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OPINION: Gambaryan’s Flower Of Thorns

Published

10 months ago

February 18, 2025

By Suyi Ayodele

‘Bad boy’ Gambaryan, chose the day of love to throw sand in the gari of honour of the officials of this government. He chose Valentine’s Day to go for the jugular of officials of the Bola Tinubu government whom he accused of unimaginable graft.

The American understands Nigeria very well. He said to himself that he “met amazing people in Nigeria”, but regrettably, “It’s a shame that these muppets are in charge.” He knew the psychology game he wanted to play, and he went for the very soul of the nation’s security architecture by accusing the National Security Adviser (NSA), Malam Nuhu Ribadu, of demanding bribes running into millions of dollars from him.

Do Nigerians trust their governments – federal, state and local? Do they have confidence that at any given time those in charge of the nation’s affairs will do that which is right, noble and of goodwill? In any dispute or accusation between the officials of the Nigerian Government and any foreign body, who will the Nigerian populace believe, who will they trust?

Lack of trust between our government and the citizenry has been a disturbing issue from time immemorial. This is so because of the three ingredients of Trust: Competence, Character, and Caring, enunciated by the American military psychologist, Patrick J. Sweeney. Our leaders are below zero point in all! If there are a few exceptions among them, the number is so small and abysmally inconsequential.

This is why when the American fugitive, Tigran Gambaryan, an executive of the notorious Binance Holdings Limited, who was released on ‘parole’ by the Nigerian Government in October 2024 after many months in detention, came calling with his allegations of bribery against top officials of the government, many Nigerians believed him. You cannot blame them!

Trust is a phenomenon that any government takes lightly at its own risk. It is too key an issue to be treated with levity. Unfortunately, in this clime, the government cares less about its trust equity with the people. This is why they carry on in the art and act of governance in the usual street parlance of business-as-usual! Too bad, too sad!

A simple definition of trust, as given by the English sociologist, Anthony Gidden, says trust “is the confidence in the ability of individuals or systems regarding specific outcomes.” He goes further to say that trust becomes more important in social institutions (like the government) and relationships given the “heightened awareness of risk” in the modern society. Gidden therefore submits that “trust depends on moral quality, values, institutional cultures, which shape how trust is established and maintained in contemporary life.”

Jack R. Gibb (August 26, 1927-August 20, 2020), a psychologist and clinician, in his 1978 “Trust Level Theory”, says, “When there is a high level of Trust, we are freed up to be ourselves and can drop limiting roles and positions. Trust naturally leads to Openness—people say what they think, know, care about, and need.” His position was determined by the simple definition of Trust as “the belief that another person will do what is expected.” The question is: have our leaders done what is expected of them for the masses to trust them and defend them when the need arises?

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: [OPINION] Alaafin and Ifa: Nothing Is Left

There is no gainsaying that corruption wears a three-piece suit in this government and the ones before it. Corruption in Nigeria is not just endemic, permeating every facet of our system, it is as old as the foundation of the entity itself. The only era in the history of Nigeria where one can say with boldness that great men ruled would be the First Republic. Thereafter, it has been a free fall to the bottomless pit of monumental sleaze!

This present political dispensation which began in 1999 has opened our eyes to see the stuff our leaders are made of. The recycling of those who took the batons of leadership in 1999 in our political firmament has shown that there is nothing altruistic in the scrambling for power in Nigeria. This is why it is easy for someone, using one political platform, to be speaker of a House of Assembly for eight years: governor of the same state for another eight years under the same party and in the next round of election to pick up a ministerial appointment for another eight years in the opposition party. Rotimi Amaechi of Rivers State comes to mind in this case.

He is not alone. His half sibling and successor as governor, Nyesom Wike is in the same league. Wike was a former Chief of Staff to Amaechi under the same Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), later former minister and then a state governor under the PDP. But today, without leaving the PDP, Wike picked up a ministerial appointment in the government led by an opposition party, the All Progressives Congress (APC). A system that produced and is still producing the likes of Atiku Abubakar, Bukola Saraki, Orji Uzor Kalu, Nasir el-Rufai and their ilk, who jump from one political bed to another, can never earn the trust and confidence of the people.

