You can’t intimidate me from saying the truth, Fani-Kayode replies military high command - Newstrends
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You can’t intimidate me from saying the truth, Fani-Kayode replies military high command

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Former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayod

The former Minister of Aviation, Chief Femi Fani-Kayode, on Sunday, said the military high command cannot intimidate him from saying the truth about the worsening security in the country.

Fani-Kayode, who is also one-time Minister of Culture and Tourism, said the military cannot impose a culture of silence on Nigerians, even when it is evident that the military heads had performed woefully in waging war against insecurity.

The ex-minister stated this in a statement he personally released in Abuja in response to the military’s press statement titled: “RE: UNSUBSTANTIATED ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THE ARMED FORCES OF NIGERIA BY MR FEMI FANI-KAYODE IN A VIRAL VIDEO IN CIRCULATION,” which was made available to newsmen on Saturday.

But in his statement titled: “MY RESPONSE TO THE DEFENCE HEADQUARTERS,” Fani-Kayode described the military’s response to his remark as laughable.

“I read the response from the Defence Headquarters of Nigeria (dated 9. 7. 2022) to my video about the insecurity in the country and the attack on Kuje prison and I was utterly amused.

“Given the gravity and seriousness of the deteriorating security situation in our country, I did not know whether to laugh or cry when I read through it.

“I would advise strongly that the military High Command and Defence Headquarters spends its time facing up to and fighting the terrorists that have turned our nation into a functional killing field and horrendous bloodbath and abattoir over the last few years and attempt to carry out their constitutional role of protecting us from enemies within and without rather than trying to engage me in a press war or cow me into silence,” he said.

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He said that if the military commanders know his antecedents as they claim, they will appreciate the fact that attempting to threaten or intimidate him into not pointing out and exposing their abysmal failures can never work.

“For the record, I have nothing but respect and admiration for the ordinary rank and file and junior and middle rank officers of our Armed Forces who have sacrificed so much, including their lives, and who continue to do so even without the necessary backing and support that they need and deserve from the present Military High Command.

“Many of them have fought hard and died on the front line of battle in the most gallant way despite the difficult circumstances they have found themselves in and the uninspiring and poor logistical and moral support they have been offered by their senior colleagues.

“Worse still, thousands of our civilians have been kidnapped, butchered and subjected to the most horrendous acts of evil and violence by the numerous terrorist organisations that have invaded and plagued our land.

“All these, yet we are supposed to sit by idly and clap for our military field and operational commanders when things are clearly going wrong?

“Call it ‘rabble rousing’ if you like (as they did in their press statement) but the overwhelming majority of Nigerians are appalled and disgusted with the degree to which our security situation has degenerated and are demanding that the Military High Command either goes or does far better.

“Their glaring and embarrassing failures are as repugnant to them as it is to me,” he said.

According to him, Nigerians are also utterly disgusted at the disdain and contempt with which they carry out their duties and their utter insensitivity to the plight of their own soldiers and the concerns of our people.

“They speak of my so-called ‘ignorance’ but is there anything more ignorant than attempting to compel a civilian not to criticise the leadership of the Armed Forces of his country where and when they have failed woefully in their duties and obligations?

“We criticised, risked all, suffered to no end and fought military rule for seven long years  when their predecessors in office and very senior colleagues annulled the June 12th election and held power from 1993 till 1999 but now that they have left office and we are in a civilian dispensation, they believe we dare not or cannot legitimately criticise them when they get it wrong?

“Such delusion and self-serving, self-seeking and vain fantasies beggar belief,” he said.

According to the former minister, the truth is that “I have no business with any serving military officer but rather with the serving Minister of Defence who though a civilian like me, you must report to under the constitution.

“As a former minister myself and out of respect for his office and person, I will formally and privately raise my concerns and the issue of what I consider to be your glaring incompetence and lack of patriotism and professionalism with him.

“I will also give him my recommendations.

“This is the best that I can do in the circumstances and that way, I would have at least satisfied my conscience and be able to sleep at night,” he said.

Fani-Kayode said it is left to the minister “and President Muhammadu Buhari, our President and your Commander in Chief, to exercise their discretion and do what they want with it.

“They can either take the necessary action or not.

“Either way, I have NO respect for the leadership of the Armed Forces as presently constituted and neither am I compelled to do so by decency, morality, the constitution or the law.

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“The truth is that I am disgusted by their poor performance and utterly ashamed of their shameless impunity.

“A citizen complains about the fact that our people are being killed and instead of showing remorse for the dereliction of their duty, they are spending their time issuing puerile, infantile and meaningless press statements and trying to rationalise their recurrent and consistent failures.

