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A Civil Society Organisation in Osun, Kimpact Development Initiative, KDI, has expressed concern over increasing violence, intimidation and insecurity in Osun State ahead of the 15 August 2026 governorship election, urging stakeholders to take urgent steps to prevent further escalation.

The organisation made the call during a press conference, on Thursday 

It warned that elections should remain a peaceful civic process through which citizens freely choose their leaders rather than occasions for conflict and bloodshed.

KDI said its ongoing pre-election observation and violence monitoring activities documented 44 election-related violent incidents across the state between October 2025 and June 2026, resulting in 13 recorded deaths, several injuries and destruction of property.

According to the Executive Director of the organisation, Bukola Idowu, “an additional 24 non-election-related violent incidents recorded during the same period led to 23 fatalities, indicating that the election is taking place within a broader security environment that requires careful management.”

The group noted that 26 of the 44 verified election-related incidents occurred in May and June 2026 alone, representing 59.1 per cent of all recorded cases. 

He described the trend as a significant early warning signal requiring immediate preventive action.

KDI stated that its Election Security Risk Assessment analysis showed that violence in the state was manifesting through shootings, physical assaults, verbal threats, crowd intimidation, property destruction and confrontations around politically sensitive locations.

It identified Osogbo Local Government Area, particularly Olaiya, Oke Fia and Aregbe, as having the highest concentration of election-related incidents, while reports from Owode Ede and other communities had also raised concerns over voter confidence and public safety.

The organisation also condemned the killing of 14-year-old Ezekiel Olapade, who was reportedly fatally wounded during a violent incident in Ilobu, Irepodun Local Government Area, on 21 June 2026.

“The death of this young citizen is a painful reminder that unchecked political and communal violence leaves irreversible consequences on families, communities, and the democratic process itself,” the statement said. 

KDI called for a prompt, impartial and transparent investigation into the incident and other reported acts of violence.

As part of efforts to address growing tensions, KDI announced the establishment of the Osun State Peace and Mediation Working Committee, a multi-stakeholder platform designed to support dialogue, mediation, confidence-building and preventive engagement before, during and after the election.

The organisation explained that the committee would work with political actors, security agencies, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, traditional and religious leaders, youth and women groups, civil society organisations and community stakeholders to promote peace and reduce the risk of escalation.

KDI urged political parties to commit to peaceful campaigns, called on security agencies to deploy intelligence-led preventive measures and investigate all reported incidents, and advised INEC, community leaders, the media and citizens to play active roles in safeguarding peace. 

“The lives of Osun citizens matter. The credibility of the election matters. The peace of communities matters,” the organisation stated.

KDI also reaffirmed its commitment to supporting peaceful, credible and secure elections in Osun State and across Nigeria.

CSO raises alarm over rising pre-election violence in Osun

As the world grapples with climate change, resource depletion, technological disruption and other emerging challenges, universities must adopt long-term planning and position themselves to educate future leaders while generating knowledge that supports national and global development, a lecturer has said. 

Also, universities across Nigeria have been urged to embrace Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) principles as a strategic framework for sustainable development and institutional transformation.

The call was made on Thursday by Dr Adesoji Tayo while delivering the fifth College Lecture of the College of Science, Engineering and Technology at Osun State University, Osogbo.

Speaking on the theme, “Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) Towards Sustainability: Role of the University,” Tayo said ESG implementation requires deliberate planning, phased execution, measurable indicators, periodic evaluation, stakeholder participation and continuous improvement.

According to him, “the three pillars of ESG are environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and governance and institutional integrity, which he described as critical to achieving sustainability goals within higher education institutions.”

Tayo said universities that embrace ESG principles would strengthen teaching and learning, research and innovation, community engagement, institutional competitiveness, as well as global partnerships and rankings.

He expressed optimism that ESG would provide a coordinated framework for academic excellence, digital transformation, smart governance, financial sustainability, resource mobilisation, human capital development and sustainable campus infrastructure.

