News
Arrest ‘Those Fueling Ethnic Tension’, Makinde Charges New Oyo Police CP
Oyo State Governor, Seyi Makinde has asked the new Commissioner of Police in Oyo, CP Ngozi Onadeko, to arrest and treat those igniting ethnic tension in the state as criminals.
Makinde said this on Friday when Onadeko paid him a courtesy visit at the Governor’s Office, Agodi, Secretariat, Ibadan.
He spoke against rising tension in the state
by the ultimatum given by self-acclaimed leader of Yoruba freedom agitators, Sunday Igboho, to people of Fulani ethnic stock to vacate the Ibarapa area of the State.
Makinde said that attempt to fuel security tension under any guise that would threaten the corporate vision of Nigeria would not be tolerated by his administration.
He said that his government was not against any ethic group, but was determined to flushing out criminal elements anywhere in the state.
He stressed that the Hausa/Fulani ethnic group residing in the state was not his government’s target, but hoodlums, bandits, irrespective of their tribes and religion.
“For people stoking ethnic tension, they are criminals and once you get them they should be arrested and treated like common criminals.
“For this administration, the major pillar for us is security because we know that all the good things we want to do economically won’t be possible in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity.
“So, when people say things that are not lawful and within the spirit of Nigeria’s constitution, it is not acceptable here.
“And they cannot hide under being people protecting Yoruba interest to perpetrate chaos in the state,” he said in a veiled reference to the quit order on the Fulani issued by Igboho.
Makinde reiterated that security remained one of the pillars of his administration, noting that all the good policies of his administration could not be actualised in an atmosphere of chaos and insecurity.
He promised to give maximum support to the Nigerian Police and other security agencies to ensure safety of lives, property and economic prosperity of the state.
Makinde called for more synergy between the police and the Western Nigeria Security Network, code-named Amotekun.
He noted that those who demonised Amotekun were the ones issuing ultimatum to certain ethnic nationalities to vacate the state.
The governor welcomed the new police boss and assured the CP of his support in tackling insecurity in the state.
“We won’t make the job difficult. We will be sincere, open and support you,” he added.
In her remark, Onadeko, pledged to make lives and property of residents of the state safe and secure saying that visibility policing had started in earnest.
She assured the governor that men and officers of the command would display high level of professionalism and that corruption would be shunned, with the view to achieving common goal.
“I’m here to formally tell you that I have assumed duty, we promise to make the lives and property of the people of Oyo State safe and secure.
“Since I came in, we have started with our visibility policing. When I came in, I noticed that there were no policemen on the road, maybe it was still the aftermath of the EndSARS issue, but we have been able to draft them back.
“We have asked them to occupy their space because it is their constitutional duty. We have to nip crime to hit the barest minimum in Oyo state.
“We are going to be professional about our work, shun corruption, synergise and work with other sister agencies.
“We are all working toward one particular goal, that is, to make sure that Oyo State is safe and secure,” the CP said.
Onadeko further pleaded with the governor to assist the command with operational vehicles.
By Eric Elezuo
The West African Examination Council (WAEC) has announced the kickoff of the 2026 West African Second-term School Certificate Examination, saying it would be computer-based, and decrying the decline of male participation as against their female counterparts.
The Council made the disclosure on Monday, while addressing the media at its National Office in Yaba, Lagos, on steps so far taken to ensure a hitchfree 2026 Examination.
In his address, the Head of National Office, Mr. Jacob Josiah Dangut, remarked that the 2026 computer-based WASSEC, started on April 21, 2026 with practical test papers, stressing that the nitty gritty parts of the exercise will kick off on Tuesday, May 12, 2026, therefore the reason for the sensitization of the Nigerian public on the exams.
He noted that nearly two million candidates registered to sit for the examinations.
In his words, “A total of 1,959,636 candidates from 24,207 schools enrolled for the examination.
“Of this number, 958,564 candidates (48.92%) are male, while 1,001,072 candidates (51.08%) are female. This reflects an increase in female participation and a decline in male participation compared to last year.”
Dangut called on policy formulations to take the matter serious so as to reinvent the urge for education among the malefolks.
Meanwhile, Dangut informed the public that candidates are being tested in 37 subjects across 97 papers, supervised by about 29,000 senior secondary teachers nominated by state ministries of education.
Dangut said the rise in computer-based entries followed the successful debut of the format in 2025, with more schools and offshore institutions adopting it for its efficiency and alignment with global standards.
The 2026 exercise will run through to June 19th.
The simmering political battle in Rivers State appears to have taken a fresh turn, following the screening of aspirants for the All Progressives Congress (APC) House of Assembly primaries, with several loyalists of Governor Siminalayi Fubara failing to make the party’s final list.
In a development already stirring political intrigue across the state, former Obio/Akpor council chairman Chijioke Ihunwo and serving lawmakers Sokari Goodboy and Victor Oko-Jumbo — all widely regarded as strong allies of Governor Fubara — were among those not cleared by the party’s screening committee for various reasons.
Political observers are interpreting their failure to scale through as more than just a routine internal party exercise. They say it is the latest signal of the deepening political fault lines in Rivers, where Governor Fubara and his predecessor, Minister Nyesom Wike, remain locked in a prolonged struggle for political supremacy.
On the other side of the divide, the list of cleared aspirants appears to favour established political figures and returning lawmakers, largely seen as loyal to the Wike camp.
Among those cleared are:
Maol Dumle
Major Jack
Enemi Alabo George
Tonye Smart Adoki
Tekenari Granville
Their emergence is being viewed as a reinforcement of the influence of the former governor within the APC structure in Rivers State.
The screening exercise, announced by Rivers APC publicity secretary Chibike Ikenga, comes at a politically sensitive time, with alignments already forming ahead of future elections and control of the Rivers State House of Assembly remaining a critical battleground.
For many political watchers, the outcome raises fresh questions: Is the APC in Rivers consolidating into a single power bloc? And does this effectively shut the door on Fubara’s loyalists seeking alternative political platforms?
Fubara, elected under the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) in 2023, joined the APC last year, following a political dispute with Wike.
The Progressive Governors Forum (PGF) has been factionalized ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The rival factions emerged after its chairman, Governor Hope Uzodimma, was reportedly removed on Thursday.
While Uzodimma insists that he remains PGF chairman, Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun and his Kwara State counterpart, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, are reportedly leading a separate faction.
Another bloc within the forum has reportedly queued behind the duo of Abiodun and AbdulRazaq.
The development, which comes amid growing political realignments within the ruling party, marks a significant crack in the ranks of APC governors ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to reports by Arise TV, details surrounding the disagreement remain unclear, but sources within the party said tensions have been building over internal leadership control and strategic positioning ahead of the next election season.
As of the time of filing this report, none of the factions had made an official clarification regarding the alleged division.