The recycling of these same figures and characters from the governorship to legislative offices, and from legislative chambers to the executive seats, and, or ministerial positions, is the reason why Gambaryan would call our leaders “muppets”, which in informal British English (BE) means: “someone who is perceived as foolish or incompetent.”

Gambaryan and his fellow felon, Nadeem Anjarwalla, were in 2024, arrested by the Federal Government on the accusation of financial impropriety. The duo, who were then top executives of the cryptocurrency firm, Binance, were accused of manipulating FX rates in Nigeria thereby destroying the country’s economy. They were charged to court. While on trial, Anjarwalla ‘escaped’ from custody and simply walked out of Nigeria! The excuse those in charge of his security gave was that he was allowed to go and pray!

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Amaechi, el-Rufai And Alákedun

Until the American Government intervened, Gambaryan was in custody and appearing in court. Then the Federal Government dropped all charges against him, and he was released. Seizing the opportunity of his negotiated ‘freedom’, Gambaryan, last week released some tweets on his X account, accusing Ribadu of demanding bribes from him

Understandably, the reactions of Nigerians to the allegation were that of affirmation. Many, who believe that nothing good could ever come out of the Nazareth of this government were ready to dance to the drumbeats of shame Gambaryan was beating for Ribadu.

This is so because Gambaryan had, earlier last year, accused three members of the House of Representatives of demanding bribes in the sum of $150 million from Binance to bury the case. That allegation led to one of the accused, Ginger Obinna Onwusibe, who is the Chairman of the House of Representatives Committee on Financial Crimes, to sue him, claiming the sum of $3bn as damages.

In his latest accusation, Gambaryan alleged that Ribadu demanded “billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition.” The American claimed: “@NuhuRibadu invited us to the official meeting and worked through Sa’ad Abubakar. Another key figure in this situation was Hamma Adama Belloji,” Gambaryan wrote… “Ribadu emphasized that he wanted billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition. However, when the corruption scandal came to light, he was trapped — because any settlement would now be perceived as a bribe. I guess he really wanted his boss’ job.”

This is where I lost it with Gambaryan. His claim that Ribadu needed the alleged bribe because the NSA “really wanted his boss’ job”, is, to me, off the mark. That is what fired my suspicion and why, in this matter, I would rather hold on to my hunch that Gambaryan was and is up to something different.

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Buhari’s Poverty Of Truth

I am not the ‘Devil’s Advocate’ here; get that! I also do not hold brief for Ribadu’s publicist or any of the other persons named in this ‘scandal’. But many things are not adding up and I strongly feel that we cannot just allow that to pass.

The first is that going by the Patrick J. Sweeney’s three “Cs” component of Trust (Character, Competence and Caring), Gambaryan, the modern-day ‘accuser of the brethren’ is not in any position to accuse any Nigerian of corruption. Why? Simple. Both Gambaryan and the company he represented here in Nigeria, Binance, are the very artistic impression of corruption.

A man like Gambaryan, who had his trial for corruption negotiated by his home country, without exploring all the legal opportunities to clear his name, is not in any position to accuse anyone of corruption. It would have been a different ball game if he had availed himself of the opportunity to defend his name, and the accusation of corruption levelled against his company.

He was equally accused of offering a $5 million down payment in exchange for his freedom, in favour of a more beneficial settlement with the American government. He didn’t wait to defend that before he got his country to negotiate his ‘freedom’. How do we then resolve the issue of his complicity or otherwise in the $5 million settlement?

A man of “Character”, in Sweeney’s reckoning, would not accept a negotiated deal to abort his trial the way Gambaryan did. If he had no skeleton in his cupboard, and as a man of integrity that he is portraying himself to be, one would have expected that he would see his trial through. The fact that his partner-in-crime, Anjarwalla, ‘escaped’ while on trial, speaks volumes of the duo. Would one be safe to conclude that Gambaryan too would have ‘escaped’ if given the opportunity “to go and pray?”