The lecturer also encouraged universities to deploy Artificial Intelligence for productivity measurement and to adapt useful innovations from other countries to local realities.

As part of efforts to recognise the transformative role of universities in advancing sustainable development, Tayo proposed the adoption of the Òṣogbo Declaration on ESG and Sustainable Universities.

In his remarks, the Vice-Chancellor of Osun State University, Prof Odunayo Clement Adebooye, described the lecture as an important milestone in the institution’s collective pursuit of academic excellence and sustainable development.

Adebooye said the lecture theme was a clarion call for universities to lead by example, adding that UNIOSUN would remain at the forefront of sustainable development initiatives.

He disclosed that the university had established a Global Affairs and Sustainable Development Institute and would continue to strengthen research in renewable energy. 

He also encouraged the university community to sustain the college lecture series, describing it as a foundation for intellectual discourse and academic excellence.

Universities must lead Nigeria’s sustainability agenda – UNIOSUN lecturer

At least 10 persons have been rescued alive after a storey building collapsed in the Satellite Town area of Lagos State on Thursday.

A statement by the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, LSFRS, disclosed that it received a distress call about the incident at 11:37 a.m.

According to the agency, the building collapse occurred on Old Ojo Road, by Alakija Bus Stop, off the Lagos-Badagry Expressway in Satellite Town, Lagos.

Emergency responders from the Ijegun-Egba Fire Station were immediately deployed to the scene and arrived at 11:49 a.m. to commence rescue operations.

The agency said the collapsed structure was a residential storey building occupied by several residents at the time of the incident.

It stated that, as of the time of filing this report, 10 victims had been pulled alive from the rubble with varying degrees of injuries.

The rescued persons were subsequently handed over to medical personnel for necessary treatment.

The Fire and Rescue Service noted that search and rescue efforts were still ongoing as emergency workers continued operations to locate, extricate and evacuate anyone who might still be trapped beneath the debris.

“As of the time of this report, 10 persons have been rescued alive with varying degrees of injuries and have been handed over to medical personnel for necessary treatment,” the statement said.  

The agency further disclosed that the rescue operation is being carried out jointly by several emergency and security agencies.

“Search and rescue operations remain ongoing as emergency responders continue efforts to locate, extricate, and evacuate any persons who may still be trapped beneath the debris,” the statement added.  

The agencies involved include the Lagos State Fire and Rescue Service, Federal Fire Service, Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Navy, Lagos Neighbourhood Safety Corps (LNSC), and the Nigerian Red Cross Society.

Authorities said further updates would be provided as the rescue operation progresses.

Ten rescued alive in Lagos building collapse

Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has dismissed viral reports claiming that she intends to stop representing Nigeria, describing the allegations as completely false and the handiwork of online fraudsters impersonating her on social media.

The defender, who has become one of the most admired figures in the Nigerian women’s national team, clarified that she never made any statement suggesting she would quit international football due to alleged demands or treatment by football officials.

Plumptre explained that the claims originated from a fake Facebook account created by individuals seeking to deceive the public and exploit her growing popularity among Nigerian football fans.

According to her, the impersonators have not only been spreading misinformation but have also been soliciting money from unsuspecting Nigerians while pretending to be her.

“The statements circulating online did not come from me,” she stressed, urging fans and members of the public to disregard any messages or requests emanating from the fraudulent account.

The defender further stated that she has never asked anyone for financial assistance, donations, gifts or monetary contributions through social media platforms.

She warned supporters to exercise caution and verify the authenticity of online accounts before engaging with individuals claiming to represent her.

Plumptre revealed that the matter has been reported to the appropriate law enforcement authorities, who have commenced efforts to identify and prosecute those behind the impersonation.

She added that steps are also being taken with the relevant social media platform to have the fake Facebook account removed in order to prevent further misinformation and financial scams.

The Leicester-born defender reiterated her commitment to the Super Falcons and expressed appreciation to Nigerian fans for their continued support throughout her international career.

