News
Ogun at war with ex-gov Daniel’s wife over plaza demolition
The Ogun State Government said it took proactive measures by partially pulling down DATKEM Plaza, Ijebu Ode, said to be owned by Mrs Olufunke Daniel, the wife of the state’s former governor, Otunba Gbenga Daniel.
The government called the plaza an illegal structure without an approved plan and added that it contravened the state’s physical planning laws.
In a Sunday statement signed by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Physical Planning and Urban Development, Olayiwola Abiodun, the government said the structure violated the building codes of the state with numerous defects.
He said several efforts made by the state government to halt further development on site were ignored by the developers.
He said government officials requested the structural engineer in charge of the building to assess the structural equilibrium of the building, a request that was ignored.
According to the PS, what the government did in partially pulling down the defective building was to be proactive.
He further challenged the owners of the structure to produce evidence of government approval in their possession.
A lawyer for the former governor’s wife, Mr Adeyinka Kotoye (SAN), said the state government on Sunday morning ignored the relevant court papers served on them on September 7, 2023, not to go ahead with the vandalisation and demolition of DATKEM Plaza belonging to the former first lady.
Kotoye disclosed in a Sunday statement issued that the vandalisation was carried out by some suspected political thugs who were alleged to have operated in the building under the shield of some police officers from 3 am to about 5:30 am Sunday morning.
But the permanent secretary said that the building lacked stage certification, which is usually issued at every stage of construction.
He also said that owners were served the necessary notices, including abatement, contravention, stop work, and demolition, between May and October 2022, which were ignored.
He explained that DATKEM Enterprises Limited applied to construct an office complex located along Ibadan Road, Ijebu Ode, in 2009 with registration number CB/05/299/2009.
“The proposal was for five (5) floors with an airspace of three metres at the right, five metres at the left, and five metres at the rear, and a setback of 32.5516 metres to the middle of Ijebu Ode/Ibadan Road, Ijebu-Ode.
“The Zonal Town Planning Office observed during routine monitoring that the construction on site did not conform to the plan granted as there was a deviation from the airspace and setbacks.
“In addition, the building had been modified and enlarged with an additional-storey building at the back, thereby becoming over-density.
“In view of the above, the following actions were taken:
“Contravention Notice with Serial No. 0106983 was served on May 24, 2022. The Stop Work Order with Serial No. 000623 was served on May 24, 2022.
“Another Stop Work Order with Serial No. 001065 was served on July 22, 2022, when the first notice was ignored.
“Demolition Notice with Serial No. 0007549 was served on October 11, 2022, and Notice to Seal with Serial No. 000815 was served on October 4, 2022,” it read.
The statement noted further that despite all these notices, the developer was recalcitrant and continued with the construction work.
“This prompted the re-sealing of the site on August 1, 2023. However, the sealing did not stop the developer from further construction as work continued on the site.
“However, the developer wrote an appeal for unsealing, which was considered so as to evacuate the belongings on the premises. Thereafter, a quit notice with Serial No. 0030750 was served on August 31, 2023.
“In view of the above, since the developer had remained recalcitrant, the Zonal Town Planning Office’s recommendation for the demolition of the office building was upheld,” the statement added.
The state government reiterated its avowed commitment to ensure the safety of its citizens, adding that any defective buildings in any part of the state will be demolished to safeguard the lives of the people.
Kotoye said PAGE Law is a legal firm representing Mrs Olufunke Daniel over the demolition of the said complex.
Daniel’s wife, while speaking through her lawyer in a statement titled “Vandalisation/Demolition/Executive Recklessness of Ogun State Government”, said that agents of the state government in the early hours of Sunday demolished DAKTEM Plaza belonging to her.
The statement explained that “this matter began when the Ogun State Planning and Development Authority sealed the building on August 31, 2023, asking the owner to vacate the premises within three days.
However, we were shocked and astonished that the state government ignored the ongoing legal process and went ahead to demolish the complex in the early hours of Sunday. We want to believe that the advice of the Attorney General on this matter was ignored.”
Daniel, according to his lawyer, declared that, as a law-abiding citizen, he would continue to seek redress in court until justice was served.
The statement read, “We want to believe that Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun, was not informed of this act of illegality, but if he was informed and decided to use the instrument of the state against our clients, it is nothing but executive recklessness, but we shall continue to fight for justice.”
However, the project manager and developer, Olusegun Lawal, said in a statement that the construction of the building started in 2009 with full approval from the relevant authorities.
