Aare Ona Kakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has inaugurated a new security arrangement to safeguard the zone against banditry, terrorism and other forms of criminal activities.
The move by Adams, who is also National Coordinator of Oodua Peoples Congress (OPC), was to strengthen the security architecture of the South West, Saturday Sun gathered.
The security arrangement, known as Oodua Dependable Security Team, has been launched in Lagos, Ogun, Oyo and Osun states already, with Ekiti and Ondo the only remaining states in the region.
Investigation revealed that Yoruba indigenes, who are mostly members of OPC, constitute majorly the team in each state, and the arrangement runs through each local government and wards in the four states. As gathered, the same thing would be repeated when the remaining two states are enlisted in the team set up to complement efforts of the government against crimes and criminalities.
The thrust of his addresses at the separate inauguration ceremonies in Lagos, Abeokuta, Ibadan and Osogbo echoed that the era of insecurity in the South West was gone. He also warned terrorists to stay away from the region or face the wrath of the OPC.
He explained that the composition of the dependable security team was an intervention strategy of the OPC to nip the security challenges in the bud across the South West region.
The new security arrangement, he said, became necessary as a result of various cases of insecurity, including rape, killings and kidnapping, which had hindered peace and tranquillity across the region.
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An alarm was raised some weeks ago that terrorists had surrounded and infiltrated the South West and had started using Ondo State as a litmus test to know if their operations would be successful in the entire Yorubaland or not. Several attacks by terrorists have been launched in different states in the region, with Ondo State, recording the highest number, including the attack on a Catholic church in Owo, which claimed scores of lives.
Aare Adams added that the leadership of OPC came up with the new security strategic approach in order to rescue the present situation in the region.
Speaking during the inauguration of the team in Osogbo, Osun State, he said: “We are worried that the security situation in the South West is getting worse by the day. We are worried that peace has eluded us in recent times because of the spate of insecurity across the southwest. It was not like this in the past.
“We had it so good in the past. Our security then was fantastic. Issues of killings and kidnapping for ransom were alien to our tradition in the South West. Our leaders prominently catered for our needs in education, and health, and all the social facilities were available for the people. Those were the legacies of the late Chief Obafemi Awolowo, when the people of the region could sleep with our eyes open.
“But things have taken a drastic turn today, because politicians of today clearly abandoned their responsibilities and created a huge gap between them and the electorate. It is a fact that, if the situation continues like this, it will definitely consume the entire nation. Nigeria has lost the battle, and I don’t think this country could survive the next two years under these failed security challenges. As a group that has the capacity to defend our region, we consider it pertinent to rise to the occasion by making sure that the South West is safe for all residents.”
In Oyo State, over 200 persons were verified in each of the 33 local government areas and 35 local council development authorities in Oyo State. In the same vein, more than 100 members were also drawn from each of the 69 local government and LCDAs in Osun State.
According to Adams, it is the job of the team “to assist by complementing the efforts of the police and other security agencies in securing the state.”
During the inauguration of the team held in Ibadan, Adams said: “The OPC Dependable Security Team is a child of necessity that was borne out of our desire to secure the South West region against intruders. It is a combination of about 200 members each from each of the 68 local government and LCDAs in Oyo State, and it is just to show the strength of our dependable forces in the state.
“We are using this to send a strong message to the terrorists masquerading as kidnappers and killers and across the South West region. We will resist any attempt to turn Yoruba land into a hub of terrorism. The South West is no longer a home for terrorists.”
Adams said a recent exploit of the OPC Dependable Security Team was along Ijede Road, Ikorodu, Lagos State, when the team intercepted two buses loaded with caches of live cartridges, heading for the North, and were handed over to the police for proper investigation.
“We are beginning to see the results with the Ikorodu experience. It is my belief that the new security arrangements will usher in a moment of peace in the South West. OPC will not relent in its efforts to rid the region of terrorists and their allies.”
Lagos Task Force Denies Stopping Driver Over Toyota Tacoma Inscription
The Lagos State Environmental and Special Offences Enforcement Unit, popularly known as the Lagos State Task Force, has denied stopping a motorist or demanding a permit over an inscription displayed on his Toyota Tacoma.
The denial followed a viral social media video shared by Jay Scotch Automobile Ltd, in which the driver alleged that officials stopped him over the words “TRD 4×4 Sport Tacoma” displayed on his vehicle.
The motorist claimed the officials treated the inscription as an advertisement requiring a government permit. He further alleged that they threatened to damage the vehicle’s side mirror if he failed to produce the required permit.
He disputed the demand, explaining that the inscription was part of the vehicle when he purchased it in the United States and was not an advertisement subsequently placed on the vehicle in Lagos.
However, the Task Force distanced itself from the incident.
