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BREAKING: Protest Rocks Ondo Town, Igbokoda As Governor Aiyedatiwa’s Brother Allegedly Attacks Monarch, Traditionalists Declare ‘Abomination’

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The monarch was allegedly attacked and beaten by Dayo, who holds the title of Akogun of Obe-Nla, during an official flag-off ceremony for the dualisation of the Okiti-Pupa/Igbokoda road on Monday.

Tension has gripped Igbokoda, the headquarters of the Ilaje Local Government Area in Ondo State, as various groups including women, youths, and traditional worshippers have taken to the streets in protest after the alleged physical assault of the town’s monarch, His Royal Majesty Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, by Dayo Aiyedatiwa — elder brother to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.

The monarch was allegedly attacked and beaten by Dayo, who holds the title of Akogun of Obe-Nla, during an official flag-off ceremony for the dualisation of the Okiti-Pupa/Igbokoda road on Monday.

SaharaReporters gathered that the attack occurred in full public view, sparking immediate outrage across the ancient riverine community.

In response, women dressed in white and bearing traditional leaves flooded the popular Igbokoda Market, chanting and decrying the act as a “grave abomination.”

They declared that the gods of the land had been deeply offended.

Many later marched to the Larada shrine, invoking deities and demanding spiritual justice.

Traditionalists, led by masquerades, also staged a ritual procession to the two rivers surrounding Igbokoda Island, chanting the names of local gods.

Early Friday morning, a mysterious object believed to be part of a ritual sacrifice was seen floating on the river, further heightening tensions.

A building in the town reportedly linked to Dayo Aiyedatiwa was sealed off with red traditional symbols — a cultural sign of taboo and exclusion.

Palace sources confirmed to SaharaReporters that Oba Odidiomo, said to be recovering from injuries, remains under spiritual restriction and “forbidden by the gods” from speaking.

One of them said “Kabiesi was bitten by a mad dog and we know the owners of the dog have been using their powers to sponsor lies in the media against our king.

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“We are the owners of this land. We are civilised and our Oba is well educated and respected. That’s their headache. They will soon hear from God.”

Meanwhile scores of prominent traditional rulers from different places were trooping into the palace on solidarity visits and they were the only people allowed into the Palace.

On June 3, 2025, SaharaReporters reported that Dayo Aiyedatiwa, the elder brother of Ondo State Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, was accused of physically assaulting the Olu of Igbokoda, His Royal Majesty Oba Afolabi Odidiomo, during an official flag-off ceremony.

Dayo is the Akogun of Obe-Nla and the elder brother of Governor Aiyedatiwa.

The incident reportedly occurred on Monday at “Zero Zero,” the headquarters of Ilaje Local Government Area, during a public event.

Oba Odidiomo had told SaharaReporters that, as the chief host in his community, he welcomed the traditional rulers as they arrived one after the other and ensured they were seated. Eventually, there were no more seats available.

The monarch explained that each time a new monarch arrived, he would stand up and make room for them, then find another place to sit.

He said he continued this way because he felt it was his responsibility to ensure all the traditional rulers were comfortable in his hometown.

He had said that after seating everyone, he noticed Dayo, the governor’s elder brother, bringing a chair to sit directly in front of the table where all the traditional rulers were seated.

The monarch said he approached Dayo and politely said, “Please, sir, where you are sitting is not appropriate. You are sitting in front of kings.”

In response, Dayo reportedly replied, “Do you know who you are talking to?”

The monarch told SaharaReporters that he did not know who Dayo was, frankly.

He said, “God knows I didn’t know him.”

Oba Odidiomo said he did not need to know who Dayo was before telling him that the seat he was occupying was inappropriate.

“If I, as the monarch, should look at where he’s sitting, I would ask myself—does that seat befit him?” he added.

However, the monarch stated frankly, “The people seated behind him were kings, and Dayo was not one of them.”

He said it was not appropriate for Dayo to sit there.

“Immediately I said that, he responded by saying it would not be well with me. God is my witness—if I am lying against him, may I not wake up if I sleep tonight,” he said.

He continued, “He said it would not be well with me. I couldn’t keep quiet for a moment. I asked myself—was he just being bold because he was questioning who I am, or does he truly not know me? At the very least, I was dressed in full royal regalia.

“I asked him, ‘What did you just say?’ He repeated it—he said it would not be well with me. I pointed at him and asked, ‘Am I the one you’re saying it should not be well with? Is that acceptable?’”

