*Akande-Sadipe Surprises APC Oluyole Leader, Alhaji Rasaki Akilapa, as He Marks 85th Birthday*

The Honourable Member representing Oluyole Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, on Wednesday presented a Lexus RX300 to the All Progressives Congress (APC) Oluyole leader, Alhaji Rasaki Akilapa, in honour of his 85th birthday.

The presentation took place during a get-together organised in honour of the respected party chieftain, in Ibadan.

The gathering drew party leaders, community elders, supporters and well-wishers from across Oluyole and beyond.

Alhaji Akilapa, a respected politician in Oyo State is a foremost political leader in Oluyole Federal constituency, who served as a former Councillor and Vice-chairman in Oluyole local government area.

Hon. Akande-Sadipe, who Chairs the House Committee on Humanitarian services, described Alhaji Akilapa as a pillar of progressive politics in Oluyole, noting that the gesture was a token of appreciation for his decades of commitment, loyalty and selfless service to the party and the Federal constituency.

“Alhaji Rasaki Akilapa is a father, mentor and stabilising force in Oluyole politics. His 85 years on earth have been marked by wisdom, sacrifice and unwavering support for progressive ideals. This gift is a small way of celebrating a life of impact,” she said.

She further commended the APC leader for his role in nurturing younger politicians and fostering unity within the party, adding that his legacy will continue to inspire future generations.

In his response, an elated Alhaji Rasaki Akilapa expressed deep gratitude to Hon. Akande-Sadipe, describing the gesture as overwhelming and a reflection of the strong bond within the APC family in Oluyole.

He started his acceptance speech by asking party faithfuls if “it was okay to accept the gift”. Another indication of the great leader that he is.

“I am deeply touched by this honour. I thank my daughter, Hon. Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, for her thoughtfulness and leadership. May God continue to guide her in her service to our people,” he said.

The presentation of the Lexus RX300 added colour to the celebration, which was preceded by Islamic prayers. also featured, goodwill messages and tributes celebrating Alhaji Akilapa’s enduring contributions to politics and community development in Oyo State. The day started and concluded in prayers glorifying the Almighty Lord.

Inferno at Ipele: A Nation’s Peace Shattered — The Terrorist Bombing of an Ondo Police Station and the Looming Spectre of National Insecurity.

By George Omagbemi Sylvester | Published by saharaweeklyng.com

“A Detailed and Fact-Checked Exposé of the New Year’s Eve Terror Attack in Ipele, Ondo State.”

As the clock struck 9:41 pm on December 31, 2025, residents of Ipele community in Owo Local Government Area of Ondo State were plunged into chaos and disbelief. What should have been a peaceful New Year’s Eve celebration quickly degenerated into a harrowing assault on the very institutions meant to protect the citizenry. A coordinated group of 20 to 30 armed assailants stormed the Ipele Divisional Police Headquarters, firing assault rifles and deploying explosive devices. In a calculated act of terror, they razed the station whereby reducing it to smoldering ruins and underscoring a grim truth: Nigeria’s long-simmering security crisis has spread its malignant tendrils deeper into the South-West than previously acknowledged.

This attack (verified by multiple eyewitness accounts and the official statement of the Ondo State Police Command) was not an isolated incident of vandalism but a terrorist offensive that strikes at the very heart of Nigeria’s fragile peace. The assailants, whose identities and affiliations have not yet been conclusively determined, carried out the assault with military precision with an ominous signal that the threat of terrorism in Nigeria is evolving and expanding.

The Incident: A Night of Gunfire and Flames. According to the Sahara news report, the armed men launched their assault with lethal intent. They fired indiscriminately before deploying dynamite to ignite the police station structure and destroy its exhibits. Residents fled into surrounding bushes, their screams echoing through the night as gunfire rent the air.

DSP Abayomi Jimoh, the Police Public Relations Officer for Ondo State, confirmed that no lives were lost in the attack; a claim that, while heartening, should not be misconstrued as a sign that the danger has passed. The absence of fatalities in this instance may be more attributable to timing and luck than to any systemic success of security defenses. Jimoh added that despite misinformation circulating on social media (including claims of a church attack) no religious facility was targeted during this incident.

“The Ondo State Police Command remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of the community, and is actively working to restore peace in the region,” said CP Adebowale Lawal, the Commissioner of Police, in a statement condemning the attack.

Law enforcement swiftly mobilised Tactical Teams, EOD-CBRN units, and Police Mobile Force personnel, and a coordinated manhunt for the attackers is now underway.

Context: Terrorism’s Shifting Geographies in Nigeria. Ondo State, part of the usually peaceful South-West geopolitical zone, has historically been considered more secure than the North-East and North-West, which have borne the brunt of the Boko Haram insurgency and attacks by Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP) militants over the last 15-plus years. Yet recent security alerts suggest a worrying shift in militant strategy.

In October 2025, credible intelligence circulated within the Department of State Services (SSS) and the Nigerian Army warned of imminent coordinated terrorist attacks on several communities in Ondo and neighbouring Kogi States. The leaked memo specifically mentioned Owo town (the broader region encompassing Ipele) among the likely targets.

While state officials later characterised the memo as routine intelligence information, security analysts noted that such warnings reflect a broader trend: terror groups are attempting to expand beyond their traditional strongholds in the North-East into Southern and Middle Belt states.

