society
‘WE ARE COMMITED TO PROTECTING YOU,’ AMOTEKUN REASSURES OYO CITIZENS
‘WE ARE COMMITED TO PROTECTING YOU,’ AMOTEKUN REASSURES OYO CITIZENS
Sahara Weekly Reports That The Commandant, Amotekun Corps, Oyo State, Col Olayinka Olayanju (retd), has reassured citizens of Oyo State that the corps is committed to protecting them at all cost. The Commandant gave the assurance following reports that bandits who were being dislodged from Zamfara State by the ongoing military onslaught are heading southwards. He said the outfit’s well trained personnel were patrolling boundaries of the state aggressively to prevent bandits and criminals in whatever hues from relocating to the state.
While commending the Executive Governor of Oyo State, Governor Seyi Makinde for providing the necessary material and moral support to the corps that has set it on a firm pedestal; the Commandant said, “We got intelligence reports that bandits and hoodlums maybe heading southward as a result of military activities in Zamfara State. I want to reassure Oyo citizens that we are aware and our men are already on the lookout for the bandits, other criminals and strange faces, especially at our boundaries.
“We are at alert and our men are carrying out operations regarding this at Irepo, which is the boundary with Ogun and Kwara states and the Republic of Benin, to make sure that the bandits do not relocate to our state. They will be stopped. Our men will pick them up. We won’t allow criminals to relocate here. We are carrying out confidence building patrols at Irepo, Olorunsogo, Oorelope, Iwajowa, Ibarapa Central and North LGAs” He stated.
Col. Olayanju also pointed out that the corps is working in tandem with agencies within the state and South-west Amotekun commanders to ensure peace and stability so that citizens can go about their lawful duties. He said since its establishment last year, Amotekun has brought relative peace and stability to the state compared to the same period the previous year. “There has been a considerable difference with where we are now and where we were two years ago. Through our security strategies, we have been able to bring to the barest minimum incidences of suspected herdsmen attack in Oyo State. I want to commend the people of Oyo State for standing firmly behind Amotekun and giving us their unalloyed support. Without their support we wouldn’t have gone this far,” the Commandant noted.
Beyond the external threats coming through the border from other states, the commandant stressed that Amotekun has also been contending with local threats from criminals and cultists and overwhelming them. He stated that they receive complaints daily from citizens and they act promptly and effectively. He noted the case of one informant of Isale-Oyo in Oyo town who passed information to the corps about a group of hoodlums terrorising the neighbourhood. “Our men acted on the intelligence received and we were able to apprehend some of the criminals and in the process recovered two guns from them. Such information has been helpful to us toward containing criminal and deviant behavious.”
Furthermore, two serial Church burglars; Oma James, Male, 41, and Agbada Orin, 45, were arrested in Ilora community Afijio Local Government during one of their operations. The duo have been breaking into churches and stealing electrical equipment and selling them. Luck ran out for them in one of their operations on the 17th June when the Amotekun Corps in Afijio Local Government arrested the suspects and recovered all the stolen equipment. The suspects were handed over to the Police for prosecution.
On the fight against cultism, the commandant said the corps has made inroad in this regard. “Beyond banditry and armed herdsmen, we are also checkmating cultists. We recently apprehended some Eye Confraternity members who were attacking the house of one Alhaji Owolowo. They were caught in the act by the Atiba Amotekun Corps with the support of the Oyo East, Oyo West Amotekun Corps and members of Atiba Police unit. Twelve (12) men – Oniwinde Kunle, Peter Gbolahan, Femi Oyewole, Olayemi Quadri, Folaranmi Tunde, Owodunni Bolaji, Toyib Bello, Isiaka Samad, David Boluwatife, Ayinde Bamigbose, Joshua Olamide, Adedeji Abdullahi – were arrested. Two of them who sustained injuries were treated at a hospital in the locality. Two locally made pistols, one live cartridge, an empty shell and three axes were recovered from them. They have been transferred to the Atiba police station. The suspects are presently in the Abolongo Prisons, Oyo.”
Meanwhile, residents in the state have commended Amotekun for the strides it has made in just one year. They charged the corps not to rest on its oars while charging politicians not to play politics with security issues because it is a collective responsibility that requires the support of all.
The idea of a collaborative security outfit among the six states in the South-West (Lagos, Oyo, Ogun, Ondo, Osun and Ekiti) came out of the summit held in Ibadan on 25th June 2019, following a spate of kidnappings, banditry and armed robbery in the region. The insecurity put considerable pressure on the South-West governors at a time many farmers were being forced to abandon their only means of livelihood and villagers were deserting their homes due to incessant attacks. Held under the auspices of the Development Agenda for Western Nigeria (DAWN) Commission, the Director General, Mr. Seye Oyeleye, had assured before the meeting that the outcome would provide concrete ideas on how to secure the region. That idea birthed the Amotekun Corps.
