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Breaking : Bizarre, How LASBCA GM Owodunni Oki Orders his men to Demolish School Facility without legal backup in Ikorodu …. Proprietor, Parents and Community Cries Out to Sanwo-Olu for Help
Today, on April 5th, 2024, Saint Margaret Group of Schools, located in Ikorodu, Lagos, carried out a protest. The School was established 42 years ago, in 1982, at number 26, NBC Road, Ebute, Ikorodu. During the protest, they made a clarion call to the Executive Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu. They requested his intervention to halt the actions of the Lagos State Building Control Agency (LASBCA), who arrived with fully armed security personnel and unauthorised individuals, commonly known as touts, to prevent any further illegal demolitions of their school facilities.
The Proprietor of the School, Pastor Olusegun Alonge and the midst of teachers, parents, staff and the community during the protest cry out to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu as Chief Lagos landlord to intervene on the attacks the Lagos building control agency under Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki leadership to stop Illegal demolitions on Saint Margaret group of schools, the school established for over four decades on the property, narrated the levels of facility and integrity damages done to the school by the invasions of said agency without any reason prior notice about governmental information for payment or policy compliances whatsoever.
When asked if the school possessed complete building documentation that could have prompted the agency’s visit, he replied affirmatively, stating they had a collection of documents for all their building facilities. Pastor Alonge further explained that one of the actions taken after the incident was visiting the office of the LASBCA’s General Manager, Arc. Gbolahan Owodunni Oki. However, he was denied an audience during the initial visit. Subsequently, he revisited the office days later, only to be escorted out by the same General Manager with threats. The General Manager warned that he would instruct the building control agency to downgrade the school if precautions were not taken. He boasted that he had the support of Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu in his activities.
The Proprietor, who was emotionally traumatised by the ugly incident hitherto as he addressed journalists, made a Clarion call and appealed to Governor Babajide Olusola Sanwo-Olu to intervene and reopen the school. He believes in the Capacity of his government and holds the protection of lives and properties sacrosanct in his heart.
During the incident, some staff members on duty at the school described their tactics as similar to those used by kidnappers or bandits. The agency’s task force entered the school premises without identifying themselves with the gate security personnel. When questioned about their identity, some task force members began taking photos and videos of the school facilities without revealing who they were.
Efforts made by teachers and security personnel to prevent this unauthorised action were met with resistance. According to the report, the task force on site then called for additional security personnel and unauthorised individuals, who arrived in large numbers and began demolishing buildings and damaging several classroom facilities.
As this was happening, students who were taking exams in their respective classrooms were forcefully evacuated, with threats of violence towards anyone who did not comply with the orders. Teachers and young children were chased onto the main road outside the school premises.
In the process of this commotion, the pupils and kindergarten children had been in panic mode, wailing seriously at the incidence of gun-wielding personnel and fierce-looking touts accompanying them out of their school. Some of them pointed guns to leave the school, according to the teachers, on different placards with inscriptions appealing to the governor to reopen their Schools for operation.
Amidst the protest, Mr Lawani Dominion Abiola, Coordinator of the group of schools, appealed to the governor to use his good office to rescue the school from the attack of the Building Agency, stated no notice of whatever intention was served the school for any purpose before the attack committed on March 27th 2024 around 2 pm while students were still writing examinations papers, nothing less than five staff of the school were arrested and whisked down to Badagry police station on the day of the attack on the school.
Some of the parents who incidentally witnessed the commotion on that day, Mr Obamude Omoniyi and Mrs Enny Jones, condemned the agency’s Gestapo approach, suggesting a more civilised method of operation as an elite agency of Lagos State. Omoniyi narrated his continued ordeals in convincing his son, who has vowed vehemently never to return to the school or any other school again due to the traumatic encounters of the armed men at their school. In his words, he quoted the son verbatim: ‘Daddy, I have been watching that kind of gun in the cartoon but never known anyone can bring such to our school to threaten us’, so I will not attend any school anymore since school is not safe again.
