Following the coordinated attacks on three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State on Friday, the pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, on Sunday expressed dismay and called on state governments to act, saying, “Yorubaland is now under siege.” The organisation, in a statement released by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, also sympathised with families of the victims of the attacks. Afenifere’s spokesperson said the organisation’s leader, Pa Reuben Fasoranti, “was saddened to hear this unfortunate incident which occurred the same week he marked his 100th year on earth.” THENEWSCREDIT that terrorists on motorbikes attacked Baptist Nursery and Primary School, Yawota; Community Grammar School, Ahoro-Esinele; and L.A. Primary School, all in Oriire Local Government, on Friday, May 15. Ajayi said, “He sympathised with the victims and their families, just as he prayed for the quick recovery of those who were injured. Besides, he expressed the hope that a total stop would be put to the life-threatening insecurity situation in the country without further delay.” He declared that the latest attacks reinforced growing fears that the terrorists appeared determined to overrun the South-West and, ultimately, the entire South. The organisation’s spokesperson said, “The actions of South-West governors in recent times do not suggest that they appreciate the enormity of the responsibility they shoulder concerning the security of their land. “In view of the fact that the primary duty of government is the security and welfare of the people, governments in South-Western states of Nigeria must prove that they are alive to their constitutionally assigned responsibilities. “Everything must be done to ensure that no area in the region experiences an attack by kidnappers and bandits anymore,” he said.

A devastating bandit attack on communities within the Oriire Local Government Area of Ogbomoso, Oyo State, has resulted in the abduction of 46 people. The victims include 7 teachers and 39 young students from local schools. The bandits targeted Community High School, Ahoro-Esinele and Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School. During the raid, the attackers also snatched four motorcycles from the villagers—three from the Yawota community and one from the high school. Abducted School Staff (7) Mrs. Alamu Folawe – Principal, Community High School,Mr. Ojo Jonathan – Vice Principal, Mr. Olatunde Zacchaeus – Teacher, Mr. John Olaleye – Teacher,Mr. Michael Oyedokun – Teacher,Mrs. Oladeji – Teacher, Mary Akanbi – Teacher, Yawota Baptist Nursery and Primary School. Abducted Students and Pupils (39) The abducted children, some as young as two years old, were taken from four distinct communities: Ahoro-Esinele Community: Rashida Tajudeen (11), Ahmed Ramoni (8), Abdulsalam Toyib (4), Baraka Abioye (16), Fatimo Jimoh (15), Hassan Azeez (14), Joshua Adeleke (13) Yawota Community: Samuel Oyedele (7), Emmanuel Oyedele (4), Idowu Taiwo (4), Christianah Akanbi (2), Juwon Sunday (7), Sikiru Salami (3), Soliu Salami (4), Ojo Joseph (8), Lydia Adewole (8), Testimony Jacob (5), Kehinde Kaosara (7), Sewa Seyi (7), Waliya Bello (4), Lydia Olohunloluwa (7), Damilare Oderinde (8), Deborah Adebowale (5), Aisha Oguntowo (10), Lege Taiwo (12), Balkis Ayanwale (8), Asa David (10) Oniya Community: Shuaibu Aliyu (10), Ahmed Aliyu (7), Muiz Aliyu (5), Jomiloju Ogunlola (6). Alawusa Community: Agune Noah (8), Elizabeth Abadi (5), Tosin Abadi (9), Pius Stephen (5), Hannah Ojo (14), Habidat Ayanwale (7), Mary Gabriel (6), Jacob Gabriel. Principal Releases Distress Video A video featuring the abducted principal, Mrs. Grace Alamu, has circulated online. Speaking from captivity, she made an urgent appeal to the government and the general public. She called for immediate assistance and urged authorities to engage in peaceful dialogue with the bandits to secure the safe release of the children and staff. Clergy and Community Leaders React Speaking on the radio programme "Niwayu-Oluwa" on BRAVE 91.1FM, Bishop Agba Akintayo Asamu Kowinrin comforted listeners by drawing strength from Psalm 91, urging citizens to dwell in the shelter of the Most High. The Bishop issued a sharp call to action, demanding that all levels of government, traditional rulers, and political stakeholders unite immediately. He stressed that leadership must harmonise their efforts to rescue the victims and bring a permanent end to the rising banditry in the region.

