News

OPINION: Oyinlola Keeps His Promise Despite Tinubu’s Victory (2)

Published

2 years ago

December 8, 2023

Tunde Odesola

After reading the first part of this article last week, Oyinlola called me, and as my phone was ringing, I was tempted to fetch the bitter kola in my hunter’s pouch, take a bite, gargle some aromatic schnapps and chant the incantation, “Ohun ta wi fun ogbó, l’ogbó n gbo, ohun ta wi fun ogbà, l’ogba n gba, kóse kóse ni ti ìlákòse, á sùn má párádà ni ti igi àjà… tùèh!”

I wasn’t going to harm Oyinlola with my chant. Far from it. I was only going to safeguard the kill that Ògún Lákáayé Ósìnmólè, the god of War and Iron, had secured for me, a gunless hunter, from a gunnery old soldier. I didn’t want to hear, “Tunde, I mistakenly sent some bags of cowries to your vault. I’m sorry; they’re not meant for you. They’re meant for Tunde Kelani, the world-renowned cinematographer.”

Well, if Omo’ba Lagun had tried to recall the ancient legal tender aka cowries in my possession, in the manner Bible-loving Godwin Emefiele recalled the naira, I wouldn’t have been sheepish like the Nigerian masses. I would’ve stood up to him and reminded him of the epic Battle of Òrè during the Nigerian Civil War.

Oyinlola knows the art and science of war. He knows why the intensity of the Òrè Battle is prefixed with the phrase ‘O Le Ku’, Ija Òrè. It was in Òrè, Ondo State, that Biafran forces were turned back by federal forces.

I would’ve refused to return the cowries because in vain the moinmoin seeks escape after entering the house of agidi corn meal. The bracelet is cast on the wrist of Olóòsà, nobody can pull it off! I’ll remind Oyin that the Kelani that directed Ò Lé Kù also directed Agogo Eewo, which affirms the efficacy of African traditional powers. I have the full support of the Awise Agbaye, Prof Wande Abimbola, and the Araba of Osogbo, Baba Yemi Elebuibon.

FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: Travelling Through Nigeria In Tinubu’s Yacht

When I picked up Oyin’s call, his voice was unmistakable, “Young man, you want to reveal what we did in secret, abi? I’m going to sue you and press for damages because people are going to bombard me.” I protested, “They’ve been bombarding me too, despite my incantations, sir.” “Na you sabi di fake incantation you’re chanting. You’re muddling ‘Ohun ta wi fun ogbó, l’ogbó n gbo’, and ‘Fírí, fírí loju n ri, bòhùn, bohun làgùtàn ń wò’; the two serve different purposes. One is to make you do what you wouldn’t do, the other is to render you powerless,” he said. Hmm, I could see Oyin doesn’t know Ifa has gone digital.

Oyin belongs to the rich cultural past when mothers exhaled thrice ‘ha! ha! ha!’ before slicing open the gizzard of a freshly killed fowl, nowadays, ‘ha! ha! ha!’ could indicate delirium or the commencement of cult war. Nowadays, everything is muddled up.

Oyinlola continued, “I was the one God used to end the Ife-Modakeke War, not Chief Bisi Akande, as contained in the first part of your article. When I became governor, they were still fighting, albeit on a low scale. So, I went to Ooni Sijuwade Okunade. I told him, ‘Kabiyesi, you’re the only one who can put a permanent end to this crisis’. I said he should cooperate with me. Thereafter, I went to Baba Ogunsua, the late Chief Francis Adedoyin. I told him of the need to put a permanent stop to the war. I pleaded with him to follow me to Ife. And he agreed.

“It was on a Sunday. Modakeke people said Ife people were threatening that Ogunsua should not come. I said the Ogunsua should come in my car, that anyone who wants to kill or harm him would have me to contend with first. When we got to Ife, we entered the palace, and Ogunsua was given a seat, but he refused the seat and sat on the floor.

FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: My Children Won’t Suffer What I Suffered

“At the meeting, I suggested to Oba Sijuwade that all the lands of Modakeke seized by Ife should be returned, and he agreed. I also urged him to upgrade Ogunsua, who was a baale, to a king. Sijuwade also agreed. Also, I implored Sijuwade to pay all the salaries accruable to Ogunsua, which had been seized, during the war. Oba Sijuwade agreed to that, too. That was how the war ended permanently. So, when people ask what my greatest achievement was as governor, it is ending the Ife-Modakeke war, not the Osun State University, not the numerous infrastructural projects. Human life is sacrosanct.”

