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Inside £3,500 Per day Elite London Clinic Where Buhari Died

Published

3 months ago

July 19, 2025

The London Clinic, one of the United Kingdom’s most exclusive private hospitals, has come under the spotlight following the death of Nigeria’s former President, Muhammadu Buhari, at the facility last Sunday.

Buhari and former Head of State, Gen. Abdulsalami Abubakar, were both admitted in the hospital. While Abubakar got well and was discharged, Buhari passed on Sunday, July 13, 2025.

According to his nephew, Mamman Daura, Buhari was in high spirits as of Saturday, July 12 and was getting ready for discharge before he suffered a relapse at midday on Sunday.

“I left him about 9 pm on Saturday in high spirits and promised to see him on Sunday afternoon. He was looking forward to his doctor’s visit on Sunday morning. But around midday, he started having breathing challenges and doctors rushed to his side to try and manage it. But unfortunately, around 4.30 pm, he gave up the ghost,” Daura said.

Buhari was reported to have travelled to the UK in April for a routine medical check-up, but subsequently fell ill.

The cause of death was not disclosed, but he had suffered from ill-health for many years.

According to family sources, Buhari, during his admission at The London Clinic, spent time at the Intensive Care Unit.

His death was announced by his former spokesperson, Mallam Garba Shehu, on Sunday afternoon.

Shehu said, “The family of the former president has announced the passing of the former President, Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, this afternoon in a clinic in London. May Allah accept him in Aljannatul Firdaus.”

Shortly after news of his death broke, videos emerged online showing the former President’s children and other relatives visiting The London Clinic, situated in the heart of London’s medical district on Harley Street, where he was reportedly undergoing treatment before his passing.

While the exact duration of the former President’s stay at the hospital remains unknown, reports indicate that Buhari had been in London since April for a routine medical check-up.

The London Clinic

Founded in 1932, The London Clinic is one of the largest private hospitals in the UK, best known for its expertise in cancer care, digestive health, orthopaedics, and plastic and cosmetic surgeries.

From the information on its website, the facility boasts 13 intensive care beds, 10 operating theatres, five Macmillan Cancer Support Centres, approximately 900 surgeons and physicians and attends to over 120,000 patients across the world annually.

The hospital’s areas of speciality include: cancer care, haematology, orthopaedics with a focus on spinal surgery, as well as gastroenterology, general surgery, ophthalmology, ENT, neurosurgery, robotic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, and intensive care.

The London Clinic has treated thousands of patients from around the world, among them political leaders and members of the British royal family.

In the hospital’s 2021 annual financial report seen by The PUNCH, the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Hamish Leslie Melville, said, “Our team of over 900 leading consultants, surgeons and physicians provide an extensive range of medical and surgical interventions. Our medical inpatient and outpatient treatments focus on three core areas: cancer therapies, general surgery with a focus on digestive diseases, and musculoskeletal conditions.”

Speaking with The PUNCH on condition of anonymity for personal reasons, a UK-based Nigerian doctor familiar with the hospital’s operations, described it as one with advanced facilities, a high-profile clientele, and world-class medical expertise.

According to him, patients pay between £100 and £750 for consultations, depending on the complexity of their case.

The Nigerian doctor, who said he knew two fellow Nigerian doctors who once worked at the hospital, said he is aware that a Computed Tomography scan (CT Scan) at the hospital costs around £500, while major surgeries range from £10,000 to £13,000.

“In terms of accommodation, the pricing structure is also tiered. A standard room goes for £1,000 to £1,800 per night. Luxury/VIP room is between £1,800 to £2,500 per night; while the Intensive Care Unit admission costs about £3,000 to £3,500 per night,” he said.

“The clinic is known for its advanced equipment, specialist services, and highly qualified professionals. It’s a facility designed for complex and high-risk cases,” he added.

The doctor said the two respected Nigerian specialists who used to work at the hospital were an orthopaedic surgeon and a respiratory consultant.

Another UK-based Nigerian doctor told Saturday PUNCH that the hospital’s high standard of care comes at a premium.

According to the female doctor, the clinic caters mainly to the super-rich, adding that patients are charged thousands of pounds daily for specialised services, particularly in intensive care and private suites, where discretion, luxury, and top-tier medical attention are guaranteed.