Lawal revealed that the excuses given by the government are not tenable, insisting there was zero contravention as far as the building of the project was concerned.
It was also gathered that a notice of demolition of the five-storey building was given to the property owners three days ago, leaving them with very little time to respond or challenge the decision.
The project manager also clarified that there are no single structural defects in the building.
Speaking to one of our correspondents on Sunday, Kotoye, who confirmed the demolition, said that they had filed an action in court last Thursday and on the same day served the court processes to the state government.
He said that though the matter before the court had not been heard, they made sure the court processes were served on them.
Kotoye added that “the only reply we got from them after serving them the court papers was the conduct of 3 am this morning.”
Sowunmi’s open letter
A former governorship aspirant on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 general elections in Ogun State, Chief Segun Sowunmi, wrote an open letter to President Bola Tinubu on Sunday. He alleged that the state was safer under former President Muhammad Buhari, a Daura man, and unsafe under Tinubu, a Yoruba man.
Sowunmi, who was reacting to the demolition of DATKEM Plaza, said the action of Governor Dapo Abiodun was unbecoming.
The letter read partly, “The body language of President Tinubu seems to be in support of actions Prince Dapo Abiodun has taken in Ogun State.
“If no one will tell you, I will. Your body language is making us feel very unsafe in Ogun State.
“What type of gangsterism do we call this? President Bola Tinubu, you are enabling Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State. We keep reporting him, but what we see is that the more we report him, the more you pamper him with access to you. It was funny how he made the trip to India coming on the heels of the allegation of a local government chairman about interference with local government funds.
“Will Ogun now feel safer under President Buhari, a Daura man, and unsafe under a Yoruba man? If no one will tell you, I will. Your body language is making us feel very unsafe in Ogun State.
“Dapo Abiodun got his thugs to attack me in the premises of a court, and then he shamefully removed Wale Adedayo based on a serious allegation of diversion of local government funds. Now a sitting senator has to deal with this?
“President Bola Tinubu, is this the type of thing you stand for, or am I dreaming?
“The likes of Dapo Abiodun, who are profiting from a democratic struggle that took so many lives, cannot be allowed to rubbish what is ideal behaviour and conduct in democracy.
“Mr President, in our Yoruba language, ‘Dundu Dapo Abiodun n’lata Ju.’ (Dapo Abiodun’s actions are getting extremely overbearing.)
“The powers and privileges of a governor cannot and should not be so total that a president will be unable to save the people.”
Reacting, a senior aide to Abiodun, who pleaded for anonymity, said, “Though I am not a spokesperson for Mr President, if Sowunmi is reacting to what happened in Ijebu Ode today, then it’s very unfortunate that he will be supporting illegality.
“It’s not Prince Dapo Abiodun that did the demolition, nor was he that ordered its demolition; the Ministry of Urban and Physical Planning has been on this for so many years. Do we then sit down and allow what happened in Ikorodu and other areas like that to happen in Ogun State before action is taken?
“The law is no respecter of anybody; the lives of every resident of this state are very precious to the government, so the action by the ministry is to forestall any calamity.
“So we are unperturbed by what Sowunmi is saying or writing. What is paramount is for the government to serve its people with diligence and utmost sincerity.”
The Federal Commissioner representing Kaduna State at the National Population Commission (NPC), Hon. Sa’adatu Garba Dogonbauchi, has presented letters of permanent and pensionable appointment to three youths drawn from different local government areas of the state.
The presentation, according to a statement issued by Dogonbauchi, is aimed at expanding employment opportunities for young people and supporting youth empowerment in line with the Federal Government’s development objectives.
The beneficiaries are Shamsuddeen Abdulaziz Bagi from Igabi Local Government Area, Abdulfatah Abdulwakil from Kaduna South Local Government Area, and Aisha Adamu from Birnin Gwari Local Government Area.
Speaking during the presentation, Dogonbauchi described the appointments as more than an administrative exercise, saying they provide beneficiaries with an opportunity to build sustainable careers in public service while improving their economic prospects and contributing to national development.
She said the initiative aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises employment generation, economic empowerment and improved living standards for Nigerians.
The NPC commissioner expressed appreciation to President Tinubu for the opportunity to serve and represent Kaduna State, pledging to continue supporting programmes that create opportunities for young people and strengthen public institutions.
She also acknowledged Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Speaker of the House of Representatives Abbas Tajudeen, and Hon. James Abiodun Faleke for their support, which she said contributed to her appointment and service.
