The Anambra State Police Command has recorded another major operational success as operatives of the Commissioner of Police (CP) Special Patrol recovered arms, suspected stolen cash, and other incriminating items during a hot pursuit in Abagana.
The incident occurred at about 5:00 p.m. on Tuesday, December 16, 2025, during an offensive security operation aimed at flushing out criminal elements and strengthening public safety across the state.
According to police sources, the operatives encountered suspected criminals who attempted to evade arrest upon sighting the patrol team, triggering a high-speed chase through the area.
In the course of the pursuit, the suspects’ operational vehicle was involved in an accident, forcing the occupants to abandon the vehicle and flee into the surrounding environment.
A thorough search of the abandoned ash-coloured Toyota Highlander with registration number UWN 680 PE led to the discovery of dangerous weapons and other items suspected to be linked to criminal activities.
Among the items recovered were one pump-action rifle and one locally fabricated single-barrel rifle, raising serious concerns about the intentions of the fleeing suspects.
Police operatives also recovered a sum of Six Hundred and Thirty-Six Thousand, Seven Hundred Naira (₦636,700.00), believed to be suspected proceeds of crime.
Other incriminating items found inside the vehicle are currently being analyzed as part of ongoing investigations by the Command.
Although the suspects escaped during the incident, the Police Command has confirmed that their identities are being traced through intelligence gathering and coordinated tracking efforts.
The Command disclosed that intelligence-led operations have since been intensified across Abagana and adjoining communities to ensure the arrest of the fleeing suspects.
Security presence in the area has also been strengthened to prevent any further criminal activity and to reassure residents of the police’s readiness to respond swiftly to threats.
The Anambra State Police Command described the recovery as a testament to its proactive policing approach and sustained commitment to combating crime in the state.
Residents have been urged to remain calm but vigilant, and to promptly report any suspicious movement or information that could assist security agencies.
The Police Command reaffirmed that the safety of lives and property remains its top priority, stressing that criminal elements will find no hiding place in Anambra State.
In a statement signed by the Police Public Relations Officer, SP Ikenga Tochukwu, the Command assured Ndi Anambra that further developments on the operation will be communicated as investigations continue.
Former Chief Justice of Nigeria (CJN), Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad (retd.), is dead.
Tanko was said to have died on Tuesday morning at a hospital in Saudi Arabia.
His death was confirmed in an official condolence statement issued by the Nigerian Association of Muslim Law Students (NAMLAS), National Headquarters, Abuja, dated December 16, 2025.
In the statement titled “NAMLAS Condolence Message on the Passing of Hon. Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, GCON, Former Chief Justice of Nigeria,” the association described his death as a major loss to the country.
“Indeed, to Allah we belong, and to Him we shall return,” the statement read.
“The Nigeria Association of Muslim Law Students (NAMLAS), National Headquarters, Abuja, receives with profound sorrow the news of the passing of Honourable Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, GCON, former Chief Justice of Nigeria. His demise is a monumental loss to the Nigerian judiciary, the legal profession, the Muslim Ummah, and the nation at large.”
Justice Muhammad, who served as the Chief Justice of Nigeria before his retirement, was described by the association as “a towering figure of integrity, humility, and unwavering commitment to justice.”
According to NAMLAS, throughout his judicial career, the former CJN “exemplified the highest ideals of the Bench—fairness, courage, and fidelity to the rule of law.”
The statement added, “As Chief Justice of Nigeria, he discharged his responsibilities with wisdom and restraint, leaving behind a legacy of service that will continue to guide generations of legal practitioners.”
Beyond his role on the Bench, NAMLAS said the late jurist played a significant mentorship role, particularly among young Muslim law students across the country.
“To NAMLAS, the late Chief Justice was more than a jurist; he was a fatherly pillar and a source of encouragement to Muslim law students across the country,” the association said, noting that his “support, moral guidance, and openness to the aspirations of young Muslim legal minds reflected his deep belief in mentorship, continuity, and the nurturing of future custodians of justice.”
The association extended condolences to his family, the Nigerian judiciary, and the country at large.
“We extend our heartfelt condolences to his family, the Nigerian Judiciary, the Government and people of Nigeria, and the entire Muslim Ummah,” the statement said.