The emergence of such threats has not come in a vacuum. In May 2025, the Ondo State Police Command proactively deployed personnel to churches and mosques to preempt potential attacks, a move explicitly tied to fears of terror activities following deadly incidents in other states.

The Evolving Threat: From Boko Haram to ISWAP. Boko Haram and its splinter group ISWAP have dominated Nigeria’s terrorism landscape for more than a decade, collectively responsible for tens of thousands of deaths and millions displaced. Their tactics (including ambushes, bombings, kidnappings, and raids) have been extensively documented and condemned both locally and internationally.

Although neither group has issued a claim regarding the Ipele attack, experts warn that terrorist organisations are adapting to counter-insurgency pressures, shifting tactics, and sometimes relocating operational focus to “softer” targets in underserved regions. Some security analysts argue it would be reckless to dismiss the possibility of their involvement, especially given previous intelligence warnings.

According to the 2025 Global Terrorism Index, groups like ISWAP prioritize attacks on state and military assets (including police stations and other symbols of government authority) with the dual aim of undermining public confidence and weakening the state’s monopoly on force.

Voices of Authority: What Experts Are Saying. Renowned security expert Dr. Aisha Bello, Director at the Centre for Strategic Studies, recently observed:

“The expansion of terrorist footprints into Nigeria’s South-West is not accidental. It signifies a strategic recalibration by extremists seeking to exploit governance vacuums and over-stretched security apparatuses.”

Her words resonate with chilling clarity in light of the Ipele incident and broader intelligence trends.

Similarly, Professor Emmanuel Okonkwo, a specialist in counter-terrorism studies, remarked:

“The attack on Ipele’s police infrastructure is symbolic. It conveys a message that no part of our nation is immune to insecurity unless we address the root political, economic, and intelligence failures that have emboldened these groups.”

These reflections underscore a sobering reality: Nigeria’s security challenges are as much structural and systemic as they are tactical. Without sustainable reforms in governance, community engagement, and intelligence integration, such attacks risk becoming routine rather than exceptional.

What This Means for Nigeria. The burning of the Ipele Police Station is more than an assault on bricks and mortar; it is an assault on public trust and national stability. It illuminates deep and festering fractures within Nigeria’s national security architecture.

While authorities have shown resolve by condemning the attack and promising decisive follow-up actions, the broader question looms large: Can Nigeria protect its citizens and institutions with the urgency and strategic foresight this moment demands?

The answer to this question will determine not only the future of security in Ondo State but the very cohesion of the Nigerian state itself.

Final Truth: A Time for Reflection and Action. As Nigeria steps into 2026, the Ipele attack serves as a grim reminder that terrorism (in all its brutality and unpredictability) remains a potent threat. Yet beyond the fear and destruction lies an opportunity: an undeniable call for unified national resolve, stronger intelligence cooperation, and meaningful reforms in governance and security operations.

In the words of Dr. Aisha Bello: “Our collective response to terror attacks must transcend condemnation and it must inspire strategic transformation.”

Nigeria must act (decisively, inclusively, and intelligently) if the hope for peace and security is to be more than a fleeting promise.

THE UNSEEN WAR: HOW ACCUSATION BECOMES A WEAPON AND PARALYSIS BECOMES VICTORY IN A NATION UNDER SIEGE

The true corrosion of prolonged conflict is the transformation of public language, where accusatory labels like “terrorist” or “traitor” become political currency and weapons of war. This creates a self-fulfilling prophecy, as seen in Sri Lanka, where the state’s broad ethnic labelling of Tamils as terrorists eradicated the middle ground. By equating an entire ethnic identity with disloyalty, the state validated the LTTE’s propaganda and pushed moderates toward armed rebellion, effectively creating the very threat it feared.

This instrumental use of accusation is replicated elsewhere, providing ideological fuel for crackdowns and destroying any will for compromise. In Myanmar, the relentless official framing of the Rohingya as “illegal immigrants” and “terrorists” built a wall instead of a bridge, empowering hardliners and convincing the persecuted that resistance was their only recourse. Nigeria now navigates similar peril, where public allegations against high traditional or religious authorities are repurposed by insurgents as recruiting propaganda, grafting local grievances onto a narrative of civilizational war and radicalizing new followers.

Furthermore, this atmosphere of suspicion systematically cripples the state’s capacity to respond, paralyzing governance and security. When every figure fears being branded a secret enemy, collaboration across fragile ethnic and political lines breaks down. This societal psychosis mirrors 1950s America’s McCarthyism, where the reckless label of “communist sympathizer” ruined lives through fear rather than evidence, stifling discourse and poisoning politics. In Nigeria, the result is a collection of distrustful silos, where the safest option becomes inaction, allowing only the insurgency to grow.

The escape from this trap requires a disciplined return to the principles insurgency seeks to destroy. The state must let independent investigations, not public accusations, lead, upholding the rule of law as the sole instrument of justice and protecting bridge-building community leaders. For the people, it demands courageous discernment—a patriotism that questions explosive claims and rejects demonization, upholding the doctrine of innocence until proven guilty. Ultimately, Nigeria’s security depends on fighting not only the insurgency but for its own soul, refusing to surrender humanity and trust to the very forces it seeks to defeat.

By Tankur Abarshi

Kaduna

29 December 2025