Since making her debut for Nigeria, Plumptre has established herself as a key member of the Super Falcons squad, earning widespread admiration for her performances, professionalism and dedication to the national team.

She urged fans to rely only on her verified social media accounts and official communication channels for authentic information regarding her career and personal activities.

The football star also encouraged the public to remain vigilant against cybercriminals who increasingly exploit the identities of celebrities and public figures to spread false information and defraud innocent people.

Her clarification comes amid growing concern over the rise of online impersonation scams, with fraudsters using fake social media profiles to deceive followers and solicit funds under false pretences.

Plumptre Denies Super Falcons Exit, Exposes Online Fraudsters is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

 This is a tribute by wife of late former Oyo State Governor Abiola Ajimobi on his sixth year anniversary 

“A Tribute to My Dear Husband and Friend on His 6th Memorial

❤️Abiola❤️ Adeyemi❤️my best friend, six years have passed since you left this world, yet not a day goes by without thoughts of you filling my heart. Time has moved on, but the love, memories, and legacy you left behind remain as strong and precious as ever.

You were more than a husband; you were my confidant, my greatest supporter, and my dearest friend. Your kindness touched countless lives, your wisdom guided many, and your love gave strength and comfort to all who had the privilege of knowing you.

Though your physical presence is no longer with us, your spirit lives on in the values you instilled, the lives you impacted, and the beautiful memories we continue to cherish. Your legacy of service, integrity, compassion, and excellence remains an enduring source of inspiration.

Today, on your sixth memorial, I remember you with gratitude to God for the gift of your life and with thanksgiving for the years we shared. I miss your laughter, your counsel, and your reassuring presence, but I take comfort in knowing that your life was meaningful, purposeful, and well-lived.

You may be gone from our sight, but you will never be gone from our hearts. Your love continues to guide us, and your memory remains a blessing.

Rest on, my beloved husband and dear friend. You are deeply loved, fondly remembered, and forever missed.

“The memory of the righteous is a blessing.” Proverbs 10:7″

Femi Gbajabiamila, the Chief of Staff to President Bola Tinubu, has said that President Bola Tinubu encountered an economy that was precariously close to collapsing upon his assumption of office.

He remarked that although the economy was deteriorating, the President had the option to engage in political manoeuvring by maintaining the fuel subsidy; however, he opted to prioritise Nigeria’s future by making the decisive choice to eliminate the subsidy.

The Chief of Staff made these comments during the Working People United Good Governance summit in Abuja on Thursday, acknowledging that this decision may have inflicted hardship and exacerbated the difficulties faced by citizens, yet he emphasised that the economy would have been in a far worse state otherwise.

While highlighting several policies implemented by the President,he said, “It is a fact that the subsidy, which consumed trillions of naira annually, was unsustainable and disproportionately benefited a privileged few rather than safeguarding the ordinary worker it was purported to protect.

“The foreign exchange regime, artificially sustained, was depleting our reserves and distorting our markets. Our options had become limited, and this President, to his lasting credit, chose the path of responsibility rather than the path of delay.

“The President had a choice of approaching governance, the actual one of two ways, either coming and governed as a politician or coming and governed as a statesman.

“Now the difference between the two is that whilst the politician thinks about the next election, a leader and statesman thinks about the next generation. Mr President decided to take the path of the latter. 

“He decided to live as a leader and think about the next generation, now we all know that these reforms exacted a real and painful cost. Prices rose, the cost of living on families already stretched, found themselves stretched further still. It will be an insult to the collective intelligence of the Nigerian people to dismiss that hardship. And this administration will never do that.

“We have never claimed that the medicine was painless. What we have insisted upon is that our country would not have survived without it, and that the duty of a responsible government is not merely to administer the medicine, but to sit on the bedside, ease the pain, and nurse the nation, or the patient, this case the nation back to health, that is the work this administration has undertaken for the Nigerian worker, and permit me now to place some of it on record. 

