By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

The Anambra State Government has sealed a shrine in Umuofor village, Okija, Ihiala Local Government Area, allegedly used by one Ekene Igboegbueze for illicit rituals aimed at supernaturally enriching individuals.

The Special Adviser to Governor Chukwuma Soludo on Community Security, Mr. Ken Emeakayi, disclosed this while leading operatives of Operation Udo Ga-Achi to the shrine.

He explained that the government’s action was prompted by multiple complaints from residents of Okija, as well as a viral online video in which Igboegbueze openly admitted to engaging in Oke Ite, Yahoo Plus, and Awele—practices that contravene Anambra State’s Homeland Security Laws.

Mr. Emeakayi further revealed that, in addition to sealing the shrine, the state government had confiscated all properties acquired by the suspect through the proceeds of the alleged illegal activities. He added that all items recovered from the shrine would undergo forensic examination, and the results would determine the government’s next course of action.

Speaking on the development, the Director of Operations for Agunechemba Security Outfit, Mr. Chinenye Ihenko, decried the rising influence of fraudulent native doctors and self-proclaimed pastors, stating that their activities encourage a dangerous “get-rich-quick” mentality among youths.

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Tunde Oyekola and Stephen Angbulu
The Director-General of the Department of State Services, Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, has called for a policy mandating the recruitment of first-class graduates into the intelligence agency to strengthen national security.

Ajayi made this call while delivering the 2025 Distinguished Personality Lecture at the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

In his lecture, titled “The Roles of the DSS in Security, Peacekeeping, and National Integration,” Ajayi emphasised the need for a paradigm shift in recruitment and staffing within security agencies to ensure only the best minds are enlisted.

Represented by the DSS Deputy Director, Mr. Patrick Ikenweiwe, the DG argued that recruiting top academic performers into the DSS should be a compulsory national policy, similar to Israel’s selective university admission system.

The DSS DG stressed the need for a shift in public perception, noting that many Nigerians view security agencies as adversaries rather than allies.

He warned that such attitudes negatively impact intelligence gathering, peacebuilding, and national integration.

“Like I know, in Israel, there is one examination that students take to get admitted into the university. The moment you score above 70 marks, you have no option but to be sent to the university there.”

He contended that intelligence work requires exceptional intellect to tackle sophisticated criminal networks.

“Tell me how would a ‘Dundee’ (dullard) be able to keep security in a criminal gang that is constituted of First Class people? You know, it takes intellect to track criminality.”

“So, if I have my way in this country, and we keep praying that we do the right thing, the academia should be able to supply us, sincerely, the details of students who have excelled in their various fields of study so that they would be forced to serve this great nation,” he said.

The lecture further highlighted the critical role of intelligence agencies in safeguarding national security, emphasising that public perception of security organisations as adversaries rather than allies hampers intelligence gathering and peacebuilding.

Addressing Nigeria’s security landscape, Ikenweiwe noted that traditional threats such as sabotage, subversion, and espionage have evolved into more complex challenges, including terrorism, insurgency, separatist agitations, militancy, cybercrime, and economic sabotage.

He reaffirmed the DSS’s commitment to tackling these threats through strategic collaborations with sister agencies and continuous stakeholder engagement.

Speaking on an overview of the mandate of the DSS, he said the service’s internal security responsibilities are accommodated in the NSA Act CAP N74 LFN, 2024 and SSS Instrument No. 1 of 1999.

The former summarily mandates the Service to prevent and detect any crime against the internal security of Nigeria as well as protect non-military classified national security matters, while the latter, promulgated by Abdulsalami Abubakar, mandates the service to, among others, prevent, detect and investigate the threat of espionage, subversion, sabotage, terrorism, separatist agitation, law and order and economic crimes of national security dimension.

“The instrument also demands that the DSS gives timely advice to the government on all matters of national security interest. Most importantly, the Service is empowered by the aforementioned legal frameworks to execute other functions as may from time to time be assigned by Mr. President, the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces.

“The centre also offers short-time capacity-building training in those areas. Quite a number of officers from the Nigeria Armed Forces, other security agencies as well as officers of other nations have benefitted from the programmes, graduated and are doing well in their callings,” he said.

Meanwhile, in a related development, First Lady Oluremi Tinubu on Wednesday received a delegation from the DSS, led by the Deputy Director-General, Mrs. Afolashade Adekayaoja, at the State House, Abuja.

The visit underscored the administration’s commitment to empowering women in leadership roles within the security sector.

Tinubu applauded the DSS for appointing a woman to such a high-ranking position, stating, “Women who have proven themselves in their careers deserve recognition and leadership roles. This is a testament to my husband’s long-standing belief that women are highly responsible and committed.”

She urged female leaders in the DSS to support one another and diligently execute their duties to inspire future generations.

In response, Adekayaoja expressed gratitude for the administration’s commitment to gender inclusivity and reaffirmed the DSS’s dedication to ensuring national security and stability.

With the push for compulsory recruitment of Nigeria’s brightest minds into intelligence services, the DSS aims to bolster its operational effectiveness in addressing evolving security threats and strengthening national peace and integration.

THE PUNCH

By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Fear has gripped the Ugbo Kingdom in the Ilaje Local Government Area of Ondo State due to rumours about the death of the controversial oil magnate and founder of Obat Oil, Oba Frederick Enitiolorunda Akinruntan, Okoro Ajija 1, the Olugbo of Ugbo Kingdom.

It was revealed that the 75-year-old monarch has been ill for some time, though this could not independently verify his demise at the time of this report.

“We heard that he was flown out of Nigeria last year ending because of his sickness. But maybe because he is king, they are trying to keep his death hush-hush,” one of the sources said.

“But people in his area are saying that he is dead but they decided to keep the news from the public.

“Since last November or December, nobody has heard from him up till now. We heard that they have performed some rituals in his kingdom, but it was on a lowkey. They are only saying he travelled out.”

“I heard that he has been very ill and that he has been afflicted for some time,” another source said.

Obateru Akinruntan is a prominent oil magnate and the founder of Obat Oil, one of Nigeria’s largest privately owned oil companies.

Obateru Akinruntan is a significant figure in the oil industry and the founder of Obat Oil, one of Nigeria’s largest privately-owned oil companies.

Born in 1950 into the royal family of Sir Frederick Adetolugbo in Ugbo, a riverine area in Ilaje, Obateru was the fourth of eight children and lost his father in 1964 at the age of 14.

In 2009, he was appointed king in line with the traditions of the Ugbo Kingdom.

In March 2014, Forbes estimated his net worth at $300 million, ranking him as the second richest king in Africa and the wealthiest in Nigeria.

The only African monarch wealthier than him at the time was Mohammed VI of Morocco.

On September 13, 2019, Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu, SAN, approved the formation of a new council and appointed Oba (Dr.) Fredrick Eniolorunda Obateru Akinruntan, Okoro Ajija I, CON, the Olugbo of Ugbo, as Chairman of the Ondo State Council of Obas for a two-year term.

SAHARA REPORTERS