and its functions taken over by the Federal Ministry of Environment and the Department of Petroleum Resources. This is expected to reduce the cost of governance by N2.9bn.
The committee recommended that the National Environmental Standards and Regulations Enforcement Agency be scrapped and its duties transferred to the ministry of environment which could save the Federal Government N4.9bn.
It was recommeded that the Institute for Peace and Conflict Resolution should be scrapped and its functions transferred to the Department of Strategic Studies at the Nigerian Institute of International Affairs. This should save Nigeria N1bn.
The same recommendation was made for the Directorate of Technical Cooperation in Africa. This should reduce the cost of governance by N657.6m based on budget estimates.
The Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, Voice of Nigeria and the Nigerian Television Authority are expected to merge to form the Federal Broadcasting Corporation of Nigeria. This is expected to reduce the capital and overhead budget by N16.3bn.
The committee advised the government to abolish the Civil Defence, Immigration, Prisons Services Board while its functions relating to appointment, promotion and discipline be transferred to a proposed Federal Public Service Commission. This is expected to save the government N548.6m.
The law establishing the Nigerian Copyright Commission is expected to be repealed and its functions taken over by the Commercial Law Department of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment saving the government N1.4bn in overheads and capital.
The committee recommended that the National Productivity Centre be scrapped. It will reduce the cost of governance by N2.7bn.
The law establishing the National Steel Raw Materials Exploration Agency is expected to be scrapped thereby saving the government N1.5bn. The functions of the NSRMEA are expected to be taken over by the Nigerian Geological Survey Agency.
The government was advised to scrap the National Metallurgical Development Centre, Jos, and Metallurgical Training Institute, Onitsha which would jointly reduce the cost of governance by N2.3bn.
The committee recommended that the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund be merged.
Sunday PUNCH could not estimate how much could be saved since the budget of PEF is not made public. However, the budget for PPPRA is N18.9bn.
Also recommended was the repeal of the law establishing the Petroleum Technology Development Fund while the Nigerian Content Development and Monitoring Board is expected to take over its functions.
The Federal Ministry of Police Affairs is expected to be scrapped and its functions taken over by the Ministry of Special Duties. This is expected to save the government N4bn.
The committee called for the scrapping of the National Power Training Institute of Nigeria. This should save the country N1.6bn based on the 2022 budget estimates.
Similarly, the government was advised to abolish the National Rural Electrification Agency. This should save the government N115.9bn.
The National Centre for Technology Management is expected to be abolished, saving the government N1.1bn.
The National Council of Arts and Culture is expected to be merged with the National Troupe of Nigeria and the National Theatre. This would reduce the cost of governance by N2.3bn.
The committee recommended that the National Commission for Museums and Monuments be merged with the National Gallery of Art to form the National Commission for Museums, Monuments and Arts. This will save the government N4.3bn.
The Nigeria Institute for Hospitality and Tourism Development Studies is to be abolished and its functions taken over by the Nigerian Tourism Development Corporation. About N2.4bn is expected to be saved from this action.
The government was advised to close down all 774 offices of the National Orientation Agency and the functions of the NOA be taken over by the Public Communications Department in the Ministry of Information and Culture. This should reduce the cost of governance by at least N8.3bn.
The National Institute for Cultural Orientation is to be abolished, saving the government N2.8bn.
The Nigerian Export Promotion Council and the Nigerian Investment Promotion Commission are to be merged to form the Nigerian Import-Export Promotion Commission. This will save the government N1.5bn.
The Centre for Automotive Design and Development Council is to be scrapped, saving the N565.6m in recurrent and capital expenditures.
The Nigerian Export Processing Zone Authority is expected to take over the functions of the Oil and Gas Free Zones Authority, reducing the cost of governance by N3.6bn.
The government was advised to stop funding the recurrent expenditure of the Maritime Academy of Nigeria, Oron and limit itself to capital projects. This should save the government N1.9bn.
The committee asked the government to stop funding the Nigeria Football Federation as recommended by FIFA. This should save the government N1.3bn.
The committee recommended that the National Inland Waterways’ functions be taken over by the Nigerian Ports Authority. This should save the government N14bn in capital and recurrent expenditures.
Aside from asking 12 professional health bodies to stop receiving government funding but depend on subscriptions from members, another 20 professional and regulatory agencies were asked to stop receiving government funding.
The report further recommended that about 23 research institutes should draw funding from a proposed National Research and Development Fund and grants. This is expected to save the government at least N48.2bn.
The President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), had ordered that a committee be set up to look into the report and implement it in order to reduce the cost of governance in the face of a looming economic crisis occasioned by the drop in global oil prices.
The Federal Government, however, said workers would not be sacked. Nevertheless, the recommendations in the report have yet to be implemented.
Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has confirmed the death of two security agents in the state during the attack on a correctional facility in Oyo town.
The two security agents included a corporal of the Nigerian Army attached to Operation Burst, and an operative of Oyo State Security Network Agency also known as Amotekun Corps.
Gunmen attacked one of the facilities of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS), in Oyo State.
The correctional facility, which was named as Abolongo correctional center and located in Oyo town was attacked Friday evening.
The facility which was established in 2007 has the capacity to accommodate only 160 inmates, but was housing a total of 907 inmates when it was attacked.
It was gathered that the gunmen, during the attack set all the awaiting trial persons free.
Spokesman of Nigeria Correctional Service (NCS) in the State, Olanrewaju Anjorin, has said that a total of 262 awaiting trial persons have been recaptured.
He added that 575 inmates are still at large.
It was later gathered that a corporal with the Nigerian Army and an operative of Amotekun who were on duty lost their lives during the attack.
Another Amotekun operative, a female is currently at the University College Hospital receiving treatment.
It was gathered that the Amotekun operative is in a critical condition.
The state Governor, Seyi Makinde confirmed the death of the two security agents who died during the attack.
Makinde, while speaking called for calm.
He stated that security agencies in the state have been put on high alert.
Makinde, who stated this in a state broadcast aired on the Broadcasting Corporation of Oyo State (BCOS), Saturday night, said the government has directed the security agencies to deploy personnel to critical national assets within the state and to monitor all entrances and exit points across the state.
He said that he had earlier visited another Amotekun Corp, Shukurat Omoba, who was injured in the attack.
He added that the state is deploying all resources to ensure that she survives the situation, while also urging residents to join in prayers for her speedy recovery.
“I am addressing you today to update you about recent happenings affecting the security of our state. Last night, security operatives responded to a distress call about a jailbreak in the Abolongo Correctional Centre, Oyo town.
“The correctional facility had been attacked with explosives, and some inmates were set free. Our security men were ambushed. As a result, we lost two of our security agents – A corporal of the Nigerian Army attached to Operation Burst, and an Operative of the Oyo State Amotekun Corps.
“Aside from the two lives lost, we had several operatives injured. I must mention that one of our Amotekun female volunteers, Shukurat Omoba, is presently in critical condition.
“I have visited her at the hospital, and we are deploying all state resources to ensure that she survives this. Please, let us all join in prayer for her speedy and complete recovery.
“Although, some inmates have been recovered and taken back into custody, some are still at large. All security agencies have been placed on high alert to ensure that all that escaped are rearrested and returned to custody.
“I am, therefore, using this opportunity also to put the citizens on alert. There is no better time to repeat the call to action: if you see something, please say something. These criminals would want to go to areas where they will not be easily rearrested. If you spot any unexplained strangers in your community, please call the 615-security emergency number immediately, and make a report.
“I have directed the security agencies to deploy personnel to critical national assets within the state and to monitor all entrance and exit points across the state.”
