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OPINION: When Bandits Took Over Ondo State

Published

10 months ago

March 16, 2025

By Festus Adedayo

Ondo State was in the news for the bad reason last week. A gale of killings, kidnapping and demand for ransom swept through the Akure North and South local governments of the state. Armed assailants were said to have stormed Aba Alajido, Aba Sunday, Aba Pastor, and Ademekun communites of the Akure North Local Government Area. By the time the flakes had settled, deaths, caked blood and destruction dotted the landscape, with weeping, wailing and gnashing of the teeth as the victims and their families’ companions. From 20 villagers allegedly killed, fourteen bodies were said to have been recovered.

This bad news had hardly subsided when on Tuesday, same last week, nine surveyors were also said to have been kidnapped. Reports said they had been working at a site in a village in Ilu-Abo, Akure North Local Government Area of the state. After the abduction of the surveyors, their abductors were said to have made a demand of the sum of N100m to secure their release. This led to protests by individuals, market women and organizations which called on the governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, to face the business of protecting the people which is central to the mandate given him by the people. Earlier, on January 31, along the Benin-Owo-Akure road at the Ifon area of Ose Local Government Area of the state, seven travelers from Akwa Ibom State were abducted by bandits in a commercial bus.

In Nigeria of today, the sad reality is that. no state is totally immune from violence, banditry and insecurity. In virtually all components of Nigeria, countrymen sleep with one eye closed, making the security situation a national affliction that cannot be tackled with rhetoric. With these in mind, no one can totally harangue Ondo State and its authorities for the deluge of violence that aims at the state’s jugular. However, there is a lot to be bothered about when government’s response or lack thereof is tame and perceived to be a reflection of incompetence.

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Yes, I am aware that governments in the Third World, try to de-numericize figures of casualties. So, if 20 people, for instance, suffer casualty in a disaster, governments keep the figure down to a tolerable numeral. The mind behind this, especially in Nigeria, is that actual figures could attract national bile towards the government. But, I have hardly seen where governments look at the face of their people and tell brazen lies.

The first indication of tame leadership response to the Ondo State insecurity came from government’s response. Just like Goodluck Jonathan did when the news of the kidnap of the Chibok girls got to him, responding with unbelief that it ever happened, the Ondo State government lived in denial of the calamity for almost 48 hours. Feelers from within it said government believed that the killing took place outside of Ondo State and its political enemies were merely weaponizing the killings by claiming it happened in the state. Their conviction was that this was done for the purpose of embarrassing the state government. Jonathan, I am sure, is yet to recover from the effect of this. When a Chief Security Officer of a state shows this level of absence, it is obvious the state is done for.

Thus, while addressing women protesters on behalf of the governor, the Special Adviser on Union Matters and Special Duties, Mr Bola Taiwo, gave the indication that mental rigour was lacking in the Alagbaka Government House. Taiwo’s response to the kidnapping of the surveyors was to blame them for getting themselves kidnapped. Their specific sin, the adviser said, was that they went to the site without security protection.

“We shall speak with your leaders if they have reported the incident to the police. If they have not, they should go there and report, that’s when the government would act. Nowadays, surveyors going to the site should go with police escorts. If they do, no gunmen would abduct them. No one can kidnap anyone without internal collaborators,” Taiwo said. He also told the women to return to Ilu-Abo and pursue their demand for the release of the surveyors. “You shall now go back to Ilu-Abo and cry out that those who abducted the surveyors should release them. No Hausa or Fulani man can come to Ilu-Abo and kidnap without the connivance of one of the natives. It is your people that kidnapped the nine surveyors. We will meet with your leaders and discuss with them,” he said magisterially. The same adviser was on a radio station to continue these doggerel verses which incensed the people of the state.

In saner clime, after that statement, Taiwo should be history in government. When a government hires an adviser who speaks this vacuously and leashlessly, then you need not look further as to why there is paucity of rigour and vision in the activities of the government. The appointive authority should be blamed.

However, the good news is that Governor Aiyedatiwa has sworn to do the needful. At a press conference thereafter, he talked about procuring drones to fight the bandits who seem to have convoked on the state. God bless the soul of Governor Rotimi Akeredolu. He led the establishment of the Amotekun security network in the southwest and ensured that his state reflected the frown of Yorubaland against invaders of whatever extraction. Now that Aiyedatiwa has the knife, can he face the smoke, pull out his chestnut from the fire and govern Ondo State? It will be a calamity if Ondo State perceives that it has an accidental governor. While you need small luck to become a governor, plenty brain is needed to administer it.

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Eating Takeout Food Often May Increase Heart Disease Risk — Study

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Research suggests that higher takeout food consumption may increase a person’s risk of cardiovascular disease, like heart disease.

In a new study, published in Food Science & Nutrition, researchers said eating takeout food too often can influence systemic inflammation that underlies much cardiovascular disease.

The study of over eight thousand people in the 2009 to 2018 U.S. National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) found that those who eat greater amounts of takeout food are likely to have various elevated risk factors for heart disease.

They were interviewed in their homes and also visited a mobile examination centre, where they recalled their food intake, received cardiometabolic health assessments, and had blood collected.

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The researchers found a correlation between the amount of takeout food a person consumes and their likelihood of developing chronic low-level inflammation, a key driver of cardiovascular pathology.

Deaths from cardiovascular disease and the consumption of takeout foods are both on the rise, and while that does not prove a causal relationship, the study explores whether there is a connection between the two.

