News

How Kingmakers Shun Court Order, Install Pastor Ghandi As New Soun Of Ogbomoso

Published

2 years ago

September 8, 2023

The Ogbomoso kingmakers on Friday began the process of performing the traditional rites on Prince Afolabi Olaoye as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.

Olaoye, a pastor and international businessman, arrived in Ogbomoso in the early hours of Friday to begin the process that will lead to his official installation.

Leading the kingmakers to perform the installation was the Areago of Ogbomoso, High Chief Sobalaje Otolorin.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Otolorin proclaimed Olaoye as His Imperial Majesty Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, the Orumogege III and the 30th Soun of Ogbomoso.

The position of Soun of Ogbomoso became vacant following the demise of Oba Jimoh Oyewumi, Ajagungbade III, in December 2021 at the age of 95 after reigning for 48 years.

Speaking on the development, the Mogaji of Laoye family, Prince Amos Olawole-Olaoye, said the new Soun is a recognised son of the family and entitled to the throne.

This pronouncement is however running against the argument of some that the new traditional ruler is not part of the process from the beginning.

NAN reports that the selection of a new Soun had since become a court issue.

The Chairman, Screening Committee for Laoye Ruling House in Ogbomoso, Abdulwahab Laoye, had said the family had not selected anybody to fill the vacant stool of Soun of Ogbomoso.

He dismissed as mere insinuations certain reports that someone had been selected.

Laoye said the ruling house had been dazed with the news that Ghandi Afolabi, who is a Pastor at the Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), had been selected.

“We did not select Ghandi and he is not among the 11 the screening committee selected out of 23 applicants.

“We do not want the matter to degenerate to the level of litigations. We scheduled a meeting for Feb. 23 and invited the council to observe.

“The council, however, hijacked the process from us and added another seven people based on the claims that they equally obtained the expression of interest form, thereby raising the number of the applicants to 18.”

However, a statement by the Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Olusegun Olayiwola, in Ibadan on Saturday had said the announcement followed the long-drawn processes specified under the law.

Olayiwola said: “His Excellency congratulates the new Soun-elect on his ascension to the throne of his forebears.”

The commissioner said the position has placed the traditional ruler-elect in the position to facilitate harmony, understanding and tolerance amongst his people.

He urged all sons and daughters of the ancient city of Ogbomoso to work with the new Soun of Ogbomoso to consolidate the successes of his forefathers.

Meanwhile, Olawole-Olaoye, who spoke on behalf of the kingmakers, said they did not receive any court injunction restraining them from installing Olaoye as Soun of Ogbomoso.

NAN reports that the Oyo State High Court in Ogbomoso had on Thursday issued an injunction.

It restrained the Governor, the Attorney General of the State and the Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters from installing Olaoye as Soun.

The court injunction also restrained government agents or officials from presenting any instrument of office in any form of ceremony or issuance of certificate of installation to Olaoye.

This, it said, should be until the final determination of the mandatory injunction already filed before the court
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News

Gombe Wins Northeast Quiz Competition On Legislature, Democracy

Published

6 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Gombe State has emerged as the winner at the 2025 North East Zonal Quiz Competition on legislature and democracy organised by the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS) for senior secondary schools across Northeast on Friday.

Speaking before the commencement of the 2025 edition of the zonal debate which focuses on the legislature, democracy and governance, the Director-General of NILDS, Prof. Abubakar Sulaiman, said the exercise was to deepen the knowledge of legislative and democratic governance among secondary school students and youth.

According to him, it was also to broaden their knowledge on the history, practice and procedure of the legislature and encourage deeper understanding of civic and democratic governance.

The competition, he added, would stimulate the interest of the young students in politics and make them more proactive in matters relating to the legislature and democracy.

He explained that enhancing the knowledge of young Nigerians in the legislature would not only foster an inclusive and participatory legislature in Nigeria but would also serve as an avenue for citizen engagement in the legislative process.

Represented by Mr Jeremiah Agada, NILDS Northeast Zonal Quiz Coordinator, Sulaiman added that the quiz competition would take place in all the six geo-political zones and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

“It is also to inspire young Nigerians to cultivate the interest to participate in legislative governance.