Dogonbauchi urged the new employees to discharge their duties with discipline, integrity and professionalism, while adhering to public service rules and serving as worthy representatives of their communities.
She congratulated the beneficiaries and encouraged them to justify the confidence reposed in them through excellence, accountability and dedication to public service.
Hon. Obi Aguocha, member representing Ikwuano/Umuahia North/Umuahia South Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, is facing mounting criticism and backlash over his video in which he is seen singing and vibing to a sexually vulgar and demeaning song against women.
In the video, which is currently making the rounds online and in Ikwuano/Umuahia WhatsApp groups, Aguocha is clearly seen singing and enjoying the Ogele cultural song, whose lyrics reduce women to objects of sexual gratification.
The footage was reportedly recorded at a public gathering that had families in attendance, including children, a detail that has intensified the backlash.
The song, performed in the Ogele cultural music tradition associated with communities in Abia State, has sparked outrage among women and women’s groups who say the lyrics are not just vulgar but deeply degrading.
“This is not culture. This is humiliation dressed in tradition,” said Mrs. Ngozi Ibe, a women’s leader in Umuahia North. “We have watched the video. The words used against women in that song are not the kind of thing any serious leader should be associated with. A lawmaker representing our constituency should be defending our dignity, not promoting content that strips women of it.”
Another woman, a trader in Umuahia South who identified herself simply as Madam Grace, said the video had caused deep anger among market women.
“We heard about it and we watched it. Many of us were shocked. You cannot claim to represent women and then be seen singing and vibing to a song where women are being insulted in the most vulgar way. We are not laughing. We are insulted,” she said.
A coalition of women’s groups in the constituency, under the aegis of the Ikwuano/Umuahia Concerned Women’s Forum, also issued a statement condemning the video.
“The lyrics go beyond ordinary expressions of affection. They employ vulgar sexual references that reduce women to objects and make our sexuality the subject of degrading entertainment. For a serving federal lawmaker to be seen actively singing and enjoying such content is a serious indictment on his judgment and his respect for the women he claims to represent,” the group said.
The women’s forum also expressed concern over the presence of children at the event.
“What message does it send to our children when a leader they look up to is seen celebrating a song that reduces women to sexual objects? This is not the kind of example we should be setting for the next generation,” the statement added.
“Ogele is our heritage. But heritage is not a licence for vulgarity. Culture should uplift, not humiliate. We call on Hon. Aguocha to explain his involvement in this video and to apologise to the women and families of Ikwuano/Umuahia,” the group said.
The controversy raises questions about the judgment expected of a public officeholder and the appropriateness of associating with content that many women and families could reasonably find offensive and humiliating.
Aguocha has not responded to requests for comment as of press time.
News
National Assembly Receives Proposals for New LGAs as Lagos Seeks 37, Akwa Ibom Missing from Lis
The National Assembly has reportedly received proposals for the creation of additional local government areas (LGAs) across Nigeria, with Lagos State seeking 37 new councils, while Akwa Ibom State is conspicuously missing from a published list of submissions.
The proposals, according to a report by The Insight Lens Project, cover various communities across the country’s six geopolitical zones and reflect demands for administrative restructuring, improved grassroots representation and better access to government services.
However, the complete list of submissions has not been independently verified, and the proposals do not constitute approval for the creation of new local government areas.
In the North-East, the reported requests include Bidoma and Michika South in Adamawa State, Boi-Tapshin in Bauchi, Banki in Borno, Cham in Gombe, Gudi in Yobe and Wukari in Taraba State.
In the North-West, the proposed areas reportedly include locations in Jigawa, Piriga in Kaduna, Dankama in Katsina, as well as Moriki and other communities in Zamfara State.
The North-Central zone also features in the reported submissions, with proposals covering Agasha and other communities in Benue State, alongside several areas in Kogi, Kwara, Nasarawa, Niger and Plateau states.
In the South-East, the list includes Abiriba in Abia State, proposed councils around Obosi in Anambra State, several communities in Ebonyi State and numerous proposed local government areas in Imo State.
The South-West proposals reportedly include Eso-Obe and Gbonyin in Ekiti State, Ogijo and other areas in Ogun State, as well as additional proposed councils in Osun and Oyo states.
Lagos State stands out with a reported request for 37 new local government areas, although the published report did not provide the names and proposed boundaries of all the councils.
In the South-South, the reported proposals include Akassa and other communities in Bayelsa State, Ughievwen in Delta State, several areas in Edo State, and Ataba, Evo and Alesa in Rivers State.