Never dig the hole of antagonism deep because you might find yourself in it, counsels a Yoruba proverb. I was the Lagos State Governor’s Office/Lagos State House of Assembly reporter when the letter transferring me to Osun State as correspondent came. Some of my Alausa colleagues I shared my impending destination with warned me of virtually everyone on Oyinlola’s media team. “Ha! Lasisi will want to control you.” “Oh! Oladeji is cunning. You can never know where he’s going.” “Salam is manageable, but don’t trust him totally.” The advice came in torrents. But I never allowed what I had heard about the trio to affect my relationship with them.

I cherish and nurture friendship. An ex-Osun House of Assembly Speaker, Chief Adejare Bello, was the first politician I met when I got to Osun. His enigmatic Press Secretary, the late Olumide Ajayi, (my ‘aburo’) saw me the day I arrived and insisted I must see his ‘oga’ in Ede. I complained it was getting late, but Olumighty begged. He was such an irresistible soul. I succumbed.

When Bello left government, I still kept in contact with him. Bello, now the Ambassador to Mexico, loves football. His team is Real Madrid and his favourite player is Ronaldo. Hardly a day passes without me needling him about the inability of Ronaldo to win the World Cup like my favourite player, Messi did. In return, he would remind me that Real Madrid are superior to Barcelona, my team.

During the Qatar 2022 World Cup, I was rooting for Argentina while Bello was seeking their ouster. When Argentina got to the final and I started to diss Bello, he said in annoyance, “Argentina will never win the cup.” “The cup is already in Bueno Aires,” I fired back. “Do you want to bet?” “Yes, sir, I want to bet.” “How much?” “N100k.” “OK?” Ok!”

FROM THE AUTHOR: OPINION: When I Forged My Exam Record

When the referee blew the final whistle and I was jumping about the house, thanking God for crowning Messi’s stellar career with a World Cup, my phone rang, it was Bello, “Tunde, congratulations! Send your account number, please.”

“N100k just like that? Why have you been wasting your time in journalism? Why don’t you become a pundit and make money, Tunde?” I wondered.

I don’t like to bet. The few times I have betted in my life, I returned the won bet. But what’s N100k to an ambassador? Did I ask for the win? Tunde, send your account number jo! I did and heard an alert shortly afterwards.

In 2011, inside PUNCH newsroom, I predicted the outcome of the 2011 Osun governorship election. Saturday PUNCH had on its cover the map of Osun, showing the 30 local government councils. The election was a straight fight between the incumbent, Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola, and the challenger, Chief Iyiola Omisore. Saturday PUNCH Editor, Mrs Bisi Deji-Folutile, predicted victory for Omisore.

The Executive Director, Publications, Mr Adeyeye Joseph, now Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief, asked if I was the one that shaded each candidate’s areas of strength on the map. He was told I wasn’t. He called for me and directed that I handle the map.

On election day, Aregbesola won in all the 22 councils while Omisore won in the eight I predicted, though there were one or two councils where I predicted victory could go either way. When I got to the office on Monday, Segun Olugbile, the news editor, told me Saturday PUNCH editor was looking for me. When she saw me, she was full of praise for me.

I speak regularly with General Oyinlola. After the 2023 presidential election, I called Oyinlola to get his view. He said Alhaji Atiku Abubakar would win but I said Tinubu would win. He said, “Do you want to bet?” “Yes,” I said. “How much,” he asked?” I said, “Sir, let me stake N500,000.00 to you N5m.” He said, “Which type of betting is that?” Are you betting or not,” he asked with a military finality. I said, “Yes.” “How much?” he asked again. I said, “If I bet N500,000, I’ll win N5m.”

Last Monday, I got an alarm from a microfinance bank. I called Oyin. He said, “I am a soldier. I keep my word.”

Concluded

This article written by Tunde Odesola, a columnist with The PUNCH newspaper was first published by the same paper. It’s published here with the permission from the author.

News

Satguru Maharaj Pledges To Facilitates Kanu Release If…

Published

13 minutes ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The founder of One Love Family, Satguru Maharaj Ji, has vowed to get the incarcerated leader of the proscribed Igbo group, Indigenous People of Biafra, Nnamdi Kanu, released if the Biafra radio and sit-at-home order are stopped.

Maharaj Ji stated this while speaking in an interview granted to his temple’s in-house radio on Wednesday.

According to him, the IPOB leader was culpable of the terrorism charges levelled against him, and anyone guilty is liable to a death sentence.

He said, “We are, however, grateful that the matter has been put on hold in the sense that, by the accusations, it is always going to be death, looking at the level of crimes attached to him, with the way and manner the constitution is written. Anybody who is accused of doing such a thing (terrorism) is sentenced to death. It is only out of grace that Kanu was able to escape.