“It is the best and largest private clinic in the United Kingdom. It deals with surgery, robotic surgery, ENT surgery, plastic surgery, and the best in specialised services,” she said.

She added that the hospital is equipped with advanced da Vinci Xi, ExcelsiusGPS, NAVIO robotic surgical technology, 3 T Siemens MRI, multiple CT scanners, PET-CT, ultrasound, digital mammography and other cutting-edge diagnostic systems.

In terms of staffing and expertise, the doctor said, “The clinic boasts an impressive roster of professionals with renowned specialist consultants, many of whom are Fellows of the Royal College of Surgeons and hold additional high-level certifications.”

However, according to a study by the National Institutes of Health seen by Saturday PUNCH, the cost of a bed space at the general ward is around £586.59 per bed day.

“These costs may not include other potential fees or charges associated with your specific treatment plan,” the report noted.

Speaking about its ICU, the clinic, on its website, said, “Our Standard Mortality Rate averages around 0.7 which the Critical care Peer Review states ‘would put the unit in the top 10% of the country’ and has consistently maintained low death rates all of which are reviewed at Mortality and Morbidity Meetings within the clinic.”

It added that, “Patient Experience feedback continues to demonstrate 95-100% satisfaction with their treatment across the MDT with numerous comments and compliments mentioning excellence in staff attitude, caring, compassionate, along with recognition of speciality surgical support and rehabilitation.”

Findings by ThePUNCH showed that The London Clinic has provisions for international patients whose treatment is sponsored by their governments, embassies, or companies.

While the Federal Government has not confirmed whether it covered the cost of Buhari’s treatment in London, the Remuneration of Former Presidents and Heads of State (and Other Ancillary Matters) Act requires the government to provide for the medical expenses of former presidents and their immediate families. This provision covers treatment both within Nigeria and, when necessary, abroad.

High-cost medical tourism

In 2021, President Buhari approved the construction and equipping of a 14-bed Presidential (VIP) Wing of the State House Clinic, in the Presidential Villa at the cost of N21bn.

As of March 2022, the government said it had disbursed N10.06bn for the construction of the N21bn of the clinic.

While briefing the Senate Committee on Federal Character and Intergovernmental Affairs, the Permanent Secretary, State House, Tijanni Umar, said the clinic was 80 per cent completed.

Umar added that the project would be delivered by the end of December 2022 or latest during the first quarter of 2023.

But despite this, Buhari’s successor, President Bola Tinubu, has continued to embark on foreign medical trips, mostly to France, gulping millions of naira in public funds.

Tinubu’s first known medical trip to France occurred shortly after his election in March 2023 when he was flown to the country for treatment following a period of strenuous campaigning.

However, findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that he Federal Government may have spent at least N13.4bn on international medical trips and travels for former Presidents Muhammadu Buhari, Goodluck Jonathan, and Umaru Musa Yar’Adua over a 16-year period.

The bulk of the spending, drawn from annual State House allocations between 2007 and 2022, covered dozens of foreign hospital visits and diplomatic engagements across at least 40 countries.

Buhari, during his eight-year reign, spent at least 225 days outside the country on medical trips, visiting no fewer than 40 countries since 2015.

Eight months after assuming office, the former President embarked on his first medical trip to London, United Kingdom, on February 5, 2016, spending six days.

His second medical trip followed four months later, on June 6, 2016, during which he spent 10 days treating an undisclosed ear infection.

On January 19, 2017, Buhari embarked on his second longest medical trip to London, spending 50 days away.

In May of the same year, barely two months after his last trip, he returned to London for what became his longest medical stay, lasting 104 days.

He did not return to the UK for medical purposes again until May 2018, when he spent four days on a follow-up review.

In March 2021, Buhari once again departed for London on what the Presidency described as a “routine medical check-up,” which lasted 15 days.

His departure came amid a labour crisis in the health sector, during which members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors commenced an indefinite strike over unpaid allowances.

Almost a year later, on March 6, 2022, the ex-President travelled to London again for medical reasons. This time, he spent 12 days.

