The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Abimbola Owoade, is set to install Seyi, the son of President Bola Tinubu, as the “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” on Saturday. The monarch on the same occasion will also install Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari representing Zamfara West as the “Obaloyin of Yorubaland”. The chiefataincy installation of the duo was contained in a flier that was obtained by PUNCH Online on social media platforms on Wednesday. In the flier, the monarch and his wife, Ayaba Abiwumi Owoade, invited the general public to the said installation and implored them to save the date of the event scheduled to hold on Saturday, December 21, 2025. “Okanlomo of Yorubaland” is a prestigious Yoruba title meaning “the one dear to the hearts of all Yoruba people” or “beloved child,” signifying deep affection and importance to the race. Confirming the chieftaincy installation to our correspondent in a telephone conversation on Wednesday, the Alaafin’s media aide, Bode Durojaiye, said it is true and that the event will hold as planned. He affirmed that the press statement for the said event would be made available to journalists any time soon. “Yes, it is true. The Alaafin of Oyo wants to install Seyi Tinubu as the Okanlomo of Yorubaland and Senator Abdul’Aziz Yari as the Obaloyin of Yorubaland. “The press statement on the said event would be made available today or anytime soon,” he said. This was coming a few months after Alaafin’s counterpart, the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, bestowed the title of “Okanlomo of Oodua” on an Ibadan-born philanthropist and the Bada Olubadan designate, Dotun Sanusi. This title sparked supremacy controversy between the two respected monarchs of Yorubaland, but was quelled by the region’s stakeholders. Recently, the Ooni also conferred the First Lady, Remi Tinubu, with the prestigious chieftaincy title of Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua. Arriving at the Ooni’s palace around 1 pm amid fanfare and heightened security, Mrs Tinubu was received by the monarch and his chiefs. The installation ceremony, held at the Palace Square, coincided with celebrations marking Oba Ogunwusi’s 10th coronation anniversary. The event drew a gathering of traditional rulers and dignitaries from across Yorubaland, including the Olu of Warri, Ogiame Atuwatse III; the Sultan of Sokoto; and the Soun of Ogbomoso, alongside cultural leaders and other notable personalities. The title Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua carries historical significance, having been previously held by the late Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, wife of the revered statesman Chief Obafemi Awolowo. The title Yeye Asiwaju Gbogbo Ile Oodua carries historical significance, having been previously held by the late Hannah Idowu Dideolu Awolowo, wife of the revered statesman Chief Obafemi Awolowo. It is a recognition of leadership, influence, and contributions to society, particularly within the Yoruba cultural spheres.

Operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) have arrested an Osun-based Islamic cleric, Sheikh Daood Imran Molaasan, following a pro-Palestine protest held in the state, according to Western Post. Sheikh Molaasan, who leads the Ta’awunu Muslimeen group, was reportedly taken into custody after a video surfaced online showing him and his followers calling for the liberation of Palestine, which they described as being under Israeli occupation. The footage, which showed members of the group marching and raising the Palestinian flag, quickly went viral and triggered widespread debate on social media. While many expressed solidarity with the Palestinian cause, others raised security concerns over the activities and methods of the group. Ta’awunu Muslimeen, which presents itself as an Islamic movement focused on religious teachings and global Muslim issues, has organised similar pro-Palestine demonstrations in the past, including a rally in 2018. During the recent march in Iwo, participants were seen pledging allegiance to the Qur’an and Sunnah. However, certain elements of the video particularly the coordinated arm gestures drew criticism, with some observers likening them to Nazi-style salutes. The involvement of children chanting strong religious slogans during the protest further heightened concerns, especially against the backdrop of Nigeria’s long-standing security challenges linked to religious extremism. As of the time of filing this report, the DSS has yet to issue an official statement on the arrest or outline any charges against the cleric.

The Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, has challenged the federal and state governments to wake up to their duty of securing the nation and the people. The NLC, leading affiliate unions in a street protest in Adamawa State on Wednesday, said no Nigerian is safe anywhere. President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Comrade Muhammad Ibrahim, who represented the NLC President at the Yola protest, said, “Our students are not safe; our farmers are not secured; we can’t sleep in our homes.” He added that while many families lose their loved ones to kidnappers because they have no money for ransom, some other families sell all they possess to pay ransom and then slip into greater socio-economic vulnerability in a country where the level of poverty is already very high. He stressed that the scourge of insecurity is tearing the nation apart, adding, “Government at all levels must wake up to their primary responsibility of securing our people.”