“So now it has to be by political settlement before he (Kanu) can be released, and it will be addressed in so many ways. For anyone advocating for his pardon, they have to take positive steps. In other words, they must not do so with empty hands; they should stop the Biafra radio wherever it is. Secondly, the sit-at-home order should be stopped, and the judgment should be accepted while the Igbo elders go behind the scenes to analyse and explain to the President.

“Today, the Igbos have been brought to the central realms of politics by Tinubu. And the Northern caliphate is not happy about it. They are not excited about the commission they were given…They should stop the propaganda that the East is about to be Islamised. When those are done, I know how to watch it out, Kanu will come out. I will help facilitate his release.“

The cleric joined the likes of Abia State governor, Alex Otti, activist Omoyele Sowore, and other South-East leaders to intensify efforts to secure the release of detained Kanu through a political arrangement, assuring residents of the region that “all hope is not lost.”

On Tuesday, Otti met Tinubu at the State House, Abuja, after visiting Kanu in the Sokoto prison facility, where the IPOB leader is serving his sentence.

Otti’s meeting with the President is believed to be part of ongoing engagements aimed at securing the release of the detained Kanu.

Recall that Kanu bagged a life sentence instead of the death penalty after the presiding judge, Justice James Omotosho, handed down the sentence on counts one, two, four, five, and six.

The judge also handed Kanu a 20-year jail term on count three, with no option of fine, and a five-year jail term on count seven, with no option of fine.

Justice Omotosho delivered the judgment after convicting Kanu on all seven counts of terrorism offences.

News

Senate Backs Death Penalty For Kidnappers, Informants, Others

Published

18 minutes ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Senate on Wednesday moved to tighten Nigeria’s anti-kidnapping laws by pushing for the death penalty for kidnappers — and anyone who finances, enables, or provides information to them — as lawmakers debated amendments to the 2022 Terrorism (Prevention and Prohibition) Act.

The proposal, sponsored by the Leader of the Senate, Opeyemi Bamidele, seeks to classify kidnapping, hostage-taking, and related crimes as terrorism, giving security agencies wider powers to track, disrupt, and prosecute criminal networks across the country.

The debate dominated Wednesday’s plenary, drawing contributions from key senators including Adams Oshiomhole, Orji Uzor Kalu, and Minority Leader Abba Moro.

The session was presided over by Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

After hours of deliberation, the Senate unanimously approved the amendment bill for further legislative work and referred it to the Committees on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters (lead committee), National Security and Intelligence, and Interior.

The committees are expected to report back within two weeks.

Leading debate on the bill, Bamidele said the purpose was to “designate kidnapping, hostage-taking and related offences as acts of terrorism and prescribe the death penalty for such offences without option of fine or alternative sentence.”

He warned that kidnapping had evolved into “coordinated, commercialised and militarised acts of violence perpetrated by organised criminal groups.”

“Kidnapping has instilled widespread fear in communities; undermined national economic activities and agricultural output; interrupted children’s education; bankrupted families forced to pay ransom; overstretched our security forces, and claimed countless innocent lives,” the Senate leader lamented.

According to him, the patterns of brutality associated with kidnapping “now carry all the characteristics of terrorism,” making it necessary to treat the offence under the counter-terrorism framework.

Bamidele added that the bill would empower security agencies with “broader operational authority, intelligence capabilities, and prosecutorial tools” to pursue terrorists and their enablers.

He stressed that the death penalty would apply not only to kidnappers but also to “their informants, logistics providers, harbourers, transporters, and anyone who knowingly assists, facilitates, or supports kidnapping operations,” adding that “attempt, conspiracy or incitement to kidnap attracts the same penalty.”

“Nigerians are kidnapped on highways, in schools, in homes, on farms and in markets,” he said. “This is not a mere crime. It is terrorism in its purest form.”

Backing the amendment, Oshiomhole criticised deradicalisation programmes for terror suspects, arguing that many offenders returned to crime.

“We should not continue with deradicalisation programmes again,” he said. “No more de-radicalisation. If you are caught and convicted for acts of terrorism, then the penalty should be death.”

Kalu also supported the bill, insisting that informants and sponsors of kidnappers must “face the consequence.”

“Nigerians have suffered at the hands of kidnappers. Young girls have been raped. Women have become widows for no reason. This must not continue again,” he said.

Senate Minority Leader Moro described the bill as “a unanimous decision of the Senate,” noting that it was necessary to impose capital punishment “with the hope that kidnappers will face the penalty.”