On October 31, 2022, Buhari departed from Owerri, the Imo State capital, to London for another medical check-up that lasted about two weeks. He returned to the country on November 13, 2022.

Former presidential spokesman, Femi Adesina, consistently defended Buhari’s foreign medical trips, stating that he “has used the same medical team for about 40 years.”

In a recent interview following Buhari’s death, Adesina argued: “If he had said I’d do my medicals in Nigeria just for show off or something, he could have long been dead.”

In total, Buhari embarked on 84 trips to 40 countries during his time in office.

Between 2016 and 2022, the State House allocated a total of N6bn for his international travels, a good number of his foreign trips were for medical engagements.

However, Buhari was not the first Nigerian president to spend lengthy periods abroad for medical or diplomatic purposes.

The late President Umaru Musa Yar’Adua embarked on at least four foreign medical trips to Germany and Saudi Arabia, along with a major working visit to the United States.

Over his 32 months in office, he spent a total of 109 days overseas receiving treatment.

Between 2007 and 2009, the State House allocated N2.4bn to international travels under Yar’adua’s administration, part of which he spent on medical needs.

Goodluck Jonathan, who succeeded Yar’adua, also undertook numerous foreign trips between 2010 and 2015.

In 2012 alone, he spent at least 45 days outside Nigeria, travelling 18 times to various destinations across Europe, Asia, North America, and South America.

Over the five years, he spent in office, the Federal Government allocated a total of N4.9bn to fund his international travels and transport.

NMA, MDCAN, NARD kick

Meanwhile, the Nigerian Medical Association; the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, and the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors have criticised political leaders for consistently seeking medical care abroad while neglecting the country’s healthcare system.

Speaking with Saturday PUNCH, the President of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors, Dr Tope Osundara, described the trend as not only disheartening but an indictment on Nigerian leaders’ investments in the sector they are expected to strengthen.

Osundara expressed disappointment that Nigerian leaders continue to patronise foreign hospitals despite annual budget allocations to domestic medical facilities like the State House Clinic.

“It’s more like building a company, investing resources in it, then refusing to use the product and telling others to trust it. It tells you that something is fundamentally wrong with the system, with the people entrusted with managing it.

“There was a time when the former president, Muhammad Buhari made some utterances that they should abolish this medical tourism. But unfortunately, before he died, he was even at the forefront of going abroad for treatment. Even a former Head of State, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, disclosed that he and Buhari were admitted to the same hospital in London shortly before Buhari passed away. This tells you that Nigeria’s healthcare system is in bad shape.”

The NARD President said it was ironical that Nigeria was advocating universal health coverage while the country’s leaders “are not patronising the facilities that you have.”

“You are telling people to come and buy something, and you are not taking those things that you are advertising to people. So, that means you are giving them poison; because if you are not giving them poison, you should be able to swallow those pills, and that is when people can trust you,” Osundara said.

The NARD President also criticised Buhari’s ex-spokesperson, Adesina, over his recent remarks.

“It’s unfortunate that such utterances came from someone who served as the media aide to the late President. When you say Buhari would have died if he used a Nigerian hospital, you are indirectly saying Nigerian doctors are incompetent. That’s a false and dangerous narrative,” Osundara said.

He recalled that during Buhari’s administration, Vice President Yemi Osinbajo once fell ill and was treated successfully in Nigeria.

“We have competent professionals who can provide adequate care, whether in the private sector or in public hospitals. If those in the corridors of power cannot trust the very system they are building, it raises serious questions about why medical tourism continues despite all the advocacy against it,” he added.

He said failure to trust and fund the health system in the country not only demoralises healthcare workers but also fuels brain drain, adding that “Nigeria is losing billions to foreign hospitals. Instead of building capacity here, we’re subsidising other nations’ healthcare systems with our taxpayers’ money.”

On his part, the President of the Nigerian Medical Association, Prof. Bala Audu, emphasised that while individuals are free to seek care wherever they choose, the consistent reliance of public office holders on foreign hospitals despite Nigeria’s budgetary allocations to domestic healthcare speaks volumes about misplaced priorities.

