Metro
Mob Lynches NSCDC Official, Another for Killing Nine Boys’ Brigade Members
Pandemonium broke out on Monday at the Sabonline area, Gombe, after an official of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Adamu Abdullahi, and a yet-to-be-identified man were reportedly lynched for the killing of nine Boys’ Brigade members.
PUNCH Metro learnt that the Boys’ Brigade members were drawn from the St. Peter’s Anglican Church, Madaki, and two parishes of the Evangelical Church Winning All in Bamusa and Barunde, Gombe State.
The Boys’ Brigade members were said to be having an Easter procession when the incident happened around 1am.
Our correspondent gathered that the NSCDC official had wanted to drive through the procession, but was prevented by the brigade, which had blocked a lane on the road.
After some altercation, Abdullahi was said to have had his way.
The official, who was said to be unhappy with the initial action of the group, reportedly drove to his house and dropped off some occupants in his car.
He was alleged to have returned to the procession in his car.
Abdullahi allegedly switched off the headlamps of the vehicle and rammed into the group, killing nine people on the spot.
About 30 others were said to have sustained varying degrees of injury.
A member of the ECWA Boys’ Brigade, Michael Adeniran, said Abdullahi, a corps assistant, drove an official car of the NSCDC.
He said, “The incident happened around 1am. A salon car with the logo of civil defence was prevented from passing the road because of our procession.
“However, when our pastor prevailed on us, we allowed him to pass. After dropping off his girlfriends in his house, he drove back with his car and cleared our members. There was one other person with him in the car.”
Another eyewitness, Meshach Michael, said a mob pounced on the two men and beat them to death.
He said, “Immediately we saw what happened, we held the driver and the man with him and beat them up in anger. We wanted to burn the car, but we were stopped.”
The second occupant of the car was reported to be a policeman.
Our correspondent visited some of the survivors at the male surgical ward of the state specialist hospital.
One of them, who identified himself only as Godwin, wondered why the NSCDC official took the decision.
“This is not the first time that we would embark on this procession at the wee hours of the night,” he said.
Another survivor, Zakaria Ibrahim, said the action was premeditated.
The Gombe State Commissioner of Health, Dr Kennedy Ishaya, described the incident as unfortunate.
“The survivors have different degrees of injury; some have head injuries, and others lacerations,” he added.
The ECWA Secretary, Elias Tstakis, said the church was mourning the loss of its members.
“We discovered that the two men were deployed in the government house, but they chose to kill innocent teenagers,” he said.
The spokesperson for the NSCDC, Gombe command, ASC Sajid Saad, declined comment.
“I am on the road now; I can’t talk. If you are in Gombe, come to my office,” he said.
The state Police Public Relations Officer, SP Mary Malum, said 10 people died.
She said, “There were 10 deaths and 30 injured victims are receiving treatment at the state specialist hospital and other private health institutions.”
The state Commissioner of Police, Bello Makwashi, who was said to have visited the scene of the incident, denied that the second occupant of the car was a policeman.
The Force spokesperson, Frank Mba, who confirmed 11 deaths in a statement on Monday, said the Inspector-General of Police, Adamu Mohammed, had ordered a thorough investigation into the incident.
He, however, said the accident was caused by brake failure, adding that the driver was on Gadan Malale Road and heading for the Central Roundabout in the area when tragedy struck.
The Punch
Globacom has entered into a strategic partnership with the Osun State Government to roll out 20,000 closed user group (CUG) lines for civil servants, teachers, local government staff and political appointees across the state.
The initiative, branded Imole Connect, is designed to foster seamless communication and collaboration among government workers, thereby improving efficiency and productivity.
Speaking at the official launch in Osogbo on Wednesday, Governor Ademola Adeleke commended Globacom for supporting the state’s digital drive. He described the project as a crucial step towards bridging communication gaps in the public sector.
“With the launch of 20,000 Glo Imole Connect lines today, we are taking a bold step towards improving our public servants’ linkage across the State. These lines, operating under a closed user group (CUG) arrangement, come with significantly reduced call and data rates,” Governor Adeleke noted.
