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   Oyo Kidnapping: Bandits Insist on Negotiating Only with Makinde …as Pupils, Teachers Spend 8 Days in Captivity Suspected bandits who abducted pupils and teachers from three schools in Oriire Local Government Area of Oyo State have opened communication lines with the state government — but on one strict condition: they will negotiate only with Governor Seyi Makinde. The Oyo school abduction, which occurred on Friday, May 15, 2026, has thrown communities in Esinele, Yamota, and Alawusa into mourning and fear. Victims include toddlers as young as two years old, primary and secondary school pupils, and teachers. As of today, eight days later, no child or adult has been officially released. According to an exclusive report by PUNCH, the kidnappers have declined to speak directly with the families of the abducted victims. A source close to the negotiation process disclosed that the bandits said they only want to talk to the governor and nobody else, adding that this was the condi...

The (PAI) has raised serious concerns over the worsening security situation in following recent deadly attacks and kidnappings around Ogbomoso and other parts of the state, warning that “silence must not become complicity.” In a strongly worded statement issued on Thursday, the group described the recent wave of violence along the Ahoro-Esiele/Yawota axis of Oriire Local Government Area as a dangerous signal that insecurity has firmly taken root in the South-West. The statement, signed by PAI Chairman, , and General Secretary, , expressed deep sympathy with victims and families affected by the attacks. According to the group, the worsening situation in Ogbomoso should serve as a wake-up call to both the Government and the wider South-West region. “The wolf is no longer at the gate — it is already inside the compound,” the statement read. PAI lamented that many Nigerians once treated insecurity in Northern Nigeria and parts of the Middle Belt as distant crises until violence gra...

The Office of the Grand Chief Imam of Oyo Land, Sheikh Al-Imam Barrister Bilal Husayn Akinola Akeugberu, has announced a special Marathon Prayer Programme aimed at seeking divine intervention over the growing insecurity in the nation, while also praying for peace, unity, and sustainable development in Oyoland and Nigeria as a whole. The revered Islamic leader expressed deep concern over the persistent security challenges confronting the country, particularly Oyo State, stressing that the situation demands both practical efforts and sincere spiritual intervention from all stakeholders. According to the Grand Chief Imam, the marathon prayers will feature Adhkaar, Nawaafil, recitation of the Glorious Qur’an, and special supplications dedicated to the peace and progress of the land. The spiritual gathering is scheduled to hold on Tuesday, 26th May, 2026, corresponding with the blessed Day of Arafah, at the Oyo Central Mosque, from 12:00 PM until Maghrib time, Bidhnillah. The prayer session...

  The National Association of Nigeria Nurses and Midwives, NANNM, University College Hospital, UCH, Ibadan, is still on strike following the death of a patient at the hospital’s Accident And Emergency Unit, leading to the physical assault of two doctors and a nurse by a relative of the deceased . The strike which began on Friday, had disrupted   health care services at the Hospital as doctors and nurses expressed their displeasure over rising cases of assault on health workers within the hospital.  The NANNM Chairman, UCH,  Mrs Olufunmilola Faminu,expressed concern that assault of  health workers in the country, had become a recurring decimal. She noted that such could cripple service delivery in hospitals and further aggravate brain drain in the medical profession.  Matron Faminu advised patients and their relatives, to express their grievances through the established channels for complaints, rather than assaulting health workers on duty.  Simila...

  By Our Correspondent   The , Oyo State Chapter, has expressed concern over recent appointments and administrative processes at the Federal University of Agriculture and Technology, Okeho (FUNATO), calling for transparency, fairness and inclusiveness in the institution’s management.   In a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the State Secretary of the group, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, MURIC commended the Federal Government for establishing FUNATO, describing the institution as a major educational milestone for the Oke-Ogun zone and Oyo State in general.   However, the group alleged that recent developments under the leadership of the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olaniyi Jacob Babayemi, have raised questions regarding equity and representation within the university’s administrative structure.   MURIC specifically referenced the appointments of Professor Emmanuel Adegbenga Adekoya, Professor Egbeyale, Professor Godwin Olutona, Professor Ojoawo and Professor A...