He said, “Healthcare is a personal matter, and people follow their doctors wherever they go, even across borders if they can afford it. But when public officials entrusted with strengthening our health sector consistently opt for foreign hospitals, it raises serious concerns. It shows a lack of faith in the very system they are supposed to be building and sustaining.

“We need to restructure our public hospitals to reflect three key issues. Firstly, personnel. There is a need that government concentrates on doctors and nurses. If these two categories of healthcare providers are in place, you don’t have a problem. Secondly, we need equipment and equipment maintenance. Number three, the entire workplace environment should be made conducive for doctors and nurses to work.

“Nigerian doctors and nurses are working tirelessly. There are doctors who work, and stay in the hospital for seven complete days, working 24 hours. The same thing with our nurses.”

Reacting to Adesina’s comment, Audu noted that his remarks inadvertently demean Nigerian healthcare professionals.

“If his (Adesina) implication is that you live longer just by going abroad, then that’s not just unscientific, it’s deeply offensive to the many competent Nigerian doctors and nurses saving lives every day under difficult conditions,” he said.

Audu noted that Nigerian healthcare professionals are globally celebrated for their expertise and work ethics, especially when given proper tools.

“The issue has never been about competence. Nigerian doctors and nurses are among the best in the world. The real problem is the lack of adequate infrastructure and equipment, particularly in public hospitals,” he added.

On his part, the President of the Medical and Dental Consultants’ Association of Nigeria, Prof. Muhammad Muhammad, has said that while leaders and citizens alike retain the right to seek treatment abroad if they choose to do so, it is ideal for Nigerian hospitals to be upgraded and equipped to handle all forms of medical care.

Muhammad emphasised the need for consistent government investment in local health infrastructure, nothing that every citizen should be able to access the full range of medical services required for their condition.

“What we are saying is that there should always be effort from the side of government to ensure that people who are citizens are made to be able to access all the levels of healthcare services their health would require.

“The government should provide the equipment and facilities we need here, and if they advocate against medical tourism, they should stay here to receive treatment,” he said.

He called on the Federal Government to not only strengthen public hospitals but also to support the growth of private super-speciality facilities within the country.

“The Federal Government should, in addition to developing government hospitals, create an enabling environment where super-speciality private hospitals can be encouraged to develop, so that the limitations of government hospitals can be overcome by private hospitals,” he said.

He also urged the government to adopt strategies used in countries like India and Egypt, where deliberate support, such as tax waivers, import duty exemptions, and accessible funding, has helped private hospitals grow into globally recognised centres of excellence.

According to him, such investments would reduce foreign exchange losses, boost employment, and enhance local healthcare delivery.
(PUNCH)

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[OPINION] Gov Adeleke: Cure Madness With Madness

Published

3 hours ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Tunde Odesola

This is the definition of shock. A squirrel’s stomach rumbles like a faucet belching water, despite a barn of walnuts in full view. But the barn is utterly inaccessible. Fidgety on the same spot, the squirrel sits, skips, sighs and yawns in hunger, furtively watching four moustachioed scarecrows guard the four pillars of the barn. Two of the scarecrows wear buba and sokoto, the other two wear agbada and abeti aja caps.

Then came a whirlwind. The squirrel, head peeping out of its burrow in the earth, watches as one abeti aja cap goes up in the air, while the scarecrow donning the abeti aja cap crashes facedown on the barn gbooaa!

Terrified, the squirrel dashes into the ground on the limbs of lightning. By the time it came back to peep from its burrow, another scarecrow had crashed and crumbled like Humpty Dumpty. If it were human, the squirrel would have spoken in pidgin English, with a thick Warri accent, “Ehn-ehn? I see. So, na effigy I bin dey fear since all dis days wey hunger dey wire me? Human beings wicked o. I go show dis farmer pepper!” In this moment of sudden realisation, the look on the squirrel is the definition of shock.

If I told you I became an Ambassador when I was 12 years old, I’m sure you would be shocked. But that’s the truth. It was at Araromi Baptist Church, located at 42, Sokunbi Street, Mushin, that I was made an Ambassador in the Layode Chapter of Royal Ambassadors – a male youth group that mentors teenagers and young adults in faith, leadership and service. The motto of the Boy Scouts-like organisation is, “We are ambassadors for Christ,” a quote domiciled in 2 Corinthians 5:20.

