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Protest: Atiku condemns killings, govs pledge to address demands

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Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar and some state governors have offered varied reactions to the hunger protest that began across the country on Thursday, August 1, and continued yesterday.

Taking to their respective official X (formerly Twitter) handles on Friday, the governors of Adamawa, Delta, Taraba, Lagos, Imo, Kaduna, Edo, and Bayelsa vowed to tackle the stated demands of protesters in their states.

Atiku, however, condemned the killings of some of the protesters and the alleged physical assault meted out on journalists by security operatives during the demonstrations.

At least 17 persons were reported to have been killed during the protests in Abuja, Kano, Niger, Borno, Kaduna, and Jigawa on Thursday.

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In a statement shared on his official X handle on Friday, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party said, “The demonstrations had opened a vital channel for the public to express disapproval of government policies, furthering the essential conversation about good governance in our nation.

“For the most part, protesters have conducted themselves with admirable peace and must be commended for their restraint and dedication. However, in some isolated instances, there have been reports of violence, leading to regrettable clashes and brutalities by the police.”

While calling on the police to engage more professionally in managing the protests, Atiku said, “The needless killing of innocent citizens by security agencies is unacceptable. The police must refrain from the molestation of journalists who are merely reporting the protest. It is imperative that security agencies exercise restraint while enforcing law and order.

“Security agencies are encouraged to identify and isolate the minority elements who are resorting to violence and looting, ensuring that the actions of a few do not tarnish the majority of peaceful protesters.”

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Atiku urged the protesters to maintain their peaceful stance, and he admonished the government to heed the voices of the people and demonstrate a sincere commitment to addressing the demands of the protesters.

In a statement shared yesterday on the X handle of the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, Gboyega Akosile, the Lagos State government commended the peaceful nature of the protest in the state and reiterated the readiness of the Federal Government to reverse the situations that led to the protests.

The statement read partly, “The Lagos State Government has watched closely today’s protest in some parts of the state and would like to put on record the peaceful conduct of Lagosians.

“The message of the protest – hunger in the land – has also been well noted. It is, however, important to reiterate the fact that the Federal Government is taking steps to reverse the situation.”

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Similarly, in a post shared on his verified X handle, the Taraba State Governor, Agbu Kefas, wrote, “As a government, we will continue to do our best regardless of the limited resources available, by prioritising issues that will develop our economy and the younger population. They are the future and we have to secure the future, now.

Meanwhile, the President of the International Human Rights and Dignity Defenders, David Vine, in a phone interview with Saturday PUNCH, blamed the death and destruction that took place in the course of the nationwide protests on the nonchalance of the government.

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BREAKING: Jubilation As PDP Wins All 30 LGs In Osun State(See winners)

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Osun State Independent Electoral Commission, OSSIEC, has announced that the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, won all the local government and councillorship positions in the just concluded local government elections in the state.

The Chairman of the Commission, Hashim Abioye, made this announcement via a Facebook Live broadcast on Saturday evening.

Abioye stated that PDP candidates secured all the councillorship seats in all 332 wards in the state, as well as the chairmanship elections in all 30 local government council areas.

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The names of the PDP chairmanship candidates and their respective local government council areas:

Babalola Wasiu Kayode – Boripe

Okunade Oluwafemi Adesanya – Egbedore

Adeyenuwo Rotimi John – Ife Central

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Agboola Francis Olajire – Obokun

Azeez Lateef Adeniran – Isokan

Aina Abayomi Adesina – Boluwaduro

Sodiq Samuel Oluwapelumi – Ola Oluwa

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Ajibade Oluwatoyin S. – Irepodun

Adebanjo Oladiti Tunmininu – Ilesa West

Ibironke Alade Adegboye – Atakumosa East

Aroke Muyiwa Aderemi – Ife South

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Kolade Obafemi Kolawole – Olorunda

