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How I Escaped Attacks in Ekiti — Fayose
A former Ekiti State Governor, Mr Ayo Fayose, on Friday said he escaped attack by a whisker while leaving the House of Assembly in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Fayose, who appeared at the Assembly on Friday on the invitation of the legislative body, said, “It was on our way from the Assembly that some people trailed us in a Pick-up purposely to attack us. We managed to escape. In short, one of them nearly broke my head.”
The former governor, who said he came to honour the Assembly’s invitation because “a clear conscience fears no accusation”, said, “When I got to the Assembly, they said they were not ready and that they would inform me when they were ready. As a matter of fact, since they accused me of financial misappropriation, they were supposed to be ready.”
However, he went into a closed-door session with the Speaker, Funminiyi Afuye, and two other lawmakers.
The Assembly had summoned Fayose; a former Speaker of the Assembly, Kola Oluwawole; a former Chairman of the Association of Local Governments of Nigeria, Mr Dapo Olagunju; a former Commissioner for Local Government Affairs, Mr Kola Kolade; and the 16 local government chairmen elected during Fayose’s tenure over allegations bordering on misappropriation of funds.
The former governor in a told journalists said, “I got this by noon yesterday (Thursday) and I called the Speaker to confirm whether it was true and he confirmed it. You know my style. When the EFCC (Economic and Financial Crimes Commission) wanted me, I told them ‘I’m here’.
“So, I have come to the House of Assembly to tell them I’m available for their questions. I drove down from Lagos to tell them that there was no hiding place for some of us, so, I am here and ready to give an account of my stewardship.”
Fayose, who denied he had been given a soft landing by the Federal Government in the EFCC’s case against him, said he would not compromise standards.
He said, “I will not follow the multitude to sin. I want to believe that selective justice will not help our country.
“I have condemned anyone who says that in Nigeria, when you come to the All Progressives Congress, then you become a saint. I am telling you, I will never become a member of the APC, I will never defect.
“If I wanted a soft landing against my party, against my candidate, that would have happened in the past, I stood my ground during the elections. So, that is impossible.”
Meanwhile, Afuye said that Fayose’s “ambush” to the House of Assembly complex was resisted because he came unannounced.
In a statement by his Special Adviser on Media, Tai Oguntayo, the Speaker said, “After the resolution of the Assembly at the plenary on Thursday inviting the former governor to appear before the House, he called the Speaker to confirm if the report was true.
“The Speaker confirmed to Mr Fayose that it was true and that was the end of the discussion.
“When Mr Fayose announced his readiness to the Speaker, he was told to go back and await the official invitation letter from the House of Assembly.
“The former governor was accorded his due respect on arrival at the House of Assembly, being a former first citizen of the state.”
The spokesperson for Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Yinka Oyebode, did not answer his calls.
When contacted, the Police Public Relations Officer for Ekiti State Command, Caleb Ikechukwu, said, “I have not been briefed about that.”
The Punch
Headlines
‘Hands off’: Millions of People Join Protests Against Trump and Elon Musk Across All US States
Millions of people took part in protests against President Donald Trump and Elon Musk across all 50 states and globally on Saturday, organized by a pro-democracy movement over “hostile takeover” and attack on American rights and freedoms.
According to CNN, over 1,400 “Hands Off!” mass-action protests were held at state capitols, federal buildings, congressional offices, Social Security’s headquarters, parks and city halls throughout the entire country – anywhere “we can make sure they hear us,” organizers said.
“Hands Off!” demands “an end to this billionaire power grab.”
“Whether you are mobilized by the attacks on our democracy, the slashing of jobs, the invasion of privacy, or the assault on our services – this moment is for you,” the event flyers state. “We are setting out to build a massive, visible, national rejection of this crisis.”
Nearly 600,000 people had signed up to attend the events, some of which took place in major cities like London and Paris, according to Indivisible, one of the organizations leading the movement in collaboration with a nationwide coalition that includes civil rights organizations, veterans, women’s rights groups, labor unions and LGBTQ+ advocates.
Organizers say they have three demands: “an end to the billionaire takeover and rampant corruption of the Trump administration; an end to slashing federal funds for Medicaid, Social Security, and other programs working people rely on; and an end to the attacks on immigrants, trans people, and other communities.”
Commissioner of Police, CP Olajide Rufus Ibitoye, acting on the orders of the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, through the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Force Intelligence Department (FID) Abuja, has extended an invitation to the Emir of Kano, Muhammad Sanusi II, for an “investigative meeting with regards to an incident that occurred during the Sallah celebration within your domain”.
The said incident is in connection with the violence that broke out during the recent Eid-el-Fitr procession in Kano, which resulted in the death of a local vigilante member.
The incident happened as the Emir’s entourage moved from the Eid prayer ground to the palace in a traditional procession. The clash, which marred the otherwise peaceful celebration, led to the tragic loss of life of a vigilante member, Surajo Rabiu, and left one other injured.
The invitation was conveyed in an official letter dated April 4, 2025, and signed by Commissioner of Police, CP Olajide Rufus Ibitoye, on behalf of the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in-charge of Force Intelligence Department (FID) Abuja.
The letter reads: “I have the directives of the Inspector General of Police, through the Deputy Inspector General of Police, Force Intelligence Department (FID), to invite you for an investigative meeting with regards to an incident that occurred during the Sallah celebration within your domain.”
The Emir has been requested to appear before the Force Intelligence Department in Abuja, opposite the Police Headquarters, Area 11, by 10:00am on Tuesday, April 8, 2025.
This development comes amid heightened tensions in Kano State following the earlier decision by the State Police Command to ban the annual Durbar festival due to security concerns. The ban, announced days before the Eid-el-Fitr celebration, was intended to prevent any possible breakdown of law and order during the festive period.
However, despite the suspension of the Durbar, a motorcade procession of Emir Sanusi II still took place on the third day of the Eid-el-Fitr celebrations.
The Kano State Police Commissioner, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori, had also inaugurated an eight-member Special Investigation Panel (SIP) to investigate the violence.
As at the time of this report, there has been no official response from the Emir Sanusi II’s palace regarding the Police invitation.
Dr Hakeem Baba-Ahmed, the political adviser to President Bola Tinubu, has resigned his appointment.
Reports say the former spokesman of the Northern Elders Forum (NEF) tendered his resignation about two weeks ago.
Further reports quoting presidency sources did not, however, provide details of the reasons for his decision, but only stated that it was on personal grounds.
Baba-Ahmed was appointed in September 2023 as Special Adviser on Political Matters in the Office of Vice President Kashim Shettima.
Over the past 17 months, he had represented the presidency at several public fora, including a recent national conference themed: “Strengthening Nigeria’s Democracy: Pathway to Good Governance and Political Integrity”, which held from January 28 and 29, 2025 in Abuja.