NAMLAS also offered prayers for the repose of his soul, praying that Allah forgives his shortcomings, accepts his good deeds, and grants him “the highest abode in Jannatul Firdaus.”
Justice Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad served Nigeria’s judiciary for decades and rose to the highest judicial office in the country, leaving behind a career that shaped key moments in the nation’s legal history.
The Edo State Police Command has intensified its crackdown on cult-related violence, neutralising a suspected cultist and arresting 27 others during a late-night raid that disrupted an alleged initiation ceremony.
Public Relations Officer of the command, ASP Eno Ikoedem, confirmed the operation in a statement issued on Monday in Benin City. She explained that the raid was based on credible intelligence that members of the Neo Black Axe Movement of Nigeria, popularly known as Black Axe, had gathered in Urohi village, Esan-West Local Government Area, about 18 kilometres from Ekpoma, for an initiation exercise.
The raid took place at approximately 10:00 p.m. on Saturday and was led by the Divisional Police Officer of Ekpoma Division, SP Nelson Igbinoba. The combined team included police tactical operatives, local vigilantes, and hunters.
According to Ikoedem, the operatives came under gunfire while attempting to make arrests. “One of the cultists opened fire on the police and, in the ensuing gun duel, the suspect was neutralised,” she said.
Recovered items from the scene included firearms, dangerous weapons, vehicles, mobile phones, and substances suspected to be hemp.
Commissioner of Police, Mr. Monday Agbonika, has ordered the immediate transfer of the suspects to the State Criminal Investigations Department (SCID) for thorough investigation and prosecution. He commended the operatives for their swift response and professionalism during the operation.
Agbonika reassured residents of the command’s unwavering commitment to combating cultism, kidnapping, and other forms of criminality across Edo State.
ASP Ikoedem urged residents to continue supporting the police with timely and credible information, stressing that community cooperation is vital to sustaining the offensive against cult-related violence and other threats to public safety.
The Edo State Police Command has confirmed the rescue of 11 passengers who were among 18 kidnapped along the Benin–Akure highway near Obarenren village in Ovia North East Local Government Area.
Police spokesperson, ASP Eno Ikoedem, disclosed the development on Monday in Benin City, explaining that the victims were abducted on December 12, 2025, when gunmen ambushed their vehicle and forced it to a halt at gunpoint.
According to Ikoedem, the police received a distress call immediately after the incident and mobilised a combined team of police operatives, army personnel, and local vigilante groups. The joint team combed the surrounding bush in search of the abducted passengers.
On Sunday, 11 of the victims were rescued while seven others are still in the captivity of their abductors,” she said.
Recovered victims have since been reunited with their families, while security operatives continue intensive operations to secure the release of the remaining seven passengers.
ASP Ikoedem reassured residents that the command is doing everything possible to ensure the safe return of those still held by the kidnappers. She urged members of the public to remain calm and continue to support security agencies with credible information.
“The command remains committed to rescuing the remaining victims unharmed and sustaining the fight against kidnapping and other criminal activities across Edo State,” she added.
… Says petrol pump price to fall below N740 per litre before Christmas
(Top) President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr Farouk Ahmed
By SAM POPOOLA, Lagos
President and Chief Executive of Dangote Industries Limited, Aliko Dangote, has called for an investigation and prosecution of the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Engr Farouk Ahmed, accusing him of economic sabotage, which he said is undermining domestic refining in Nigeria.
Speaking at a press conference at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Sunday, Dangote accused the leadership of the NMDPRA of colluding with international traders and oil importers to frustrate local refining through the continued issuance of import licences for petroleum products.
Dangote alleged that Engr Ahmed was living beyond his legitimate means, claiming that four of his children attend secondary schools in Switzerland at costs running into several million dollars. He said such expenditure raised serious questions about potential conflicts of interest and the integrity of regulatory oversight in the downstream petroleum sector.
The Dangote Group chairman assured Nigerians that the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) would fall further, stating that petrol would sell at no more than N740 per litre from Tuesday, beginning in Lagos, due to his refinery’s reduction of the gantry price to N699 per litre. He said MRS filling stations would be the first to reflect the new pricing.
Expressing concern over the state of the downstream sector, Dangote said Nigeria’s continued reliance on fuel imports was harming local production and discouraging investment in domestic refining. He disclosed that import licences covering approximately 7.5 billion litres of PMS had reportedly been issued for the first quarter of 2026, despite the availability of significant domestic refining capacity.
