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2023: ‘Obidient’ youths rally support for Obi/Datti in Kwara

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•Youths rally for Peter Obi/Ahmed Datti Presidential Ambition in Ilorin on Saturday

Some youths in llorin on Saturday embarked on a rally supporting the Peter Obi/Ahmed Datti presidential ambition, after an initial hiccup with security operatives.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the group, made up mainly of youths, trooped out enmasse with branded T-shirts and posters of the Presidential Candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, gathered at the Stella Obasanjo Hall, along Ajase-Ipo road in Ilorin.

Some security agents, including officers of the Police, were also noticed in the area in large number engaging the organisers of the rally and some participants.

After a long discussion, the youths were later allowed to march towards Offa-Garage roundabout area.

Speaking with newsmen, Mr Aloysius Nwora, the Kwara Coordinator of the Coalition of Obi Support Groups, said the rally was in solidarity with the political aspiration of Peter Obi, a former governor of Anambra.

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“We are having a health walk in solidarity for our principals, Peter Obi and Ahmed Datti.

“The essence of this rally is to counter what is happening in social media or media generally that Obi has no structure.

“We want to clear those saying such that Obi has a structure and we are the structure.

“They said Labour Party has no structure; we agree with them because we are not politicians, but individuals with a passion to make a change in the country through ballot revolution.

On the chances of Obi/Datti in the 2023 General Elections, the coordinator said: “I am not a member of Labour Party and I can’t speak for them, but I can speak for the movement.

“This movement has covered the whole 16 local government areas in Kwara state alone and same in other states in Nigeria.

“Masses and youths, in particular, are our real structure and you can see it with the level of turnout today,” he said.

On the altercation with the security operatives, he explained that the group sought approval from the police to avert possible hijack of the peaceful rally.

“Just as we all know the country has been hijacked, we fully wrote to the security agencies to inform them about this rally, but unfortunately early this morning we got information that we should not hold the rally.

“We insisted that this is a peaceful rally, not a political campaign and here we are, although, this can serve as a discouragement to some people that have not come here this morning.

“But, I believe they would soon be joining us as we are marching on. We have put in every arrangement for this rally and regret the little delay that occurred,” he said.

Also speaking, Mr Omoniyi Idowu, the state Coordinator for Peter Obi Youth Vanguard and Secretary for the Coalition of Peter Obi in Kwara, said: “We are only here for solidarity rally because as our slogan says, we are Obidiently Yusuful.

“We are not here to disturb the peace of the people in the state.

“The presence of police officers in numbers is just to intimidate us because I was one of the persons that signed the letter submitted to the security agencies to intimate them about this rally today.

“I along with others were with police on Sept. 21 for interrogation, although police boss told us that Kwara state is not ready for campaign but we told them that what we are doing is not a campaign but solidarity rally for a man we believe in.

“Police boss kept saying Kwara is not ready for campaign and we kept telling him that it is rally not campaign.

“You can see from what is written on my T-shirt, Support Peter Obi/Ahmed Datti, it is not vote for Peter Obi/Ahmed Datti.

“So there is no basis for the police officers to be blocking us not to hold support rally for our man,” he said.

Reacting to the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO), SP Okasanmi Ajayi said “we saw them gathered, they claimed they want to march for Peter Obi of Labour Party.

“Like we all know that it’s not yet time for campaign and we have report that the time is not ripe for this type of rally in Kwara.

“That is why the Commissioner of Police, CP Paul Odama, called their leaders and addressed them but they had already gathered and nothing we can do at this stage again than to guide them and ensure that there is no breakdown of law and order.

“That is why you see a lot of policemen here. I can tell you that so far, they have done their talks and they have been asked to go, because it’s not yet a time for campaign.

“They also said it is not a campaign but solidarity rally, that is why we are preventing them from moving beyond this area.

“Although it’s their right to move but what we are saying is that the security report does not permit such movement to certain areas because we have other groups doing other things along the area they intend to march to, like ‘Post Office and Taiwo.

“It could lead to commotion and we don’t want to give chance to anything that would lead to breakdown of law and order,” said the PPRO.

(NAN)

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DSS releases Nnamdi Kanu’s doctor, Aghaji

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Martin Aghaji, retired professor
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…insider sheds light on reason for his arrest

Professor Martin Aghaji, personal doctor to Nnamdi Kanu, has been arrested by Nigeria’s security operatives, Aloy Ejimakor, Mr Kanu’s lawyer said in an X post on Saturday.

Mr Kanu is the convicted leader of the outlawed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). He is serving life imprisonment in Sokoto State after a federal high court in Abuja convicted him in November for terrorism.

Mr Ejimakor said in the X post that Mr Aghaji, a retired professor, was arrested at his residence in Enugu State on Friday.

