Headline

Two Princes At War Over Chieftaincy Stool In Ondo

Published

4 years ago

October 24, 2021

A seeming crisis is brewing in Akure, the Ondo state capital as two Princes are laying claim to the chieftaincy stool of lralepo of lsinkan.

One of them Prince Adeyeye Henry Gbenga was appointed by the paramount traditional ruler, the Deji of Akureland, Oba Aladetoyinbo Aladelusi while the other, Prince Olugbenga Ojo was reportedly selected after an election in Akure on October 21, this year ahead of four other princes.

However, the Deji of Akureland, Oba Aladelusi speaking through Senior high Chief Segun Adedipe, the Elemo of Akure Kingdom disowned Prince Gbenga Ojo as the lralepo of lsinkan.

Oba Aladelusi while presenting High Chief Adeyeye Henry Gbenga to Akure Community as new Quarter Chief of Isikan described as a joke and illegal, the selection of Prince Olugbenga Ojo as the new Iralepo of Isikan.

He said he had approved the appointment of Adeyeye Henry Gbenga on the 4th of October, 2021.

“The appointment of the new Iralepo of Isikan, therefore, remains the prerogative of the Deji as no other person or institution(s) could exercise such either directly or through proxies.”

According to him the appointment of Adeyeye was based on favourable consideration and the unanimous decision of Aruwolasi Iralepo family of Isikan in Akure.

The monarch said, “It is important to re-emphasize that the late Iralepo of Isikan was a Quarter Chief and an active member of the Deji in-council until his death following the approval of his inclusion alongside the Osolo of Isolo, High Chief Edward Adejoyegbe Adewole by the Deji of Akure on 8th June 2020.

“It is pertinent to clarify that the new Iralepo of Isikan is being installed as a Quarter Chief and the Head of Isikan Community in Akure and not a Traditional Ruler.

“You might have heard of the rumour flying around on the purported nomination of an Iralepo other than the one appointed by His Imperial Majesty who is empowered both traditionally and legally to make such appointment.

“The Palace wishes to urge you and the general public to disregard the move by some individuals who want to make it look as if there is a crisis.

“It is a mere joke taken too far as it has no place in the eyes of the law. It can only exist within the figment of the imagination of those behind such moves.

“With all sense of modesty, there is no ambiguity on the status of the Iralepo of ISIkan and Osolo of Isolo in Akure as the Court of Appeal in his judgment dated 6th March 2012 with the suitcase CA/B/ 129/2005 had laid it to rest.

“In the lead judgment of Justice Chinwe Eugenia Iyizoba, he affirmed that “they cannot be granted a status of an Oba without the sanction of the Deji of Akure Kingdom”.

“Justice Kudirat Montonmori Olatokunbo Kekere-Ekun and Justice Moore A.A Adumein also affirmed the same.

“We wish to state emphatically without any iota of contradictions that there is no crisis on the installation of new Iralepo of Isikan as the Deji remains the only appointing and consenting authority for the appointment of Minor Chiefs, Olus, Baales and Olojas in all Akure Land.”

However, reacting, Prince Gbenga Ojo described what happened in the Deji of Akureland palace as a joke taking too far.

Ojo said ” Never in history has Deji of Akure installed Iralepo of Isinkan.”

According to him ” My selection as Iralepo followed due process. The selection exercise was monitored by officials of Akure South Local government and I came first with seven votes.

He appealed to the people of Isinkan not ”to be distracted or be provoked by the joke coming from the palace of the Deji.”

(VANGUARD)

Headline

US To Execute Man Convicted Of Rape, Murder Of Teen

Published

3 hours ago

October 9, 2025

Editor

A 53-year-old man convicted of the 2001 rape and murder of a teenage girl is to be executed by lethal injection in the US state of Indiana on Friday.

Roy Lee Ward was sentenced to death in 2002 for the murder of 15-year-old Stacy Payne at her home in the town of Dale.

Payne was repeatedly stabbed and died of her injuries several hours after the attack.

Ward was arrested at the scene while still holding a knife.

The execution is to be carried out between midnight and sunrise on Friday morning at a state prison in Michigan City.

Ward will be the third person put to death in Indiana since the state resumed executions last year after a 15-year hiatus because of difficulties obtaining the lethal drugs used in them.

There have been 34 executions in the United States this year, the most since 2014, when 35 inmates were put to death.

Florida has carried out the most executions — 13 — followed by Texas with five and South Carolina and Alabama with four.

Twenty-eight of this year’s executions have been carried out by lethal injection, two by firing squad and four by nitrogen hypoxia, which involves pumping nitrogen gas into a face mask, causing the prisoner to suffocate.