According to him, modular refineries are already struggling under the current policy environment and on the brink of extinction, while the persistent issuance of import permits further weakens the sector.
“I am not calling for his removal, but for a proper investigation. He should be required to account for his actions and demonstrate that he has not compromised his position to the detriment of Nigerians. What is happening amounts to economic sabotage,” Dangote said.
He further alleged that Farouk paid as much as five million dollars in tuition fees for his children’s secondary education in Switzerland, questioning how many Nigerians could afford such costs.
“The Code of Conduct Bureau, or any other body deemed appropriate by the government, can investigate the matter. If he denies it, I will not only publish the tuition he paid at those secondary schools, but I will also take legal steps to compel the schools to disclose the payments made by Farouk. I sent my own children to secondary schools here in Nigeria. How many Nigerians can afford to pay five million dollars for secondary school tuition, not university education? In his home state of Sokoto, many parents are struggling to pay as little as N10,000 in school fees,” Dangote said.
He described the downstream petroleum sector as being under severe strain, alleging the presence of entrenched interests that profit from fuel imports at the expense of national development.
“There are powerful interests in the oil sector. It is troubling that African countries continue to import refined products despite long-standing calls for value addition and domestic refining. The volume of imports being allowed into the country is unethical and does a disservice to Nigeria,” he added.
Dangote stressed the need for a clear separation between regulatory oversight and commercial interests, warning that allowing traders to influence regulation would undermine the integrity of the sector.
“The downstream sector must not be destroyed by personal interests. A trader should never be a regulator. Forty-seven licences have been issued, yet no new refineries are being built because the environment is not conducive,” he said.
He maintained that Nigerians would ultimately benefit from local refining, even as fuel importers incur losses. Dangote said he would not relent in ensuring that Nigerians enjoy the benefits of domestic refining, noting that the company was working around the clock to ensure that recent reductions in the gantry price were fully reflected at the retail level.
From Tuesday, he said, all MRS filling stations would begin selling PMS at prices not exceeding N740 per litre, starting in Lagos. He added that the refinery had reduced its minimum purchase requirement from two million litres to 500,000 litres to enable more marketers, including members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), to participate.
“So if you come to the refinery today, you will get PMS at N699 per litre,” he said.
Dangote disclosed that despite frustration and sabotage, the refinery would deploy its Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) trucks in the coming days and was prepared to procure additional units beyond the initial 4,000 if required to sustain affordable pricing nationwide.
Responding to complaints from oil importers that the recent price reduction would result in losses, Dangote said the refinery was established primarily for the benefit of Nigerians.
“Anyone who chooses to continue importing despite the availability of locally refined products should be prepared to face the consequences,” he said.
He also highlighted quality differences, noting that products supplied through MRS and other offtakers from the refinery were straight-run fuels, unlike blended products imported from overseas markets.
“Nigerians have a choice to buy better quality fuel at a more affordable price or to buy blended PMS at a higher rate. Importers can continue to lose, so long as Nigerians benefit,” he added.
Dangote said the refinery was driven more by legacy than profit, noting that he could have invested the 20 billion dollars elsewhere if financial gain were his sole objective. He revealed plans to list the refinery on the Nigerian Exchange to allow Nigerians to own shares in the facility.
“We want every living Nigerian to have the opportunity to benefit, no matter how small their holding. If the market takes 55 per cent and I retain 45 per cent, I am satisfied,” he said.
He disclosed that discussions were ongoing with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to enable Nigerians to purchase shares in naira while receiving dividends in dollars.
Dangote accused the NMDPRA of misrepresenting the refinery’s capacity by publishing offtake figures rather than actual production levels.
“We have the capacity to meet local demand, and we have sufficient refined products in stock. But to keep prices high, imports are deliberately encouraged,” he said, adding that attempts were being made to push the refinery into exporting products only for them to be re-imported into Nigeria at higher prices.
“This refinery is for Nigerians first, and I am not giving up,” he said.
Dangote also disclosed that the refinery imports an average of 100 million barrels of crude oil annually from the United States, a figure expected to rise to 200 million barrels following expansion, due to insufficient domestic crude supply. He added that the refinery also sources crude from Ghana and other countries, while exporting jet fuel and gasoline to the United States.