On March 27th, 2024, the neighbourhood experienced an unprecedented event, according to some community residents and local businesswomen who were present during the school protest. They also described the incident as operations carried out by bandits, as reported in radio broadcasts and newspapers. Making a heartfelt appeal, they urged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu, known for his responsible and responsive leadership, to intervene and address the excessive and unethical conduct of the building agency in Lagos State. These emotionally affected mothers expressed their concerns about tarnishing the governor’s reputation and the positive work he is known for.
The journalists at the protest visited the LASBCA’s office at GRA Ikeja to balance their reports. They met with the Director of Media, Mr Olaoye Olusegun, who denied any information about the operation by the headquarters. He showed displeasure at the approach of the men and commented it’s statutory for a task force to serve the building owners before any enforcement, but promised a further investigation into the report and revert to the team by Monday, April 8th, at the resumption of work, and also commented that the media team can also go ahead with their publications with the promise that his office would react to them in due time.
Results from the 30 local government areas in the 2026 Osun State governorship election show that Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party (AP) recorded victories in 19 councils, ahead of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji (AMBO), who won 11 local government areas.
The local government results indicate that Adeleke polled a cumulative 511,067 votes, while Oyebamiji secured 444,815 votes across the state.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate, Najeem Salaam, garnered 17,180 votes from the 30 local government areas.
Adeleke won Boluwaduro, Ede South, Ife North, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Orolu, Osogbo, Oriade, Odo-Otin, Ife East, Ifelodun, Iwo, Ede North, Ila, Aiyedire, Egbedore, Aiyedaade and Ejigbo local government areas.
Oyebamiji emerged victorious in Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakunmosa West, Irewole, Atakunmosa East, Isokan, Ola Oluwa, Ife South and Olorunda local government areas.
Based on the collated local government results, Adeleke leads with victories in 19 of the state’s 30 local government areas, while the APC candidate secured 11 councils.
Accord won 19 out of the 30 LGAs: (Boluwaduro, Ede South, Ife North, Ilesa West, Ifedayo, Ife Central, Orolu, Osogbo, Oriade,
Odo-Otin, Ife East, Ifelodun, Iwo, Ede North, Ila, Aiyedire, Egbedore, Aiyedaade, Ejigbo)
APC won the remaining 11 LGAs (Ilesa East, Boripe, Irepodun, Obokun, Atakunmosa West, Irewole, Atakunmosa East, Isokan, Ola Oluwa, Ife South, Olorunda).
Here are the Osun 2026 Governorship Election Results of the 30 LGAs: GeographicReference
Boluwaduro LG
Accord: 7,118 votes
APC: 7,050 votes
ADC: 179 votes
Ede South LG
Accord: 26,188 votes
APC: 6,219 votes
ADC: 390 votes
Ife North LG
Accord: 13,879 votes
APC: 9,613 votes
ADC: 333 votes
Ilesa West LG
Accord: 16,196 votes
APC: 12,756 votes
ADC: 673 votes
Ifedayo LG
Accord: 7,427 votes
APC: 6,836 votes
ADC: 115 votes
Ilesa East LG
APC: 16,208 votes
Accord: 12,280 votes
ADC: 504 votes
Ife Central LG
Accord: 21,171 votes
APC: 15,913 votes
ADC: 747 votes
Boripe LG
APC: 19,963 votes
Accord: 12,448 votes
ADC: 379 votes
Irepodun LG
APC: 15,713 votes
Accord: 14,504 votes
ADC: 249 votes
Obokun LG
APC: 16,120 votes
Accord: 12,023 votes
ADC: 205 votes
Orolu LG
Accord: 12,352 votes
APC: 10,622 votes
ADC: 236 votes
Osogbo LG
Accord: 36,480 votes
APC: 30,474 votes
ADC: 1,503 votes
Oriade LG
Accord: 21,343 votes
APC: 14,863 votes
ADC: 423 votes
Odo-Otin LG
Accord: 18,003 votes
