Metro
How Badore Chieftaincy Hopeful, Rasak, Was Murdered in Broad Daylight
A Lagos-based socialite and contender for the Badore chieftaincy stool, Chief Rasak Jikoji, has been assassinated.
PUNCH Metro gathered that Rasaki had a month ago celebrated a court ruling in his favour on the chieftaincy stool.
He was said to be with his personal assistant on Sunday, April 25, 2021, when he was attacked and shot dead.
Our correspondent gathered that the assailants also smashed his skull open with a big stone.
The 60-year-old was rushed to the Lagos Island General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead, and the matter was reported at the Langbasa Police Station.
The victim’s aide, who spoke on condition of anonymity for security reasons, said the attack happened around 3pm at the deceased’s house on Jikoji Court, Unity Estate, Badore.
He stated that the late socialite had invited him the previous day, adding that on getting to the house, he observed that Rasak was having a meeting with some persons.
The aide said Rasak later led his guests to a piece of land in the community.
The aide stated, “He joined them in their car, while I drove his car behind them. About 15 minutes later, he came down from their car and entered his car. He said we should return home.
“As we were approaching the gate, he wound up the glass. I was about to park when I saw two men coming towards the passenger’s side. One of them covered his face and the other had a gun.
“I believe I heard one of them say, ‘It is you that wants to become Baale’. They tried to shoot twice, but the gun did not go off. They came in front of the car and tried to shoot again.
“I put the car in reverse and tried to speed off. The road was not good and in our attempt to flee, the car ran into a ditch. Chief asked me to run out. I opened the door before they got to us. As we were running, they caught up with him.
“The second guy, who was chasing me, later went back. I looked behind and saw that chief had already engaged the other man who had the pistol. I believe that the gun fell at a point. But the guy, who went back, picked a stone and smashed it on his head. The other guy picked up the pistol and shot him.”
He added that upon his return to the scene, he saw Rasak in a pool of his own blood and raised the alarm, as his wife and other residents rushed him to the general hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
The victim’s wife, Tofunmi, claimed that Rasak wrote a petition to the police at the Zone 2 Command over some suspicious movements around him prior to the incident.
While urging the police to get to the root of the murder, she said her husband had several enemies, who might want him dead.
She stated, “Some people came to visit us because they wanted to buy a piece of land and he took them to the site. They did not like the land. About 15 to 20 minutes later, my husband was returning home.
“Some people said they sighted strange faces around the vicinity. As he was coming, he was attacked. They shot him and used a rock to break his head to be sure that he died. I was in the kitchen when I was called, and I ran out and saw his dead body in the middle of the road. We need justice.”
A family member, who asked not to be identified, said Rasak was involved in a struggle for the chieftaincy stool of Badore.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the former occupant of the stool, Saliu Muraino Jikoji, died in June 2020 and the family nominated Rasak as his successor.
However, some community elders reportedly backed another candidate, whose name was forwarded to the local government secretariat.
The dispute was later taken to court.
Justice Idowu Alakija of the Lagos State High Court in March ordered that the parties should maintain the status quo, a ruling that the deceased celebrated as part victory.
The substantive suit was adjourned till May.
Our correspondent was told that the deceased’s five children were based abroad.
His lawyer, Olanrewaju Aiyedun, described the killing as “callous, criminal, satanic and vile.”
“The assailants riled and taunted him that he wanted to become baale before they snuffed life out of him. So, those who paid for his murder are not far-fetched.
“He was shot at a very close range and they smashed his head with a heavy stone just to ensure that he was dead and to satisfy their paymasters. They have murdered sleep and they will not also sleep.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Hakeem Odumosu, who confirmed the incident, said the case had been transferred to the State Criminal Investigation and Intelligence Department, Panti, Yaba.
He stated, “The two persons, who assassinated him, were in a tricycle. They accosted him while in the vehicle and fired him in the chest with what appeared to be an English pistol. He ran out, but they went after him and used a stone to break his head to ensure he died.
“The driver said before they killed him, they said, ‘So, you want to be baale, it is only someone who is alive that can become baale’. It was not a case of robbery. He was a direct target. We are working round the clock and closing in on his killers.”
The Punch
Metro
HURIWA Demands Probe As Nine Soldiers Accused of Links to Boko Haram Allegedly Escape from Custody
A major security breach has hit the Nigerian military after nine soldiers reportedly escaped from a guardroom at Maimalari Cantonment, Maiduguri — headquarters of the Army’s 7 Division.
Military sources said the incident occurred around 2:15am on Monday.
Most of the escapees were said to have been detained for alleged links with Boko Haram and involvement in arms trafficking in the North-East.
“There was a jailbreak on Monday around 0215 hours at Maimalari Cantonment. Nine personnel detained mostly for dealing in arms running with terrorists escaped,” a source, according to some media reports, confirmed.
One of the fugitives has since been recaptured, while a manhunt is underway for the remaining eight.
The military has reportedly launched an internal probe to uncover how the soldiers succeeded in breaking free from the high-security facility.
Meanwhile, a pro-democracy and civil rights advocacy group – Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA) of Nigeria has condemned the criminal activity of letting out such high value suspects at a time that the nation is gripped by the threats of the United States of America government’s threats to unleash military airstrikes targeting Islamic Terrorists like Boko Haram terrorists and ISWAP.