Governor Seyi Makinde of Oyo State has lamented that the Friday’s abduction of some pupils and students in Ahoro-Esinele community in Oriire local government area has crippled many families. Makinde expressed his concern at the launch of the Violent Crime Response Unit, VCRU, of the State Police HCommand in Ibadan on Saturday. The event was hosted by the Commissioner of Police, Abimbola Olugbenga. THENEWSCREDIT reports that an unspecified number of students were kidnapped from schools in the community. on Friday. The Principal of a secondary school in the community was abducted, while a teacher and a motorcyclist were killed. Makinde said the incident should remind the people that security is not the business of government alone. He maintained that social and economic development cannot thrive in the presence of violence and instability, calling on the people of the state to volunteer information for security agencies to act promptly. He urged the people to report any strange movement in their vicinity, noting that the establishment of the elite unit is timely. Makinde said, “We have witnessed a series of kidnappings and various violent crimes, including the kidnapping of school children yesterday, which has crumbled many families. “This incident reminds us that security cannot be taken for granted. Social and economic development cannot thrive in the absence of peace and stability. “The inauguration is timely. Security is not the function of government alone. It is the collective responsibility of all. “We should say something in a timely manner. I will advice the people to be watchful. When you see any storage movement, please report it. “May peace and stability continue to prevail in Oyo State and Nigeria”.

The Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, on Thursday backed the call by the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission for the establishment of 3,000 new police stations across the country, warning that the existing security infrastructure is grossly inadequate for Nigeria’s growing population. Disu stated that the Nigeria Police Force currently operates only about 2,000 police stations nationwide, a figure he said cannot effectively serve a population of more than 200 million people. He spoke at Infrastructure Dialogue 2026, a programme organised for entrepreneurs by Deutsche Partners Holding in Abuja. The IGP, who was represented by the Commissioner of Police in charge of Works, Obiora Oranwusi, said the scale of the country’s security infrastructure deficit requires urgent intervention through public-private partnerships, development finance institutions and capital market instruments. He said, “The Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission has identified the need for 3,000 new police stations, 1,000 new prisons, and 170 new barracks—a scale of investment that necessitates PPPs, DFIs, and capital market instruments. “As of today, we have only about 2,000 police stations nationwide. These deficits directly affect operational effectiveness and must be addressed through sustainable financing models. “The Police is undergoing a strategic reorientation—one that positions us as a proactive enabler of national development. Our mandate extends beyond crime response; it encompasses the creation of a stable, predictable environment in which legitimate enterprise can flourish.” Disu lamented the poor state of policing infrastructure in the country, listing outdated communication systems, inadequate surveillance coverage, insufficient patrol vehicles, weak ICT and data systems, dilapidated police stations and barracks, limited forensic laboratories and a shortage of protective equipment among the major operational setbacks facing the police. According to him, insecurity remains a major threat to national development and investor confidence, especially where criminal activities disrupt critical infrastructure projects. “Our nation continues to confront threats to critical infrastructure—vandalism, sabotage, extortion, and disruptions by organised criminal networks. “Recent incidents, including the apprehension of vandals through advanced CCTV surveillance on the 3rd Mainland Bridge, underscore both the scale of the challenge and the necessity of technology-enabled policing,” he said. A November 2025 report by the European Union Agency for Asylum revealed that more than 100,000 officers of the Nigeria Police Force are currently assigned to protect politicians and other Very Important Persons, despite the country’s estimated police strength of about 371,800 officers serving a population of roughly 236.7 million people. The report warned that the diversion of a substantial number of officers to VIP protection has worsened policing deficits, weakened community policing and reduced security coverage for ordinary Nigerians. Reacting to the concerns raised by the police hierarchy, the Governor of Nasarawa State, Abdullahi Sule, acknowledged the severe infrastructure gaps confronting the Force and linked the broader infrastructure