Revelations have emerged on why the late former President Muhammadu Buhari refused to endorse his ex-Vice President, Yemi Osinbajo as his successor. Buhari did not support Osinbajo’s presidential ambition in 2022 because he never knew his former Vice President. In his biography, “From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammad Buhari”, authored by Dr Charles Omole, the late former President was quoted as saying he only met Osinbajo through President Bola Tinubu. According to the book, Buhari was surprised that Osinbajo would contest against Tinubu during the 2022 All Progressives Congress, APC, presidential election. The book, which was launched at the presidential Villa on Tuesday quoted Buhari as saying, “I don’t know Osinbajo from anywhere, I met him only through Tinubu.” Osinbajo is widely believed to be among those Tinubu groomed when he was governor of Lagos State. He was Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice of Lagos State while Tinubu was governor. During the buildup to the 2015 presidential election, Tinubu is believed to have suggested Osinbajo to Buhari as his running mate.

TikTok star Jarvis, born Elizabeth Amadou, has confirmed that she has ended her relationship with fellow influencer Peller (Hamzat Habeeb). Jarvis made the revelation during a live video broadcast on Tuesday, as reactions continued to trail Peller’s hospitalisation following a crash on the Lekki-Epe Expressway in Lagos that occurred during a livestream. Responding to online comments about the accident and their relationship, Jarvis said the ridicule circulating on social media was only aggravating an already painful situation. “It’s always people will mock me. Because I can see concern about this online. People will mock him. Stop mocking him. Stop shading him,” she said. Jarvis stressed that the incident should not be used to judge Peller’s personality, noting that she had never presented him as a bad person. According to Jarvis, Peller’s challenge lies in emotional regulation rather than ill intent. “Yes, he cannot control his emotions. He cannot control. That’s the problem. “I can control mine, but he can’t control his. We need to join hands together to help him,” she said. Confirming the breakup, Jarvis explained that the decision was necessary and should not be interpreted as desertion or hostility. “Peller is a sweet guy, I do not even want it to end but it has happened. The relationship is not the thing now. It’s not saying ‘Let’s go back to who we were.’ “The solution is ‘Let’s put our heads together to work on him to be better. Not space of we not talking, it is space of this relationship thing, it is over for now,” she said. Jarvis also appealed to fans and social media users to stop spreading what she described as damaging narratives and ridicule. “Stop your shading. How is it helping? It’s not helping. Don’t use it against him. Encourage him. Encourage us. Help us. Stop using our pain to mock us,” she said. Visibly emotional, she said the online backlash had intensified the distress surrounding the situation. Jarvis urged the public to focus on gratitude that no life was lost, adding that her foremost concern was the well-being of both herself and Peller. “All you people should be saying is thank God for life. Thank God for Peller. Thank God nothing happened to him. “I love him, but for now we need to be okay. I’m not okay anymore. I want to be okay. He needs to be okay, he needs to be fine,” she said. Jarvis concluded by noting that breakups are not always rooted in animosity, but can sometimes be necessary for clarity, healing and peace. Peller had raised alarm on Sunday after crashing his car during a live Instagram broadcast titled “RIP Peller” on the Lekki-Epe Expressway. During the livestream, he was seen driving alone in his newly purchased Mercedes-Benz while emotionally distressed and crying during a phone call believed to be with Jarvis, amid speculation about their relationship. At different moments, he appeared agitated and made disturbing remarks, including, “I will use this car and have an accident right now,” and later, “I’m scared. I’m scared.” In another part of the video, he said, “If you break up with me, people will be mocking me… Thank you, I’m going to kill myself.” Shortly afterwards, the vehicle veered off the road and crashed into a stone barrier. Subsequent clips shared online showed bystanders assisting Peller before he was taken to a hospital for treatment.

Fatima Buhari, daughter of the late former President Muhammadu Buhari, has said that her father, at one point, believed his office in the Presidential Villa was under secret surveillance. The disclosure is contained in a new book, From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari, written by the Director-General of the Institute for Police and Security Policy Research, Dr Charles Omole, and unveiled in Abuja on Monday. Fatima, in the book, stated that the suspicion led her and her late father to communicate by writing notes rather than speaking. According to Fatima, there were occasions when Buhari feared conversations in his office were being monitored, prompting unusual precautions during their interactions. She recalled one such meeting in which her father avoided speaking altogether and instead relied on gestures to communicate, signalling that they should write down their messages. “He touched his cheek, like he had a toothache, and signalled that we shouldn’t talk. “We wrote notes to each other, like spies in a film,” she said. Fatima said the former president believed listening devices had been planted in his office at the Villa and warned her to remain cautious, noting that he himself was always on guard. The book describes the episode not as theatrics, but as a coping mechanism in an environment where trust was strained and privacy uncertain. More troubling, the account suggests, was Buhari’s apparent resignation to the situation, despite his position as Commander-in-Chief. Fatima questioned the level of influence wielded by those suspected of planting the devices—often referred to as “the cabal”—particularly as the alleged surveillance was said to have occurred within the highly secured Presidential Villa. The book further noted that some security chiefs who served under Buhari later confirmed that unusual objects were frequently discovered in the president’s office and bedroom during routine security sweeps, though how such items found their way into the restricted areas remained unclear. Fatima described the atmosphere within the Villa as deeply unsettling, at times bordering on what she called “diabolical.” “We’re Africans. We know supernatural powers,” she said, declining to elaborate on certain incidents and adding that some matters were best left to divine judgment. According to the book, Buhari’s personal disposition influenced how he handled such situations. Fatima said age and faith had softened him, making him less inclined to confront or publicly disgrace those around him, even when trust was compromised. “He understands people’s histories—their parents, their families—and he doesn’t want to destroy hope,” she said. She added that once Buhari placed his trust in someone, it was difficult for him to withdraw it without overwhelming proof, preferring quiet corrections and warnings to sackings or public humiliation. Fatima also disclosed that she lived in constant fear for her father’s safety, saying there were moments when she believed attempts were made to harm him. “There were attempts. Harm was done, but his time was not yet,” she said, without providing further details. As part of measures to manage perceived threats, she said Buhari sometimes publicly reprimanded her to give the impression of distance, even though he would later reach out privately to reassure her and her children. “I cried in front of them, but deep inside, he would call me and the kids,” she said.