HURIWA believes that if the report is factually accurate, then there is more to it than meets the eyes. It means that there is a high network of conspiratorial plots from the topmost echelons of the command structures and these collaborators and saboteurs of the war on terror must be identified, arrested, prosecuted for treason and jailed for life.
HURIWA tasked the Chief of Defence Staff, General Olufemi Oluyede and the Chief of Army Staff, Lieutenant General Waidi Shaibu to take the matter as a high priority case and to go after the escapees just as the commander charged with securing their detention should be immediately suspended and all those who participated in aiding and abetting their disappearances must be arrested and prosecuted for sabotaging the counter terrorism war in Nigeria.
“If this is true, it means that the claims made by the Borno state governor, Professor Babagana Umara Zulum, of the existence of saboteurs of the war on terror within the Nigeria Army is much deeper than we are all contemplating.”
The Rights group stated that although the Nigerian Army is yet to react to the development at the time the media filed this report, the escapees were alleged to be involved in arms trafficking to terrorist groups operating in Nigeria’s North-East just as it was gathered that reports of the jailbreak have led to serious concerns within Nigeria’s security sector.
HURIWA expressed disappointment that saboteurs embedded within the nation’s military circles orchestrated the ugly development just few days after President Bola Tinubu appointed new service chiefs as a way to pass a message that they are invincible but the civil rights advocacy group stated that allowing these important and strategic suspects who sabotaged the war on terror to escape without being caught on time, it therefore means that there is the urgency of the moment to review the entire spectrum of military operations against Boko Haram terrorists given that their informants and suppliers of weapons have successfully penetrated the military institution, which is a very big shame.
“When we call for heads to roll, we truly mean that many bad eggs must be immediately weeded out of the Army given that they are actually undermining the National security of the corporate entity of Nigeria. It is time for a transparent overhauling of the security operations against terrorists in the country.”
A gas-laden tanker overturned on a Lagos road on Monday after the driver reportedly lost control of the vehicle.
The General Manager (GM), Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA), Mr. Olalekan Bakare-Oki, who made this known in a statement on Monday in Lagos, said that timely response of traffic officials, however, averted an explosion at the scene.
He said the incident occurred along the main carriageway at Chisco, before the traffic light inward Victoria Island area.
“Preliminary investigations indicate that the incident occurred when the driver of the truck, fully loaded with Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) cylinders, lost control of the vehicle, causing it to overturn on the busy expressway.
“Given the highly volatile nature of the product, the situation posed an immediate and severe threat to human life and property, necessitating urgent technical intervention,” he said.
The GM said that LASTMA personnel swiftly cordoned off the affected area upon arriving at the scene, securing both the overturned vehicle and the CNG tanks.
According to him, this was done to prevent any leakage or ignition that could have triggered an explosive conflagration.
Bakare-Oki said that the LASTMA Rescue and Emergency Unit immediately activated a multi-agency emergency protocol, summoning key responders.
“The responders are the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, the Lekki Concession Company (LCC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON).
“Through this rapid inter-agency collaboration, the imminent threat was expertly contained, and normalcy was swiftly restored,” he said.
Bakare-Oki, who was physically present at the scene, lauded the prompt and disciplined conduct of his officers and partner agencies.
He disclosed that the upturned gas tanker was professionally recovered, using state-of-the-art heavy-duty cranes and recovery equipment mobilised to the site.
“Their immediate action in securing the environment prevented what could have been an unspeakable tragedy.
“We ensured that the recovery process was conducted under the highest safety protocols to eliminate any residual risk,” he said.
He further revealed that additional LASTMA personnel were deployed to the area to manage the resultant traffic congestion.
He added that the team guaranteed the safety of commuters navigating through the Victoria Island corridor.
“While the main carriageway was closed temporarily from Chisco inward Victoria Island, motorists were immediately diverted through the new coastal road and reconnected via Bar Beach.
“This ensured the continuity of vehicular movement till the recovery operation was safely concluded and the road reopened to normal traffic,” he said.
The GM emphasised that the incident underscored the critical importance of adherence to road safety regulations, especially among truck drivers and operators of articulated vehicles transporting flammable and hazardous materials.
He admonished such operators to strictly observe prescribed speed limits, maintain their vehicles in sound mechanical condition, and exercise heightened vigilance, particularly under wet weather conditions.
Leading communications network, Globacom, has registered another milestone with its ongoing investment in its people as the SheGlows Summit 2025 convened women from every division at the Alliance Française, Mike Adenuga Centre, Lagos.
This year’s theme, “Wellness for Growth,” underscored a simple truth: wellbeing is not separate from performance-it powers it.
From Mrs Olubunmi Aboderin Talabi’s reflections on rest, to Bunmi George’s insights on consistency, and Ifeoma Williams’s masterclass on confidence, every session linked personal wellness to leadership readiness.
The summit’s success mirrored Globacom’s broader commitment to a management culture that continually fosters spaces where women can learn, lead, and lift others.
While the spotlight shone on the female workforce, the quiet endorsement from senior leadership made clear that this vision starts at the top and ripples throughout the organisation.
Participants left with renewed clarity and community spirit, a testament that when companies nurture wellness, they unlock growth that lasts.
They lauded the experience as inspiring and transformative. Ifeyinwa Okoli, Team Lead, Customer Care, said, “The event was beyond my expectations; each speaker delivered her message beautifully, and I’ve taken so much home.”
Esther Ohiomoba from Enterprise Business added, “It touched my core. My biggest takeaway is to let my brilliance serve, not intimidate. I’d love to do this again and again.”