APC: 15,435 votes
ADC: 377 votes
Ife East LG
Accord: 27,201 votes
APC: 18,600 votes
ADC: 935 votes
Ifelodun LG
Accord: 21,107 votes
APC: 18,396 votes
ADC: 509 votes
Atakunmosa West LG
APC: 10,037 votes
Accord: 7,479 votes
ADC: 213 votes
Iwo LG
Accord: 27,085 votes
APC: 19,660 votes
ADC: 588 votes
Ede North LG
Accord: 35,427 votes
APC: 10,283 votes
ADC: 307 votes
Ila LG
Accord: 16,211 votes
APC: 12,934 votes
ADC: 259 votes
Irewole LG
APC: 29,972
Accord: 10,934 votes
ADC: 275 votes
Aiyedire LG
Accord: 11,073 votes
APC: 9,910 votes
ADC: 148 votes
Atakunmosa East LG
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APC: 9,936
Accord: 7,872 votes
ADC: 333 votes
Egbedore LG
Accord: 19,278 votes
APC: 11,194 votes
ADC: 363 votes
Aiyedaade LG
Accord: 16,681 votes
APC: 15,719 votes
ADC: 331 votes
Isokan LG
APC: 14,063 votes
Accord: 13,765 votes
ADC: 384 votes
Ola Oluwa LG
APC: 10,782 votes
Accord: 10,063 votes
ADC: 213 votes
Ife South
APC: 14,678 votes
Accord: 13,507 votes
ADC: 290 votes
Ejigbo LG
Accord: 18,458 votes
APC: 16,195 votes
ADC: 5,053 votes
Olorunda LG
APC: 24,671 votes
Accord: 23,514 votes
ADC: 666 votes.
President Bola Tinubu has approved a Federal Government delegation led by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, to represent Nigeria at the maiden Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference in Toronto, Canada.
The delegation includes Borno State Governor Babagana Zulum, Anambra State Governor Chukwuma Soludo, Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, Plateau State Governor Caleb Mutfwang and Zamfara State Governor Dauda Lawal.
The conference, themed “Invest Nigeria, Thrive Abroad,” is scheduled to hold from August 12 to 15 in Toronto.
The development was announced in a statement issued by Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, on X on Friday.
According to the statement, members of the delegation also include the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Bianca Odumegwu-Ojukwu; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Jumoke Oduwole; and Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo.
Representatives of the Central Bank of Nigeria, Nigeria Customs Service, Nigeria Immigration Service, Nigeria Revenue Service, Nigeria Investment Promotion Commission, Nigeria Export Promotion Council and the National Information Technology Development Agency are also expected to participate.
The statement said Canadian officials expected at the conference include President of the Treasury Board of Canada, Shafqat Ali; Ontario Minister of Citizenship and Multiculturalism, Graham McGregor; Ontario lawmaker Deepak Anand; Brampton Mayor Patrick Brown; Councillor Rod Power; and Ontario Minister of Women and Economic Opportunities, Charmaine Williams.
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Quoting the Chairman/Chief Executive Officer of NiDCOM, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, the statement said, “The calibre of officials attending the conference demonstrates President Tinubu’s commitment to strengthening economic cooperation between Nigeria and Canada through trade, investment and diaspora engagement.”
It further quoted Dabiri-Erewa as saying the event “is more than a conference” and is designed as “an outcome-driven investment platform” that will connect international investors with “investment-ready” opportunities across key sectors of Nigeria’s economy while strengthening bilateral economic relations between the two countries.
According to the statement, the conference is being organised by NiDCOM in collaboration with the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, the Canadian High Commission in Abuja and other stakeholders.
It said discussions will focus on agriculture, technology, manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, healthcare and the digital economy.