He further alleged that domestic refiners are forced to buy Nigerian crude at premiums of up to four dollars per barrel from the trading arms of international oil companies, placing them at a competitive disadvantage.
He called on the government to ensure crude oil taxes are assessed based on actual transaction values, warning that the current system allows under-declaration and revenue losses.
“Edo State police have arrested a 49-year-old man for allegedly killing his 15-year-old son and secretly burying him in their family compound in Igueben LGA. Authorities say investigations are ongoing.”
A 49-year-old man from Edo State, whose identity has been withheld, has been arrested by the police for allegedly killing his 15-year-old son and secretly burying his remains within their family compound.
Confirming the development, the Police Public Relations Officer (PPRO) of the Edo State Police Command, Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Eno Ikoedem, disclosed this in a statement made available to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Sunday in Benin City
The disturbing incident occurred in Uhe community, Igueben Local Government Area of Edo State.
According to the statement, the suspect was arrested following credible intelligence received by the police on December 6. Acting on the information, operatives led by the Divisional Police Officer visited the suspect’s residence, where the report was confirmed.
Ikoedem explained that preliminary investigations revealed that the suspect allegedly assaulted the teenager with a stick on December 5 at about 7:00 p.m., an attack which reportedly led to the boy’s death.
“The suspect allegedly dug a grave within the family compound and secretly buried the corpse,” she said.
She added that critical information provided by the deceased’s grandmother—an 82-year-old woman and the suspect’s mother who resides in the same household—greatly aided the investigation.
The police spokesperson further stated that, following due administrative procedures, officers exhumed the grave, documented the scene with photographs, and recovered the stick allegedly used in committing the offence as an exhibit.
She noted that the suspect has been taken into custody, while investigations are ongoing to fully unravel the circumstances surrounding the incident.
Ikoedem disclosed that the Commissioner of Police in Edo State, Monday Agbonika, has ordered the transfer of the case to the Homicide Section of the State Criminal Investigation Department (SCID) for thorough investigation and prosecution.
She added that the Commissioner warned against all forms of violence and urged residents to remain vigilant and promptly report suspicious activities to the nearest police station.
“The command remains committed to protecting lives and enforcing the rule of law,” she said.
The High Court of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, has issued an ex parte interim injunction restraining the Editor-in-Chief of Law and Society Magazine as well as Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja from making further alleged derogatory publications against prominent Nigerian lawyer, Dr. Monday Onyekachi Ubani, SAN.
The order, granted on Tuesday, December 9, 2025, by Hon. Justice S. U. Bature of the Maitama Division, follows a defamation suit filed by Ubani, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria and former Vice President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA). The suit, marked FCT/HC/CV/4411/2025, alleges that the defendants circulated materials that injured Ubani’s professional reputation.
Justice Bature, after reviewing Ubani’s ex parte application (No. FCT/HC/M/16245/2025) filed on December 4, 2025, and supported by an affidavit sworn to by Susan Nwenna Nwaze, granted the following interim orders: That
The defendants, their agents, and privies are barred from issuing or disseminating any further publications considered derogatory of Ubani pending the hearing and determination of the substantive motion on notice.
All parties are directed to maintain the status quo ante bellum until the court hears the motion on notice.
The court granted permission for substituted service of all processes on the defendants.
The matter has been adjourned to December 16, 2025, for the hearing of the Motion on Notice. Dr. Ubani was represented by Sir N. S. C. Okoro.
While the specific contents of the alleged defamatory publications remain sealed pending further proceedings, the lawsuit is reportedly linked to recent articles published in Law and Society Magazine and public statements by the defendants which Ubani says have gravely harmed his reputation as a respected human rights advocate and Senior Advocate of Nigeria.
As NDLEA intercepts US, Canada, Sweden-bound opioids in black soup containers, designer wears; uncovers clandestine codeine syrup factory in Abia; arrests woman, son over 1,187kg skunk seizure in Ondo
Three weeks after escaping arrest at his home in Anguwan Makera, Kuta, Shiroro local government area of Niger state, a notorious supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in the area, 33-year-old Mohammed Sani (alias Gamboli) has been arrested by operatives of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA) at his hideout.