“This 10th edition of the competition is therefore the fourth time the competition has been held at the national level.

“As the 2025 NILDS Zonal quiz competition is declared open, I therefore urge all competing students and their teachers to abide by the rules of the game so that the desired objectives of the competition are achieved,” he said.

Also speaking, the Bauchi State’s Commissioner for Education, Dr Muhammed Lawal, said the exercise was a welcome development in the circle of education, adding that it was a ground where students in the zone could be tested among other students in the country.

“This will enable us to improve the quality of our delivery in our various schools to our teeming students across the zone.

“I want them to take it upon themselves that in an engagement like this, there is no loser. You put in your best, and if at the end of the day, you don’t make it up to the top, your efforts will be crowned.

“I hope this will be well covered because it will stimulate other schools to be part of and perform better so that they can come up to this level as well,” he said.

Mohammed appreciated the commitment of teachers and moderators who coached the students to fully participate in the competition and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to revamping the education sector under Gov. Bala Mohammad’s leadership.

Announcing the winner of the competition, the Quiz Master Mr. Lucky Tongs, announced Gombe State as the overall winner of the debate with 75 points

He also announced Taraba State as the first runner up with 55 points and Yobe State as the third position with 50 points, adding that the winner is expected to represent the Northeast sub-region at the National competition in Abuja.

Other states that participated in the competition included Adamawa and Bauchi.

News

Police Arrest Nollywood Production Manager For Assaulting Crew Member

Published

9 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

The Lagos State Police have arrested a Nollywood production manager, Anierobi Courage, for allegedly assaulting a crew member.

Anierobi Courage, better known as Nwa South, reportedly assaulted the head of makeup, Mary Chizzy Eze, on October 28, 2025, while on the set of the film “Lagos to Opulence.”

A trending video of the physical altercation showed the production manager pressing Mary’s throat after slapping her, an act that has sparked widespread outrage on social media.

Reacting to the public condemnation, the Nigeria Film Crew Community (NFCC), in a statement released on Thursday, described Courage’s actions as “animalistic behaviour.”

Announcing his arrest, NFCC called on Nollywood producers and other stakeholders to blacklist Courage across all productions.

“The production manager violently hit and strangled Mary Chizzy Eze for speaking up against unequal treatment among the crew. While she has received medical care, he has been arrested.

“This level of disregard for human dignity is unacceptable. We stand firmly against all forms of abuse, assault, and crew maltreatment,” the NFCC said.

News

‘EFCC Collected N10m Before They Released Me’ – Oladips Alleges [VIDEO]

Published

10 hours ago

October 31, 2025

Editor

Popular Nigerian singer, Oladips has accused the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, of collecting N10 million from him.

The rapper made this known nearly a year after he was arrested by EFCC during a midnight raid in his estate.

Oladips was arrested with some of his neighbors for alleged fraud in November 2024.

He was released after spending five days in detention.

Speaking about his experience with the EFCC, Oladips in his latest interview on Trending podcast, stated that nothing was found on him after the EFCC investigations.

While revealing that the EFCC collected N10 million from him before his release, he lamented that “Nigeria just happened to me”.

“It’s just one smelling place like that. They just packed us there like sardines and they gave us nonsense food. Funny enough it was Zlatan that was sending me food. Zlatan is not even a friend, that’s my blood.

“He was sending someone to buy good food for me because the food there is bad. They just packed us there like sardines. I’m not even supposed to be there first of all. Like, why did I spend four to five days there when you people (EFCC) didn’t find anything on me, not even a single thing. And they still collect N10 million from me before they released me.”

When asked “Is it a thing you can take up against the EFCC later, or you will just allow the sleeping dog lie?”, the singer responded “Who is my father?”

“Who is my father now? At the end of the day, who is my father? It’s just me and my truth. It’s not something I will want to. I don’t just know how the system works. I for dey their page now if to say I dey do Yahoo. They didn’t find anything on me. If they are watching this, they know that I’m saying the truth.

“They collected money from me before they released me. They didn’t find anything on me. So, what was the money for? What was all that stress and suffering for? It’s just Nigeria. Nigeria just happened to me,” he said.

https://x.com/i/status/1983504280972615813