Alake, others Lauds Fatgbems Foundation Food Support Initiative
The Paramount Ruler of Egba-Land, His Royal Majesty, Oba (Dr.) Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo III, has lauded Fatgbems Foundation, a non-profit and corporate social responsibility of Arm of Fatgbems Group, for the Food Support initiative distributed to five thousand people in Abeokuta, Lagos and Oyo States.
Speaking through the Amona of Egba-Land, High Chief Tajudeen Oladehinde, disclosed that the initiative is well commendable, especially at this time when majority of the household struggles to feed for three square meals. It has also given huge support to the government and the traditional system’s efforts in ensuring the economic downturn is drastically minimized.
Chief Tajudeen further noted that the composition of the food bags and the items is a huge investment that the foundation has committed, which has also created a lasting impression on the minds of the beneficiaries and will never be forgotten for a long time.
‘We express our profound gratitude to the board and management of Fatgbems Group for displaying a responsible corporate attitude for the laudable initiative and others will have witnessed’.
In his own statement, Board Chairman Fatgbems Foundation, Adebayo Gbemisola, disclosed that, the foundation was set-up mainly for humanitarian activities and has been in the fore front of promoting the tripod idea which is include education, health and entrepreneurial development for over ten years.
He added that, the food palliative idea is an appendage to what the foundation stands for and such the campaign is in line with supporting government and other institutions in ensuring Nigerians do not feel the impact of the economic issues.
Mr. Gbemisola added that we also reached communities withing our operational areas not only in Abeokuta, but Lagos and Oyo States also benefited. And we will continue to improve our efforts not just to give back but create a lasting impact within and outside of our catchments.
In her comments, The Iya-Loja of Egba-Land, Chief Mrs. Oluwakemi Oloyede, commended the initiative and thanked the foundation on behalf of the entire market community in Abeokuta and entire Egba-land for the food palliative that was spread across markets.
The food bags were distributed to various places including, mosques, churches, palaces, various communities and public were also distributed to at the Ake Place and Owu Baptish Church Play field.
Fatgbems Group is a Nigerian indeginous conglomerate with interest in Petroleum Marketing, Automobile Tyre Trade & Marketing, Agro-Allied, and Real Estate.
society
Dr Nicky Okoye drives the adoption of Digital Asset MARKETS for Nigeria’s Digital economic revolution
Dr Nicky Okoye drives the adoption of Digital Asset MARKETS for Nigeria’s Digital economic revolution.
Nigeria’s financial and capital markets took a significant leap into the future of digital finance at a landmark strategy session and masterclass hosted by the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) in Lagos, in partnership with the Global Investment Advisory (GIA) community.
The highlight of the event was a keynote address by Dr. Nicky Okoye, founder and Chairman of GIA and a renowned global investment advisor, who provided a comprehensive outlook on Nigeria’s emerging digital asset markets. The session drew an overflowing audience of key stakeholders, including financial institutions, capital market professionals, technology experts, and investors.
Dr. Okoye underscored the transformative potential of the new Investment and Securities Act 2025 (ISA 2025), recently signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. The act provides a regulatory framework for digital assets, authorizes the use of cryptocurrencies, and establishes a legal foundation for token issuance in Nigeria.
“The digital asset markets in Nigeria, and our ability to position for their full adoption across Africa, will redefine the continent’s economic future,” Dr. Okoye stated. “These markets will reflect a true measure of Nigeria’s wealth, and will be built on blockchain infrastructure tied to physical assets—making them less volatile and truly revolutionary.”
The event also featured strategic contributions from several high-profile figures:
Joseph Tegbe, Director General of the Nigeria–China Strategic Partnership, provided insights into China’s global investment efforts and opportunities for Nigeria to tap into Chinese institutional capital through digital assets.
Bola Ajomale, representing SEC’s Director General Dr. Timi Agama, assured attendees that SEC had laid the groundwork for a transparent, investor-friendly digital asset ecosystem.
Senator Osita Izunaso, Chairman of the Nigerian Senate Committee on Capital Markets, pledged continued legislative collaboration to deepen Nigeria’s digital and capital markets.
Mr. Yomi Oluyomi, Lagos State Commissioner of Finance, representing Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, reaffirmed Lagos State’s readiness to lead the charge in adopting digital asset frameworks, noting the state’s history of innovation in structured government-backed bonds.
Notable members of the Global Investment Advisory community present included MERISTEM Group, CardinalStone, Constant Capital, Anabel Capital, and VFD Group.
To cap off the event, the Global Investment Advisory community announced plans for an international digital asset markets roadshow, where select members will explore best practices from global cryptocurrency exchanges. In partnership with the African Enterprise Institute, GIA also launched executive education programs in Digital Asset Markets Strategy. These programs aim to equip financial executives with tools, roadmaps, and strategies for profitably navigating the digital asset space.
The executive certifications will also offer pathways for the establishment of Digital Asset Professional Services, corporate digital asset desks, and tokenization models for wealth creation—targeted at institutional investors, asset managers, and subnational entities.
The session marks a bold step toward aligning Nigeria with global trends in digital finance, with stakeholders expressing optimism about the country’s potential to become a continental hub for digital asset innovation.
society
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