Following credible intelligence about the illicit drug activities of Gamboli, NDLEA operatives had on 20th November 2025 raided his house at Anguwan Makera, Kuta, where they recovered 471.8 kilograms of skunk, a strain of cannabis. Though he escaped arrest during the raid and has since been in hiding, the manhunt for him eventually paid off on Thursday 11th December when NDLEA officers acting on processed intelligence traced and arrested him at one of his drug joints in Anguwan Fadama, Kuta. Intelligence reports had indicated that Gamboli is a major supplier of illicit drugs to bandits operating in Shiroro local government area.
Meanwhile, NDLEA officers in Abia on Thursday 11th December raided a clandestine codeine syrup-manufacturing factory at Amapu Igbengwo village, Umuakpara, in Osisioma local government area of the state. During the operation, operatives recovered a total of 9,015 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 1,152.2kg.
In Enugu state, operatives on Thursday 11th December arrested Ossai Emeka, 45, along Onitsha – Enugu Ezike road with 7.2kg skunk, while Enoje Agada, 40, was nabbed along Enugu-Ezike -Ette road with 94.6kg of same psychoactive substance.
A raid carried out by NDLEA operatives at a notorious drug joint known as “Beere the California” at Ido in Oyo state on Thursday 11th December led to the seizure of 3.4kg skunk, 1.6kg Colorado, a synthetic cannabis and 400grams of methamphetamine. The owner of the drug joint identified as “Idowu the killer” is currently at large while a suspect Ajibade Faruk was nabbed at the joint. Another operation at Idi Oro, Elekuro, Ibadan on Friday 12th December led to the arrest of Olusanya Abosede, 35, and the seizure of 238.4kg skunk.
While the duo of Bashiru Babalola, 43, and Ugunwale Ranti, 50, were arrested on Wednesday 10th December at Gbaji checkpoint, Seme road Badagry, Lagos with 50,000 pills of tramadol 250mg, NDLEA operatives in Ogun state arrested two suspects: Akinwale Makanjuola and Joseph Owolabi with 73kg skunk at Iperu just as another suspect Wasiu Lateef was nabbed with 25kg of same substance at Oke Agbede, Imeko area of the state on Tuesday 9th December.
In Ondo state, NDLEA officers acting on credible intelligence on Monday 10th December raided a compound in Ogbese, Akure North local government area, where they arrested a 55-year-old woman Veronica Obi and her 29-year-old son Bright Obi, and recovered 1,187 kilograms of skunk and its seeds from them.
A suspect Ohiomah Igbafe, 44, was arrested during a raid operation at Uroe community, Owan East local government area of Edo state, where 461kg skunk and its seeds were recovered on Tuesday 9th December.
In Gombe state, a suspect Muhammed Sani (alias Sha-Mu-Sha), 50, was arrested with 40,000 capsules of tramadol at Tunfure area, Gombe, while two other suspects: Muhammad Abdullahi (a.k.a Sakalala), 52, and Muhammed Hamza (a.k.a Mamman), 32, were nabbed at Ashaka Jalingo, with 56kg skunk on Monday 8th December.
No fewer than 907 pills of tramadol, tapentadol, cocodamol, amitriptyline and bromazepam concealed in containers of local black soap, and designer wears, in six different consignments going to the US, Canada and Sweden were intercepted and seized by NDLEA operatives at two major courier companies in Lagos between Tuesday 9th and Wednesday 10th December 2025.
At the Apapa seaport in Lagos, NDLEA officers on Saturday 13th December intercepted a consignment of 170,000 bottles of codeine syrup weighing 23,579kg during a joint examination of a container with men of Customs Service and other security agencies.
In like manner, Commands and formations of the Agency across the country continued their War Against Drug Abuse, WADA, sensitization activities to schools, worship centres, work places and communities among others in the past week. These include: WADA enlightenment lecture to students and staff of Community Senior Secondary School, Sheme, Katsina; Government College, Tudun Wada Dankade, Kano; and Methodist High School, Makurdi, Benue, while the Enugu state command of the Agency paid a WADA advocacy visit to HRM Igwe Ikechukwu Samuel Asadu, Chairman, Enugu State Council of Traditional Rulers.