“If you want our respect, then do please better. If you do not want to be criticized, then work harder.

“If you do not want people to demand for your sacking or resignation, then do your job and stop seeking to intimidate, attack, discredit or undermine those that criticise you.”

He said he is not an enemy of the military but rather, a true friend who is candid and courageous enough to speak the bitter and plain truth even where others dare not.

“I am merely saying what millions are thinking and know.

“Again, I am merely a concerned citizen who is genuinely worried about the way things are going in our country when it comes to security and other matters.

“When the leadership of our Armed Forces have got it right on past occasions, I have commended their gallantry, professionalism and courage and this is on record.

“Given this when they do not rise up to the occasion and their performance is below expectation, I reserve the right to criticise them, point out their shortcomings and call for their resignation or removal.

“That is the way things work in a nation which prides itself on free speech and given the fact that this is a democracy with laws and a constitution.

“We are not under a military dictatorship and the Military High Command or Defence Headquarters who speak for them cannot silence us or expect us to remain silent when they get things wrong.

“I believe that if they had any honour and integrity, they would have resigned for their abysmal performance rather than spitting in the wind, beating their chests and pretending that all is well,” he said.

Fani-Kayode, who is also a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), therefore called on President Buhari to sack the military chiefs for their poor performance.

“Given the fact that they have refused to do this, I once again call on President Muhammadu Buhari, as I did in my video, to retire them and appoint Service Chiefs that can do the job properly and meet the expectations of Nigerians.

“For this I offer no apology and I stand by everything that I said in that video including the assertion that the leadership and rank and file of the DSS, NIA and NPF have continued to give the necessary intelligence, confront and tackle the terrorists and do their job as best as they can but the Military High Command have not.

“Others may be intimidated and compelled to remain silent but I will not,” he said.

He noted that it is as a result of their poor performance that different state governors designed ways of tackling the security challenge.

“Numerous Governors, including the Governor of Zamfara state, have publicly and privately called for Nigerians to arm themselves whilst others, like the Governors of Kaduna state and Niger state, have called for greater efforts on the part of the military to seek out, uproot and confront the terrorists.

“Other Governors, like the Governor of Ondo state and indeed ALL the Governors of the South West, have gone as far as to demand that the states and zones have their own Armed militias and police because you have not been able to protect the people.

“Such is the level of angst and anger in the land and it is essentially a referendum on your performance.

“If all was well, not one of these respected individuals or anyone else have cause to complain or demand more from you,” he said.

According to him, instead of rectifying the situation, the only thing you can do is issue a press statement telling me not to complain?

“Do we not have the right to call a spade a spade?

“This is especially so when lives are involved and so many have been lost.

Should we suffer this indignity and pain in silence?

“Are these incessant attacks and slaughter of innocent people not a disgrace to our nation and to our Armed Forces?

“Have we lost all sense of pride, dignity and self respect that our soldiers and civilians are being killed and kidnapped by motorcycle-riding rag-tag bandits and we should just remain silent?

“Can we not tell you when we are tired, fed up and have had enough of your failures?” he asked.

Fani-Kayode said instead of showing remorse and assuring us that they will do better in the future, the military high command issued an “angry and insolent press statements in an attempt to silence and intimidate.

“The truth is you have simply put salt in our wounds and added insult to injuries.”

He said: “And whether you like it or not I and millions of others will continue to point out the failures of our Military High Command without fear or favour because they are meant to work for us.

“We do not work for them. Rather, we pay and maintain  them with taxpayers money and they do not pay or maintain us.

“They cannot impose a culture of silence on us and neither will we accept it.

“Most importantly in a civilian dispensation, the military are subordinates of the political class and the people and are meant to live up to their expectations.

“Where they do not, we can and must protest and demand for their removal.

“They are not above the law, they are not superior to those of us that are not in the military and neither are they immune from criticism or lawful and legitimate sanctions.

“Permit me to end with the following.

“The way to honour the families and assuage the hurt, sensibilities and pain of the relatives and colleagues of our fallen heroes who the Defence Headquarters referred to in their press statement and the way to heal the wounds of the loved ones of the civilians that have been massacred by terrorists all over the country over the last seven years is for the military to fight the terrorists with everything they have got in a disciplined, patriotic, professional and honest manner and crush them.

“It is not by issuing angry and nonsensical press statements to members of the public and concerned Nigerians and it is not by feigning affection for the families of the victims of your own incompetence and all those dear and gallant souls that we have lost.”