The use of nitrogen gas as a method of capital punishment has been denounced by United Nations experts as cruel and inhumane.

The death penalty has been abolished in 23 of the 50 US states, while three others — California, Oregon and Pennsylvania — have moratoriums in place.

President Donald Trump is a proponent of capital punishment and on his first day in office called for an expansion of its use “for the vilest crimes.”

AFP

Headline

Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

Published

21 hours ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

Trump Gives Update On Israel, Hamas Peace Deal

US President Donald Trump said Wednesday that he may go to the Middle East at the end of this week as a peace deal between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is “very close.”

Trump said during an event at the White House that he would “go to Egypt most likely” but that he would also consider going to war-torn Gaza.

“I may go there sometime toward the end of the week, maybe on Sunday, actually. And we’ll see, but there is a very good chance. Negotiations are going along very well,” Trump told reporters at the start of the event.

“Our final negotiation, as you know, is with Hamas, and it seems to be going well. So we’ll let you know, if that’s the case, we’ll be leaving probably on Sunday, maybe on Saturday.”

Near the end of the meeting, US Secretary of State Marco Rubio unexpectedly entered the room and handed Trump a note.

The US president told reporters the note said that “we’re very close to a deal” and that his presence was needed. “I have to go now to try and solve some problems in the Middle East,” he added.

Hamas and Israeli officials are having indirect talks in Egypt on a 20-point peace proposal unveiled by Trump to end the two-year-old war.

– ‘Very close’ –

Trump said as he began the event that he had come off the phone with officials in the Middle East, where his special envoy Steve Witkoff and son-in-law Jared Kushner had just joined discussions in Egypt.

“‘Peace for the Middle East,’ that’s a beautiful phrase, and we hope it’s going to come true, but it’s very close, and they’re doing very well,” Trump added.

“We have a great team over there, great negotiators, and they’re, unfortunately, great negotiators on the other side also. But it’s something I think that will happen.”

Asked if he would consider going to Gaza if a deal happens, Trump replied: “I would, yeah. I would. I might do that. I may do that. We haven’t decided exactly.”

Trump said he would insist on the release of hostages held by Hamas before traveling to the region.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said earlier that he had received “encouraging” signs and hailed the support of Trump.

Hamas too expressed “optimism” over the indirect discussions with its foe Israel.

Trump’s plan calls for a ceasefire, the release of all the hostages held in Gaza, Hamas’s disarmament and a gradual Israeli withdrawal from the territory.
AFP

Headline

INTERPOL Arrests Nigerian In Argentina Over Multi-country Romance Scam

Published

1 day ago

October 8, 2025

Editor

A Nigerian national identified as Ikechukwu N. has been arrested in Argentina for allegedly orchestrating multiple online romance scams targeting thousands of victims across several countries, according to a statement released by INTERPOL on Tuesday.

The arrest was made under Operation Jackal, an INTERPOL-led operation focusing on West African organised criminal groups involved in cyber fraud, money laundering, and related transnational crimes.

INTERPOL announced via its official X handle that Ikechukwu’s arrest marked Argentina’s first arrest of a fugitive under a Red Notice who was simultaneously listed in the organisation’s Silver Notice database — a new project aimed at tracing and recovering criminal assets worldwide.

The statement read: “Argentine authorities have captured Nigerian national Ikechukwu N., marking the country’s first arrest of a #RedNotice fugitive who was also the subject of an INTERPOL Silver Notice. The suspect is accused of orchestrating multiple romance scams involving thousands of women, and leading an international cybercrime network.”

INTERPOL added that the arrest was jointly carried out by the Argentine Federal Police and the Airport Security Police, with assistance from the INTERPOL Financial Crime and Anti-Corruption Centre (IFCACC), the Federal Intelligence Secretariat (FIS), and INTERPOL Brazil.

The Silver Notice project, piloted in January 2025, enables member countries to share intelligence on the location and recovery of illicitly acquired assets linked to transnational crime.

Although details of the victims and total financial losses remain undisclosed, the operation is part of a broader international crackdown on cyber-enabled fraud schemes traced to West African syndicates.

Nigeria has been a focal point of similar investigations. In December 2024, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) announced the arrest of 792 suspects — including foreign nationals — linked to a crypto-romance fraud ring operating from Lagos.

The syndicate reportedly targeted victims in the Americas and Europe through social media and messaging platforms, promising relationships and fake investment opportunities before defrauding them.

INTERPOL said further investigations into Ikechukwu’s activities are ongoing, with cooperation expected between Argentine authorities, Nigerian law enforcement, and other international partners involved in Operation Jackal.

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