Though our church is located in Mushin, where we grew up, Royal Ambassadors didn’t take marijuana, not to talk of colos, loud, codeine, tramadol, cocaine, heroin, etc, hard substances popular among today’s youths.

According to Royal Ambassadors’ cherished manual, which contains the philosophy and guidelines of the organisation, “An ambassador is the one who represents a king at the court of another king.” All churches under the Nigerian Baptist Convention have Royal Ambassador chapters. In my days as an ambassador, we learnt how to pitch a tent in an open-air camp, make a lanyard, control traffic, conduct a march-past, sing and play martial and secular musical instruments, and preach the word of God.

Of late, in Nigeria, however, there’s a strong umbilical cord connecting shock and the term ambassador. Thesaurus, the book of meanings, says scandalise is a synonym for shock. It also gives ‘emissary’ as the equivalent of ambassador.

From popular marijuana-smoking Naira Marley to tarmac-invader, King Wasiu Ayinde Marshall, and the content-creating irritant, Ayomiposi Oluwadahunsi, aka Mandy Kiss, who sought to bed 100 men in 24 hours, and earn Guinness World Record fame – the official reward for infamy in Nigeria is an ambassadorial award.

But the ambassadorship conferred on me by Araromi Baptist Church is in Christ, not in crisis. Nigerianly, the ambassadorships conferred on Naira Marley, Wasiu Ayinde and Mandy Kiss were rewards for the crises they precipitated.

In the southwestern domain of Governor Nurueen Ademola Jackson Adeleke, three issues stand out as either befitting of Nigeria’s present-day ambassadorial awards or outright condemnation. They are the embarrassment the Osun Amotekun Corps is fast becoming, the Apetu of Ipetumodu saga, and the gassing Oluwo of Iwo. Thank goodness, Adeleke has not yet glorified the ridicule these three have smeared on public consciousness by making them ambassadors. It is, however, instructive to note that he has yet to condemn any of them. And, silence, wisdom whispers, is another name for consent.

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Dear Governor Adeleke, the people of Osun are asking, “Where has one of the kings in our State of the Living Spring, the Apetu of Ipetumodu, Oba Joseph Oloyede, gone? The people of Osun are saying the Apetu’s royal head that wears the beaded crown of Ipetumodu has been exposed koroboto in a US jail, shining to the derision of inmates who wonder why a king dragged his nobility in criminal mud. It is too big for my basketmouth to ask the Oba Elewon if it was greed or ambition, or both, that pushed him off the throne into the trash of dishonour. Your Excellency can help the people of Osun ask him, using the authority of your office.

My governor, the Oriade of Ipetumodu will not only be sleeping outside his domain in the next four and a half years, the Igba Keji Orisa will be sleeping in a foreign prison, wearing prison clothes, eating prison food, bathing with fellow prisoners and doing prison labour. Abomination! Do the Yoruba not say ‘oriade kii sun ita?’ Governor Adeleke, this oriade has slept outside; it should not be allowed back into the palace.

Thank heavens, Governor Adeleke has no visual challenge; thus, I ask, “Is the optics of Apetu in prison orange uniform good for the integrity and image of Osun? If it is not, why has the Peoples Democratic Party-led Osun administration kept quiet for many weeks after the jailing of the Alayeluwa? Remember, Mr Governor, many months after the Apetu was arrested in the US over a multimillion-dollar COVID-19 relief fund fraud, your administration said it would await court judgment to know the direction to go on the matter.

On August 28, 2025, however, a US Distinct Judge in Ohio, Christopher Boyko, found Oloyede guilty of leading a conspiracy to exploit COVID-19 emergency loan programmes designed to assist struggling small businesses, sentenced him to 56 months in prison and ordered him to refund $4,408,543.38, $90,006.89, forfeiting the house he bought in Medina, Ohio, with the proceeds of the fraud.

Speaking exclusively to PUNCH newspaper after the judgment, Osun State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Dosu Babatunde, said the Adeleke administration would not act based on social media reports.