  The Speaker of the Oyo State House of Assembly, Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, on Wednesday led a delegation of lawmakers to endorse Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi as the governorship aspirant of the Allied Peoples Movement (APM) in the State ahead of the 2027 general elections. The strategic breakfast meeting, held at the Iyaganku GRA residence of Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi in Ibadan, brought together members of the party in the 10th Oyo State House of Assembly. The gathering focused on strengthening party unity, building early political structures, and ensuring a coordinated approach toward the 2027 governorship election. Addressing the gathering, the Speaker described Hon. Bimbo Adekanmbi as an experienced political figure capable of sustaining good governance and providing purposeful leadership for the state. The Speaker noted that the endorsement by the lawmakers was borne out of their collective conviction in Adekanmbi’s leadership capacity, political maturity, and understanding of governance. ...

 The Federal High Court in Abuja on Wednesday convicted and sentenced former Minister of Power, Saleh Mamman, to a total of 75 years’ imprisonment over a ₦33.8 billion fraud linked to the Zungeru and Mambilla hydroelectric power projects. The trial judge, Justice James Omotosho, handed down the sentence after finding Mamman guilty on all 12 counts bordering on conspiracy and money laundering brought against him by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC). Justice Omotosho ordered that the various prison terms imposed on each count should run consecutively, bringing the total sentence to 75 years.

 A group of concerned members of the Oke Ogun Obas and Chiefs Association has passed a vote of no confidence on the Chairman of the association and the Aseyin of Iseyin, Oba Sefiu Olawale Oyebola David Ajirotutu Adeyeri IV, over allegations bordering on maladministration and actions allegedly capable of undermining the dignity of the traditional institution in Oke Ogun. The resolution was reached during an emergency meeting held on Tuesday at the palace of the Onjo of Okeho in Kajola Local Government Area of Oyo State. In a communique issued after the meeting, available to  aibnews the monarchs said the gathering was convened to deliberate on “critical issues bordering on the administration of the association and other related public issues which may dent the image of the Oke Ogun traditional institution dignity, ethics and respected culture inherited from our predecessors.” The concerned monarchs accused the Aseyin of Iseyin of engaging in conduct allegedly inconsistent with...

  Oyo State Governor, ‘Seyi Makinde, has urged members of his team and  political family to stay united to ensure the development of Oyo State beyond 2027. The governor called on all party leaders, stakeholders and, especially, candidates as well as aspirants for different elective offices in 2027 to stick together for the continuation of the good works started by his administration in 2019. Governor Makinde, who stated this on Friday evening, at a meeting with political stakeholders, declared that though some people have been praising him for raising the bar of governance in Oyo State, the achievement should be attributed to his team, as everyone contributed and is still contributing their quotas to uplift the state.Politics He cautioned against allowing ambitions to divide the team, stating that the 51 elective posts in the general elections can only be taken by a few people who would need the generality of the people to succeed. The governor, who noted that the engagement w...

  Inside the closed-door meeting where Hon. Abimbola Adekanmbi scored zero votes and the consensus was later vetoed A process billed as a consensus-driven selection for the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, governorship ticket in Oyo State has ended in controversy, with credible sources confirming that the candidate preferred by an overwhelming majority of stakeholders was overruled in favour of Hon. Abimbola Adekanmbi. The outcome contradicts earlier reports that claimed Adekanmbi emerged after defeating Saheed Fijabi in a stakeholder vote. Multiple insiders present at the meetings describe that account as “entirely false and misleading.” For 15 hours, five members of the Oyo State Governor, Engr. Oluseyi Abiodun Makinde’s inner caucus sat through deliberations without breaking for food. The brief was to narrow down a shortlist of governorship aspirants and advise the governor on who could carry the PDP’s flag now Allied peoples movement (APM) in 2027. What happened next has become t...

 AN OPEN / APPRECIATION LETTER TO THE CHIEF IMAM OF OYO LAND (Barrister Huzzein Bilal Kehinde) By Balogun Mahroofdeen Abiodun, PhD (Omo Janta) AS-SALĀMU ‘ALAYKUM WA RAHMATULLĀHI WA BARAKĀTUH I write with profound respect, honour, and a deep sense of gratitude to Almighty Allah for the privilege of identifying with you both by blood and by faith. It is with pride and humility that I regard you not only as a father in lineage but also as a spiritual guide, mentor, and pathfinder in Islam. In particular, the brief but impactful interaction, discussion, and fatherly admonition I received from you on Friday, May 1st, 2026, at the Oyo Central Mosque, remain indelibly etched in my memory. That moment was both inspiring and transformative. Sir, I wish to reaffirm my unwavering loyalty and commitment as one of your devoted mentees. Having known you for many years, I have consistently held you in high esteem and proudly project you as a model of integrity, leadership, and religious devotion....