Metro

OPINION: Edo 2024 Is ‘Eghe Esan’

Published

2 years ago

September 29, 2023

By Victor Ofure Osehobo

A few years ago, it was the norm in Edo politics, since the South had the Governor, for the North to have the Deputy Governor and for Central to have the speaker’s position. It was the custom of the ruling PDP then that to promote oneness and give all districts in the state a sense of belonging, it was better to observe this unwritten code.

This is why from 1999- 2007, when the PDP was in power, the governor was from the South, his deputy from the North and the Speaker from Central. It was the same picture during the 18-month PDP tenure from May 2007 – November 2008, when the governor was from the Central, his deputy was from South and the Speaker from the North.

But this worthwhile development which made for peaceful, harmonious co-existence and brotherhood in an ethnically diverse state like Edo was set aside when the APC found itself in power first in Edo in 2008. The governor was from Edo North, deputy, South and Speaker, South. In 2012, while the governor was from North, the deputy remained in the South and the Speaker remained in the South.

Thus from 2008, Edo Central has been left out in the scheme of things. In 2008, with the governor from Edo north, deputy from the South, it was said that the party had a greenhorn in the legislative branch who could not occupy the high office of Speaker.

Despite the hue and cry of the Central folks Edo south clung to the two vital slots from 2008 till the dying minutes of 2016, when reluctantly the Speakership was left for the Central district.

Those who expected this vital change in 2016 to survive as if to rectify a fault or correct an anomaly were shocked when the Central was stripped of the Speakership midstream in favour of the South again.

And for the political gains anticipated the South reluctantly donated the Speakership to the Central, during the campaigns, tele-guided the office while it went to Central and even worked against the occupant, before the run of unhealthy events saw the the North take the office back.

Since 2016, Edo has had a governor from the South, a deputy from the North and a Speaker from the North, leaving the Central empty. From 2020 till now, it is the same scenario. Unfortunately this very ugly trend now reverberates through the state government apparatus in Benin City.

Key state government establishments embark on the deliberate removal of Edo Central folks from key positions and offices they were appointed into on the basis of qualification and competence and are replaced with South and North counterparts.

The reason is that the people of Edo Central or the modern Esan nation are part and parcel of Edo. We are citizens who left the Benin Empire and formed communities and kingdoms thereafter. We were not slaves before or after. History is clear on this.

As 2024 approaches, there is once again desperate moves to sideline Edo Central. Political Leaders from North and South, who ought to know better are either aspiring themselves or busy sponsoring aspirants from their zones to rob Edo Central of this rare opportunity.

This should be avoided. This is how it happened in the recent past with the office of the Speaker of the State House of Assembly. The goat will bite when faced with no escape but pushed to the wall. This attempt to blank out Edo Central must stop.

My name is Victor Ofure Osehobo. I am making Common sense

Metro

Police Arrest Siblings Over Communal Clash In Ondo

Published

3 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

Ondo State Police Command has arrested two brothers, Ogunsemore Gbadebo and Michael Ogunsemore for their allegedly involvement in a violent communal clash that occurred in Eki/Oboto Community of Ilaje local government area of the State.

LEADERSHIP gathered that the suspects had been locked in a prolonged land dispute with the monarch of the community, Oba Oyetayo Ofoaye of Aboto.

According to the. state’s Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), Olusola Ayanlade, the matter was first taken to the Okitipupa High Court, which ruled in favour of the monarch.

However, not satisfied with the verdict, the siblings filed an appeal at the Court of Appeal in Akure, where the appellate court again upheld the Oba’s position.

The PPRO alleged that the brothers resorted to self-help thereafter, recruiting armed thugs to unleash violence on the community rather than accepting the judgement of the Appeal Court.

It was learnt that the attack reportedly perpetrated by the suspects and their gangs, displaced residents, destroyed huts, palm produce, and other valuables, while one Jeremiah Okuntimehin sustained machete injuries in the fracas.

“This criminal escalation turned a civil dispute into a grave security threat, prompting swift police intervention,” the PPRO said.

According to the police spokesman, the police launched a coordinated operation that led to the arrest of the brothers – Gbadebo and Michael, who have since been arraigned in court.

He added that efforts were ongoing to track down other fleeing members of the group who took part in the unrest.

Ayanlade stressed that the arrests marked a decisive step in restoring peace to the affected community, warning that communal violence will not be condoned under any guise.

Commissioner of Police in the State, CP Adebowale Lawal cautioned individuals and groups against undermining judicial decisions or taking the law into their own hands, warning that such acts would attract the full weight of the law.

He assured residents of Eki/Oboto and Aboto of adequate police presence and urged them to remain calm, law-abiding, and cooperative with security agencies.