Babatunde said, “While it may be true that the monarch has been convicted and jailed, there is no official record with us. We cannot rely on Facebook posts and stories to justify such a serious matter.” Babatunde added that the government would get the Certified True Copy (CTC) of the judgment before making any decision regarding the stool.

In a shocking move that unfolded two days after his imprisonment, however, persons believed to be loyal to the 62-year-old Oloyede, subsequently ransacked the palace and allegedly carted into hiding crowns and royal paraphernalia in a bid to stall the appointment and installation of a new king. While the people of Ipetumodu are calling on the state government to commence the process of appointing a new king, the deafening silence on the part of the Adeleke government appears to be a tacit tactic to stall and hold the crown down for the criminal king.

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As a US resident, I know it is not likely to take up to 15 minutes to obtain the CTC of a case in a US court, upon application, having obtained information myself in a court sometime ago. The statement by the Osun State government that it needed a CTC to commence action on the Apetu’s case reeks of foot-dragging and hypocrisy when the king had been held in prison since April 2024, sentenced in August 2025, with the report of the sentencing on the official website of the United States Attorney’s Office, Northern District of Ohio.

By asking for the CTC, does the Adeleke administration intend to appeal the judgment on behalf of the Apetu? If yes, did the state governor or government benefit from the proceeds of the fraud? And, why has the government not obtained the Almighty CTC since judgment was given? Oba Oloyede is the second case of an Osun monarch jailed for criminal offences in the US, the first one being the Oluwo of Iwo, Oba, Emir, Alaafin Abdulrasheed Adewale Akanbi, the Telu I. Why is the Adeleke government buying time for a king whose royal gourd Ipetumode kingmakers should have smashed into oblivion by now? Is the state government saying the monarch has been on a sabbatical holiday since April 2024, when he was held in the US? Now that the king has been jailed and the report has grabbed headlines across the world, it is absolutely unthinkable that the Osun State government appears undecided and clueless on the matter. The people of Osun need an answer to the question of the jailed Apetu urgently.

My governor and aburo Serubawon of blessed memory, getting a CTC in a US court is far less stressful than the energy you exert dancing. The people of Osun voted for you to show good leadership. There is no better time to prove your mettle than now. You bear the illustrious title of Asiwaju; it’s time to prove you are not the snail that carries two horns on its head, but lacks the power to butt.

Egbon Ademola, the lastborn of Pa Ayoola Adeleke and Mama Esther Adeleke, remember the son of whom you are. You’re the descendant of Timi Agbale, Olofa ina. You are omo arogun ma fi t’ibon se, omo Mapo Arogun, iyako agbo, omo aji lala oso, aji f’ojo gbogbo dara bi egbin. The pall of darkness cast over Ipetumodu by the Apetu’s imprisonment needs your Imole. Shine your light to chase away darkness in Ipetu.

I’m sure you know Dr Olusegun Mimiko. He is a former Governor of Ondo State. His nickname is Iroko. When the then Deji of Akure, Oba Oluwadare Adeshina Adepoju, engaged his wife in a public brawl, Iroko uprooted him and flung him outside the palace, replacing him with the incumbent king, Oba Adegboye Adesida. Baba B-Red, please, prove to the world that if Ondo State had Iroko, Osun State has a true Asiwaju, too.

But if Imole is jittery to take action on Oloyede because of his re-election bid in 2026, I’ll advise him to listen and take courage from the song titled, “Were la fi n wo were,” by a Juju musician named G Melody.

Is the governor surprised that the song doesn’t even belong to Taye Currency, a low-current Ibadan-based Fuji musician, who inappropriately sang the song at the recent coronation of the Olubadan of Ibadan, Oba Adewolu Rashidi Ladoja? I was surprised, too. The song belongs to G Melody. But Currency sang it energetically as if it were his own, without giving credit to Melody.

While investigating the ownership of the song, I called music aficionado, Bimbo Esho, of the Evergreen Musical Company fame, and asked who owns Were la fi n wo were. Bimbo sent me a voice note containing the voice of Ogun State-based G Melody in which he told the story of how he got the inspiration to compose the song.