Again, what of the antecedents of the cryptocurrency firm, Binance, in terms of corruption? What happened to its operations in China, Canada and even in the United States of America? Why was the company fined, deregistered and banned in those countries? A man who seeks equity must come with clean hands. I would have preferred if Gambaryan’s company had come clean in all its operations in the past. When the USA, for instance, got Binance to forfeit the sum of $2,510,650, 588 and pay a criminal fine of $1,805,475,575 for a total financial penalty of $4,316,126,163, why did Gambaryan stay on the Board of the company? How come his pot is the one to call the kettle black and we would be dancing Azonto for him?

MORE FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Obasa, His Mouth And Wild Pigeon

I know that the argument that Binance is corrupt does not mean the allegations of bribery against Ribadu and the three legislators cannot be true. My point here is that the man making the allegations is not someone that we can trust because he lacks the “Competence, Character and Caring” elements to earn our Trust. The Federal Government of Nigeria accused Gambaryan and his company of destroying our economy. Rather than defend his name, the man got the USA to negotiate his release. On what terms? Nobody knows.

Then the next we heard from him is how the NSA demanded for “billions in payouts to fund his future political ambition”, concluding that Ribadu. “…really wanted his boss’ job.” What is the motive behind those statements? What did he want to achieve? Methinks that Gambaryan knows too well how important the Office of the NSA is in this government. And concluding that our leaders are “muppets’, he knew that such an allegation of ambition when Ribadu’s principal is angling for a second term, would no doubt cause a disconnect in the system. But that is the government’s ‘cup of tea’, as they say.

My worry for Ribadu in this ‘scandal’ is that I know it will take the second coming of our Lord for him to convince Nigerians that there was nothing to the allegation but sheer blackmail. Nobody will believe him, not necessarily because Nigerians believe that Ribadu is corrupt; but more because of the political company he keeps! Bad company, they say, corrupts good manners!

I dare say here that many Nigerians, including yours sincerely, were shocked, and still very much in shock, that of all people, Ribadu chose to pitch his political tent with the person of President Tinubu! How on earth the Adamawa-born retired police officer chose Tinubu as his godfather is the eighth wonder of the world!

When our elders say show me your friend and I will tell the person you are, they could not have found a better example like the present political configuration of the Tinubu administration. And this anomaly started in 2011, when Ribadu contested the presidency on the platform of Tinubu’s Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). Who would have thought that Ribadu, as the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), having categorised Tinubu as one of the three worst governors in Nigeria in terms of corruption, would run to the very corrupt fountain to drink?

When the sheep flocks with the dog, what do our elders say it would eat? A man who puts on a white apparel is often warned not to get close to the one carrying a keg of palm oil. Where is the lesson in that wisecrack in the relationship between Tinubu and Ribadu today? To believe that Gambaryan lied against Ribadu, Nigerians would first want to know at what time Tinubu experienced ‘regeneration’ or rebirth, such that today, the once ‘most corrupt governor in Nigeria’ is now the darling, boss and godfather of the very man who levelled the accusation against him after ‘thorough’ investigation! This is the quandary Ribadu has found himself.

The Office of the NSA stands topmost in the nation’s security architecture. That position is usually reserved for the president’s most trusted ally. So, if we may ask, at what point did Ribadu become Tinubu’s most trusted ally? What changed? What happened? These are the gaps in Ribadu’s relationship with his principal, Tinubu vis-a-vis the allegation of bribery Gambaryan threw at the NSA. Ribadu needs all the energy, wisdom and strategies at his disposal to build the Trust in the public that he is just a victim of a depraved American mind, who in an attempt to save himself from drowning would drag anybody down to the depth of the sea.

In closing, we consult Aristotle, who in his Nicomachean Ethics (1876), says: “Trust is a virtue because this character trait, along with being trustworthy, assists us to achieve eudaimonia” (state of happiness). Ribadu is no doubt walking precariously in his white garment at the Gambaryan’s palm oil store. This is not the time ‘silence is golden’ for him. The NSA owes the duty to convince Nigerians to Trust him or believe the American. I do not envy him, honestly!