crisis to issues of investment confidence and poor returns on investment. He said, “On a lighter note, I wanted to ask the IGP to pay us for the new standard bridge his men have been complimenting. That’s what I wanted to say earlier. But then, in your own speech, I started hearing you mentioning so many inadequacies the police have. You are having problems with a lack of vehicles, a proper communication system and equipment. “So, I changed my mind and said I’d better not ask for the money now. You have already complained so much about what you don’t have. “When we begin to talk about infrastructure, what most people think of are bridges, power, schools and maybe water. “People don’t understand that infrastructure goes beyond that. That was also the reason His Excellency Boni Haruna mentioned clearly that it is not just about financing because, in reality, Nigeria has so much money.” Former Governor of Adamawa State, Boni Haruna, blamed the country’s infrastructure failures on policy inconsistency, abandoned projects and weak contract enforcement. “When it comes to projects or infrastructure, there has to be preparedness on the part of the government to ensure that it’s continued. Otherwise, we will continue to experience waste of resources. That’s why we have abandoned projects all over the country today. So we need to legislate on that. “Secondly, we need to insulate technical institutions like BFIs, BOIs, and others from political control. Thirdly, the enforcement of contracts. If investors can’t trust that contracts will be honoured, capital markets will not fund it. So there must be sanctity of contracts. “We know the attitude of the government towards not respecting court judgments in this country. When we want to win the confidence of investors, our courts and arbitration must be respected. Finally, Nigeria’s infrastructure gap is not a financing gap. It is a credibility gap,” he.

The medical community in Oyo State and Nigeria at large has been thrown into mourning following the sudden passing of Dr. Sunday Oladeji, the esteemed Proprietor and Supervising Consultant at Mainsprings Hospital, Ogbomoso. Known for his unwavering dedication to community health and patient care, Dr. Oladeji’s death is a devastating blow to the healthcare sector in Ogbomoso. His departure leaves a significant vacuum in rural healthcare delivery within the region. As friends, colleagues, and patients reel from the shock of his demise, many have expressed deep sadness over the loss of such a committed professional, often describing the world as a cruel place for taking away dedicated healers in their prime. Rest in Peace, Dr. Sunday Oladeji. Your legacy of service in Ogbomoso will not be forgotten.

Former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar has criticised President Bola Tinubu over the country’s worsening insecurity following the death of former House of Representatives member, Abba Adamu in kidnappers’ custody. Adamu, who represented Guri, Kiri-Kasamma and Birniwa Federal Constituency from 2007 to 2011, was kidnapped on May 3 along the Kaduna-Abuja highway while travelling from Kano to Abuja for a political meeting. Reports claimed he died nine days later while being held by his abductors despite efforts by his family to secure his freedom. Reacting through a statement released in Abuja by his aide, Phrank Shaibu, Atiku said the incident showed how insecurity had continued to worsen across Nigeria under the current administration. He said, “Adamu’s death is yet another grim reminder of the worsening collapse of security under the Tinubu administration.” Atiku added, “Let us be brutally honest: Nigeria is under siege, and this administration appears either overwhelmed, indifferent, or dangerously incompetent in the face of this national emergency.” He questioned how a former lawmaker could be kidnapped on a major highway and still die in captivity, asking what chance ordinary Nigerians have when trapped in such a situation. “When a former member of the National Assembly can be abducted on one of the country’s most strategic highways and die in captivity, what hope remains for the ordinary Nigerian who lacks visibility, influence, or protection?” he asked. The former vice president said kidnappings and attacks have become common across the country, with people no longer feeling safe on roads, in their homes or even on their farms. “This is no longer about isolated incidents. It is now a horrifying pattern,” he stated. Atiku also criticised the continued insecurity along the Abuja-Kaduna road despite repeated promises from security agencies and huge spending on security. “A government that cannot secure its highways cannot claim to govern. A government that watches citizens get hunted like prey has failed the most elementary test of leadership,” he said. He questioned the Federal Government’s security strategy and demanded accountability. Atiku said Nigerians were tired of condolence messages and wanted real action from the government to address insecurity.