While commending the officers and men of DOGI, Niger, Abia, Oyo, Enugu, Seme, Ogun, Ondo, Gombe, Apapa and Edo Commands for the arrests, seizures and their dexterity, Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NDLEA, Brig. Gen. Mohamed Buba Marwa (rtd) enjoined them and their colleagues across the country to continue with the ongoing balanced approach to the drug control efforts of the Agency.
There I was. A green behind the ears strapping youth, completely lost in the environment of a University. I had registered as a fresh undergraduate of the University of Ibadan in September 1971. There was a gathering in Trenchard Hall – it was the welcome ceremony for new students. It was , I think 2nd October 1971. The big wigs were there and many others. I stood with another fresh student from Iya Gbeddeand we were chatting in our dialect. Suddenly, I heard this boom of a baritone voice, with a forefinger pointing directly at me, “You. Come here”. I trembled like a leaf in the wind as I approached this huge and imposing man. “Where do you come from?”, he asked next. “Good afternoon Sir. I come from Takete IDE in Kabba Division” I mumbled in response. “What is your name and who are your parents?” he asked. I wondered why this huge man before me was interested in finding out who was but I had no choice in the matter. His tone seemed like a command I had to obey. So I told him. Suddenly, completely unprepared for what came next, I found myself off the ground, held in a vice grip by arms that seemed as long and as strong as those of a gorilla. He was huge and I was small. It was not a difficult thing for him to lift me up in a passionate embrace. Swirling around my head was the big question, “who is this man and what is happening?”. He put me down gently but held on to my hand in his big ‘paw’. Still a baritone boom, his voice softened as he said, “I am Albert Anjorin from Ayede Amuro. Welcome to UI” and immediately changed to our very unique ‘specie’ of Yagba.
I was in what was like a dream. This is the great Dr Anjorin whose name and fame, “our first doctor” I had heard in whispers, standing right there, holding my hand and chatting happily with me!. I had known his father and family in Ayede before they moved to Orokere. Who didn’t know the father of the famous doctor? I had, and still have to pass through Ayede to and fro to connect the rest of the world. I passed through Ayede and Orokere on the very day Boda Albert’ left to be with the Lord and did so again as recent as last Sunday (07 December). Back to starters.
After the ceremony in Trenchard Hall, he asked for, and actually followed me to my room in Mellanby Hall nearby. From there he took me to his apartment in UCH, cooked me a meal and returned me to my hostel in the evening. It is a long story because it was ONE DAY that defined the life long relationship we had.
His apartment in UCH became my second home for three years as I spent almost every Sunday after church there. At times he would come to take me out. He became Boda Albert and I became Wora David. That’s how he greeted me from 1971 to the last time we spoke two months to his departure from Mother Earth. Boda Albert lived large and lived life to the full. He chose his path and there was no persuading him otherwise. He let me be with what he called my “fanatic religion” and never disparaged my faith. But he asked me to let him be in his chosen path. He had a wonderful and long courtship. It was romance made in heaven. I saw their radiance faces at the wedding and the fairy tale first months of marriage in their UCH apartment. I joined them in the joy of welcoming Olumide into this world. I also shared in the sorrow and strain of a young marriage in crisis. For once he allowed my faith in God to intrude into his life. But Boda Albert chose his path. However, crises didn’t change him. He remained a man of indomitable character, always carefully choosing what he wanted and sticking to it whatever the “world” said.
I left him in Ibadan after graduation and our paths didn’t
cross again until 17 September 1977. I had arrived in London on 01 September to begin my PhD program at the University of London. I had no idea Boda Albert was in London but somehow someone told him I was in London too and incredibly, he showed up at the front desk of my International Hall residence that day, 17th. The unmistakable Wora David reached me before I reached him. I felt the same bear hug as I felt on 02 October 1971. It was so good to see him. Of course it was not long before we headed for his apartment in his car. There, for the first time in my life, I saw colour TV – 17/09/77!
Unfortunately it was the tail end of his stay in London and three months later he returned home. We relived the three months like the Ibadan days afresh. His open, loud and bombastic laughter and friendliness “without guile”, the hallmark of his entire life, still played out.