Also speaking, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Mohammad Dingyadi, pointed out that governance is not merely about policies written in documents or programmes announced from government offices, adding that the true measure of governance is the extent to which policies translate into improved livelihoods, increased productivity, social protection, economic opportunities, and dignity for the working people.

He claimed that the administration of Tinubu came into office with a clear understanding that sustained sustainable national development must be anchored on bold reforms, inclusive economic growth, and a renewed social contract between government, labour employers and the Nigerian people, distinguished participants, reforms are never without challenges. 

“Every major transformation requires courage, patience, sacrifice, and political responsibility. However, the objective of the federal government has remained clear to build a stronger, more productive, and more resilient economy that works for all Nigerians in the area of labor and employment,” he said.

The national coordinator of Working People United, William Akporeha, stated that President Tinubu’s administration chose courage over convenience and took the bull by the horns in removing the fuel subsidy. 

“These reforms have brought real pressure on households, workers, traders, transporters, artisans, farmers, market women, and small business owners. Food prices, transport costs, energy costs, and the general cost of living have placed heavy burdens on all of us here today, and our families. This reality cannot be denied. 

“The pain is real, the hardship is real, and the concerns of the people are legitimate. Yes, for us as working people, united for good governance, the message and understanding are clear: reforms are painful, but avoiding a reform would be more dangerous. 

Tinubu took over economy living on borrowed time – Gbajabiamila

Governor Babagana Zulum of Borno State has ordered the immediate closure of the Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) camp in Bama, the largest displacement camp outside Maiduguri.

Zulum made the announcement on Thursday in Gwoza after inspecting the Government Secondary School IDP camp.

He also announced that the Gwoza IDO camp would also be shut in the coming weeks.

The governor said the Bama camp would cease operations following the completion of the profiling and screening of displaced persons.

“We visited Bama yesterday to supervise the screening of IDPs, and by noon, Bama IDP camp will be closed.

“Today we are here in Gwoza. We have profiled all of them, and Insha Allah, in the next two or three weeks this camp will also be closed,” the governor said.

Zulum attributed the decision to the improved security situation in many communities previously affected by the Boko Haram insurgency, noting that thousands of displaced residents had already been successfully resettled.

He said the state government had, over the past seven years, resettled displaced families in communities including Darajamal, Nguro Soye, Goniri, Banki, Abbaram, Ngoshe, Kirawa, Warabe and several other locations across Borno.

The governor, however, expressed concern over increasing criminal activities within some IDP camps, warning that the facilities had become vulnerable to infiltration by criminal elements.

“In our camps now, there is ongoing criminality; we have identified all of them, and they’ll be resettled based on their localities and to their community heads. Otherwise, Boko Haram/ISWAP are gradually infiltrating the camps,” he said.

Zulum also described what he described as the growing trend of residents abandoning their homes to return to camps in order to access humanitarian assistance from non-governmental organizations.

He said the screening exercise uncovered a significant number of persons posing as internally displaced persons, stressing that the government could no longer sustain such camps under those circumstances.

According to him, many households currently occupying the Gwoza camp are residents of the town who had previously returned home but later moved back to the camp.

“One year ago, this was almost a ghost camp with not more than about 400 households. It is surprising that about 3,000 households are back in the camp, and most of them are residents living within the town,” he said.

The governor added that additional IDP camps across the state would be closed before the end of his administration as part of efforts to complete the resettlement programme and promote sustainable recovery.

Zulum Orders Closure Of Bama IDP Camp is first published on The Whistler Newspaper

Magistrates’ Association of Nigeria, MAN, Kwara State Chapter, has threatened to down tools if what it described as discriminatory welfare treatment among magistrates are not addressed by the state government.

A communique issued by the chairman of the association after an emergency Congress held on Wednesday, informed that the indefinite industrial action will begin on July 2, 2026.

The members expressed frustration over what they described as years of neglect by the state government.