News

OPINION: Aláàfin Ọ̀yọ́ Cuddling A Dead Empire (1)

Published

10 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Tunde Odesola

The (Ọmọ) child (tó) is (bá) the (ma jẹ́) father (Àṣàmú) to (kékeré) the (ló ti ń jẹnu) man (ṣámú-ṣámú). Ehn, yes! Deal with it! The mishmash opening sentence is intentional because it is confusion I have on offer today, not peace or order. Not prostration or placation. My esteemed readers can’t be eating Christmas rice and chicken while I wrack my brain to produce an article, which will be digested within 20 minutes, amid mutterings of ‘uhm!’, “na wa o” and “you said it all.” No, I won’t have all that.

Dear readers, where’s my Christmas rice and chicken? At all, at all, na im bad. It’s not only your mouths that can describe the road to Ọ̀yọ́: Ẹnu yín nìkan kọ́ ni wọ́n ń bá dé Ọ̀yọ́. My own mouth too can also describe the road to Ọ̀yọ́ if I sight a plateful of chicken and jollof rice.

Even if my cheeks bulge with a mouthful of rice and my eyes ogle with foodie greed while I clutch chicken thighs in both hands, I still can describe with my mouth 100 roads leading to Ọ̀yọ́. Right now, I’m journeying to the palace of Aláàfin Abimbola Akeem Ọwọade, the Iku Baba Yeye, to celebrate Christmas with him. If you are interested, you can come along; Aláàfin has more than enough food and palm wine to go round.

Now, let’s get a bit more serious. If you run the jargony first sentence of this article through a literary sieve, you will get two intertwined proverbs: one English, the other Yoruba. The English proverb is “The child is the father of the man”, and its Yoruba counterpart is “Ọmọ tó bá ma jé Àṣàmú, kékeré ló ti ń jẹnu ṣámú-ṣámú”. Neither plagiarised the other. Only that the same stream of thought flowed through two different social milieux in different languages, at different eras, before congealing in wisdom. The English proverb was coined by William Wordsworth, an English poet, in his 1802 poem, “My Heart Leaps Up.” Its Yoruba equivalent, “Ọmọ tó bá ma jé Àṣàmú,” is a fruit of logic dangling on a communal tree at the village square.

Since the two proverbs mean the same thing, I’m taking both with me to the Ọlọ́yọ in Ọ̀yọ́. “The child is the father of the man” implies that the gamut of a person’s childhood experiences, character, and values fundamentally shape who they become as an adult, stressing that the innocent, formative years of childhood lay the groundwork for the entire adult life. The proverb has a couple of other meanings, but the meaning I deploy here suffices for this engagement. The Yoruba proverb, “Ọmọ tó bá ma jé Àṣàmú, kékeré ló ti ń jẹnu ṣámú-ṣámú,” means “A child that would grow to become Àṣàmú (an adult), would possess from childhood, Àṣàmú’s sharp oratory skill.”

Let me bore you with the story a deputy governor told me many, many years ago. “Tunde, I was a rascally child. There was no mischief beyond me. One day, I rummaged through my father’s alcohol cabinet, which had all sorts of choice drinks. Normally, I drink from any bottle that tickles my fancy. But, one particular day, I took a swig from a dark bottle, it was so sweet, nice and creamy. I took another swig and fell asleep, right by the cabinet.

“I jerked awake to my father’s car horn. Quickly, I locked the bar, bolted to my room, grabbed a book and sat like a saint. Ha, that was a close shave! Hot air zipped down my nostrils. That night, I slept soundly. I looked forward to another drink from the dark bottle. On subsequent occasions, I drank from the bottle. Each time I drank, I topped it up with a little water.”

“One day, my daddy had some of his fellow top civil servants visiting. He was happy to receive them. He went to his mahogany bar, opened it and brought out various drinks. Clutching ‘my’ bottle, my father proudly announced to his friends that he bought the creamy drink and some others from France. One of his friends took the ‘my’ bottle from him, noticed it was already opened, but he didn’t say anything. As he opened and poured the drink, my heart relocated. The drink that was once chocolate had turned snow-white. When he tasted it, his face crumpled like a deflated balloon. He called my father by his first name and showed him the content in his cup, saying, ‘Lagbaja, this is not from France.’

“My father was no-nonsense. His instrument of chastisement was an entwined six-wire whip. After seeing off his friends, he stormed back in. He called all of us to the sitting room and announced the crime. He didn’t ask who the culprit was. He just said, “I’ll begin with the youngest! Hey, you, come here!”

