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UCH CMD: After Decades Without Muslim, Agunbiade Demands Fair Chance

Published

1 day ago

October 6, 2026

Trends Admin

Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade

UCH CMD: After Decades Without Muslim, Agunbiade Demands Fair Chance

‘Let Merit, Not Religion, Decide Next Appointment’

IBADAN — A Muslim stakeholder, Mallam Ibrahim Agunbiade, has called for a transparent and merit-driven process in the appointment of the next Chief Medical Director (CMD) of the University College Hospital (UCH), Ibadan, saying a qualified Muslim candidate should be given a fair chance to lead the institution.

Agunbiade, in a statement on Monday, argued that the leadership history of the premier teaching hospital showed that Muslims had not occupied the position of Chief Medical Director for decades.

He said the situation deserved serious consideration as the process for selecting a successor to the incumbent CMD, Prof. Jesse Abiodun Otegbayo, gets underway.

According to him, Otegbayo, who became CMD in 2019, was reappointed for a second term in 2023.

Agunbiade said the succession of UCH chief executives had included Prof. E. O. Akande (1978–1984), Prof. A. O. K. Johnson (1984–1985), Prof. B. O. Osuntokun (1986–1990), Prof. O. O. Ajayi (1990–1998), Prof. M. O. Olatawura (1998–2003), Prof. A. O. Ilesanmi (2003–2011), Prof. T. O. Alonge (2011–2019) and Otegbayo.

He stressed that his intervention was not intended to question the professional records or achievements of the past CMDs.

Rather, he said, the issue was whether a qualified Muslim professional should continue to be excluded from the highest executive position at the institution.

“How long should a qualified section of the institution’s community wait before it sees one of its own given a genuine opportunity to lead?”

Agunbiade said the question was particularly important because UCH was a federal teaching hospital with a national mandate, serving Nigerians irrespective of religion, ethnicity or background.

‘Not Asking For Religious Favour’

The stakeholder rejected the suggestion that his position amounted to a demand for religious preference.

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He said his argument was that merit and representation should work together, rather than treating them as opposing principles.

“The demand, therefore, is not that UCH should appoint a Muslim because he is Muslim,” he said.

“The demand is that if a Muslim candidate is professionally qualified, experienced, competent and suitable, his religion must not become an invisible barrier to his appointment.”

He noted that the advertised position carried stringent requirements, including medical registration, post-qualification experience, specialist fellowship, consultancy experience, integrity and administrative competence.

According to him, once a candidate meets the professional requirements and emerges as the best person through a credible selection process, religion should not disqualify the candidate.

‘Muslim CMD Will Serve All Nigerians’

Agunbiade also dismissed the notion that appointing a Muslim as CMD would change the character of UCH.

He said the successful candidate would remain the head of a federal institution responsible for providing healthcare to Nigerians of all faiths.

“A Muslim CMD will not turn UCH into a Muslim hospital. He will remain the Chief Medical Director of a federal institution serving every Nigerian who walks through its doors,” he said.

He argued that religious identity should not be an obstacle to professional service.

“Just as a Christian CMD can serve Muslim patients without difficulty, a Muslim CMD can serve Christian patients with the same professionalism,” he added.

‘Let Credentials Decide’

Agunbiade urged the authorities to ensure that all qualified candidates are subjected to the same standards during the selection process.

He called for candidates’ academic and professional credentials, experience, integrity, administrative competence and vision to be carefully assessed.

“Let every qualified candidate compete. Let credentials be examined. Let professional experience be assessed. Let integrity and vision determine the outcome,” he said.

He also referred to wider concerns about religious representation in the leadership of institutions linked to UCH and the University of Ibadan, saying the issue had generated concerns among Muslim stakeholders.

He, however, warned against turning the matter into a religious confrontation.

“This is not a call for religious confrontation. It is not an attack on Christians. It is not a rejection of merit. It is a call for inclusion within merit,” he said.

Agunbiade maintained that if a Muslim candidate emerged as the strongest candidate through a transparent and credible process, his faith should not count against him.

He said giving a qualified Muslim a genuine opportunity after decades without a Muslim CMD would send a powerful message about inclusion and equal opportunity in Nigeria’s public institutions.

According to him, UCH belongs to all Nigerians, and its leadership selection should reflect that principle.

UCH CMD: After Decades Without Muslim, Agunbiade Demands Fair Chance

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Mystery As AAU Lecturer Dies In Hotel After Meeting 21-Year-Old Woman

Published

4 minutes ago

October 7, 2026

Trends Admin

Mystery As AAU Lecturer Dies In Hotel After Meeting 21-Year-Old Woman

A senior lecturer at Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma, Edo State, Dr Matthew Uwuigbe, has died in a hotel room after meeting a 21-year-old woman, with police detaining three people as they investigate the circumstances surrounding his death.

Uwuigbe, a lecturer in the Faculty of Medical Laboratory Science, reportedly died at a hotel in the Mosco area of Ekpoma, Esan West Local Government Area, on Monday, October 5.

The Edo State Police Command said it received a report concerning the incident at about 8pm.