Newsthumb reports that the Nigeria Diaspora Investment Economic Conference is the first investment-focused forum organised by the Federal Government through NiDCOM to promote economic partnerships between Nigeria and its diaspora community.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria is one of Africa’s largest recipients of diaspora remittances, with annual inflows amounting to billions of dollars.
…says action could undermine public confidence in electoral process
…insists anti-graft agencies must remain independent but avoid actions suggesting political interference
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday directed the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to immediately take steps to vacate a court order freezing the bank accounts of the Osun State Government, saying the timing of the action, just days before the state’s governorship election, could create the impression of federal interference in the electoral process.
The President said although he respects the constitutional independence of the anti-graft agency and had no prior knowledge of its action, he was compelled to intervene in the overriding public interest to preserve public confidence in the credibility and fairness of Nigeria’s democratic process. NigerianBusiness Coverage
The EFCC had on Wednesday froze the accounts of the Osun State Government, placing a Post No Debit (PND), on its First Bank account, alleging fraudulent handling of N11 billion ecology funds, intervention funds and Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC).
However, in a personally signed statement issued from the State House, Abuja, President Tinubu disclosed that the EFCC had obtained the court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government.
He said he was “deeply embarrassed” by the timing of the development, explaining that actions taken by federal institutions are often attributed to the President, regardless of whether he authorised them.
“It has come to my notice that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) obtained a court order on August 5, 2026, freezing the accounts of the Osun State Government. I must state that I feel deeply embarrassed not by the EFCC’s exercise of its mandate backed by a court order, but by the timing of the agency’s action.
“This is so because every action taken by an institution of State, especially at the Federal level, is always credited to me, as the President, even when I may not have had any prior knowledge of the action”, the President said.
Tinubu reiterated his long-standing policy of allowing anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies to carry out their statutory responsibilities without political interference, stressing that he had deliberately refrained from directing the operational activities of the EFCC and other investigative bodies since assuming office.
He said, “since assuming office, I have consistently maintained that anti-corruption and law enforcement agencies must be allowed to discharge their statutory responsibilities independently, professionally, without fear or favour, or political interference.
“I have therefore deliberately refrained from directing or interfering in the operational activities of the EFCC or any other investigative or prosecutorial agency because I firmly believe that strong democratic institutions, operating within the confines of the law, are indispensable to democratic good governance and the rule of law”, he said.
The President maintained that institutions established by law should be allowed to exercise their powers independently and without requiring presidential approval for routine operational decisions.
However, he said the circumstances surrounding the EFCC’s action required presidential intervention because of the proximity of the Osun governorship election.
“As President, I am committed to allowing institutions of State to function and take any action they consider necessary in the interest of proper governance without the need for any prior approval. Indeed, that is why institutions are set up by law with clearly defined powers.
“While I am yet to be fully apprised of the facts which informed the action of EFCC in approaching the court to obtain the said order freezing the Osun State Government account, I am not in the slightest doubt that the timing of the action of EFCC is inauspicious, and therefore I feel compelled to intervene”, he said.
The President warned that no action by any federal agency should create the perception that the Federal Government was attempting to influence the outcome of the forthcoming governorship poll.
“Osun State is only a few days away from its gubernatorial election. Therefore, nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or indeed any other agency of the federal government is being used to interfere with the election”, he stated.
Tinubu said preserving public confidence in the integrity of the electoral process was paramount, adding that he was duty-bound to act in the national interest.
“Based on the foregoing premise, I am duty-bound to issue a directive on this issue in consonance with the overriding public interest in preserving public confidence and the integrity, credibility, and fairness of our democratic process”, he said.
The President consequently directed the anti-graft agency to immediately reverse its legal action against the Osun State Government.
“Accordingly, I have directed the EFCC to immediately proceed to the court to vacate the order and discontinue whatever action it has instituted against the Osun State Government in this regard”, Tinubu declared.
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