“My youngest sibling screamed, “Èmi kọ́ o ! It’s not me o! It’s aunty Tamedo. I saw her when she opened your cabinet and drank your drinks! It’s not me o!!”

Unknown to him that the soul of his Irish Cream had been killed by his daughter, the deputy governor’s father lived on false hope, believing that his bar was still as warm as a furnace, not knowing that it was as cold as a refrigerator. He was living in the past, like Aláàfin Ọwọade is doing today.

Enthroned in the first quarter of 2025, Ọwọade has yet to clock one year on the àpèrè of his forefathers. But it appears the Ọlọ́yọ has been reigning for over a decade. The gbas-gbos sound of the pestle pounding the mortar in Ọ̀yọ́ is not a dinner invitation. The sound is the drumbeat of an unnecessary war. On April 11, 2025, exactly six days after his inauguration on April 5, 2025, I wrote an article, “Letter to Alaafin Abimbola Owoade,” in honour of the new king, congratulating him and charging him to rule in peace, love and harmony. In the article, I prayed, “May the land not be angry with your majesty. May Ọ̀yọ́ live in harmony during your reign…Aláàfin, so far, your feet appear set on the path of honour, I beseech thee not to depart from it.”

Upon noticing the unmelodious bata sound emanating from Ọ̀yọ́ palace thereafter, I wrote another piece on May 9, 2025, titled, “Aláàfin Ọwọade: Thy bata drum is sounding too loudly.” In the article, I called on Ọwọade to tread with caution, warning that royalty road is strewn with banana skins. Specifically, I recalled the controversial death of Chief Lookman Arounfale, the Baba Ọjà of Ọ̀yọ́tùnjì, a US community, after he was reportedly attacked in Aláàfin’s palace. However, the palace issued a statement denying involvement in the death of Arounfale.

In the article, I also recalled how the Ọ̀ràngún of Ìlá, Ọba Abdulwahab Oyedotun, and his entourage were allegedly treated shoddily during a congratulatory visit to the Aláàfin.

From day one, I mean, right on Aláàfin’s coronation day, controversy erupted over what many Yoruba sons and daughters perceived as shabby treatment of the Ooni of Ife, Ọba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, whose name was not mentioned at all during the programme. As the culturally recognised head of all Yoruba traditional rulers, the Ọọni was not given the honour to speak at the occasion. This action presupposes that the Alaafin, even before his coronation, nursed a complex against the Ọọni. My personal findings showed that when it was the turn of an oba to speak on behalf of all traditional rulers present at Ọwọade’s coronation, it was the Oloro of Oro in Kwara State, Ọba Oyatoye Titiloye, a couple-of-months-old king, who was called to speak. When it was time for the Alaafin to talk, he failed to recognise the Ọọni or kings from Osun State. I don’t think that’s a good way to treat visitors who left their ‘ile ati ona’ to come and felicitate with you.

In his eight-month reign so far, Ọwọade has visited the Aseyin of Iseyin (Oyo State), Okere of Sak (Oyo State)i, Alake of Egba (Ogun State), Sultan of Sokoto (Sokoto State), Onitede of Tede (Oyo State), Olofa of Ofa (Kwara State), Oluwo of Iwo (Osun State), Emir of Ilorin (Kwara State), and the Olowu Kuta of Owu Kuta (Osun State), on a thank you and familiarisation visit. But he has yet to visit the ancestral and cultural head of the Yoruba nation, the Ooni of Ife, Ọọni Adeyeye Ogunwusi. I suspect Aláàfin Ọwọade is saving the biggest for the last. Iku Baba Yeye is at liberty to choose who and when to visit.

Ọwọade’s attitude became a matter of particular concern for me because the heatmap of his relationship with the Ooni indicates red, while that of the Arole Oduduwa is green. At this juncture, it is good to ask the Aláàfin a pertinent question. How has the Ooni wronged you? As I said earlier, it behoves the Aláàfin to associate with whosoever he desires, but it doesn’t lie in his right to exhibit an attitude that casts the Yoruba in discourteous, arrogant and unroyal light.