Cross River State is also listed, with proposed councils around Mbube and Calabar. Akwa Ibom State, however, has no clearly identified entry in the published list, raising questions about whether the state submitted proposals or was omitted from the report.
Constitutional Requirements
The creation of new local government areas is governed by Section 8 of the 1999 Constitution of Nigeria, which prescribes a series of procedures involving consultations, a referendum, legislative approval and the submission of relevant records to the National Assembly.
The constitutional process must be completed before newly created councils can be recognised and reflected in the relevant constitutional schedules.
Consequently, proposals submitted by states or communities do not automatically translate into legally recognised local government areas.
The reported development comes amid broader constitutional review efforts by the National Assembly. In October 2025, the legislature reported receiving 278 requests for additional local government areas and 55 proposals for the creation of new states.
Nevertheless, the specific state-by-state submissions contained in the latest published list, including Lagos State’s reported demand for 37 additional councils and the absence of Akwa Ibom, remain subject to confirmation through official National Assembly records.
The proposals, if confirmed, could reopen discussions on administrative boundaries, grassroots governance and the constitutional procedures required for the creation of additional local government areas in Nigeria.
By Okey Maduforo, Awka
The Mayor of Onitsha North Local Government Area of Anambra State, Ezennia Emelie Ibekwe, has issued a stern warning to traders and residents against indiscriminate dumping of refuse and blockage of drainage channels, threatening sanctions against those who fail to comply with sanitation directives.
Ibekwe, who handed down the warning during an inspection of Ajasa Market, expressed displeasure over the deteriorating environmental conditions in parts of the commercial city, describing the situation as unacceptable and detrimental to healthy living and business activities.
During the inspection, the Mayor observed that refuse and other waste materials generated from market activities were being dumped into drainage channels, obstructing the free flow of water and exposing traders, residents and their properties to flooding.
“This practice contributes to flooding whenever it rains, putting traders, residents and their properties at risk.
“An environment of this nature is not conducive to business and healthy living. It does not speak well of a commercial city that houses one of the largest markets in sub-Saharan Africa,” he stated.
Consequently, Ibekwe directed traders and other persons responsible for the blocked drainage channels to ensure their immediate clearance, giving them until the following day to comply.
He further announced that he would return to the market for another inspection to ascertain the level of compliance with the directive.
“People should be alive to their responsibilities by ensuring a clean and healthy environment. Government alone cannot handle this effectively without the active participation of residents and traders.
“I am going to come back here to see what you have done,” he warned.
The Mayor stressed that the sanitation directive was not restricted to Ajasa Market but extended to all markets within Onitsha North Local Government Area.
He consequently charged market leaders to take responsibility for enforcing environmental sanitation regulations within their respective markets, warning that the council would no longer tolerate practices capable of worsening flooding and environmental degradation.
“It is not only Ajasa Market but all the markets in Onitsha North Local Government Area. Market leaders should ensure that this directive is not compromised,” Ibekwe declared.
The Speaker of the Cross River State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Elvert Ayambem, has commissioned a community market in Afi, Ikom II State Constituency, as part of his commitment to sustainable development and improved living conditions in rural communities.
The project, facilitated and completed by the Speaker, was identified as one of the priority needs of the community following consultations by the Constituency Needs Assessment Team established by Ayambem to evaluate infrastructure and identify projects that would directly benefit the people.
The team was mandated to identify critical infrastructure capable of improving the livelihoods of residents and promoting sustainable economic growth across the constituency.
According to community members, the absence of a suitable trading environment had been a major challenge for years, forcing traders to conduct business under harsh weather conditions, including rain and intense sunshine.
Speaking on behalf of the community, the village head, Chief Etta Ekawor, commended Ayambem for the intervention, describing the market as a miracle and a blessing that would transform the fortunes of the people.
In his remarks, Ayambem expressed appreciation to the Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Edet Otu, for his continued support for people-oriented projects and development initiatives across rural communities in the state.
He also thanked the people for their patience, support for his leadership and commitment to the All Progressives Congress (APC).
The Speaker was accompanied by the member representing Yala I State Constituency, Hon. Brian Odey; the Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Maurice Ndome; and the Assistant Financial Secretary of the APC in Cross River State, Hon. Akanya Agbor.
Other stakeholders from Nde Ward who attended the commissioning included the former Vice Chairman of Ikom Local Government Area, Hon. Asinya Ntan, and the Community Relations Officer, Hon. Abang Neji.
Matthew Okache
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker
October 22, 2026
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