The lawyer did not specifically say which operatives arrested the medical doctor, although he suggested that the arrest was connected to a medical report issued by the doctor on Mr Kanu which contradicted a similar report by the Department of  State Security (DSS).

“This is the height of the official harassment he has been facing since he issued the medical report that did not comport with the SSS’s medical report on Mazi Nnamdi Kanu,” Mr Ejimakor said.

How they arrested the medical doctor

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In another post on Sunday evening, the lawyer claimed “the security operatives” stormed Mr Aghaji’s residence at about 3:00 a.m., violently pulled down his gate and forcibly gained entry” into the apartment.

“During the commotion, shots were fired. They’ve now taken him to Lagos,” he stated.

Release of the doctor

Mr Ejimakor, in a fresh post on Sunday night, announced that Mr Aghaji has been released from detention following the intervention of the Nigeria Medical Association (NMA) and other bodies.

“While welcoming this development, the DSS is hereby admonished to do better than this,” he said, suggesting that the secret police earlier carried out the arrest.

DSS speaks

When contacted on Monday, the spokesperson of the DSS, Favour Dozie, confirmed the secret police indeed arrested Mr Aghaji from his residence in Enugu.

Ms Dozie, however, said the arrest was never linked to Mr Kanu or IPOB.

“He was arrested, but not in connection with Nnamdi Kanu,” she said, refusing to give details because the matter was under investigation.

The DSS spokesperson stressed that the retired professor’s arrest could not have been linked to Mr Kanu because the IPOB leader had already been convicted by a court and currently serving jail term.

She confirmed that Mr Aghaji was granted administrative bail and subsequently released to the NMA leadership in Lagos State on Sunday after providing a credible individual as his surety.

An official of the DSS later informed PREMIUM TIMES that Mr Aghaji’s arrest followed his alleged financial transactions to high-profile criminals under investigation.

“He was even sorry about it when he was informed of the transactions he made. The man himself felt very bad,” said the official who asked not to be named because he did not have permission to speak on the matter.

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PFIPC: Adeyemi’s father arrested as police intensify forgery probe

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The father of Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi, who is facing criminal charges over alleged forgery and impersonation, was reportedly arrested by police operatives on Monday in Ogbomoso, Oyo State.

Residents told journalists that the arrest took place at the family’s residence, where officers reportedly arrived in several vehicles before taking Adeniyi’s father and another man said to have been visiting the home into custody.

Witnesses said the operation drew the attention of residents and caused anxiety within the household, particularly for the suspect’s elderly mother.

A resident, who requested anonymity, alleged that the officers quickly secured the premises and left with the two men, while a security presence remained in the area for some time after the operation.

Prince Adeyemi Adeniyi is currently standing trial over allegations of forgery, impersonation and related offences arising from claims linked to the purported Presidential Fiscal and Infrastructure Projects Council.

The case is pending before the court.

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As of the time of filing this report, the Oyo State Police Command had not issued an official statement confirming or explaining the reported arrests.

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Tiktoker, Peller, arraigned in court for threatening and videoing police officers on duty; granted 500k bail

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Peller
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The Lagos state police command today July 6 arraigned popular TikToker, Habeeb Hamzat aka Peller, and one other, Bello Oladipo, before a magistrate court on a three-count charge bordering on resisting police officers, obstructing them from carrying out their duties, and threatening and videoing police officers while performing their lawful duties.

Recall that on July 2, Peller clashed with some officers along the Coastal road in Lagos after he was intercepted for allegedly driving a car without a plate number.

Peller had claimed he had just purchased the vehicle.

The officers, however, dismissed his claim and insisted he must be taken to the station. Things, however, took a different turn after Peller began recording his interaction with the police officers.

He claimed the officers became hostile to him. He alleged that one of the officers dragged his shirt and even pointed a gun at him.

Monday morning, both Peller and his friend, who was in the vehicle with him, were arraigned before a Lagos Magistrate court.

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Count one of the charges reads:

‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m” of No. 16,Platinum Road Lekki phase 2 , on the 2” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable Court, did conspire amongst yourselves to commit felony to wit: Resisting public officers and thereby committed an offense punishable under Section 411 of the Criminal Laws of Lagos state 2015.

COUNT 2

‘’That you Bello Oladipo “m” and Habeeb Hamzat “m “ of Number 16, Platinum Road, Lekki Phase 2, on the 2’” day of July 2026 at about 2000hrs at Coastal Road Lekki, Lagos within the Magisterial district of this Honourable court did obstruct one ASP Agbede Victor and three other police officers while engaged in the discharge of their constituted duties and thereby committed an offence contrary to and punishable by Section 117 (1)(2) of the Criminal Laws of Lagos State 2015.”

Both defendants pleaded not guilty to all three counts.

The court subsequently granted them bail in the sum of N500,000 each with two sureties, one of whom must be a bl++d relative. The court also directed them to present two years’ tax clearance certificates as part of their bail conditions.

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