I ask again, what has the Ọọni done to deserve disdain from the Aláàfin – when the Ọọni has not publicly disrespected him? Before the Aláàfin thinks I’m doing a paid job for Ogunwusi, he should grab a copy of last Friday’s PUNCH and read how acerbic I was of the Ọọni for installing Senator Oluremi, the wife of President Bola Tinubu, as Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oduduwa, without using the symbolic ‘akoko’ leaves. The title of that my critique is “Tinubu: Ade Ori Okin befits KWAM 1, not Awujale crown”. Aláàfin, nobody send me o; I am just in the queue of Nigerians who demand responsible leadership for our society to grow.

The long queue of Nigerians demanding decorum from their leaders was shocked a few months ago when Ọwọade announced that he was the only traditional authority that could honour anyone with a title that covers the whole of Yorubaland. Ọwọade’s announcement came after the Ọọni honoured an Ibadan businessman, Dotun Sanusi, as the Okanlomo Oodua. Hehehe. The King of Oyo also gave Ogunwusi 48 hours to rescind the title given to Sanusi or face a consequence. The Ọọni has not rescinded the title. And thunder from the Ṣango of Ọyọ has failed to strike Ogunwusi. Abi, does the Aláàfin mean 48 years?
Or was the Iku Baba Yeye ‘catching cruise’ – as the youth of today would say? When confronted with an unserious or funny matter, the youth of today would also say ‘dey play’ or ‘ọ̀rọ̀ àpárá. Is the Alaafin plying?

A foremost traditionalist and Araba of Osogbo, Ifayemi Elebuibon, shared his opinion on the ongoing issue, saying the Old Oyo Empire, which Ọwọade is using as a basis for his preeminent claim, was long dead and buried. He said, “Ọyọ should pay reparation to other parts of Yorubaland that they despoiled. Ọyọ wreaked havoc on fellow Yoruba towns, lording it over towns and villages, and forcing them to pay tributes. When they argue that they rescued Yorubaland, did they fight wars as much as Ibadan? Where were they when Ibadan warriors repelled and defeated the Fulani? The Old Ọyọ empire had collapsed then. So, should Ibadan also get up and say they are superior to Ile-Ife? No. How can a child be older than his father? Did Ọranyan, who founded Ọyọ, not leave from Ile-Ife? So, what are they saying? Is supremacy fight what our kings should be engaged in now?

“Look at how many people Basorun Gaa killed. Look at how many Alaafins he killed? Is that the type of history that we should be proud of? Is that the type of history that a king should derive his present-day authority from, and try to lord it over others as if we are still in the past? The Alaafin should learn patience. Many of our traditional rulers are bringing shame to us. Was it Ifa or a royal election that made Alaafin superior? But the Ọọni derives his superiority from Ifa.”

I reminded Elebuibon that Ifa chose the new Alaafin. He said, “Yes, Ifa chooses kings, but the chosen king must also reinvent himself…”

To be continued.

Email: tundeodes2003@yahoo.com

Facebook: @Tunde Odesola

X: @Tunde_Odeso

News

Makinde Increases Gratuity Payment Of Retirees From N1.5b To N3b

Published

11 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

Oyo State Governor, Engr. Seyi Makinde, has approved a 100 per cent increase in gratuity payments for retirees in the state.

The Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Aribatise Adebayo, confirmed the development in a statement made available to journalists in Ibadan on Friday.

Adebayo noted that gratuity payments have increased significantly from ₦1.5 billion to ₦3 billion.

He said the development further confirms the governor’s worker-friendly disposition towards labour unions in the state.

Adebayo added that the governor has not reneged on his promise to continue paying the 13th-month salary at the end of every calendar year.

The statement read, “The leadership of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Trade Union Congress (TUC), and Joint Negotiating Council (JNC) in Oyo State sincerely appreciates the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency, Engr. Seyi Makinde, for his commendable and worker-friendly gestures.

“We particularly commend the Governor for increasing the proposed gratuity payment from ₦1.5 billion to ₦3 billion, a decision that demonstrates his deep commitment to the welfare of retirees.

“We also applaud the consistent payment of the 13th-month salary, which has now been paid for the seventh time, as well as the prompt release of subventions.

“These actions further reaffirm the governor’s dedication to the well-being of workers and retirees in Oyo State and his unwavering support for industrial harmony.”