According to the police, Uwuigbe had lodged at the hotel and engaged the services of the 21-year-old woman, identified as Angela Defa Jacob.

The police said the lecturer later asked the woman to leave the room and buy water for him.

When she returned, she reportedly found Uwuigbe lying lifeless inside the room and raised an alarm, prompting the hotel management to contact the authorities.

The hotel owner, manager and the woman were subsequently detained to assist the police with their investigation.

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Uwuigbe’s remains were deposited at the Oriaifo Memorial Hospital mortuary, while detectives began investigating the circumstances surrounding his death.

The police have not disclosed the cause of death and have not accused the woman or any of the other persons detained of causing the lecturer’s death.

AAU confirmed that Uwuigbe was a member of its academic staff but clarified that the incident occurred outside the university and was unrelated to the institution’s official activities.

The university also clarified that the 21-year-old woman involved in the incident was not an AAU student.

The university’s spokesperson, Otunba Mike Ade Aladenika, described the incident as a private matter that occurred outside the institution.

The police are expected to establish what happened in the hotel room before the lecturer’s death and determine whether any criminal offence was committed.

For now, the circumstances surrounding the AAU lecturer’s death remain under investigation, while the three detained persons are assisting the authorities with inquiries.

Mystery As AAU Lecturer Dies In Hotel After Meeting 21-Year-Old Woman

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Abuja: 33-Year-Old Nabbed While Writing FCT Promotion Exam For Father

Published

10 minutes ago

October 7, 2026

Trends Admin

Abuja: 33-Year-Old Nabbed While Writing FCT Promotion Exam For Father

A 33-year-old man, Monsuru Musa, has been arrested in Abuja after allegedly impersonating his father and sitting for a Federal Capital Territory Civil Service promotion examination on his behalf.

Musa was reportedly caught on Wednesday, October 7, during the third day of the examination organised by the FCT Civil Service Commission at an examination centre within the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) premises.

Security personnel monitoring the exercise reportedly apprehended him during the test as part of efforts to prevent examination malpractice and impersonation.

During questioning, Musa allegedly admitted that he was not the registered candidate and said he had taken the examination because his father, Musa Mohammed, was unwell.

Mohammed is an employee of the FCT Fire Service.

The younger Musa reportedly told officials that his father was between 67 and 68 years old. However, when questioned separately, Mohammed reportedly said he would turn 60 in February 2027.

The discrepancy prompted further questions from the authorities.

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Mohammed reportedly confirmed that Musa was his biological son and admitted that he had asked him to sit for the examination because of his health condition.

During the questioning, the father reportedly said he completed primary school in 1977 and secondary school in 1982. He also said he travelled to Portugal in 1991 and started working in 2007.

Both father and son were subsequently taken through further questioning and made statements to Department of State Services (DSS) operatives before being handed over to the police for investigation.

The authorities are expected to determine the circumstances surrounding the alleged examination impersonation, including whether anyone else was involved and what action should be taken against the individuals.

The incident has renewed attention on efforts to protect the integrity of FCT civil service promotion examinations, particularly as the administration continues to adopt measures aimed at reducing malpractice.

The FCT Civil Service Commission has introduced computer-based testing for promotion exercises as part of efforts to improve transparency and strengthen the assessment process.

The latest incident highlights the authorities’ scrutiny of candidates appearing for promotion examinations and the requirement that registered candidates personally participate in the assessments.

The police investigation is ongoing, and no final decision has been announced on the case.

Abuja: 33-Year-Old Nabbed While Writing FCT Promotion Exam For Father

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Yobe: 9-Year-Old Boy Burns Stepmothers, Brothers To Death In Revenge Attack

Published

30 minutes ago

October 7, 2026

Trends Admin

Police Public Relations Officer in Yobe, ASP Yusuf Adamu-Ali

Yobe: 9-Year-Old Boy Burns Stepmothers, Brothers To Death In Revenge Attack

A nine-year-old boy has been arrested in Yobe State after allegedly setting his family home ablaze, killing his two stepmothers and two younger brothers in what police described as an act of revenge against his father.

The incident occurred in Rugan Badali, a hamlet in Karasuwa Local Government Area of the state.

According to the Yobe State Police Command, the boy had been accused of stealing a fowl and was subsequently beaten by his father.

Police said the boy allegedly bought matches the following day and set the family house on fire while his two stepmothers and two younger brothers were asleep.

The minor later confessed to the incident, telling Channels Television that he carried out the act because he was angry with his father for beating him.

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The boy reportedly said he initially shouted for help after the fire started but did not disclose that he had caused the blaze. He allegedly confessed three days later following prayers, after which he was arrested and taken to Damaturu.

The police subsequently paraded the suspect alongside his father, identified as Abubakar Idi.

The Police Public Relations Officer in Yobe, ASP Yusuf Adamu-Ali, said the suspect was a minor but would not simply be released, stressing that the case would be handled in accordance with the law.

The police spokesman also expressed concern over the incident, particularly because it occurred in a state still recovering from years of Boko Haram insurgency.

The case has raised fresh concerns about child behaviour, family conflict and the protection of vulnerable children, with police continuing to handle the circumstances surrounding the deaths.