Melody said, “It’s my song. People have been calling me about the song. Some of the boys I trained, like Ola Liberty, sing it. Ola Liberty is my very good son. I’m not a noise maker. It’s my song. There’s another song of mine, “Kilode te n ya were, abosi?”, that they are singing all over the place now. I composed Were la fi n wo were song in Imeko, where I had gone to sing at a political rally. Some guys were trying to disrupt the rally, and I said they should calm down, that they cannot stop me. I infused it with political undertones, saying they cannot steal our votes, and if they do, we would cure madness with madness – were la fi n wo were.”

Governor Adeleke, it is high time you cured madness with madness in Osun. It is not right for a hunter to flee homeward from the forest, shouting, “Help! Help! Save me! A ferocious animal is on my heels!” Please, restore the Omoluabi ethos of dignity, integrity and honour to Ipetumodu royalty.

It’s obvious the same affliction of greed that plagues the Ipetumodu crown plagues the Iwo monarchy; àrùn to n se Ipetumodu lo n se Iwo, but Iwo manifests a malignant and metastasised cancer needing urgent surgery. First, the Oluwo should be deposed for his criminal conviction in the US over fraud, just like the Apetu. Second, the public actions and utterances of the Oluwo negating the honour and source of the Yoruba should be investigated and sanctioned by the state government.

In an old video, Oluwo said, “Me and Ooni do talk, we have a very good relationship. He (Ooni) is the head of all kings in Yorubaland; that is the source. It doesn’t matter what anybody says; Ife is the source of all crowns. Ife is where Oduduwa lived and got his crown from. Every other king who is from ancient town is a prince from Ife. I am a prince from Ife. Every other crown that you see, that is an ancient crown in Yoruba land, is prince from Yorubaland. So, the crown he (Ooni) is wearing is the father of all the crowns. It doesn’t matter what anybody says.”

In a new video, Akanbi, who named his palace, “Aafin Olodumare Iwo,” dares the Ooni to speak Ife dialect in Ibadan, and inferred that the Ooni was not a Yoruba king because he does not wear ofi clothe, insisting that Yoruba kings do not tie their clothes over their shoulders as the Ooni does. In a moment of epiphany, fueled by God-knows-what, Akanbi also says Ife is not the source of the Yoruba, leaving people who had watched his earlier acceptance of Ife as the source of all crowns, wondering if all is well with the Oluwo of Iwo.

Were la fi n wo were. Governor Adeleke, as a matter of urgency, should take this song to the headquarters of the Osun State Amotekun Corps, where a malignant form of madness is festering.

Reports emanating across Osun against the modus operandi of Amotekun indicate that the corps has turned into a full-fledged organ of terror. The corps, under the leadership of a retired policeman, Isaac Omoyele, is a classical example to be cited by antagonists of state police. Evidence abounds that the corps now extorts the citizenry, detaining people and charging them money for bail.

In June, officials of the corps were accused of illegal arrest of residents in the Itaapa community, a situation which led the residents to stage a protest in Osogbo, the Osun State capital. The Odofin of Itaapa, Olusegun Owoeye, who led the protesters, said Amotekun officers arrested some members of the community’s security volunteer team alongside some chiefs, following a complaint by a leader of the governor’s party, the PDP.

Omoyele had insisted that those arrested were criminals armed with guns, but the community said the guns belonged to the town’s vigilante members.

Before he was appointed by Adeleke as Amotekun commander, Omoyele, in 2022, was accused of brutality by an #ENDSARS panel while serving as a police officer.

In its latest show of barbarity, officials of the corps stormed the Akinlalu community and opened fire on innocent citizens, killing no fewer than four people, while claiming that they did so in an attempt to retrieve a pump-action gun some youths of the community seized.

Before Osun is turned into a lake of fire, the governor should tell his Amotekun that it is wrong to carry out reprisal attacks on innocent people while trying to retrieve a gun, just as the arrest of 20 members of the corps by a special squad of the police is commendable.

Omoyele, who was the chief security officer to Adeleke, should be relieved of his post, while a more mature, disciplined and experienced replacement should take his stead.

