metro

APC Rep aspirant escapes assassination attempt in Abuja

Published

4 weeks ago

April 17, 2025

Hon. Ibraheem Bolarinwa Oyekunle

APC Rep aspirant escapes assassination attempt in Abuja

Hon. Ibraheem Bolarinwa Oyekunle, a 2023 House of Representatives aspirant under the All Progressives Congress (APC), has reportedly survived a brazen assassination attempt in Abuja.

The terrifying incident occurred on Friday, April 4, 2025, at Gwosa Market along Airport Road, where unidentified armed men launched a direct attack on the Osun-born politician.

Eyewitnesses claim the assailants aimed straight for his head, indicating that the attack may have been premeditated.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Oyekunle recounted the harrowing experience and called for an immediate investigation by the Inspector-General of Police and other relevant security agencies.

The politician, who sustained injuries during the attack, stressed that the attackers made no demand for valuables, instead insisting that he ‘surrender himself’ a detail which, he said, rules out robbery as a motive.

The statement reads: “That evening, I was driving home from the airport towards Lugbe and stopped at Gwosa Market to buy fruits and farm produce from local traders.

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“While shopping, I noticed an ash-coloured Toyota Corolla parked across the road with its number plates concealed using plastic. This struck me as suspicious. A group of men stepped out—some remained by the vehicle, while one walked towards me. He passed very close by, but I initially assumed they might be targeting the traders, not me.

“After completing my purchases, I began walking back to my car when I suddenly heard someone shout: ‘Surrender yourself!’ I turned to see four men pointing guns at me. Ahead of me, another man—part of the same group—was also aiming a gun directly at my head.

“Acting on instinct, I charged at the man in front and knocked him down. This seemed to catch the others off guard, and they immediately started shooting. Every shot was aimed at my head, which confirms to me that this was no random act—it was a calculated attempt to kill.

“I managed to escape by running in the same direction as the traders who were also fleeing. Once the assailants saw I had slipped out of their grasp, they returned to their car and sped off.

“During the chaos, I was injured—a bullet grazed my head, and I sustained wounds to my leg. I was initially treated at Sauka Divine Hospital, where doctors stitched the head wound and tended to my leg injuries. Later, I was transferred to the Nigerian Air Force Hospital (NAF Base), Abuja, for further care and have since been discharged.

“What troubles me most is that the attackers never asked for money, my vehicle, or any possessions. Their only demand was for me to ‘surrender myself’. This strongly suggests the motive was not robbery, but something far more sinister.

“I call on the Inspector-General of Police and all relevant security agencies to launch a thorough investigation. The perpetrators must be brought to justice, and the reason behind this attack must be uncovered. This incident raises serious concerns—not just for my safety, but for the safety of all citizens.

“I thank God for His protection that night. Though the experience has shaken me, it will not deter me from continuing to serve the people of Irewole/Isokan/Ayedaade. I remain committed to our shared goals. This incident underscores the urgent need for improved security across our nation.

“I’m deeply grateful to the medical teams at Sauka Divine Hospital and the Nigerian Air Force Hospital for their swift and expert care. I also appreciate the traders and bystanders who offered their help in those critical moments.

“To my constituents and supporters, I want you to know that I am recovering well and remain determined to work tirelessly on your behalf. Let this be a reminder to us all of the importance of unity in confronting violence and insecurity.”

APC Rep aspirant escapes assassination attempt in Abuja

metro

Nigeria’s inflation rate drops again to 23.7%, says NBS report

Published

10 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Nigeria’s inflation rate drops again to 23.7%, says NBS report

The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) has reported a decline in Nigeria’s inflation rate, which eased to 23.7 percent in April 2025, down from 24.23 percent recorded in March.

This was disclosed in the April Consumer Price Index (CPI) and inflation data released on Thursday.

According to the report, inflation dropped by 1.86 percent on a month-on-month basis.

The food inflation rate also showed a slowdown, standing at 21.26 percent year-on-year in April.

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“In April 2025, the headline inflation rate eased to 23.71 percent relative to the March 2025 headline inflation rate of 24.23 percent.

The MoM headline inflation rate in April 2025 was 1.86 percent. The food inflation rate was 21.26 percent (YoY),” NBS wrote on its X account on Thursday.

The CPI report comes just days before the Central Bank of Nigeria’s (CBN) Monetary Policy Committee meeting scheduled for May 19 and 20, 2025.

Recall that the inflation rate had surged to 24.23 percent in March following the CPI rebase introduced in January. The CBN had paused interest rate hikes in February after inflation appeared to ease.

Nigeria’s inflation rate drops again to 23.7%, says NBS report

Education

UTME: Father of candidate who committed suicide over low score speaks

Published

10 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Opesusi Timilehin

UTME: Father of candidate who committed suicide over low score speaks

A 2025 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examination (UTME) candidate committed suicide on account of her low score.

The Lagos candidate, now identified as Faith Opesusi, was said to have scored 146 out of 400 points.

The Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB) released the results for its 2025 UTME on May 9.

An analysis revealed that more than 78 per cent of candidates scored less than 200 points out of the 400 maximum obtainable points.

The metrics, believed to have signalled mass failure, spurred protests from candidates who challenged the integrity of the exam.

Oluwafemi Opesusi, Faith’s father, said his distraught daughter took a liquid substance that led to her death after checking her result.

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In an interview with BBC, Oluwafemi said his 19-year-old daughter wanted to study Microbiology but the dream was cut short.

He said JAMB did not release the original result of his late daughter.

Oluwafemi said his daughter was devastated and disappointed after seeing her result.

“She had a high score in 2024 UTME. This year, she was given 146. The pain of it drove her to commit suicide,” he said.

The father said he would have tried to console his daughter if she had opened up about her trauma.

He added that the family was disappointed that her daughter had taken her own life.

On May 14, JAMB admitted that a technical error in Lagos and south-east states compromised UTME results across 157 centres.

A teary-eyed Ishaq Oloyede apologised to the affected candidates and Nigerians in a televised conference on May 14.

The JAMB registrar said the error, caused by one of its service providers, affected nearly 380,000 candidates.

These candidates, he added, will now be made to resit the examination between May 15 and May 19, 2025.

As of this reporting, JAMB has yet to directly address the Faith Opesusi case.

UTME: Father of candidate who committed suicide over low score speaks

metro

Shadow Govt: Nigerians mobilisiing 500 lawyers for me- Utomi

Published

11 hours ago

May 16, 2025

Trends Admin

Pat Utomi

Shadow Govt: Nigerians mobilisiing 500 lawyers for me- Utomi

Renowned political economist and former presidential candidate, Professor Pat Utomi, says a group of Nigerians is mobilising legal support in response to a lawsuit filed against him by the Department of State Services (DSS).

Utomi made the disclosure on Friday via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter.

“It’s energising (that) some want to put together 500 lawyers to defend me against the DSS,” he stated.

The DSS recently dragged Utomi to the Federal High Court in Abuja, accusing him of attempting to institute what he termed a “shadow government” in Nigeria. The security agency is urging the court to classify the action as unconstitutional.

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In court documents dated May 13 and filed by Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Akinlolu Kehinde, the DSS argued that Utomi’s initiative was not only improper but posed a serious threat to national stability and the current democratic order.

Utomi, who contested the presidency in 2007 under the African Democratic Congress (ADC), is the sole defendant in the case.

Despite the legal action, he expressed gratitude for the messages of support he has received from around the country.

“I am heartened by messages of solidarity from across Nigeria on this shadowy business of chasing shadows of shadow cabinets. Reminds me of the Nigeria I used to know. I want to thank all,” he wrote.