Metro

Police Arrest Osun Prince Over Killing Of US-based Lecturer

Published

2 years ago

January 28, 2024

The Osun State Police Command said it has arrested an Oyo prince, Eniola Oyeyode, in connection to the killing of a United States American-based lecturer, Richard Idowu.

Idowu, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party was shot at Oyeyode’s residence on Saturday evening and he died while receiving treatment in a private hospital in the Ejigbo area of the state.

A security source close to the Osun State Police Command who spoke on condition of anonymity, told The PUNCH that Oyeyode was moved from Ejigbo to Osogbo on Sunday.

Also, the spokesperson for the state police command, Yemisi Opalola, in a statement obtained in Osogbo on Sunday, confirmed the arrest of Oyeyode.

Opalola said, “The Osun Police Command is using this medium to inform the general public that the command is aware of the incident of shooting that occurred at Ejigbo which led to the death of one Dr. Richard Adeoriokin.

“The incident occurred on 27/1/2024 at about 9:48 pm after the 50th Coronation Anniversary of the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Oyeyode Oyesosin where one Prince Eniola Oyeyode ‘m’ of Ejigbo instructed one of his civilian guards named Hammed Abdul Jelili ‘m’ of Ejigbo to fire his double barrel gun into the air to confirm if the gun was in good condition or not, but instead shot directly at the victim. He was rushed to a hospital where he was confirmed dead by a doctor.

“Meanwhile, the prince, Eniola Oyeyode, who gave the order to his civilian guard to fire guns have been arrested and detained.

“The Commissioner of Police, CP Bzigu Dali Kwazhi, therefore, appeals to members of the public especially the residents of Ejigbo to remain calm as the discreet investigation has commenced immediately.”

Idowu was shot dead in Ejigbo, Osun State on Saturday.

The incident threw the community into mourning and led to tension among the residents.

An investigation by our correspondent revealed that the incident occurred in a private residence of Oyeyode, a son to the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Omowonuola Oyeyode, who was marking his 50th anniversary on the throne.

It was also learnt that Idowu was part of the coronation anniversary, from where he was summoned to a meeting in the residence of Oyeyode located along Inisa Road in Ejigbo.

An eyewitness, who preferred anonymity, while speaking with PUNCH Online on Sunday on the matter, said at the meeting was a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress, Ayodele Asalu and one other person identified as Mr. Timothy.

After the meeting had ended and the attendees were leaving the premises, the eyewitness said gunshots were heard and Idowu was hit on the leg which led to his death while being treated in a private hospital in Ejigbo.

Narrating how the incident happened, a Personal Assistant to the deceased, Afiz Lawal, who said, the incident happened in his presence further explained, “When we returned to Osun from Ogun State where Governor Adeleke took a chieftaincy title, we moved to Ejigbo for 50th coronation anniversary of the Ogiyan of Ejigbo, Oba Oyeyode Oyesosin.

“Immediately after the coronation party, we were about to start coming to Osogbo, when Prince Eniola, son of Ogiyan, told us to go to his house along Inisa Road in Ejigbo for a brief meeting. Those that attended the meeting include Hon. Asler ( Ayodele Asalu), and one Hon Timothy.

“When the meeting ended, they all dispersed and were entering their vehicles. I heard Prince Eniola say, ‘release,’ asking a local hunter there on the premises to release gunshots into the air. Unfortunately, instead of firing into the air, he shot towards the ground. And that was how Richard Idowu was hit on the leg and he immediately fell.

“Before we could get him to the hospital, he had already lost so much blood and there is no good hospital in Ejigbo. He gave up at a private hospital in Ejigbo. The incident happened between 8pm and 8.30 pm Saturday. He was a PDP chieftain and a lecturer based in the United States of America.”

Asked if the incident could be regarded as a case of misfiring or preplanned, Lawal said, “It may be planned or accidental, but I just narrated how the incident happened because I was at the scene. His remains have been deposited at the morgue of UNIOSUN Teaching Hospital, Osogbo.”

It was also learnt that the man who fired the shot was beaten to death after the incident.

While speaking with The PUNCH, the Commander of Osun Command of the Nigeria Hunters and Forest Security Service, the group also known as local hunters, Ahmed Nureni, said no member of the group was involved in the incident, demanding a thorough probe into the killing.

Metro

Tragedy As Erosion Sweeps Away Motorcyclist In Edo

Published

6 hours ago

September 17, 2025

Editor

Photo: file copy

Tragedy struck Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area of Edo State, as a motorcyclist, popularly known as Okada, was swept away by erosion.

The tragic incident which reportedly happened after a heavy downpour on Tuesday evening, has sparked renewed concern over the worsening case of erosion in most parts of Edo State.

The incident was captured in a viral video that is circulating widely across social media platforms.

In the video, an individual was heard narrating that the incident occurred at Uwenlenbo Road, near Zekor Hotel in Ekpoma.