The Yoruba Council of Elders has stated that the state of insecurity in Nigeria cannot be tackled by the government alone, urging citizens to actively support efforts aimed at curbing the menace across the country. The elders made the call during a courtesy visit by the leadership and members of the state chapters of the council to the Ooni of Ife, Oba Enitan Ogunwusi, at the Arole Oodua Palace, Ile-Ife, Osun State. In recent times, Nigeria has recorded a fresh wave of mass abductions and violent attacks across Niger, Kebbi, and Kwara states. The killings and general state of insecurity also led United States President Donald Trump to designate Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern over alleged Christian persecution. The YCE delegation, led by its President, Jibade Oyekan, in a statement on Tuesday, identified insecurity as the most pressing challenge currently confronting the country, stressing that “this should not be left in the hands of government alone.” “Going forward, therefore, all Nigerians must participate in curbing the menace of insecurity collectively to eradicate it,” a statement read. The elders also urged the government to ensure that traditional rulers are allowed to fully deploy their influence and capacity to combat insecurity within their respective communities. On indigenous land ownership and its use by non-indigenous interests in Yorubaland, the council reminded landowners to be mindful of the importance of land ownership to national identity. It stressed that options other than the outright sale of land should be explored in Yorubaland. According to the elders, serious consideration must be given to the culture of land ownership and acquisition by strangers to ensure that future generations are not disadvantaged. They warned that Yorubaland and the Yoruba people must avoid falling into what they described as the trap of the current Palestinian debacle. “It was proposed that the lease of land space should be explored, as was the case between the Chinese and Britain in the lease of Hong Kong to the British in the 19th century. “To achieve this goal, it is important to give serious consideration to the issue of the culture of land ownership and acquisition by strangers, to the extent that future generations will not lose out. “Yorubaland and the Yoruba people must not fall into the trap of the current Palestinian debacle!” the statement read. The council further resolved that both the federal and state governments should revisit the constitutional roles of traditional rulers in land administration “as a means of stabilising the polity, eliminating polarisation and its attendant effects of partisan politics.” The visit also provided an opportunity for the elders to offer prayers for the Ooni of Ife as he marked his 10th anniversary on the throne, wishing him more grace and many fruitful years under divine guidance.

Abia South Senator, Enyinnaya Abaribe, has accused President Bola Tinubu of incompetence in running the government, stressing that former Labour Party’s presidential candidate, Peter Obi will do better. Abaribe disclosed that Tinubu’s administration had become what he referred to as “Kabiyesi” government. The lawmaker disclosed this while featuring on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday night. According to Abaribe: “There are many Nigerians who are democrats who can run this country like Peter Obi and he will be my candidate. We are all headed somewhere and it’s when we get there that we will all cross that hurdle. “The point is not him but the way the whole government has turned into a Kabiyesi government, so the president can do no wrong, anything he says we agree. “That’s not how to run a government; you run a government by people challenging your view. Right now, any view challenging the view of the government is seen as treason.” Abaribe faulted the involvement of Tinubu’s family in the running of his administration, stressing that Nigeria is a democratic state and not a monarchy. He said: “But the point is when you look at somebody’s antecedents, how the person carried himself; throughout when Peter Obi was governor, did you ever hear about his children? Did you ever hear about his wife? “No, this is a country not a monarch, this is a democracy. You don’t put your family in the public, you don’t let them continue to use State resources, it’s never done.” Abaribe also dismissed claims of singing the popular “on your mandate” song in respect of Tinubu. He added: “I don’t think the people standing on the mandate really enjoy standing on the mandate, I have never sang and I will never sing it. “When they bring the budget to the National Assembly, we stand up for the Nigerian national anthem and if people decide to play the mandate song, check where I stay, I sit down, I don’t follow them.”