I moved to live in the University Quarters, Fate, Ilorin, early 1986. Boda Albert was living almost directly opposite me. He wasn’t far from Prof Fawole while my dear Oga and Mentor, now His Majesty, the Elegbe of Egbe, Uncle Ayo Irekera, lived further down the road (that was when we knew that Tunde, though still young, would go places). Boda Albert’s home became my second home once again until the saga of the “University and 44 Lecturers” erupted and he had to leave. He remained himself, lived large, spoke his mind with uncharacteristic candor and dared the world to oppose him. Boda Albert was my mentor. Even though he was himself unbendable in his principles, he and Uncle Moses Ayinmodu, also my relation from Amuro, did more to tame my temperament than anyone else. I was a rash, bold and undiplomatic young man. Like Boda Albert, I feared no man, spoke my mind frankly and damning the consequences. Our Father, Late Chief Sunday Awoniyi, once called me “an unguided middle” when others quaked in his presence but I would have none of what he was trying to make us do. Boda Albert and Chief Moses Ayinmodu took it upon themselves to tame my rascality. “You say the truth and you stand on good arguments BUT it is important to apply wisdom and respect for people, if not your good qualities will be wasted” they kept admonishing me. They succeeded, more than anyone else could do in remolding me into what I am today. I am most indebted to them. They are the foremost heroes of my life
I cannot close this tribute without saying this. In 2010, the Council of Okun Traditional Rulers under the wise Chairmanship of His Majesty, Obaro OLOBAYO- a veritable and incredible Obaro, and other Okun Elders set up a Committee of Distinguished Okun People to liaise with the leaders of Kogi Central, led by the Ohinoyi of Ebiraland and the Leaders of Oworo and Lokoja to seek their cooperation and alliance in the quest for the creation of Kabba State. The Committee had important meetings all round and was very successful. The point I want to make is that Boda Albert was a member of that Committee and I was the Chairman of that Committee. How can I be Chairman when Prof Anjorin and other notable Okun Sons are there? I wanted to reject that position. It was Boda Albert who said “David, God chose you not man. Where assignments are political like this, you are my Leader and I promise to serve with you” . He was the behind the scene hand that guided me through that assignment. He developed the schedule and strategy with me and came to my rescue when my youthful experience could not carry me through. I will never forget that sssignment and the role Boda Albert played in it. I was no equal to him in any way but he humbled himself to let me be his boss. What a man! What a heart! What a hero! Boda Albert is one of the finest that Okunland and Nigeria have ever produced. I, especially, will miss him. Adieu, Boda Albert
Unfortunately Boda, I will not be able to be at your graveside to bid you farewell in Amuro or pay my personal respects in the ceremony at Ilorin. One my was from Takete IDE on 07 December 2025, I slipped a disc on the rough patch between Koto nKarfi and Gegu. I am unable to undertake any trip now because of my back. Know this, however Boda Albert, I am deeply grateful for all you have done to make my life better. I will remember them and you all the days of my life. I will pass on the story of your life to the coming genenations. Farewell Boda Albert. Rest until we meet again
The Commissioner of Police, CP Ikioye Orutugu, fwc mnips PhD, today 12th December 2025, held Command’s Strategic Officers’ Lecture at the Police Command Headquarters, Awka. The CP, according to the Command spokesman, SP Tochukwu Ikenga, opened the session by conveying the Inspector-General of Police’s commendation to officers and men of the Command for their professionalism and exemplary conduct during the recently concluded Governorship Election.
Orutugu further charged all strategic officers to intensify proactive policing measures as the Yuletide season approaches. This follows operational briefings received from Area Commanders, Divisional Police Officers, and heads of tactical units.
CP Orutugu emphasized the need for Strengthened Intelligence-driven Operations, Increased Visibility Policing, More Robust Patrol Systems, and Strict adherence to the Command’s Anti-Crime Operational Plan, all designed to ensure a peaceful and secure festive season across Anambra State.
He urged Commanders to remain vigilant, professional, and Community-oriented, and to respond swiftly and decisively to any emerging security concerns.
In a related development, the Commissioner of Police presented cheques amounting to ₦33,158,545.65 to fifty-four (54) beneficiaries under the Group Life Assurance Scheme and the IGP Family Welfare Scheme. The gesture demonstrates the unwavering commitment of the Police High Command to the welfare of officers and the families of those who paid the supreme price in the line of duty.
The CP reassured residents of the Command’s readiness to provide effective security throughout the Yuletide period and called on the public to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activities promptly.