The CP also emphasised that dialogue and peaceful engagement remained the only sustainable means of resolving communal disputes.

Metro

Foreign Currency Found On Beggars As 40 Evacuated In Kwara

Published

3 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

The Kwara State government has again evacuated another set of 40 beggars from the street of Ilorin, the state capital.

The evacuation of beggars was carried out by the officials of the Ministry of Social Welfare and Development in collaboration with operatives of the Nigerian Correctional Services (NCS), Kwara State Command.

During a search conducted on the beggars, a foreign currency (US dollar) was found on one of them, Musa Mahmuda, who claimed to be from Kano State.

A sharp knife was found in the possession of another beggar.

Seven of the evacuees were second term offenders, having been arrested during a previous evacuation excercise but they returned to the streets again.

The operation was conducted at Tipper Garage in Tanke, Offa garage and Garin Alimi areas – all in Ilorin metropolis.

The Commissioner for social Welfare and Development, Dr Mariam Imam, expressed delight that the excercise was yielding the desired results, saying the number of those evacuated from the streets in the latest exercise has “dratically reduced from 94 arrested during the last time to 40”.

She said the ministry’s evacuation team was changing its “strategy as the beggars too were changing their tactics and locations to evade being evacuated from the streets.”

She implored those patronising the beggars to stop doing so and channel their offerings through religious organisations, orphanages and places of worship, reiterating that street begging has been outlawed in the state.

The head, Non-custodian Centre, Nigerian Correctional Services, Kwara State Command, Adebayo Okunola, said the appropriate punitive measures will be meted out to the arrested beggars to serve as deterrence to them and others.

“We will make sure that they clean the streets, they will sweep the streets so that they will know that there is dignity in labour,” he stated.

Metro

NDLEA Arrests Indian Businessman, 3 Others Over Alleged Trafficking Of N3.9bn Tramadol

Published

4 hours ago

September 14, 2025

Editor

The National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) has arrested an Indian businessman, Gupta Ravi Kumar, alongside three Nigerian accomplices in connection with the seizure of 2,248,000 pills of tramadol 200mg/225mg.

Kumar was apprehended alongside Ogunlana Noah Olanrewaju, Olushola Idrees Kayode and Bakare Korede Muheeb at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport (MMIA) Ikeja Lagos.

The tramadol shipment worth N3,990,000,000 in street value was imported from Delhi, India, disguised as multi-vitamins in 114 cartons and arrived the import shed of the Lagos airport on an Ethiopian Airline flight on Monday 8th September 2025.

NDLEA’s spokesperson, Femi Babafemi said a team of NDLEA officers who had put the consignment under surveillance, swooped on a clearing agent and two drivers who were trying to move the shipment out of the airport in two trucks on Thursday, September 11th.

Babafemi said a follow-up operation the following day, Friday, led to the arrest of the Kumar, when he was trying to take delivery of the consignment.

At the Terminal 2 departure of the airport, NDLEA operatives on Sunday, September 7, intercepted a passenger Onyeganochi Stanley Ifeanyi while travelling on a Qatar Airline flight to Doha.

“A search of his bag led to the recovery of 900grams of skunk, a strain of cannabis concealed in crayfish. As a first-time traveler, Onyeganochi claimed the bag was given to him to help take to Doha by a Qatar-based Nigerian Ohaodiegwu Anthony Uchenna who actually followed him to the airport.

“His confession led to the arrest of Uchenna who was still within view. Operatives who later conducted a search of Uchenna’s hotel room in Ajao Estate discovered additional 200grams of the same psychoactive substance.

“He claimed he was to return to Doha days later and pick the bag from the unsuspecting Onyeganochi if he had succeeded in escaping security checks,” the NDLEA said.

Meanwhile, at the Tincan Port in Lagos, a total of 161 parcels of Canadian Loud, a strain of cannabis weighing 81.7kg and 1.2kg hashish oil were recovered from a 40ft container of vehicle spare parts and used vehicles imported from Montreal Canada during a joint examination of the shipment on Tuesday 9th September.

Two suspects including John Ochigbo, 53, and Okeke Kingsley, 26, were arrested in connection with the seizure.

Another shipment of Canadian Loud with a total weight of 65kg was tracked from the port to Third Mainland bridge where NDLEA operatives intercepted a Toyota Sienna vehicle conveying the consignment, recovered it and arrested the driver Abubakar Ibrahim, 42 on Thursday 11th September.

Two separate shipments of methamphetamine concealed in picture frame and Loud, hidden in video players were seized at two courier companies in Lagos on Monday 8th and Thursday 11th September respectively by NDLEA operatives.