The monarch reportedly responded and told Dayo, “When you wake up in the morning and gather your fruits in the afternoon, in the night, it will not be well with you. You will not enjoy the fruit of your labour.”

“Immediately I said that, he jumped up and tried to lift me. I’m sure if he had succeeded, he would have slammed me to the floor,” the monarch said.

The monarch explained that he had initially approached Dayo politely and said, “Please, sir, where you are sitting is not appropriate. You are sitting in front of kings.

“But I made it impossible for him to carry me. When he saw he couldn’t lift me, he used one hand to release me from the way he was holding me and bent my head to the side—towards my ear. That was when I gave him a shoulder. I hit him with my shoulder. He staggered a bit and let go of my ear.

“He was holding a walking stick. I know that type of walking stick usually has a sword hidden inside. So someone who could bite me might also use a sword. So the first thing I did as he staggered away was to take the stick from him.”

Oba Odidiomo told SaharaReporters that when he noticed that blood was already dripping from his ear, he used the walking stick to hit him.

“And I felt it was embarrassing,” he said.

“People started coming to me, saying, ‘That’s the elder brother of the governor.’

“And then I came home. As I’m talking to you now, just as you called me, the younger—I don’t know—the younger brother of the governor, maybe the next in line to him, is calling me. People have been begging me, everybody. They’ve been begging me.”

The monarch explained that he felt that the situation would be embarrassing for the governor, who had nothing to do with it, as his name had been coming up in the press because of his brother’s public behaviour.

He said, “Those who tried to provoke me into saying all sorts of things—I ignored them. My brother, I can forward a picture of my ears to you.

“That’s the situation. I have refused to grant any press interviews for two reasons. First, speaking now does not erase the embarrassment, the pain, and the dent on my reputation. So, granting a press review at this point would only ridicule the matter further.

“Second, the person involved is the governor’s eldest brother—same father, same mother. And I feel publicising this issue further could damage the governor’s image. But I have now chosen to speak out for two reasons.”

Oba Afolabi explained that the matter was already circulating in the press in a way that suggested a deliberate attempt to cover up the truth.

The monarch said, “I believe that when someone does wrong, they should be told the truth. Even if they forgot or didn’t intend it, they can be corrected calmly. But when someone deliberately misleads, then the truth must be exposed.

“Let me explain what I mean. There is a report from Roving Reporters, an online news outlet. In their story, they claimed that I was attacked because I arrived late to a function, after everyone had already taken their seats. They claimed I went to meet a community leader, whose name they could not provide, and was then attacked.

“They even used an old photo from 2017, presenting it as an image of the alleged attack. They claimed the attacker was unknown and urged the government to investigate it.”

He said the article was written by someone from Ilaje, the area where Dayo Aiyedatiwa hails from, noting that it shows there may be a biased narrative.

He said the reporter made it seem as though he was the one who approached a community leader, whose identity they did not verify, and was attacked as a result.

The monarch noted that this is not just a misrepresentation; it’s a deliberate distortion of facts.

He said the reporter urged the authorities to take the following steps: Suspend Oba Afolabi pending investigation, conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and the monarch’s past behaviour and consider dethroning him if found guilty of misconduct.

When asked what he expected the league of traditional rulers to do, he said, “To start with, I am the victim here, and I do not want to be a judge in my own case. I want the traditional rulers and all people of good conscience to look into the incident and do what is right—what must be done.

“As far as I’m concerned, traditionally, it is forbidden for my blood to spill and touch the ground. And as I speak to you, traditional rites concerning that have already commenced. We are going to get to the truth.

“I’ve considered legal action and many other options, but with the appeals coming in… So, I think the basic traditional rites began last night, and they are going to last for three days.”

“Someone just told me that some youths gathered in front of the local government office protesting or something like that. I’m going to quell it. I don’t want any noise about it, for my sake and the sake of the government,” he said.

“But I think it is quite interesting, as it were. That’s all I can say for now.”

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‘We will get justice for wedding guests killed in Plateau’ – Gov Mutfwang

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Plateau State Governor, Barr. Caleb Mutfwang, has again assured justice for the families of wedding guests who were killed by a mob in Mangun District of Mangu Local Government Area last month while traveling for a wedding ceremony in Quan Pa’an council of the state.

