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Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke has alleged that more than 60 Accord Party leaders were arrested and transferred to prisons in Abuja and Nasarawa despite the existence of federal and state courts in Osun.

The governor made the allegation on Wednesday at a peace summit in Osogbo ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

According to a statement posted on his X page, Adeleke said his government and supporters had been “under siege and attacks for the past three months” and accused former governor and Minister of Marine and Blue Economy, Gboyega Oyetola, of being behind the violence.

“I should have boycotted this peace meeting because of the violence unleashed on Osun State in the last few months, on the directive of Gboyega Oyetola,” he said.

“Our gathering is to endorse peace but my government and people are facing police-sanctioned violence and intimidation.”

The governor also accused the Osun police command of supporting attacks on his supporters.

“More than 60 Accord leaders have been arrested and moved to Abuja, and remanded in Abuja prisons and Nasarawa State prisons, including an Accord candidate for House of Representatives, Hon Alaba,” he said.

“Why Abuja? We have both the Federal High Court and State High Courts in Osun State, where anyone can be arraigned.”

The governor further alleged that the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, was arrested on “trumped up charges” after police raided his residence without a court-authorised warrant.

Adeleke said eight party members had been killed and more than 20 injured in recent attacks, adding that no suspect had been prosecuted.

“There is no single prosecution or active arrest till date.

The perpetrators are known Osun APC thugs with crimes committed in the presence of the police,” he said.

He called on the Inspector-General of Police to return those in custody to Osun and charge them in courts within the state if any offence had been committed.

“Those remanded in prisons should be returned to Osun State, and be charged to courts in Osun State, if the police can show that they have committed any crime,” he said.

Adeleke also appealed to President Bola Tinubu to caution Oyetola and the Osun commissioner of police against “unleashing further violence on the people”.

The allegations come after police arrested Igbalaye and five others over alleged vote-buying.

Spokesperson Abiodun Ojelabi said N4.8 million and other electoral materials were recovered from a residence linked to the SSG.

Political tension has intensified in Osun ahead of the governorship election, with Accord and APC supporters exchanging accusations and verbal attacks.

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Ten days to the gubernatorial election in Osun State, the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) has frozen Osun State Government account domiciled with First Bank of Nigeria.Lagos News Updates

The account used for the payment of workers’ salaries, was placed on “Post No Debit” status by the anti-graft agency.

Though, this is coming after Governor Ademola Adeleke alleged that the EFCC was plotting to freeze the state’s accounts and those of top government officials.

In a statement issued on Wednesday by the Commissioner for Information and Public Enlightenment, Kolapo Alimi, Adeleke described the reported move as an attempt to cripple government activities ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

He reiterated that there was no legal basis for freezing the accounts of the state government, arguing that the EFCC lacked the statutory powers to take such action.

Meanwhile, the EFCC is yet to issue an official statement in respect to the development.

Vanguard

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Small business owners in Nigeria have a fresh opportunity to access government funding as the Small and Medium Enterprises Development Agency of Nigeria (SMEDAN) reopens its Conditional Grant Scheme.

The programme provides qualified nano and micro enterprises with a one-off N50,000 grant that beneficiaries are not expected to repay.

The funding is intended to give small businesses additional resources to strengthen their day-to-day operations, invest in growth and increase their workforce.

However, the grant comes with a job creation condition. Businesses that benefit from the scheme are required to employ at least one additional worker.

Why SMEDAN is offering the grant

SMEDAN designed the Conditional Grant Scheme to make financial support more accessible to small businesses, particularly enterprises that may find it difficult to obtain conventional business loans.

Unlike a loan, the N50,000 support does not attract interest or require repayment, provided beneficiaries meet the conditions attached to the programme.

The agency said the initiative is also aimed at encouraging entrepreneurship, improving productivity and supporting economic activity at the local level.

The CGS should not be confused with the Presidential Conditional Grant Scheme. While the two programmes are separate, both provide N50,000 grants to qualifying nano businesses.

Which businesses does the scheme target?

The funding is primarily aimed at nano and micro enterprises operating within local government areas across Nigeria.

Information applicants need

Business owners seeking the grant will have to provide personal and business details during the application process.

The information requested includes:

Applicant’s full name

Email address

Phone number

Business name

CAC registration number, if applicable

Type of industry or business

Years in business

Applicants should ensure that the details supplied are correct and correspond with their business information.

The grant is intended for legitimate business-related expenses that can help improve the performance of an enterprise.

Depending on their needs, beneficiaries can channel the funds towards:

Equipment purchases

Technology improvements

The support is therefore designed to go beyond immediate cash assistance by helping businesses improve their ability to operate and compete.

Participants in the Conditional Grant Scheme (CGS) for micro enterprises receive financial assistance tailored to their business needs.

These nano businesses get a sum of ₦50,000 grant on the condition of employing one person in order to encourage job creation.

Business owners interested in the N50,000 Conditional Grant Scheme should use the application portal designated by SMEDAN.

Applicants should carefully complete the registration process, provide accurate information and confirm that their businesses satisfy the conditions for participation before submitting their applications.
(VANGUARD)