Senator Victor Umeh, in his contribution, condemned the rising trend of abductions and the killing of victims even after ransom payments. He said financial institutions aiding such crimes must also be scrutinised.

Last week, the Senate took a similarly tough stance as it debated a motion following the November 18 attack on Christ Apostolic Church, Eruku, in Ekiti LGA of Kwara State, where gunmen killed two worshippers and abducted 38 others.

Although all victims were later rescued, lawmakers said the incident exposed the spread of insurgent cells into the South and worsening insecurity in rural communities.

The debate stemmed from a motion by Senator Yisa Ashiru titled ‘Urgent Need to Address Escalating Insecurity in Kwara, Kebbi, and Niger States and Strengthen National Security Frameworks.’

Senators also raised concerns over rising school abductions, which have led to shutdowns in parts of Kebbi, Niger, Kwara, and all 47 Federal Unity Colleges nationwide.

The latest amendment effort signals a tougher legislative push as insecurity — particularly kidnapping for ransom — continues to devastate communities across the country.

News

FG Approves N54tn MTEF For 2026 To 2028

Published

44 minutes ago

December 3, 2025

Editor

The Federal Executive Council has approved the 2026–2028 Medium-Term Expenditure Framework and Fiscal Strategy Paper, fixing a conservative oil price benchmark of $64.85 per barrel and a budget exchange rate of N1,512/$1 for 2026.

Briefing State House correspondents after the Council’s meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Atiku Bagudu, said the framework, drawn with inputs from MDAs, the private sector, civil society and development partners, will be transmitted to the National Assembly on Monday, December 8, at the latest.

Bagudu said the MTEF proposed two oil production targets, split between an ambitious 2.06 million barrels per day and a lower 1.80mbpd used for budgeting.

“For the first time, a target oil production as well as benchmark oil production were adopted.

“The target oil production is 2.06 million barrels per day, which the management of the oil industry is tasked to produce.

“However, so that we don’t run into revenue problems, we use a benchmark oil production figure of 1.8 [mbpd] for budget purposes,” Bagudu said.

On price, he added that the $64.85/bbl benchmark is deliberately below Nigeria’s typical realisations.

“Even the oil benchmark of $64.85 which is being used this year, is lower than the average selling price of Nigeria’s crude oil, because Nigeria is a premium Bonny Light producer. But for an abundance of caution, we are using $64.85,” he explained.

Bagudu noted that the 2026 macro assumptions also include a growth rate projection of 4.68 per cent and a budget exchange rate of N1,512/$1.

He noted, “Given that 2026 is a pre-election year, there is a lot of election activity spending that can typically affect the exchange rate.”

According to the minister, gross Federation revenue is estimated at N50.74tn for 2026, to be shared as follows: Federal Government, N22.60tn; states, N16.30tn; and local governments, N11.85tn.

Consequently, total Federal Government revenue from all sources is projected at about N34.33 trillion, inclusive of N4.98 trillion remitted by government-owned enterprises.

“This figure is 16 per cent lower than that of the 2025 budget estimate,” Bagudu said.

He outlined the major spending heads which include statutory transfers of around N3tn; debt service of N15.91tn; and non-debt recurrent (personnel and pensions) of about N15.27tn.

With a projected deficit of N20.10tn, about 3.61 per cent of the estimated GDP, Bagudu said the implied federal spending envelope is roughly ₦54.43tn.

The former Kebbi state governor said the draft also reviews 2025 budget implementation and embeds stakeholder inputs across the macro background, parameters and fiscal risks.

“Relevant inputs from stakeholders have been integrated into the framework,” he said.

Beyond the paper, he disclosed that Tinubu has secured National Economic Council buy-in for tighter policy coordination and priority spending.

“The President called for more collaboration and coordination between fiscal and monetary policies and sought the approval of the National Economic Council to invest more in security spending, in particular, the rehabilitation of training institutions of security agencies,” Bagudu said.

He added that FEC endorsed increased “Federation vigilance to eliminate revenue loss from illegal activities in the oil and gas sectors as well as critical mineral sectors,” alongside a push for “critical minimum transformational investment for infrastructure” through the Renewed Hope infrastructure funding and measures to boost domestic production.

The minister also revealed that the memo to FEC was presented by the Director-General of the Budget Office, supported by his team and the Economic Management Team, after “technical discussions, bilateral engagement as well as expert consultations” with stakeholders to ensure the framework reflects “collective aspiration.”

The MTEF/FSP, a statutory three-year fiscal guide, sets the assumptions that will underpin the 2026 Appropriation Bill, including oil/output benchmarks, revenue profiles, deficit limits and the spending mix.