According to the communique, the magistrates unanimously demanded immediate action on several welfare issues, including salary review, payment of outstanding allowances and equitable distribution of official vehicles.

The association lamented that a Grade Level 14 Magistrate currently earns less than a Grade Level 14 Court Registrar, describing the situation as unjust and demoralising for judicial officers.

The magistrates also decried the non-payment of furniture allowance, which is expected to accrue every four years.

The association, revealed that the furniture allowance was last paid during the administration of former Governor Abdulfatah Ahmed.

Other grievances raised by the judicial officers include unpaid allowances and alleged disparities in the allocation of official vehicles, with some magistrates reportedly provided with vehicles while others were completely neglected.

The communiqué revealed that members initially demanded that a strike commence within 48 hours due to mounting frustrations, but the Chief Judge of the state reportedly “advised that any ultimatum must comply with due process and should not be less than seven days.”

“Following extensive deliberations between the magistrates and judicial authorities, both parties agreed on a seven-day notice period, which includes the weekend days.

“Today, we held a crucial Congress where the voice of the Magistrates were heard, loud, clear, and resolute.

” There was palpable frustration and righteous anger over the challenges we face, and the overwhelming sentiment was a call to action, that a strike must commence within 48 hours,” the communiqué stated.

The association said its leadership had continued to engage relevant stakeholders in a bid to resolve the issues, but stressed that members had reached a breaking point.

“It is best believed that you have chosen the right Executives who are also fighting alongside every other Magistrate. We are all frustrated and tired,” they stated.

The chairman, however, urged members to remain calm, united and strategic in pursuing their demands, assuring them that efforts were ongoing to secure a favourable outcome.

“Let it be known: This strike shall commence on Thursday, the 2nd day of July, 2026,” the communiqué declared.

The planned industrial action is expected to affect proceedings in magistrates’ courts across Kwara State if the government fails to address the concerns before the expiration of the notice period.

Magistrates threaten strike in Kwara over discriminatory welfare treatment

The children and widow of late Nollywood actor John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, have appealed to Nigerians for financial support as they battle to pay school fees, house rent, and meet other basic needs. The family made the appeal during a video interview with content creator King Mitchy, where they opened up about […]

The post Mr Ibu’s children, widow seek support over school fees, rent appeared first on Tribune Online.

The widow of late Nollywood actor, John Okafor, popularly known as Mr Ibu, has appealed to Nigerians for financial assistance, revealing that she and her children are facing severe hardship more than a year after the actor’s death.

The appeal was made during a video interview with content creator King Mitchy, where the actor’s wife and children opened up about their current living conditions.

Speaking emotionally, the widow disclosed that the family had been living without electricity for about two months after their power supply was disconnected over unpaid bills. She added that they now depend on water from a well because they are unable to afford basic utilities.

According to her, the family is also struggling to pay house rent and meet other essential needs.

“We fetch water from the well because I have not paid the house rent. They have even cut my lights for two months now. Every night we go to look for a place to charge our phones. It’s not easy,” she said.

One of Mr Ibu’s daughters commended her mother for her efforts in keeping the family together despite the challenges.

“I want to thank God for my mom. She tries everything she can to feed us, pay our school fees and make us happy,” she said.

The widow further revealed that her children risk dropping out of school due to unpaid tuition fees, noting that the school had recently sent her a reminder regarding the outstanding payments.

“Right now, they can’t go to school again. I can even show you the message the school sent me today,” she said.

King Mitchy, who conducted the interview, said the appeal was aimed at raising support to help the family settle outstanding school fees, pay rent and restore electricity to their home.

Mr Ibu, one of Nigeria’s most celebrated comic actors, died on March 2, 2024, at the age of 62 after a prolonged illness. His death was widely mourned across the entertainment industry and beyond.

‘We Drink Well Water’ — Mr Ibu’s Widow Seeks Help Over Hardship is first published on The Whistler Newspaper