He further explained that, “one of the challenges in public governance has always been the difficulty of seamless communication. Information does not always move quickly or efficiently and this has often led to avoidable delays and disconnections between agencies and officers across different levels. With this new arrangement, I am confident that we will begin to close those gaps and work in closer alignment.”
On his part, Globacom’s National Head, Enterprise Business Group, Mr. Adeniyi Odejobi, assured that the company was committed to enhancing service delivery in Osun State through efficient communication.
“Globacom has transformed from being just a telecommunications company to being a digital solutions provider where we offer enterprise solutions to large organisations, government and public sector organisations to enhance digital economy and enhance the operations of smart cities in some sub nationals,” he explained.
Desirous of promoting the love for sciences and pursuit of careers in Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics (STEM), the Glo Foundation, Globacom’s corporate social responsibility arm, is staking millions of naira to promote STEM among girls across the country.
This is part of its programme for the celebration of this year’s edition of the International Day of the Girl Child.
The Foundation has put in place the ‘Glo Innov8’ National STEM Competition for girls in Senior Secondary Schools across the country. The competition, a STEM-focused challenge, will see the winning schools carting home N5 million in prizes.
A statement from Glo Foundation explained that the ‘Glo Innov8’ National STEM Competition is aimed at enabling girls in secondary schools to “Compete, Innovate and Win” in the competition and also enhance the confidence and knowledge of the girl child.
It also added that the competition “is our modest way at Glo Foundation of celebrating and encouraging the girl child to focus more on the studies of STEM subjects and pursue careers in these areas in future so as to become problem solvers for the country”.
The overall winning school with the best idea walks away with N2,000,000 prize, while the 2 Students who will represent the school will get a laptop each, and the Teacher/Mentor/STEM Coordinator gets a token of N200,000. The students of the schools that come 2nd and 3rd, as well as the Teachers/Mentors/STEM Coordinators will also get consolation prizes.
The registration for the Glo Foundation National Stem Competition tagged “Glo Innov8”, which kicked off on the Monday September 15th, will end on October 5, 2025.
To register for a chance to win, all that schools across Nigeria have to do is visit https://glo-foundation.com/glo-innov8/ and fill the form, to STEM their way to N5,000,000.
Adron Homes and Properties Limited, one of Nigeria’s leading real estate companies, has reaffirmed its commitment to cultural preservation and community development by officially supporting the 2025 Olojo Festival themed “Tourism for Inclusive Growth with Cultural Rebirth.”
In a press conference held at the Palace of His Imperial Majesty, Oba Eniitan Adeyeye Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II, the Ooni of Ife, the firm highlighted the festival’s enduring significance as a symbol of Yoruba heritage and a catalyst for economic and social development.
Representing the Chairman/CEO, Aare Adetola Emmanuelking, the Managing Director of Adron Group, Mrs. Adenike Ajobo, described the Olojo Festival as “more than a cultural gathering, a living heritage that connects the Yoruba civilization to the global stage, strengthening local economies, uniting people, and inspiring generational pride.”
She noted that Adron Group’s sponsorship aligns with its mission to build communities that honour tradition while creating sustainable opportunities.
“Tourism and housing share a common purpose which connects people, places, and possibilities. At Adron, we believe that true development must respect heritage while driving progress for future generations. Supporting Olojo Festival reflects our commitment to inclusive growth and cultural rebirth,” she stated.
The Olojo Festival, recognised as one of Africa’s foremost cultural events, continues to attract international attention while reinforcing Ile-Ife’s status as the cradle of Yoruba civilization. With the support of organisations like Adron Group, the festival is expected to further project Nigeria’s culture globally, boost tourism, and inspire unity across communities.
Adron Group extended prayers for the continued reign of His Imperial Majesty, Kabiyesi Ojaja II, and expressed optimism that the 2025 Olojo Festival would be peaceful, impactful, and a beacon of pride for Yorubaland, Osun State, and Nigeria at large.