Moshood Adekunle Kabiru – Iwo

Awotunde Abiodun Sarafadeen – Ifelodun

Akande Taiwo Adekunle – Osogbo

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Dada Feyisayo Ajibola – Atakumosa West

Amodu Taiwo – Ede North

Atolagbe Kayode Olayinka – Ifedayo

Akande Michael O. – Ife North

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Adeyekun Taiwo Adebayo – Oriade

Adeniran Adenike Felicia – Ayedaade

Afolabi Oyekola Lukman – Ede South

Odunyemi Haruna Bukola – Ife East

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Jooda Ambali Babajide – Irewole

Adewale Adeyinka Oluwaseun – Odo Otin

Ogunbiyi Solomon Akinyemi – Ayedire

Raimi Adenike Nafisat – Ejigbo

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Adebisi Jayeola Nasir – Ila

Ilesanmi Taiwo Sunday – Ilesa East

Alade Aderemi Fatai – Orolu

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DSS arrests three for assaulting operatives during LSHA crisis

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Department of State Services (DSS) has arrested three persons linked to the alleged assault on its officers during the crisis that rocked the Lagos State House of Assembly, following the removal Mudashiru Obasa, as Speaker

Apparently sensing danger, some lawmakers had mobilized their supporters to the Assembly Complex, but these supporters allegedly attacked some DSS officers who were invited by the Assembly leadership to secure the facility. Security sources revealed that “after extensive analysis of CCTV footage, we were able to clearly identify three of the suspects”.
“The suspects, Ibrahim Olanrewaju Abdulkareem, a photographer and two others attached to the Assembly’s Seargent at Arms, Adetu Adekunle Samsudeen and Adetola Oluwatosin Fatimoh, a lady, were consequently tracked and arrested during the week in different parts of Lagos,” The trio have since confessed to the crime and will soon be charged to court, the source said.

It would be recalled that the Lagos Assembly had in a leaked memo dated 14th February, 2025 and addressed to the DSS Director in the State, and Heads of other Security Agencies in Lagos State, told the Security Agencies in Lagos that, there was credible information to the effect that, Obasa had planned to forcefully reinstate himself today, February 18, 2025.
Accordingly, the Assembly management, held the view that, the development posed “a potential security threat” to it and its members.

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Police seal OSSIEC office, officials nabbed, says chairman

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The chairman of the Osun State Independent Electoral Commission (OSSIEC), Hashim Abioye, has claimed that the police have sealed off the headquarters in Osogbo.

In a video post on the OSSIEC X handle, Abioye accused the police of also arresting election officials and blocking journalists from covering the local government election.

According to him, several OSSIEC officials were detained while on their way to polling units on Saturday.

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Attempts by our correspondent to reach Abioye for further details proved abortive as his telephone line was switched off.

The OSSIEC chair, in the post, assured voters that materials had been deployed to affected areas.

So far so good, the reports have been positive and the conduct has been very smooth and peaceful as against the false alarm raised by the police. Everywhere is calm,” Abioye said.

“The only thing is that in some of the areas in which materials are supposed to have arrived for voters to cast their votes, we had reports of police arresting our officials.

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“I don’t know on whose order because there is no court order that warranted the arrest of officers of our officials.

“As it is, we have deployed materials to those units because we have enough on the ground.

For our people in the media community, I want to apologise for the inadequacy of the tags and the jackets because we have enough but the police sealed our office and that was not warranted at all.”

Abioye’s comments come after police had called for the local government election to be called off by the state government, citing a security threat.

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In a statement by its Public Relations Officer, Olumuyiwa Adejobi, on Friday, the Police said it received credible intelligence indicating a likelihood of violence and significant security threats should the planned elections proceed.

The police explained that reports gathered from joint intelligence gathering revealed that various groups, including political elements and other interested parties, are mobilising to instigate unrest, disrupt public peace and undermine the democratic order.

However, the Osun State government acknowledged the police’s advice but insisted on going on with the election.

Channels Television reports that the election eventually went on as scheduled on Saturday.

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