The victims, who were traveling from Zaria, Kaduna State, for the wedding ceremony had missed their way and found themselves in Mangun where they were mistaken for terrorists and attacked by a mob, killing about 22 of them in the process, while 11 others were injured in the incident.

But while reassuring the families of the victims of his administration’s resolve to get justice for the decreased, Gov. Mutfwang said his administration is working with authorities in Kaduna State to come up with measures that will be satisfactory to all.

Mutfwang, who gave the assurance while speaking with the BBC Haua Service on Saturday, lamented that “conflicts related to the deep-rooted hatred between followers of different religions and ethnic groups, which sometimes involve innocent travelers, cannot be ended in a short period of time.”

He, however, stressed that his government is taking appropriate measures regarding the killings with a view to ensuring justice for the families of the victims.

According to the Plateau governor, some of the measures already taken include sending a ‘special delegation’ led by the Emir of Wase to console the Emir of Zaria where the victims were from.

“The current situation is that around 22 people are being held over the attack and we have confirmed that those who were injured have returned home safely.

“And we are currently in contact with the leaders of Zaria to advise us on how to help the bereaved families and those who are sick,” Gov. Mutfwang said.

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Terrorists attacking farmers, unsuspecting civilians – MBF President, Bitrus

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President of the Middle Belt Forum, Pogu Bitrus has assessed the continuous attack on the North-Central geo-political zone of the country.

In this interview with Ekwutosblog , Bitrus proffered possible solutions to end the incessant attacks on the region and Nigeria at large. Excerpts! 

What is your assessment of the incessant insecurity ravaging North-Central Nigeria?

 

First of all, that narrative of farmers-herders is one thing we don’t accept but Fulani terrorists on farmers and unsuspecting civilians living in the North–Central geo-political zone of Nigeria. Now the attack is one of the most dastardly ones, because in the past they just shot people but now they burn people alive in their rooms. Now this is something very new in the terrorist attack or the mode of operation of terrorists in this country. It’s so unfortunate, so unacceptable, so dastardly.  And the unfortunate thing is that for so many years we continue to tell the security forces and to Nigerians where these people reside.

They are all in Nasarawa, where they take off and attack Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna and Taraba. It is totally unacceptable. We cannot have a country and then the security forces will be there and be watching and people will even raise distress calls nobody will come. They are receiving taxpayers money. They know where the terrorists are and they are not rooting them out, allowing them to freely attack and kill innocent civilians.

These clashes have been going on for a very long time now in the North Central. How do you access the federal government’s efforts in tackling the matter?

The Government has not allowed people to own arms the way they should or arm people to some level so that they can defend themselves and people have been killed the way they have been killed. It’s unacceptable and this terrorism has to stop if we have a government. Let the government do what is needed. Let me tell you what people are not looking at. Who is the National Security Adviser, NSA? A Fulani man.  Who is the Minister of Defense? A Fulani man. Who is the Minister of State for Defense? A Fulani man. We even learnt that the second in command to the NSA is a Fulani man.

In a country which is so plural with Fulanis, I think they constitute up to 20 percent in this country. So what is wrong with us? What is wrong with governance? Something is wrong. So this thing is so unacceptable. Is it that the President deliberately did it so these people can have easy passage to destroy and kill our people?  We know what is going on and it has to stop. Enough is enough.

There have been claims from some quarters that the attack on the people of North-Central Nigeria is a coordinated and genocidal one. What is your take on this? 

That is absolutely correct. That is what I’m saying too. And it is not only the one in Benue. Now, the one on the Plateau and other places are just the same. One ethnic nationality is being attacked and killed. Many are terrorising innocent civilians. Go to Internally Displaced Persons, IDPs camps and see for yourself the plights of people Fulani terrorists displaced from their ancestral lands. And I think our government is too sensitive to this thing. Our government is rewarding them, for example on the Plateau they have certain land there. A large hectare of land is being given to them. The government did not think of Kaduna, Zamfara, Sokoto and the far North, where they have their residents. They came to the North Central, attacking, maiming, raping and killing innocent people in their ancestral homes.  So Nigeria has a big problem to be solved. We are just keeping quiet but we are not quiet, because our quietness is not stupidity.

Do you think this incessant attack on the North Central, especially Benue, is as a result of the open grazing prohibition law?

The anti-open grazing law came about as a result of the attack. They were attacking Benue before the anti-open grazing law was introduced. It is not the other way round. So these people have been attacking Benue, Plateau, Southern Kaduna, and parts of Taraba, and it has been known for years. They will kill hundreds and go scot free. People will come to lament, it will die down as if that will end and they will do another one that is worse. The anti open grazing law would have sorted this issue.

