Anyone who protests Farotimi’s arrest in Ekiti will 'suffer’ - Afe Babalola’s relative – Newstrends
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Anyone who protests Farotimi’s arrest in Ekiti will ‘suffer’ – Afe Babalola’s relative

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4 months ago

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Dele Farotimi and Aare Afe Babalola

Anyone who protests Farotimi’s arrest in Ekiti will ‘suffer’ – Afe Babalola’s relative

Mike Oshaloni, a high chief in Ado-Ekiti and Afe Babalola’s family head, has issued threats to Nigerians planning to protest the arrest of Dele Farotimi, a human rights lawyer.

While entertaining questions in a video, which surfaced online in the early hours of Saturday, Oshaloni said the protesters would be prevented from exercising their rights in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.

“Farotimi wants to blackmail him (Babalola). He has blackmailed him. He has defamed his character; character assassination (sic). He has bastardised everything that stands on the name of Chief Afe Babalola and we want to resist it (sic),” said Oshaloni.

“We want to let him know that whether he did it on his own or he is being sponsored (sic), we want him to know that we are ready to confront the thing head-to-head (sic).

“Farotimi and people like Femi Falana and others are professional protesters. For little things, they want to turn the whole world upside down (sic). You see, it is only a bastard who uses his left hand to describe the house of his father.

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“There is no way I can (sic)… there is no way (sic)… after all they protested against the president of this country; let them go on. But, for them to come to Ado or Ekiti to say they want to protest, we are waiting for them, honestly speaking; unless the police stops them. We will tell them that this is the root and foundation of Afe Babalola, and we will tell them that they can’t operate. Bet me, they can’t do it (sic). If they do it, they will suffer for it. They will know that they don’t have the monopoly of violence alone. They don’t!

“I am High Chief Mike Oshaloni, the Oloti of Ado-Ekiti, a member of Ewuye Council proper. I am the head of the family of Afe Babalola, his root and foundation.”

Oshaloni went on to voice his opinion on “Freedom of Speech”.

“Freedom of speech is not absolute, I think you agree with that (sic),” Oshaloni said.

“Whatever you say, you must expect consequences for it. So, either he is doing it willingly or being sponsored, whoever is involved, they are going to regret this action.

“I am just coming from the Federal High Court. I accused the lawyer that came to (sic)… I cannot imagine lawyers coming to support Farotimi in the name of doing their job (sic), destroying somebody who is a very senior member of the association, without looking… without waiting to know the basic truth of this matter.

“It is very appalling; very disgraceful.”

 

Anyone who protests Farotimi’s arrest in Ekiti will ‘suffer’ – Afe Babalola’s relative

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Tinubu tried to silence me with EFCC – Ex-NHIS boss Yusuf

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20 minutes ago

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April 27, 2025

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Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf

Tinubu tried to silence me with EFCC – Ex-NHIS boss Yusuf

Former Executive Secretary of the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Professor Usman Yusuf, has accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of weaponising the EFCC to silence him, alleging he was treated like a criminal for criticising the government.

Speaking in an interview with Arise Television on Sunday, Yusuf alleged that his recent detention by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) was part of a deliberate attempt to silence him. “This government deliberately denied me bail to shake me up… all to try and silence me. But I am not someone who can be silenced,” he said.

In February, the EFCC arraigned Yusuf before the Federal Capital Territory High Court on a five-count charge of alleged fraud. He pleaded not guilty.

Recounting the events that led to his detention, Yusuf said EFCC operatives stormed his home on 29 January without presenting an arrest warrant. “They walked into the house and said they wanted to see me, claiming I was expecting them. They only later showed their badges,” he said.

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He described how the operatives prevented him from changing clothes and blocked his wife from providing him with alternative clothing. Yusuf also recounted how, during transport, officers treated him “as if they had captured a notorious criminal like Kachalla Bello Turji,” a notorious bandit leader.

Yusuf spent six days in EFCC custody before his arraignment and was subsequently denied bail, a move he said was unconstitutional. “Bail is a constitutionally guaranteed right for any accused person, except in cases of capital offences or terrorism, and my case was neither,” he said.

The denial of bail forced Yusuf to spend an additional 24 days at Kuje Prison. He characterised his imprisonment as a period of “retreat for rest, prayers, and reflection,” insisting it only strengthened his spirit.