The agency’s Director of Press and Public Affairs, Raheem Gbadeyanka, said residents sometimes mistake personnel from different government agencies for Task Force operatives, particularly when officers are wearing similar uniforms.
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Gbadeyanka said the Task Force was not involved in the encounter and maintained that demanding a permit for a vehicle inscription was outside the agency’s mandate.
The controversy has nevertheless drawn attention to Lagos regulations governing vehicle branding and mobile advertising.
The Lagos State Signage and Advertisement Agency (LASAA) is responsible for regulating signage and advertising in the state, including mobile advertising and branding on vehicles. Its regulatory framework covers various vehicle categories, including cars, pickups, SUVs, buses and trucks.
LASAA also operates systems for registering and verifying authorised vehicle branding, while its published fee structure contains different categories for mobile advertisements and vehicle branding.
The distinction means that the Task Force’s denial does not amount to a blanket exemption for vehicle advertising or commercial branding in Lagos. Rather, the agency is disputing responsibility for the particular encounter and says enforcement of such permits is not within its mandate.
The Task Force has continued to enforce other road, environmental and public-safety regulations across Lagos, including restrictions affecting commercial motorcycles, road obstructions, illegal roadside activities and unauthorised use of restricted traffic corridors.
The incident has therefore raised a separate question of agency jurisdiction, particularly over which government body is authorised to enforce regulations concerning inscriptions, branding or advertisements displayed on private vehicles.
For now, the motorist’s account and the Task Force’s denial remain the two publicly stated versions of the encounter. No independent evidence has been publicly presented to establish that Task Force officials stopped the driver specifically because of the inscription.
Abuja Police Arrest Woman, Two Hotel Workers Over Man’s Body Dumped Under Bridge
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has arrested a married woman and two workers of a guest house in Abuja over the death of a man whose body was found under Katampe Bridge along the Kubwa Expressway.
The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Sanusi, said the man was first reported missing by his family. His body was subsequently discovered by the roadside under the bridge on August 26, 2026.
The discovery initially prompted speculation about possible kidnapping or one-chance robbery, but investigators later uncovered a different line of inquiry after establishing that the deceased’s mobile phone was missing.
Police said efforts to trace the phone and identify the deceased’s last known contact led investigators to Rukayat Muhammed, a resident of Garki Area 2, Abuja, who was allegedly in a romantic relationship with the man.
Further investigation linked the pair to Good Samaritan Guest House on Second Avenue, Gwarinpa, where they had reportedly lodged before the man was found dead.
According to the police account, Muhammed told investigators that she discovered the man was no longer breathing while they were at the guest house. She allegedly took his phone and left without reporting the incident.
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Hours later, hotel management reportedly gained access to the room after staff were unable to reach the occupants and found the man’s body.
Two hotel workers, identified as Ibrahim Omeiza and Kefat Bitrus, allegedly removed the body from the room and transported it to the Kubwa Expressway near Katampe Bridge, where it was abandoned.
The police said their investigation has linked the woman and the two hotel workers to the events surrounding the man’s death and the subsequent disposal of his body.
However, the exact cause and circumstances of the man’s death remain undetermined. Police said further investigation will establish what happened at the guest house before the body was later found under the bridge.
The identities of the deceased and further details of the circumstances surrounding his death have not been publicly disclosed.
The arrested woman and the two hotel workers remain suspects and are presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The police said anyone found culpable in the man’s death or the subsequent concealment and abandonment of his body would face prosecution.
Bauchi Police Arrest 26-Year-Old Man Over Rape Of 50-Year-Old Woman
The Bauchi State Police Command has arrested a 26-year-old man, identified as Lukman Alhaji Nasiru, over the alleged rape of a 50-year-old woman described as living with mental health challenges.
The arrest followed a report received by the police concerning the alleged sexual assault of the woman, with detectives subsequently taking the suspect into custody for investigation.
According to the report, the police are investigating the circumstances surrounding the alleged incident and gathering evidence as part of the process that could determine the next legal steps in the case.
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The victim’s vulnerability has heightened concerns about the protection of people living with mental health conditions from sexual abuse and other forms of exploitation. Cases involving vulnerable adults can present additional challenges in reporting, investigation and access to justice.
The arrest is not a determination of guilt, and the suspect remains presumed innocent unless proven guilty by a court of competent jurisdiction.
The police are expected to continue their investigation before deciding whether to charge the suspect to court.
The case also adds to the wider concern over gender-based violence and sexual abuse in Nigeria, where law-enforcement agencies and other institutions continue to face calls for prompt investigation and effective protection of survivors and other vulnerable people.
Authorities routinely urge members of the public to report suspected cases of rape and sexual violence to the police or other appropriate authorities so that investigations can be initiated and victims can receive necessary support.
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