The only way out of the crises in Nigeria is ranching.  But the Fulanis have brought their brothers from Burkina Faso, Mali, Niger, Togo, Senegal, and other places to occupy Nigeria. When we say there should be ranching, and this ranching should be community based but they don’t want to hear because they want all these foreign Fulanis to occupy our land, the same demography making them a major nationality in Nigeria, taking over ancestral land of this country in the Middle belt.

Just wait and see we cannot be stupid. Our parents even fought the British. We are Middle belters because when the British came we were independent of the Caliphate of Borno and it will remain so. The government wants to take over our ancestral land. Our motto is our people, our land, our education and we are ready to defend that land.

What do you think is the way forward to nip this insecurity saga in the bud?

To address the attack, because the federal government has failed, there should be state police in all the local government areas. If you want to defend your land, it should be done through an organised government structure, otherwise there would be chaos. Although, there are some vigilantes in some areas but they too have failed.

The protocol document signed by the former Attorney-General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, which allows Fulanis to move all over the country should be abolished and send foreign Fulanis back to their countries to do their businesses there, not here in Nigeria.

Ranching should be introduced and it should be community based. Every community in Nigeria must know their local Fulanis. Those that have been with them since Independence in 1960. Such people can get land in the area where they are known, where there are agreements and let them practise ranching, because ranching is the way forward. It is the globally accepted method of animal husbandry and should be practised in Nigeria as well.

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Ex-Army chief Yahaya urges overhaul of recruitment, training to bolster military readiness

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Former Chief of Army Staff, Lt.-Gen. Faruk Yahaya (rtd), has called for a comprehensive and uncompromising reform in recruitment, training, and performance evaluation to strengthen the Nigerian Army’s professionalism and combat effectiveness.

He made this call while delivering a lecture at the Nigerian Army Day Celebration (NADCEL) 2025, held at the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) Kaduna on Saturday.

He emphasized that courage, vigilance, and uncompromising standards must guide every stage of a soldier’s career—from recruitment and training to operational deployment.

“Recruitment and selection into the Nigerian Defence Academy (NDA) and Depot Nigerian Army must be thorough and uncompromising. There is no room for weakness or mediocrity. We must be courageous and firm in weeding out bad eggs at every stage,” Yahaya stated.

He said the evolving modern threats and impacts on current training must include a change in training paradigms to reflect, not only conventional warfare, but also terrorism, asymmetric warfare, ideological extremism, and cyber threats.

He suggested a modification of military training. programs to include important strategic courses on emotional intelligence, military psychology, counter-terrorism tactics, and social media awareness.

“Effective training will help solidify the soldier-first concept in the minds of instructors and students. We must reflect modern threats in our training, not just conventional warfare,” he said.

The retired Army chief also stressed the importance of enhancing simulation-based and hands-on training to match real-time battlefield conditions. He urged military institutions across the country to modernize their facilities to meet 21st-century demands.

Yahaya proposed increased collaboration with international military institutions in countries like the United States, United Kingdom, and Pakistan. He said such partnerships would help fast-track knowledge transfer and improve the technical competence of Nigerian personnel.

“We must scale up our engagements with allied nations on training programs. Our non-commissioned officers should have wider access to Junior Command, Regimentation, and Train-the-Trainer courses abroad to meet international standards,” he added.

He stressed the need for capacity building for senior non-commissioned officers (SNCO) as a key target in modern military operations, primarily when operating below the level of battalion in a decentralized context, such as the North East and Lake Chad Basin.

“Modern security challenges can no longer be addressed solely through massed formations.

The Army must build a force capable of executing small-unit warfighting with speed, precision and initiative using a decentralized command structure grounded in the principle of mission command,” Yahaya said.

He reiterated that providing tactical leadership skills to SNCOs will close the gap of officers especially in remote and high-risk theatres of operation.

Yahaya concluded by saying that any reform effort must be soldier-centric which ensures that soldier’s welfare; professionalism and operational capability are the focus.

“The future of our Army depends on the soldier—how well we train, equip, and support him. Let us define our vision clearly and pursue it with consistency and discipline,” he said.

The guest lecture was part of a series of professional engagements, paving the way for NADCEL 2025, which saw a celebration of the 162nd year of the establishment of the Nigerian Army.

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