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Traffic Alert: Lagos Announces Diversion as Oke-Afa Bridge Undergoes Rehabilitation 

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32 minutes ago

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August 25, 2026

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Traffic Alert: Lagos Announces Diversion as Oke-Afa Bridge Undergoes Rehabilitation

Motorists plying the Oke-Afa Bridge in Isolo will face phased traffic diversions from Friday, August 28, as the Lagos State Government announces a three-week traffic management plan to facilitate the rehabilitation of the bridge.

The rehabilitation, scheduled to run from August 28 to September 18, 2026, will be executed in two phases to minimise disruption and keep traffic moving around the busy Isolo-Ejigbo axis.

The Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, announced the traffic plan in a statement on Monday, urging motorists to plan their journeys ahead and comply with directives from traffic management personnel.

According to him, the first phase will run from August 28 to September 11 and cover the outbound Isolo-to-Ejigbo section of the bridge.

During the period, motorists travelling from Isolo towards Ejigbo will be diverted onto the Isolo-bound carriageway from Pako Roundabout, where traffic will operate in both directions before rejoining the main carriageway at Mobil Filling Station.

Motorists travelling from Ejigbo towards Isolo will retain access to their route but will share the carriageway with Ejigbo-bound vehicles between Mobil Filling Station and Pako Roundabout. They will regain full access to the road after the roundabout.

The second phase will commence on September 12 and end on September 18, covering the inbound Isolo section of the bridge from Ejigbo.

Osiyemi said motorists travelling from Ejigbo towards Isolo would, during the second phase, be diverted onto the Ejigbo-bound carriageway from Mobil Filling Station, with traffic moving in both directions before rejoining the main carriageway at Pako Roundabout.

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Traffic from Isolo will continue to move while sharing the carriageway with Isolo-bound vehicles between Pako Roundabout and Mobil Filling Station, after which motorists will regain full access.

The commissioner said the temporary closure and diversions were necessary to enable the rehabilitation works to proceed safely and efficiently.

He explained that the project is being undertaken by the Federal Ministry of Works, through the Office of the Federal Controller, Lagos, in collaboration with Messrs. Strabic Construction Limited.

To minimise congestion and ensure smooth traffic flow, Osiyemi said the Lagos State Traffic Management Authority (LASTMA) would deploy personnel to the affected axis throughout the rehabilitation period.

He added that an emergency tow vehicle would also be stationed in the area to promptly remove broken-down vehicles and prevent avoidable obstruction.

The commissioner appealed to motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic management directives and make appropriate adjustments to their travel plans during the three-week period.

He assured road users that the traffic management measures were designed to minimise inconvenience while allowing the rehabilitation of the strategic bridge to progress without unnecessary delays.

 

Traffic Alert: Lagos Announces Diversion as Oke-Afa Bridge Undergoes Rehabilitation

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Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash: Seven killed, two injured in three-vehicle collision

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39 minutes ago

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August 25, 2026

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Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash: Seven killed, two injured in three-vehicle collision

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash: Seven killed, two injured in three-vehicle collision

Seven people have been killed and two others injured in a fatal road crash on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway in Ogun State.

The accident occurred at about 12:03 a.m. on Monday, August 24, 2026, along the Ibafo-Lagos corridor at Kara, Ibafo, according to the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Ogun State Sector Command.

The crash involved three vehicles: a white HOWO CNG/CIMC ENRIC truck, a white MACK trailer and a Mitsubishi Canter with registration number JJJ920YA.

The FRSC said nine people, all male, were involved in the crash. Seven died from injuries sustained in the accident, while two others were injured.

According to the statement issued by the command’s spokesperson, Afolabi Odunsi, the FRSC Ibafo Outpost received information about the crash at about 4:04 a.m. and arrived at the scene five minutes later.

The agency classified the incident as a fatal multiple road traffic crash, identifying speed violation as the probable cause, although it stressed that the finding remains subject to further investigation.

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Preliminary reports on the circumstances surrounding the collision indicated that a speeding truck hit another truck, which subsequently rammed into a stationary truck. However, the FRSC has not presented the sequence as a final finding pending the completion of its investigation.

The deceased victims were evacuated from the scene by the Ogun State Ambulance Service, while the two injured victims were taken to a medical facility for treatment.

The three vehicles involved in the crash were later handed over to the Motor Traffic Division of the Nigeria Police Force in Ibafo for further investigation and necessary action.

The latest incident has renewed concerns about road safety on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway, a major transport corridor used by thousands of motorists and commercial vehicles daily.

The Ogun State Sector Commander, Corps Commander Oludare Ogunjobi, urged motorists to exercise greater caution and comply with established road-safety rules.