“The whole purpose was for the government of President Bola Tinubu to try to silence any form of dissent,” Yusuf said. “This is coming from a president who himself was once a NADECO activist — someone who fought against the military dictatorship.”

He warned that the current administration is attempting to stifle democratic criticism and create a “one-party dictatorial state.”

Yusuf was appointed executive secretary of the NHIS in 2016 by former President Muhammadu Buhari. He was suspended in 2017 and again in 2018 by the health minister and the NHIS board over allegations of corruption, and was eventually removed from office in 2019.

Tinubu tried to silence me with EFCC – Ex-NHIS boss Yusuf

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NDLEA discovers N1.04bn drugs in Lagos hotel

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50 minutes ago

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April 27, 2025

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NDLEA discovers N1.04bn drugs in Lagos hotel

Operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) have raided an 80-room hotel in Victoria Island, Lagos, which was allegedly being used as a front for the distribution of illegal drugs.

After an extensive search, agents reportedly recovered 589 bags of Canadian Loud, a potent cannabis strain, totaling 417.3 kilograms. The haul is valued at approximately One Billion Forty-Two Million Five Hundred Thousand Naira (₦1,042,500,000) on the street.

In a statement released on Sunday, NDLEA spokesperson Femi Babafemi confirmed the arrests of three individuals during the operation, which took place between Friday, April 25th, and Saturday, April 26th, 2025.

The suspects—Eze Ayitu, Ofuokwu Samuel, and Emmanuel Ameh—were detained in the raid at the five-storey building, located in Victoria Island. Two other individuals, Noble Philip and his accomplice Kenneth, were said to be currently being sought by authorities.

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The NDLEA also disclosed that items believed to be linked to the alleged drug trafficking were seized from the premises of the hotel, known as The Hook Hotel or Caesar Hotel and Caesar Lounge.

According to the statement, among the recovered items were several vehicles, including a Toyota Prado Landcruiser Jeep, a Toyota Sienna Vehicle, a Volkswagen Delivery Van, a Kia Ceranto Car , and a Grand Caravan Dodge. Additionally, 74 new television sets, 10 used televisions, and 13 refrigerators were found.

In a separate operation on Sunday, April 20th, at the Seme border near Badagry, Lagos, NDLEA operatives apprehended three Ghanaian women allegedly attempting to smuggle 4.8 kilograms of Ghana Loud into Nigeria.

The individuals arrested were Haziza Zubairu, 42; Samirat Mustapha, 43; and Jamila Salifu, 26.

NDLEA discovers N1.04bn drugs in Lagos hotel

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Tompolo speaks on Fubara planned return as Rivers gov

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56 minutes ago

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April 27, 2025

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Government Ekpemupolo, widely known as Tompolo

Tompolo speaks on Fubara planned return as Rivers gov

Government Ekpemupolo, widely known as Tompolo, says President Bola Tinubu and Nyesom Wike, the federal capital territory (FCT) minister, are doing everything in their power to restore Siminalayi Fubara as governor of Rivers State.

Tompolo, who serves as the chairperson of Tantita Security Services Nigeria Limited, an oil pipeline surveillance firm focused on combating crude oil theft in Rivers and the Niger Delta, shared his views during an interview with Arise TV on Saturday.

On March 18, Tinubu declared a state of emergency in Rivers, citing a prolonged political crisis. The president suspended Governor Fubara, his deputy Ngozi Odu, and all members of the Rivers Assembly for an initial six-month period. Tinubu appointed Ibok-Ete Ibas, a retired vice-admiral, as the sole administrator for the state.

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This emergency rule has sparked public protests, with many citizens demanding a prompt return to the previous political structure.

Tompolo expressed his belief that Fubara will soon resume his duties as governor.

He emphasized that the ongoing political tension in the state is being addressed by all relevant parties. “The duly elected governor of Rivers is coming back,” Tompolo affirmed. “The problem between Wike and Fubara is between ‘boy and oga’. Our president is one person who has been protecting democracy, and there is no way he is truncating it. We are doing everything, including the president and Wike. Fubara is coming back as governor.”

Reports indicate that Fubara met with President Tinubu in London in early April.

The meeting was reportedly initiated by the suspended governor, who is eager to return to office. During their talks, Fubara is said to have made certain promises to help resolve the ongoing political crisis in Rivers.

Tompolo speaks on Fubara planned return as Rivers gov

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