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Oluwo raises alarm over brewing Osun-Oyo border dispute
The Oluwo of Iwo, Oba Abdulrosheed Akanbi, has raised alarm over a looming interstate conflict between Osun and Oyo States stemming from a long-standing land dispute.
In a statement issued on Sunday night, the monarch called on Osun State Governor, Senator Ademola Adeleke, and his Oyo State counterpart, Governor Seyi Makinde, to urgently harmonize stakeholder interests to prevent a potential clash.
Oba Akanbi pointed to rising tensions between residents of the Oke Oba axis of Iwoland (Osun State) and the Lagelu area of Ibadan (Oyo State), describing the situation as a brewing territorial crisis.
He noted that the dispute has been under the purview of the National Boundary Commission for years, with a comprehensive report already prepared and awaiting public presentation, pending facilitation by both state governors.
The Oluwo accused individuals from the Lagelu area of illegal land grabbing, claiming they have been forcefully taking over land and attacking villagers in several Iwoland communities, including Ogunajo, Eleye, Molamu, Paku, Ejemu Oja, Oloya, Arikese, Eleweran, Olofa Ogundiran, and Molafe.
He urged the two governors to consult the clearly defined boundary map established in 1991 when Osun State was carved out of the old Oyo State.
“As a peace-loving Royal Father,” Oba Akanbi stated, “I appeal to the Governors of Osun and Oyo States, Senator Nurudeen Jackson Ademola Adeleke and Engr. Seyi Makinde respectively, to harmonize their interests in resolving the long-standing boundary dispute between the people of Oke Oba Papa Axis of Iwoland and the Lagelu area of Ibadan.”
“Just yesterday, these land grabbers from Lagelu mobilized again for an onslaught against the people of Oke Oba villages in Iwoland. They have committed arson by destroying both public and private properties. They have sacked teachers and students from classrooms. I feared further silence may degenerate into a larger event if not timely curtailed.
“The palaces of some Baales were completely destroyed. Oloola Molamu Oyin was razed last week. Osun has District Council Primary school and maternity there. The people of these villages have Osun State polling units during elections. They have removed the roof of all these government facilities. They removed the roof, loot and set ablaze the palace. They took Over people’s farms, harvested their goods and rubbed them at gunpoint. They have their thugs stationed at these villages till date with guns and other deadly weapons.”
The Universal Basic Education Commission on Tuesday announced plans to introduce a new template for disbursing counterpart funds under the Universal Basic Education programme.
This was disclosed by the Executive Secretary of the commission, Aisha Garba, during an interactive workshop with State Universal Basic Education Boards in Abuja.
Garba explained that the Federal Government, through UBEC, had recently restructured the delivery of basic education nationwide to align with four strategic pillars aimed at improving access and quality across states and the Federal Capital Territory.
She identified the pillars as expanding access to basic education, especially for rural and underserved populations; enhancing the quality of teaching and learning nationwide; strengthening accountability and the effective use of education financing; and optimising monitoring and institutional systems for quality service delivery.
She said, “The Hope Education Project of the present administration is a performance-for-reward initiative designed to support states that judiciously utilise resources in line with these four pillars.”
She added that the new approach had made it necessary to develop fresh templates that will guide SUBEBs in preparing work plans to access UBE intervention funds under the framework of the Hope Education Project.
Also speaking at the event, UBEC’s Deputy Executive Secretary for General Services, Tunde Ajibulu, described the workshop as timely and essential.
He stressed that the realignment of basic education delivery made the introduction of the new templates crucial.
“We expect you, as implementers of basic education in your respective states, to contribute positively and help develop workable templates,” Ajibulu said.
A Kano State High Court on Tuesday dismissed an application filed by former Kano State Governor and current National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Dr. Abdullahi Ganduje, challenging the court’s jurisdiction to hear a bribery and misappropriation case against him.
The Kano State Government brought 11 counts against Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, son Umar, and five others, alleging bribery totalling $413,000 and misappropriation of N1.38 billion.
The other defendants include Abubakar Bawuro, Umar Abdullahi Umar, Jibrilla Muhammad, Lamash Properties Limited, Safari Textiles Limited, and Lasage General Enterprises Limited.
Delivering her ruling, Justice Amina Adamu-Aliyu dismissed all preliminary objections raised by the defendants, describing them as incompetent and lacking merit.
She ruled that the charges filed on May 13, 2024, were competent and that the matter should proceed to trial.
The judge further issued a summons to the sixth defendant, Lamash Properties Limited, and adjourned the case to July 30 and 31, 2025, for hearing.
Ganduje, his wife Hafsat, and son Umar, had through their lawyer, Mrs. Lydia Oyewo, filed a preliminary objection dated November 18, 2024, challenging the court’s jurisdiction and seeking to have all charges quashed.
In response, counsel for the state government, Adeola Adedipe (SAN), filed a counter-application dated October 22, 2024, urging the court to dismiss the preliminary objections for lacking merit.
Similarly, counsel for the third and seventh defendants, M.N. Duru, (SAN), submitted a motion on notice dated October 18, 2024, supported by a 14-paragraph affidavit and a written address, asking the court to uphold their application.
Counsel for the fifth defendant, Muhammad Shehu, also filed a motion dated October 18, 2024, and urged the court to grant it with substantial costs against the complainant.
Abubakar Ahmad, representing the sixth defendant, filed a preliminary objection dated September 9, 2024, supported by a nine-paragraph affidavit.
Additionally, counsel for the eighth defendant, Faruk Asekome, filed a notice of preliminary objection dated October 18, 2024, supported by a five-paragraph affidavit and written address, also seeking dismissal of the charges.
Justice Adamu-Aliyu, however, ruled that the objections lacked merit and cleared the way for the trial to proceed.
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