Human rights lawyer, Maxwell Okpara, has challenged various state governors in Nigeria to a public debate to explain how they made their wealth. Okpara threw this challenge on Wednesday during a live appearance on Arise Television. He questioned how Nigerian politicians made their wealth, alleging that they use public funds to build empires for themselves and generations yet unborn. “Have you ever seen any thief who agrees that he is a thief? Have you ever seen one, especially in Nigeria? Are you expecting them to agree? We know that these guys are thieves, for goodness’ sake. “I challenge them to a debate. I’m a lawyer and a lecturer. I can comfortably tell you how I made my money. Let them come and tell us how they made their money. “So, you have been in government since 1999 up to this extent and watched over N500 billion, if not trillions. You are a thief. How much is your monthly take-home that you have real estate all over the place? “Let these politicians also explain the source of their wealth after spending decades in government and controlling hundreds of billions in public funds. “In any serious society, such unexplained wealth should automatically trigger investigation and accountability,” he said.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, has announced that Nigeria’s long-awaited Digital Switch Over, DSO, project is now fully ready for nationwide launch. He described it as a major milestone in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s reform agenda for the broadcast industry. The Minister made this known during a tour of facilities at NIGCOMSAT located at the Obasanjo Space Centre, on Wednesday, alongside the Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu and the Managing Director/Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Egerton-Idehen. Describing the development as a turning point for Nigeria’s broadcasting sector, the Minister said, “I think this is a new dawn for our country. The promise that President Tinubu made to reform all sectors is now being seen in action in the broadcast industry.” He noted that after many years of delay, Nigeria is finally set to complete the transition from analogue to digital broadcasting, adding that the DSO platform is scheduled for official commissioning on June 17, 2026. Speaking further on the benefits of the new digital broadcasting ecosystem, the Minister stated, “This is going to bring a lot of advantages to broadcasters, viewers, and advertisers. If you are viewing any particular station, you know who is viewing, what they are watching, and how many people are watching.” According to him, the new system will provide accurate audience measurement and analytics that will help advertisers and broadcasters make informed programming and investment decisions while improving content delivery to Nigerians. The Minister also highlighted the broader economic and technological impact of the initiative, stressing that the platform would deepen competition in the broadcasting industry, expand access to free television services, and improve viewing quality across Nigeria and Sub-Saharan Africa. He said, “The monopoly has been broken. Everybody is going to compete. Content is going to grow, viewership will grow, and Nigeria is now moving from SD to HD broadcasting.” He added that Nigerians will now enjoy cleaner television signals through satellite and mobile applications powered by NIGCOMSAT technology. The Director-General of the National Broadcasting Commission, Charles Ebuebu, said the upgraded DSO framework was designed to align with emerging technologies and modern viewing habits. He explained that the new system leverages satellite broadcasting and mobile applications to ensure wider accessibility beyond the pilot cities previously covered under the earlier DSO experiment. He said, “We’re going to have 100 channels by the day of launch and even more because more content producers are talking to us. We want to create one market and one platform for Nigeria.” He also highlighting the establishment of regional production studios and multilingual customer support centres across the country. Also speaking during the tour, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of NIGCOMSAT, Jane Egerton-Idehen, described the collaboration between NIGCOMSAT and NBC as a strategic partnership that has strengthened service delivery and raised operational standards within Nigeria’s digital broadcasting ecosystem. According to her, ongoing investments and satellite expansion plans under the current administration will guarantee reliable and continuous service delivery. “The work has only just started. The work has only just begun,” she said. Among those who accompanied the Honourable Minister on the tour were the Director-General of the Nigerian Television Authority, NTA, Salihu Abdullahi Dembos; Director-General of the Voice of Nigeria, VON, Jibrin Baba Ndace; Director-General of the Federal Radio Corporation of Nigeria, FRCN, Mohammed Bulama; and Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, NOA, Lanre Issa-Onilu, alongside other senior government officials and dignitaries.