The narrator in the video
described the scene as horrifying, adding that the powerful rush of water overwhelmed the rider.

According to the voice, the rider was carrying a female passenger, before he was swept away by the furious erosion, which had a free day due to lack of proper water channel in most parts of the state.

Another voice was heard in the video asking people to assist the bike rider who was struggling with the wave of water until he was swept away.

The victim’s bike plate number was thereafter displayed by sympathizers who begged those who know him to come up to identify him.

the sympathisers in the video called for urgent intervention by both state and federal government agencies, lamenting that erosion continues to threaten lives and property in the state.

Metro

Customs Unveil E-clearance Platform To Decongest Apapa Port

Published

19 hours ago

September 16, 2025

Editor

The Nigeria Customs Service has launched Overtime E-Clearance System, an automated platform aimed at improving cargo management and reducing port congestion at Apapa Port.

According to the Service, the platform, unveiled on Monday, will address a staggering 15-year backlog of abandoned cargo and tackle corruption in the system.

Customs announced this in a statement on its X handle on Tuesday.

Comptroller-General of Customs, Adewale Adeniyi, officially introduced the system during a sensitisation exercise in Lagos.

He said the platform will enable consignees to submit and track applications remotely, cutting repeated visits to Customs offices and limiting manual interference.

“The system builds on an earlier policy that extended cargo dwelling periods from 30 to 120 days to give stakeholders more flexibility. The focus is transparency, integrity and adherence to the law. We urge stakeholders to test the system and provide feedback ahead of full deployment,” Adeniyi said.

NCos boss warned against attempts to abuse the process, citing a 15-year-old overtime cargo case still under investigation as an example of why loopholes must be closed.

He added that deliberate abandonment of cargo to evade duties would attract tougher sanctions, with intelligence units monitoring misuse.

Under the rollout plan, Customs will hold further sensitisation sessions this week with terminal operators, shipping companies and other stakeholders before expanding engagement to additional commands.

Deployment will follow once feedback is reviewed and legal queries addressed, the statement added.

According to The PUNCH, this development comes shortly after Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, directed Customs to suspend the implementation of the 4% Free on Board levy on imported goods.

Metro

DSS Sues Sowore, X, Meta Over Anti-Tinubu Post

Published

19 hours ago

September 16, 2025

Editor

The Department of State Services has filed a five-count charge against former presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, alongside social media platforms X Corp and Meta Incorporation, over posts critical of President Bola Tinubu.

The suit dated 16th September,2025, was lodged at the Federal High Court in Abuja after Sowore allegedly refused to delete certain posts about the President.

The charges were brought on behalf of the DSS and the Federal Government by M.B. Abubakar, Director of Public Prosecutions at the Federal Ministry of Justice, alongside four other counsel to the DSS –M.E. Ernest, U.B. Bulla, Dr. C.S. Eze, and E.G. Orubor.

Confirming the development in a Facebook post on Tuesday , Sowore wrote, “The State Security Service, alias @OfficialDSSNG today filed a 5-count charge at the Federal High Court in Abuja against ‘X’ (formerly Twitter Facebook, and myself. They claimed that because I called Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu a criminal, I have somehow committed a set of ‘novel’ offences they invented and spread across five counts.

“It’s hard to believe there’s anyone sensible left in these offices that should be making Nigeria work. Regardless, I will be present whenever this case is assigned for trial. #RevolutionNow.”

The human rights activist and African Action Congress candidate in the 2023 election had vowed not to delete the controversial tweet, despite a request from the DSS to X demanding its removal.

Restating his stance, Sowore wrote, “This morning, X (formerly Twitter) officially contacted me about the despicable threat letter they received from the lawless DSS over my Tweet on Tinubu. One option I will NOT be taking is deleting that Tweet. Thank you, @X.”

He also published the message sent to him by X, which confirmed that the platform had received a legal request from the DSS concerning his post.

The message from X read, “Hello @YeleSowore. In the interest of transparency, we are writing to inform you that X has received a request from the Department of State Services regarding your X account, @YeleSowore, that claims the following content violates the law(s) of Nigeria. @YeleSowore, we have not taken any action on the reported content at this time as a result of this request.

“As X strongly believes in defending and respecting the voice of our users, it is our policy to notify our users if we receive a legal request from an authorised entity (such as law enforcement or a government agency) to remove content from their account. We provide notice whether or not the user lives in the country where the request originated. This page provides more information

“We understand that receiving this type of notice can be an unsettling experience. While X is not able to provide legal advice, we want you to have an opportunity to evaluate the request and, if you wish, take appropriate action to protect your interests.

“This may include seeking legal counsel and challenging the request in court, contacting relevant civil society organisations, voluntarily deleting the content (if applicable), or finding some other resolution.

“For more information on legal requests X receives from governments worldwide, please refer to this article on our Help Centre and our biannual Transparency Report.”