Makinde has felicitated Christians in the state and across the country on the occasion of this year’s Christmas, urging them to continue to live in love and harmony with one another and with their neighbours.

The governor made the call in a Christmas message released on Thursday and made available to journalists by his Special Adviser on Media, Dr Sulaimon Olanrewaju.

According to Makinde, Christmas is a season of love, with the birth of Christ as the essence of the celebration, stressing that Christians must reflect this message by showing love to others and living in peace in line with the teachings of Jesus Christ.

He also counselled residents of the state to remain vigilant during the Yuletide, noting that security is a shared responsibility between the government and the people.

The governor urged citizens to report suspicious movements and activities to security agencies through the Oyo State Citizen Emergency Number, 615, reiterating that the principle of “if you see something, say something” remains in force.

He said: “This is to wish our Christian brethren and, indeed, all residents of Oyo State and Nigeria a Merry Christmas.

“Christmas, as we all know, symbolises love as exemplified by the miraculous but humble birth of the Lord Jesus Christ. Thus, we must live the message and the essence of the festival.

“Let me also use the opportunity to charge residents of the state to be vigilant and observant as they go about merrying. As a government, we have been up to the task in terms of securing the state, but there is still a role for residents to play. This is why we always say that if you see something, say something, and your government will do something.

“The Oyo State Citizen Emergency Number 615 is active. Please call to report any emergency or suspicion of criminality, and our rapid response system will be activated to bring the situation under check.

“Once again, Merry Christmas!”

News

PHOTOS: SGF George Akume Weds Ooni’s Ex-Queen

Published

11 hours ago

December 26, 2025

Editor

The Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, has officially wed Queen Zaynab Ngohemba, the former wife of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi.

The announcement was made public on Friday by a facebook user and member of the Dajoh family, Abraham Double-d Dajoh, via a celebratory social media post.

He confirmed the union between the high-ranking government official and the former Olori of the Ife Kingdom.

The Dajoh family described the union as “beautiful” and “uncommon,” as they formally welcomed her into their fold in Benue State.

In a statement that quickly went viral, the Dajoh family expressed their collective joy, signalling a significant chapter for the SGF’s household.

“We, the entire Dajoh Family, happily join our daddy, uncle and brother, His Excellency, The Secretary To The Government Of The Federation, Sen. George Akume Jugu Dajoh in welcoming his new and uncommon wife, Queen Zaynab Ngohemba-George Akume Dajoh, into the Dajoh family,” the post read.

The family further extended their appreciation to the political associates and supporters of the SGF, urging them to remain steadfast in their loyalty to him as he embarks on this personal journey.

“We appreciate and thank the fans and supporters of Sen. Akume for always standing by him. We enjoin every one of you to continue to support his Excellency even in this beautiful union with Queen Zaynab,” the post further read.

Queen Zaynab, who was previously known as Olori Wuraola during her 17-month marriage to the Ooni of Ife (which ended in 2017), was ushered into her new home with deep cultural reverence.

The Dajoh family emphasised the importance of their ancestral roots in Mbakor and the wider Benue State.

“Welcome to Benue State, the Food Basket of the Nation, welcome to Mbakor, the seat of leadership of the Tiv nation and welcome to the Dajoh family, the home of your darling husband. Welcome home, Queen Zaynab,” the statement concluded.

The announcement coincided with the festive period, as the family used the opportunity to wish Nigerians a happy holiday season.

“We wish you all a happy Christmas Celebration and a Prosperous New Year,” the post read.

Akume, a former Governor of Benue State and a politician, currently serves as a key figure in the President Bola Tinubu administration.

The news of his marriage to Queen Zaynab—a prominent humanitarian and former royal—has become a major talking point across the country’s social and political circles.

Contacted on the telephone on Friday, Akume’s spokesman, Yomi Odunuga, confirmed the marriage.

He, however, said contrary to reports that the wedding was held on December 24, the marriage is over a year old.

“I can confirm the marriage. However, contrary to the rumour that the marriage was concretised in Gboko on Christmas eve when the couple appeared together at an event to celebrate Christmas, it was actually a marriage that is over a year old,” Odunuga said.