Metro
Tears, Encomiums As NAOSNP President, Oki Buries Mother in Lagos
Friends, family members, professional colleagues, well-wishers gathered at Olufuwa Crescent, Anibaba Street, Owode Onirin on Thursday to join the President, National Association of Online Security News Publishers (NAOSNP), and Publisher, Trek Africa Newspaper, Mr Samson Oki, to bury his beloved mother, late Mrs Aramide Nusirat Oki (nee Thomas).
The Officiating Pastor, Esther Fusugboye of Redeemed Christian Church of God (RCCG), Region 11, Province 20, Zone 10, in her sermon, reminded all and sundry not to put high premium on earthly possessions but look onto God for sustainance, provision and to whom all should depend at all times.
In her sermon which began with a song: “That is why you are called Jehovah…”, and drawn from the book of 1 Thessalonians Chapter 5 v 1-11 and Ecclesiastes Chapter 7 vs 2, she admonished sympathizers to prepare for any eventuality as death doesn’t ring a bell before descending on anyone.
She further explained that, “We are gathered here to remember ourselves, especially the late woman, who was so dutiful all through her years on earth, bringing up responsible children. As we mourn her demise, let’s remember that the time everyone here will close his/her eyes to meet the creator is only a matter of time.
“Some value money than appreciating God. Whatever thing we do on earth is recorded against us whether good or bad. Therefore, let’s be conscious of our time here on earth.
“On the last day, a lot of things will be said or written about us, but remember none of those things will take any of us to heaven if you do not maintain good relationship with God, your creator,” Pastor Fusugboye reemphasized.
After the short ministration, the children, family members and sympathizers filed past the casket as a mark of their last respect to the late Mrs Aramide Nusirat Oki, before the corpse was conveyed to the grave and laid to rest.
Eulogizing his mother, the eldest son, Godwin Oki, said the mother was a kind woman who always wanted the best for the children and stood to the realisation of that. She was a principled and a strict disciplinarian to the core.
“Once she sets a target, she never looked back and would work toward realising it. I thank God for the exemplary life she lived and would always want to have the kind of mother she was when such opportunity arises.”
Explaining further how pained he felt over her demise the Senior Oki said, “I am very pained that my mother didn’t live to see my first born. I married not too long ago. She was everything during my marriage.
Unfortunately, she didn’t wait to see my first born. Well, God knows the best and gives him thanks for everything,” Godwin reiterated.
On his part, the Publisher of Trek Africa Newspaper, Oki Samson remarked: “My mother lived a full life as a hardworking woman who demonstrated entrepreneurial spirit in Victoria Island axis of Lagos state as a top-notch distributors of assorted soft drinks, eggs, and other items.
“She has compassion for humanity through many humanitarian initiatives which she pursued with relentless vigour within her family, community, and in the church.
“She actively nurtured her four boys – now men – to the glory of God alongside her late husband, Evangelist Ayila N. Oki with parental support, care and in Godly way,” Samson noted.
Earlier on Wednesday evening, a Service of Songs was held at the same address where church, family members, friends and sympathizers gave glowing tributes to her exemplary service to man and humanity.
The late Madam Aramide Nusirat Oki (née Thomas) was born on 7th July 1960 to the family of Pa Mustapha and Madam Fatimota in Lagos Island, Lagos, Nigeria and died on the 12th August, 2023 at the age of 63 years.
She attended Ansarudeen Primary School in Lagos Island and St. Timothy College, Yaba, Lagos. She got married to late Evangelist Ayila N. Oki before delving into trade and commerce full-time where she attained fame and fortune.
Madam Oki left an indelible mark in the business space as a top distributor in Lagos state.
May her soul.rest in peace!
The Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Olatunji Disu, has charged officers to take the fight directly to criminals, stating: “It is far better to strike first and stay on the offensive than to remain only reactive.”
The IGP, who spoke on Wednesday in Kano during a strategic meeting with officers of the Kano State Command, noted that “when bandits know we fire back decisively, they will think twice. Keep pushing hard, stay sharp, and sustain this momentum”.
Represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of the North-West region, Suleiman Abdul, the IGP announced the establishment of six core administrative pillars designed to strengthen the internal security framework.
Notable among the pillars is the operationalisation of “Handshake Patrols” between contiguous states to deny criminals jurisdictional escape routes.
IGP Disu also announced a renewed commitment to intelligence-led and technology-driven security management, adding that the police are moving away from purely conventional, reactive methods towards evidence-based law enforcement powered by data analytics, digital forensics and a centralised information framework.
The IGP further committed to restructuring elite tactical units, with operations governed by strict rules of engagement and civilian oversight.
He stressed that modern urban policing cannot be achieved through physical presence alone; it must be powered by timely, accurate and actionable information.
“Kano Command must fully leverage data analytics, digital forensics and centralised information frameworks to map out urban crime hotspots and track illicit financial flows that sustain gang activities,” he stated.
“Compliance with the Suspects’ Information Capturing Process within the Nigeria Police Force Incidents and Crime Database (NPF-ICD) must be enforced across all divisions and tactical offices without exception,” he said.
“This will enable you to build comprehensive criminal histories, trace syndicates and systematically isolate repeat offenders,” he added.
“The administration demands absolute professional discipline and has zero tolerance for personnel high-handedness, corruption or extortion, which alienates the public,” he said.
