Mr Fatai Owoseni, the former Commissioner of Police in Lagos and Benue states has said that the dreaded ‘Badoo boys’ which terrorized most communities in Lagos especially Ikorodu, is a creation of the media.

The current Special Adviser (Security) to Oyo State Governor Seyi Makinde who spoke at an event organized by the Ibadan Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ICCI) Ibadan, also stated that reports of the “incessant killings” in the South-West region of Nigeria is also blown out of proportion.

Owoseni made the disclosure in response to President of the Chamber, Mr Ismaila Alapa’s call for an end to incessant killings in the country and in the state.

He said, “It is our nature to denigrate Nigeria Police Force. No institution in Nigeria that has the number of lawyers and graduates that Nigeria Police has. I want to tell you that the issue of incessant killings was exaggerated because Nigeria is dysfunctional.

“Our political leaders, because of their failure, they decided to exaggerate things and colourate crimes politically and religiously. They are only looking for a fault line. They say religion is the opium of the people. They can easily gather people in the church and mosque to tell them lies and we believe it. We are gullible. The social media platforms have added to it.

“The major problem we have in the country are those elites. Once they are out of power and they are not able to manipulate the person in power, they look for how to run that person down. That is what is happening in Nigeria. It is not that we don’t have deteriorating security situation but is there any country where you have a perfect situation?

“The so-called incessant killing when it comes to Southwest is not as bad as it is being portrayed. Traditionally, we have our own people who are criminals.

“Don’t let us join the bandwagon of press people who probably don’t know the meaning of what they said. Because if you said incessant that means it happens constantly and regularly. No. One isolated problem can’t be regarded as incessant. We are not used to the truth in Nigeria. If we do full disclosure we are helping ourselves.

“The Badoo thing is a mirage. It is the creation of the media people. Go and look at our criminal law is there anything called Badoo there? Even in Lagos when the noise was much in Ikorodu, I can tell you, it is not that I’m condemning Ikorodu people. Somehow, Ikorodu is known for certain thing.

“In the days of ‘essential commodity’ during the Shagari regime, if they know that essential commodities were coming from Apapa, once you drive down Odogunyan, that Army Barracks, it is gone because of ‘Eluku’ or whatever, you hear that somebody has got missing.

“So, when those incidents were happening in Lagos and people were talking about ‘Badoo’ if you watched when I was on television, I debunked it. We had murder cases, there is no doubt about that. Murder cases that have the coloration of ritual killings. For God sake, police can’t be everywhere. Where it happened are the houses that are remotely located. Police are not ‘babalawo’s’”.

The former police boss also revealed that murder cases borne out cultism attacks and hooliganism are prevalent in Oyo State. The Nation reported that Owoseni who urged “all and sundry to take security serious because security is a personal task”, disclosed that 357 murder cases was recorded in Oyo State from January to June 2019 and they were borne out of the act of hooliganism.

Nnamdi Kanu who is the leader of the proscribed Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), has warned South-East governors who owe workers in their states to forget about travelling out of the country or else they would be disgraced by members of his secessionist group just as they disgraced former Deputy Senate President, Ike Ekweremadu.

Kanu said this in a recent interview on Ben TV, United Kingdom. According to him, the governors who have refused to pay their workers’ salaries, but travelling aimlessly across the world would be stopped from doing so.

“Very soon, any governor who has not paid salaries will not come abroad anymore. If you owe salaries you’re not allowed to go abroad anymore. You bank teachers’ salaries, you bank the salaries of pensioners, you cannot come abroad anymore.

So this is just the beginning. “We’ll not attack them. We’ll just ask them questions. It is called picketing. It’s allowed within the ambit of democratic rules. So, if we see you, we’ll ask you what you’ve been doing with teachers’ salaries, nurses’ salaries and why you’ve not been paying people and what are you doing here? Any governor owing workers once we catch you abroad you’ll tell us what you’ve been doing with the salaries you’re supposed to pay.

“There’s no time on this earth that any process of agitation will be palatable for everyone or easy for everyone to buy into. When Nnamdi Azikiwe was campaigning for Nigeria to be free from colonial rule, he was sent to prison. Many people felt he was radical and declined to associate themselves with him. But in the end, he succeeded in freeing Nigeria not knowing that we are jumping from the frying pan to fire.

“Awolowo was the same thing. He was a firebrand. Many people didn’t like his approach from the beginning, but on reflection and review of what he did and how he managed to accomplish them, people have come to understand that he meant well for his people.

“So, now that these things are happening, most people would not appreciate it, but I’m sure that in many years to come, historians will look back to what’s happening today,” he said

Geoffery Onyeama, the Minister of Foreign Affairs has asked his South African counterpart, to desist from making inflammatory comments in the heat of the recent Xenophobic attacks.

Naledi Pandor, the South African Minister of Foreign Affairs yesterday had a press conference where she called on the Nigerian government to keep Nigerians who are into drug peddling, human trafficking and other vices, from coming into her country.

According to Pandor, Nigerians in South Africa were into drug peddling, human trafficking and other vices that hurt their nation.

Like many other Nigerians, Onyeama was displeased with Pandor’s comment and has asked her to desist from making such ”outrageous” statements.

See Onyeama’s tweet below

Ekpo Masquerades reportedly attacked the City of Living Grace Chapel, in Idu Uruan, Uruan local government area, Akwa Ibom State, and destroyed the church’s properties, beat up some members and stole the phones of others.

It was gathered that the masquerades, who were purportedly grieved that the pastor of the Church, Apostle Emmanuel Etim, had repeatedly preached against the practice of terrorising the citizens during the Ekpo masquerade festival, were led by a group of touts to attack the Church.

A member of the Church, Ms Mboutidem Sam, in an interview with Daily Trust said the Church was observing a month-long fasting and prayer service when the incident happened.

She said it was possible that the attack was due to the fact that their pastor has repeatedly preached against the fear of Ekpo masquerades and their activities, adding that the masquerades must have decided to physically attack the church as a result of their failed death threats to the church members.

Sam said the masquerades attacked the church twice on the same day. She said at first, some touts entered the church premises and destroyed the speaker outside and put off the generator and later returned in a large number with some masquerades.

According to her, they entered the church and started beating up people, destroyed church properties and in the process many members lost their phones, adding that many people were injured.

She said the masquerades also attacked a motorcyclist, who brought a member to the church, and the man ran into the church with blood dripping from his head, causing many members to scamper for safety.

Sam also stated that though nobody died, one of the injured persons was rushed to the hospital but has been discharged. She, however, she said was not aware if the authorities of the church have reported the incident to the Police.

“They stole phones from the pastor and some choristers. So many people lost their property. The car of one of our pastors was vandalised, that was the only car that was destroyed. People were still coming to Church when the incident happened. The attack would have been very severe than that if the Church was filled,” she stated.

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