The study tracked degrees of systemic inflammation according to the Dietary Inflammatory Index (DII), a scale that quantifies the risk of inflammation related to the intake of specific dietary substances.

The three major takeaways from the analysis included that a higher level of takeout food consumption corresponded to an unfavourable cardiometabolic profile consisting of lower HDL, as well as higher triglycerides, fasting glucose, serum insulin, and insulin resistance.

Jayne Morgan, MD, cardiologist and Vice President of Medical Affairs in a reaction, who was not involved in the study, explained that “Takeout food raises the cardiovascular risk not because of one ingredient, but because of a predictable combination of nutrients, additives, and preparation methods that adversely affect blood pressure, lipids, insulin sensitivity, inflammation, and endothelial function.”

“This includes excess sodium that increases blood volume and blood vessel stiffness, and unhealthy fats, usually saturated fats or trans fats, that increase cholesterol level and atherosclerosis, a condition that can lead to heart attack and stroke.”

Michelle Routhenstein, Preventive Cardiology Dietitian at Entirely Nourished, also not involved in this study, declared, “It is also important to recognise that frequent takeout use often reflects broader lifestyle pressures such as demanding schedules, limited access to cooking resources, irregular meals, and disrupted sleep, all of which can quietly compound cardiovascular risk.”

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How To Identify Fake Kiss Condoms In Circulation

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has recently warned Nigerians about the circulation of counterfeit Kiss brand condoms in major markets across the country.

Contents
Original DKT Kiss condoms
Fake Kiss condoms

In a public alert published on its website recently and referenced as Public Alert No. 042/2025, the agency said the warning followed information received from DKT International Nigeria, a non-governmental organisation involved in contraceptive social marketing and HIV/AIDS prevention.

NAFDAC stated, “The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control is notifying the public about the sale and distribution of fake Kiss condoms in various Nigerian markets.

“The information was received from the MAH-DKT International Nigeria, a leading non-governmental organisation focused on contraceptive social marketing. Its mission is to provide Nigerians with affordable and safe options for family planning and HIV/AIDS prevention.

“The fake Kiss condoms have been reported to be found in Onitsha Market, Idumota Market, Trade Fair Market, and various markets in Kano, Abuja, Uyo, Gombe, Enugu, and others.”

Kiss condom is a brand of male latex condoms designed to offer sexual protection, including the prevention of unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted infections such as HIV, gonorrhoea and syphilis.

To help consumers avoid counterfeit products, NAFDAC outlined key differences between original and fake Kiss condoms.

Original DKT Kiss condoms
The original product comes in a light red box pack with clear instructions printed on the lower part of the pack, including single-use warnings and storage and caution information. The box contains detailed medical device information, including MDSS GmbH, Germany, and a complete Nigerian address at Isolo Industrial Layout, Oshodi-Apapa Expressway.

The condom pack is light red, with the word “Kiss” closely written on six lines. The wallet outer pack is lighter red, carries the Oshodi-Apapa address, manufacturer details, and a clear product description beside the condom image. The hidden flap includes revision dates, medical device details, and caution information, while the wallet inner contains detailed instructions and eight bullet points under important notes.

The original condom is large, oval-shaped, well-lubricated, and has a large teat end for semen collection.

Fake Kiss condoms
In contrast, fake Kiss condoms come in darker-coloured box packs with little or no additional information. Some boxes are plain white inside and lack condom images. The address is wrongly listed as 42, Montgomery Road, Yaba, Lagos, while the manufacturer’s address is incomplete or missing. Storage and caution information is absent.

The condom pack is darker, with “Kiss” loosely written on five lines and wide spacing. The condom strip is longer than the original. The wallet outer pack is also darker red, carries incorrect or missing addresses, lacks colour wave designs, and shows inconsistencies in barcode lines. Medical device and caution information are missing, and the hidden flap contains no details.

Inside the wallet, information is summarised with only six bullet points. The fake condom is thinner, round-shaped, less lubricated, and has a smaller teat end.
(TRIBUNE)

News

Lagos: Police Arrest 14 Suspected Traffic Robbers On Lekki-Epe Expressway

Published

3 days ago

December 30, 2025

Editor

Fourteen persons suspected to be involved in traffic-related robbery have been arrested at various points along the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos over the past two weeks.

The arrests were confirmed on Tuesday by the Lagos State Police Command spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, via a post on her official X handle, @AbimbolaShotayo.

According to her, operatives of the Command’s Tactical Squad based in Elemoro carried out the operations that led to the suspects’ apprehension.

She explained that the arrests followed sustained patrols and intelligence-driven operations aimed at curbing criminal activities associated with traffic congestion and improving the safety of motorists and other road users along the busy corridor.

Adebisi noted that the development reflects the Command’s determination to strengthen security and uphold law and order on the Lekki-Epe axis, adding that the Tactical Squad has continued to proactively identify crime-prone areas and respond swiftly to threats posed by criminal elements.

She called on residents and commuters to support police efforts by providing timely and credible information that could assist in preventing and detecting crime.

“Security is a shared responsibility. Members of the public are encouraged to stay alert and promptly report any suspicious movements or activities to the nearest police station,” she said.

The police spokesperson further reassured residents and road users of the Command’s commitment to maintaining aggressive patrols and security operations to protect lives and property in the area.

She reiterated the Command’s community policing message, “See Something, Say Something,” stressing the importance of cooperation between the police and the public in sustaining peace and security.