I won’t mind if my governor gyrates to Were la fi n wo were, sliding two fingers over the corner of his eyes while his followers shout themselves hoarse, but he must truly cure the madness in Osun with madness.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

Facebook: @Tunde Odesola

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Jonathan To Meet Tinubu Over Nnamdi Kanu’s Detention — Sowore

Published

7 hours ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, said former President Goodluck Jonathan has agreed to engage President Bola Tinubu on the continued detention of the leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu.

Sowore disclosed this on Friday via his X handle after meeting with Jonathan in Abuja.

According to him, their discussion centred on the “urgent and compelling need” to address Kanu’s case “decisively and justly.”

Sowore said, “Earlier today in Abuja, I met with former President @GEJonathan (Goodluck Jonathan) to discuss the continued incarceration of Mazi @NnamdiKanu

“President Jonathan agreed that there is an urgent and compelling need to address this matter decisively and justly. I thank him sincerely for recognising the importance of resolving Kanu’s case in the interest of peace, fairness, and national healing.

“Particularly assuring was that he promised to meet @officialabat (President Bola Tinubu) to discuss this issue as soon as possible.”

He noted that with this development, Jonathan joins a growing list of Nigerians who have called for justice in Nnamdi Kanu’s case.

“A list that already includes ex-Vice President @atiku, Femi Falana SAN, Senator @ShehuSani, and many others across political and regional divides,” Sowore said.

The activist reiterated his call for Kanu’s release, saying the IPOB leader “remains in detention today because he took up the just cause of confronting the long-standing issue of marginalisation in Nigeria.”

He also urged political, cultural, and religious leaders, including Peter Obi, Chukwuma Soludo, Alex Otti, Francis Nwifuru, Peter Mbah, Hope Uzodinma, Oby Ezekwesili, and Ohanaeze Ndigbo’s John Mbata, to join the campaign for Kanu’s release.

Kanu has been in detention since 2021 after being re-arrested abroad and returned to Nigeria to face trial on charges bordering on terrorism and treasonable felony.

Several court orders granting him bail or ordering his release have yet to be implemented.

News

Yiaga Africa, Kukah Centre, Others Demand Live Broadcast Of INEC Chair Screening

Published

7 hours ago

October 10, 2025

Editor

Civil society organisations (CSOs) in Nigeria have appealed to the Senate to ensure that the screening of Professor Joash Amupitan (SAN) for the position of Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is broadcast live to the public.

According to the groups, a live broadcast of the screening would promote transparency, accountability, and public confidence in the process of appointing the head of the nation’s electoral body.

In a statement made available to The Guardian on Friday, they emphasised that, given the crucial role INEC plays in safeguarding Nigeria’s democracy, citizens have a right to witness and assess the integrity, competence, and independence of the nominee being considered for such a sensitive position.

The CSOs include Yiaga Africa, Women Rights Advancement Protection Alternative (WRAPA), International Press Centre, The Kukah Centre, Centre for Media and Society, TAF Africa, African Centre for Leadership, Strategy & Development (Centre LSD), Nigeria Women Trust Fund, Accountability Lab Nigeria, and YERP Naija Campaign.

According to the organisations, live coverage would help dispel any suspicion of bias or backroom dealings, while allowing Nigerians to engage more meaningfully in discussions about electoral reforms and leadership within the electoral body.

“We call on the Senate to ensure that its confirmation hearings are transparent, televised, and inclusive of citizen and civil society input through memoranda, petitions, and participation in the confirmation hearings.

“The Senate should undertake a rigorous examination of his competence, public records, vision for electoral reform, INEC’s institutional strengthening, as well as his capacity to resist political interference and uphold electoral integrity.

“The Senate should also interrogate the nominee’s plans to address systemic challenges, including voter registration, result transmission, and enforcement of INEC’s regulations and guidelines.

“Nigerians expect the Senate confirmation process to be open to citizens’ participation in line with the Framework for Citizens’ Engagement in the INEC Appointment Process previously submitted to the Senate by the undersigned civil society organisations. This includes full disclosure of the nominee’s credentials, public service history, and capacity to manage elections without political interference,” the statement reads.

While acknowledging Professor Amupitan’s academic and professional accomplishments, they declared that they have no objection to his nomination, even as they tasked him to “demonstrate moral courage and resistance to political interference,” if confirmed by the Senate.
(GUARDIAN)