By Ayo Oyoze Baje
“Success is no accident. It is hard work, perseverance, learning, studying, sacrifice and most of all, love of what you are doing or learning to do” – Pelé
I love the football game, with an abiding passion, and it has been so since my primary school days back in the early ’60s.It teaches us so much about life and how to become a success in whatever we do while here on Planet Earth. Now that the 2026 World Cup is on, one cannot but reflect on the striking similarities between the two. Even though Nigeria’a Super Eagles did not qualify for this year’s edition the nation was well represented by superstar artistes such as Burna Boy, Davido and Rema whose hit songs and dance displays marked them out as our worthy ambassadors on the global stage. That is the attraction of the football game beyond all the blitz and the bravado, the thrills and frills, the losses and the victories.
To begin with, to succeed in life it is a team game. You cannot do it all alone, neither is it a two- man battle such as a boxing or wrestling match. No! There are teachers to learn from, similar to the parents, older siblings, elders in the community and of course, the school teachers to glean from.
In fact, to maximally benefit from each and everyone of them it takes humility, hardwork, honesty of purpose, with passion. It also encapsulates character, courage, and commitment to the rules and regulations just as the footballers listen to and practice from the hands of their coaches as well as their assistants.
It is through such regular trainings and obedience to the tactics adopted and corrected mistakes that you get to identify and hone your talents; to bring out the best that is deposited deep within you. These are more like the precious gold, the pearls and the diamonds in the earth. Eventually, you get to know who you really are; as an engineer, medical doctor, architect, journalist, economist, entertainer or a teacher.
That is again similar to the footballers on the pitch ,who through their astute coaches become solid rock defenders like Gabriel Magalhaes or Harry Maguire, pace-setting
midfielders such as Declan Rice or iconic Rodri, master dribblers such as Jay Jay Okocha or Lionel Messi, wave -making wingers such as Bukayo Saka, Lamine Yamal and Vinicius Junior, top goal scorers such as Christine Sinclair, Cristiano Ronaldo and Erling Haland, or shot – stoppers such as David Raya or Thibaut Courtois
As it is with life, so it plays out in the field of football; practicing and preparing for it with one game at a time. It is not a 100- metre dash but a 90-minute or more display of what you have learnt. They are usually exhibited as your skills with the team ambition of scoring the vital, game -changing goals. But there are challenges to expect and be prepared to overcome.
For instance, who are the players that others from the opposing team attack? They are those with the ball. That is exactly how life evolves for you. And who are those who get booked with the yellow or red card? Those who, like criminals attack others with premeditated brutal and brazen boots instead of going for the ball The referees, like the law enforcement agents are there to penalize the offenders, including those who cross the lines or cruelly close in on others within the 18- yard box to give the other side a penalty kick. So, as you sweat it out in life m,learn to obey the rules and regulations.
Definitely, out there at the stadium there are the spectators to support their favorite teams. From them come the cheers and the jeers but any player who gets distracted by them misses the essence of the game at hand and eventually the vital goals.
And when it comes to the unfailing factor of focus one outstanding player that exemplifies that is Cristiano Ronaldo. So committed he is to football that he arrives the training ground long before other team mates as well as always being the last to leave. Little wonder that at the age of 41 years he is not only regarded as the highest goal scorer in the history of the football game, but for the teams he has played for , his country,Portugal and is also reckoned with as an all-round soccer superstar scoring with the head, and both legs.
His passion for football is so profound that his connection to the game goes far beyond physical play. In fact, he views it as a true form of self-expression and his relentless ambition is exhibited everywhere he plays.
Describing football as an art he stated that: “I see football as an art and all players are artists. If you are a top artist, the last thing you would do is paint a picture somebody else has already painted.
He says that: “Without football, my life is worth nothing”. “It gives me the happiest feeling in the world. I just love scoring… It’s bad to have addictions. But it’s good to get addicted to progress.” But can we as individuals say that about our professions? Do we enjoy what we do virtually on daily basis? The answer is ours to give.
One other aspect that connects football and life is betting. Hours before the players sweat it out there in the field of play hundreds of thousands of fans across the world go out to bet, guessing the potential winners and losers. But yours truly stays out of football betting even if it rakes in millions of naira for the those who guessed right.But why, you may ask? It is all because as it is with life, so it is with football, there is always the Unknown Factor-X. Only God knows the end from the beginning.
My love for football is also anchored on the factors and features of fusion it brings to the fore. While the game is on the avid spectators are bound by the spirit of togetherness, hardly influenced by their differences in ethnicity, religion or politics. So it should be amongst us, because whether we like it not, we should focus more on what binds us together instead of widening the cracks of sentiments that separate us.
For us to be celebrated like the World Cup winning goal, we must identify our God-given talents , listen to our life-coaches to hone them and be good team player. We should expect and be prepared for challenges, obey me rules, make sacrifices as Pele highlighted and keep being consistent. All because, as it with football and life, to succeed there has to be constancy of purpose.
The Court of Appeal in Abuja has ordered a stay of execution of the judgment that directed the Independent National Electoral Commission to deregister the African Democratic Congress and four other political parties.
In a unanimous decision on Tuesday, a three-member panel led by Justice A. B. Mohammed condemned Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja for flouting a May 22 order that directed him to suspend proceedings before him, describing his conduct as the gravest form of judicial misconduct.
“The decision of the lower court to proceed with the judgment despite the express order of this court is a brazen violation of the hierarchy of the court and the 1999 Constitution,” the panel held.
The appellate court went further, invoking a Supreme Court precedent to characterise Justice Lifu’s conduct in the harshest terms available to it.
The court said it had a duty to assert its supervisory authority over lower courts and protect the integrity of the judicial hierarchy.
“Courts are enjoined to protect their integrity. This court has supervisory authority over the trial court. This court has the duty to invoke its powers in ensuring that its orders are obeyed. The application for stay of execution is hereby granted. The enforcement of the judgment is stayed,” the panel ruled.