Peace Ibiyeomie, the wife of the Presiding Pastor of Salvation Ministries, David Ibiyeomie, has cautioned married women against maintaining close friendships with divorcees who have refused to reconcile with their estranged husbands or seek remarriage. She gave this warning during the church’s Mother’s Day celebration service held on Sunday. In a video from the service currently trending on social media, Ibiyeomie stressed that the company a woman keeps determines her marital stability, insisting that even biological sisters who are divorced should be kept at arm’s length if they refuse to follow biblical counsel. “Do not follow a divorcee as your friend, even if she is your sister. Teach her, either she reconciles with her husband, or she remarries,” she wrote. She further claimed that many women who publicly claim that men are “unimportant” often lead double lives, engaging in secret affairs while discouraging their married friends from staying in their homes. Ibiyeomie said, “They will tell you that men are not important, but at the same time, she goes back. I have seen so many examples of single ladies, some of them told me the truth that it is a lie, that even as they are in church, they follow men. One opened up so much to me, that is why she wants to remarry. “They keep saying the man is not important. If he is not important, why are you sleeping with him? So stay on your own if you say a man is not important.” Speaking on the issue of infidelity and broken homes, Ibiyeomie invoked a series of curses on women who deliberately “break” other people’s marriages to reap where they did not sow. “That your marriage is broken doesn’t mean that you break another person’s marriage,” she said. “Every woman who has taken your husband, the lady who took your husband is cursed in the name of Jesus. It will never be well with her. She will not eat the fruit of your labour,” she declared. Amidst resounding ‘amens’ and applause from the female congregants, the cleric continued,, “Cancer will ravage her. She will die a premature death. The children will be vagabonds. “If you are a woman in this place breaking homes, you are cursed in the name of Jesus. Incurable diseases will follow you. Go and look for your own husband. You don’t want to suffer, you want to eat the fruit of another person’s labour.” Closing her address, she challenged the women to be mindful of their legacies and the impact they would leave for future generations. “The company you keep will either push you up or pull you down. Desire to make a generational impact. Leave a meaningful legacy that you will be remembered for,” she said. THENEWSCREDIT reports that David Ibiyeomie had similarly stirred reactions online after cautioning worshippers against chewing gum, drinking water, and using phones during church services.

Reverend Niyi Adebayo, the Lead Pastor of True Worshippers Church in Ogbomoso, has issued a stern advisory to the public regarding the consumption and dissemination of online content targeting politicians and traditional rulers in the city. In a recent communication shared via his Facebook handle, Rev. Adebayo hinted at impending political or social alignments, urging social media users to exercise caution in their public commentary. "Be careful what you post about politicians and matters of the Obas in Ogbomoso," Adebayo stated. "These people will soon come together. Enough said." Rev. Niyi Adebayo, known for his engagement in community matters and his role as a spiritual leader, has previously emphasized the need to respect royal authority and avoid actions that could destabilize the city. While he has often advocated for transparency and good governance, this latest warning suggests an awareness of behind-the-scenes developments in Ogbomoso`s power dynamics. The warning follows a trend of heightened social media activism in the region, with various stakeholders closely monitoring the activities of both political officeholders and traditional rulers. Key Points from the Warning: Focuses on digital content about local politicians and Royal Fathers (Obas). Predicts a coming together (unity/alignment) of these influential figures. The message serves as a cryptic but strong advisory against premature or damaging commentary. The pastor’s message highlights the delicate intersection of social media freedom, traditional authority, and political maneuvering in Ogbomosoland.