Osun-Osogbo festival: Despite proven contamination, devotees drink from Osun river – Newstrends
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Osun-Osogbo festival: Despite proven contamination, devotees drink from Osun river

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3 years ago

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In June 2022, TheCable published an investigation which revealed how mining activities in Ilesa communities in Osun state have polluted the water body at the popular Osun-Osogbo grove.

Ilesa, also known as Ijesha land, is renowned for large gold deposits and other minerals. Owing to the heightened mining activity, waste, heavy metals, volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and chemicals are washed into the tributaries which end up in the Osun river.

On Friday, which marks the grand finale of the annual Osun-Osogbo festival, devotees of the Osun deity were spotted at the grove drinking from the contaminated river.

Many devotees who trooped out in their white attires and beads were seen fetching the water into different kegs while some washed their heads with it and others drank from it.

TheCable had earlier subjected a sample of the water to a test conducted by UNILAG Consult. It was found to contain 0.034 milligrams per litre (mg/L) of arsenic, 5.663 mg/L of aluminium, and 0.090 mg/L of lead. Other heavy metals found, according to the test result, include Barium (2.326), Lithium(0.004), Nickel(2.006), and Iron (3.197).

These heavy metals were found to be significantly above the limit prescribed by the World Health Organisation (WHO).

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Urban Alert, a civic-tech initiative leveraging technology to amplify the yearnings of the masses, told TheCable in June that a health crisis is inevitable if the over two million people living in more than 20 communities in Osun state continue to get exposed to the contaminated water.

“In fact, our data has shown that 100,000 people may be facing serious medical challenges before 2032 if the situation is not arrested and the proper remediation process does not begin,” Anthony Adejuwon, Urban Alert team lead, had said.

Following TheCable’s investigation into the pollution of the river, Abdullahi Binuyo, deputy chief of staff to Gboyega Oyetola, governor of Osun, said the state will carry out a clean-up of the sacred grove.

Binuyo said this while speaking on TheCable’s Twitter Space dedicated to the issue of illegal mining and pollution in the state.

LAST-MINUTE SENSITISATION

On the eve of the finale of the Osun-Osogbo festival, the state government advised tourists, devotees and visitors not to drink water from the river.

Rafiu Isamotu, the commissioner for health, said the water had been contaminated by the activities of artisanal miners and was not good for human consumption.

But Urban Alert criticised the state government for issuing the warning 24 hours before the grand finale.

Oluwatosin Olarewaju, communication officer of Urban Alert, said the response to the contamination of the river has been lukewarm and lacks the determination needed to address the issue of illegal and unregulated gold mining in the state.

“Despite vigorous engagements with the Federal Government, the Osun State Government and other stakeholders, nothing significant has been seen to have been done to avert the impact of the contamination, ” the statement reads in part.

“Having informed the Osun State Government and all appropriate organs of the Federal Government of the deleterious effect of the Osun River contamination, no serious step has been taken for the safety of the affected communities and the Osun Osogbo Sacred Grove which sits on the bank of the Osun River. It is, therefore, shocking to see the Osun State Government issuing an impromptu warning to tourists and traditionalists, warning them from drinking from the Osun River on the eve of the Osun Osogbo festival.”

Urban Alert said the response to the issue “is a clear indication that the safety of the people and access to safe water is not a priority”.

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Police arrest 16-year-old boy with gun in Lagos

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30 minutes ago

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April 27, 2025

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Police arrest 16-year-old boy with gun in Lagos

The Lagos State Police Command has arrested a 16-year-old boy, Solomon Ibiwoye, after he was found in possession of a firearm in the Ebute-Ero area of the state.

Police Public Relations Officer, SP Benjamin Hundeyin, announced the arrest in a post on X (formerly Twitter) on Sunday, praising alert residents for their role in the incident.

“Kudos to observant Lagosians who noticed 16-year-old Solomon Ibiwoye with a firearm and discreetly alerted Ebute-Ero Police Division,” Hundeyin wrote.

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According to Hundeyin, a subsequent search of the teenager’s home led to the recovery of a locally made firearm and an unexpended cartridge.

“One more firearm off the streets,” he added, assuring that investigations into the case are ongoing.

Hundeyin further emphasized the importance of community vigilance in helping to curb crime, urging residents, “See something, say something!”

While the police spokesperson did not reveal how the teenager came into possession of the weapon or whether he is connected to any criminal gang, he assured the public that a thorough investigation is underway.

 

Police arrest 16-year-old boy with gun in Lagos

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

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60 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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1 hour 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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