Former First Lady, Aisha Buhari, has narrated how her husband, the late President Muhammadu Buhari “began locking his room” following gossips in Aso Rock that she (Aisha) planned to kill him. The ex-First Lady also said the health crisis that forced Buhari, to take 154 days of medical leave in 2017 began with a broken feeding routine and mismanaged nutrition. She argued that Buhari’s illness was not a mysterious ailment or poisoning. Her account of the health crisis appeared in a new 600-page biography, ’From Soldier to Statesman: The Legacy of Muhammadu Buhari’, authored by Dr. Charles Omole, launched at the State House on Monday. The 22-chapter book chronicles his early life in Daura, Katsina state, until his final hours in a London hospital in mid-July 2025. According to the book, Mrs Buhari had long supervised her husband’s meals and supplements at specific hours, a regimen she said helped “a slender man with a long history of malnutrition symptoms” maintain strength. “Elderly bodies require gentle, consistent support,” she recalled, adding, “He doesn’t have a chronic illness. Keep him on schedule.” It read, “According to Aisha Buhari, her husband’s 2017 health crisis did not originate as a mysterious ailment or a covert plot. It started, she says, with the loss of a routine; ‘my nutrition,’ she describes it, a pattern of meals and supplements she had long overseen in Kaduna before they moved into Aso Villa.” The former First Lady convened a meeting with close staff, including the physician, Suhayb Rafindadi; the CSO, Bashir Abubakar; the housekeeper, and the SSS DG to explain the plan. She said, “Daily, cups and bowls with tailored vitamin powders and oils, a touch of protein here, a change to cereals there.” “When the Presidency’s machinery took over our private lives, she explained the plan: daily, at specific hours, cups and bowls with tailored vitamin powders and oil, a touch of protein here, a change to cereals there. Elderly bodies require gentle, consistent support,” Omole narrated. However, the routine frayed. “Then came the gossip and the fearmongering. They said I wanted to kill him,” the book quotes her as saying. “My husband believed them for a week or so,” she said, revealing that the President began locking his room, changed small habits, and crucially, “meals were delayed or missed; the supplements were stopped.” “For a year, he did not have lunch. They mismanaged his meals,” she added. The deterioration culminated in Buhari’s two extended medical trips to the United Kingdom, totalling 154 days in 2017, during which he ceded authority to Vice President Yemi Osinbajo. Upon return, he admitted to being “never so ill” and having received blood transfusions. Buhari’s absences “sparked rumours, speculation, and even conspiracy theories,” Omole wrote. Mrs Buhari debunked stories of plots to poison her husband. Her contention, Omole noted, is that “loss of a routine, ‘my nutrition,’ was the genesis of the crisis.” In London, doctors prescribed an even stronger regimen of supplements, he explained. Initially, Buhari “was frightened and not taking them as prescribed. So she took charge of his welfare, slipping hospital-issued supplements into his juice and oats,” it read. The former First Lady described the turnaround as swift, noting, “After just three days, he threw away the stick he was walking with. After a week, he was receiving relatives.” “‘That,’ she says, ‘was the genesis, and also the reversal of his sickness,’” the book stated. According to Omole, critics said Buhari’s reliance on UK hospitals exposed the failure of Nigeria’s health system. A “more compassionate perspective,” he wrote, recognises that a man in his 70s may require specialised care “not readily available in Nigeria” after “decades of underinvestment.” He also noted Buhari’s habit of handing power to his deputy during absences, which, he said, ensured “institutional propriety, even during personal health crises.” The book also revealed a climate of mistrust around the Presidency. Mrs Buhari alleged surveillance, the bugging of the President’s office with listening devices and playback of private conversations, saying, fear and conscience “contributed to taking his life.” She refuted the long-held rumour that Buhari had a body double, popularly known as “Jibril of Sudan,” as absurd, arguing that poor strategic communication in government allowed simple, banal developments to metastasise into conspiracies.

The Chairman Of Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye, Home Headquarters, Prince Aderemi Farooq Olude, Admonished Traditional Rulers In Ogbomosoland To Give Adequate Support To The Paramount Ruler, His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye, Orumogege III, Soun Of Ogbomosoland, To Fast-track Ogbomoso And Its Environment To Its Greater Height. He Made His Remarks While Briefing Newsmen During A Press Conference Meeting Held Today. He Highlighted That The Egbe Ogbomoso Parapo Agbaaye Is A Prominent Socio-cultural Organization In Nigeria, Founded In 1912 By Professor Nathaniel David Oyerinde, Widely Regarded As The First Professor In Africa. The Group Was Established To Promote Ogbomoso Interests, Culture, And Unity, Evolving From Its Roots In "Egbe Alongo" And Serving As A Platform For Growth And Development In Ogbomosoland.