Ogunjobi particularly advised drivers of articulated vehicles to avoid excessive speed, maintain safe following distances and remain vigilant while driving.

He also urged motorists to take extra precautions when driving at night, noting that reduced visibility and fatigue can increase the risk of road crashes.

The FRSC commiserated with the families of the seven people who lost their lives in the accident and wished the two injured victims a speedy recovery.

The agency reiterated the need for motorists to prioritise safety, observe speed limits and adopt defensive driving practices to reduce the frequency of fatal crashes on Nigerian roads.

Lagos-Ibadan Expressway crash: Seven killed, two injured in three-vehicle collision

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LASG Moves to Fix Ikotun Junction, Seeks Community Support

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41 minutes ago

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August 25, 2026

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LASG Moves to Fix Ikotun Junction, Seeks Community Support

Lagos State Government has commenced consultations with stakeholders in Ikotun ahead of the planned improvement works at the Ikotun Junction, a major intersection linking Ijegun, Isolo and Idimu roads.

The stakeholder engagement, held on Friday at the Multi-Purpose Hall of the Igando/Ikotun Local Council Development Area (LCDA) Secretariat, was aimed at securing community support and addressing concerns ahead of the project’s execution.

The intervention is expected to improve traffic flow, enhance road connectivity and promote more orderly movement and commercial activities within the Ikotun axis.

Speaking at the meeting, the Commissioner for Physical Planning and Urban Development, Dr. Oluyinka Olumide, said the engagement underscored the importance the administration of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu attaches to transportation, traffic management and orderly physical development.

Olumide said the project would deliver significant benefits to residents and businesses by improving accessibility and easing congestion, while stressing the need for proper planning and management of informal spaces around the junction after completion.

He urged stakeholders to ensure that such spaces were properly integrated into the overall development plan to prevent a resurgence of uncoordinated activities that could undermine the benefits of the intervention.

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Representing the Commissioner for Transportation, Mr. Oluwaseun Osiyemi, the Permanent Secretary in the Ministry, Mr. Olawale Musa, identified roadside trading and other unregulated commercial activities as major contributors to traffic congestion along the Ikotun axis.

He said the proposed improvement formed part of the state government’s broader efforts to tackle transportation challenges and improve the quality of life of residents.

Musa assured property owners and other legitimate interests that might be affected by the project of appropriate compensation in accordance with government policies and procedures. He appealed to affected persons, community leaders and other stakeholders to cooperate with the government to ensure the smooth and timely delivery of the project.

Also speaking, the Permanent Secretary, Office of Physical Planning, Mr. Olayinka Adebayo Wasiu, urged stakeholders to work closely with the government and project consultants, noting that their cooperation and constructive participation would be critical to completing the project within the expected timeframe.

He said the Lagos State Government remained committed to implementing projects that would translate the dividends of democracy into tangible benefits for residents.

The Chairman of Igando/Ikotun LCDA, Senior Comrade Lasisi Ayinde Akinsanya, commended the state government for the intervention, describing it as a timely response to the transportation and environmental challenges confronting the community.

Akinsanya pledged the LCDA’s full cooperation towards the successful execution of the project.

Similarly, the Onikotun of Ikotun Kingdom, HRM Oba Azeez Gbadabiu Asiwaju, welcomed the proposed improvement works, describing them as a significant development for the community.

The traditional ruler assured the government of the support of the traditional institution and residents, while calling for sustained engagement with stakeholders throughout the implementation process.

Stakeholders at the meeting acknowledged the importance of the project to the socio-economic development of the Ikotun axis, particularly its potential to ease congestion, improve connectivity and create a more organised environment for residents, commuters and businesses.

They also raised concerns and made recommendations on how to minimise disruption to economic and social activities during the construction period.

Among dignitaries at the meeting were the Permanent Secretary, Office of Urban Development, Engr. Adetunji Adeyemi; General Manager, Lagos State Physical Planning Permit Authority (LASPPPA), Tpl. Kehinde Osinaike; General Manager, Lagos State Informal Space Management Authority (LASISMA), Tpl. Daisi Oso; as well as directors and other officials from the Ministries of Transportation and Physical Planning and Urban Development.

The engagement brought together traditional rulers, community leaders, market men and women, residents and other representatives of host communities, providing an avenue for stakeholders to understand the proposed intervention, express concerns and contribute to its successful implementation.

The meeting reinforced the need for sustained collaboration between the state government, traditional institutions, communities and other stakeholders to ensure that the Ikotun Junction improvement project delivers its intended objectives of easing traffic, enhancing mobility and promoting orderly physical development.

 

LASG Moves to Fix Ikotun Junction, Seeks Community Support

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