NEWS
JUST IN: Former Pastor Takes Throne As New Soun Of Ogbomoso In Oyo State
On Friday, Prince Afolabi Ghandi Laoye, a former pastor from the Redeemed Christian Church of God, assumed the position of the new Soun of Ogbomosoland in Oyo State.
Laoye, who had been residing in the United States, arrived in Ogbomoso early in the morning via a private helicopter that touched down at Ogbomoso Grammar School before proceeding to the palace.
This succession followed the vacancy in the Soun of Ogbomoso stool left by the passing of Oba Jimoh Oyewumi on December 12, 2021.
However, some members of the family have raised objections, taking their concerns to court, contending that he was not involved in the selection process from the outset and should not be crowned against their wishes.
In July 2022, family members initiated a legal action, identified as suit HOG/27/2022, against the nomination of Ghandi Olaoye by the kingmakers.
They raised concerns about various irregularities in the selection procedures that led to his nomination and requested the court to set aside the nomination and order a fresh selection process.
Following the presentation of arguments by Olaoye’s counsel, Oladapo Atanda, and Kolawole Fatoye, who represented Ghandi and the kingmakers, respectively, the judge, A.K. Adedokun, scheduled the judgment day to be determined.
The defendants in the case include the Oyo State Governor, Oyo State Attorney General, Oyo State Commissioner for Local Government and Chieftaincy Matters, Ogbomoso North Local Government, Ogbomoso North Traditional Council, and Prince Amos Olawole Olaoye (Mogaji Olaoye Ruling House) who are 1st to 6th defendants respectively.
The 7th to 11th defendants are the kingmakers: Chief S.O. Otolorin (Areago of Ogbomoso and Chairman), Chief Salawu Ajadi (Jagun), Chief Tijani Abioye (Bara), Cheif David Adeniran Ojo (Ikolaba) and Chief Yusuf Oladipupo (Abese) while Prince Ghandi Olaoye, the Soun nominee, is the 12th defendant.
The plaintiff has raised concerns about the violation of regulations governing the nomination process for filling the vacant Soun Chieftaincy stool in Ogbomoso.
These regulations include the Soun Chieftaincy Declaration (1958), Ogbomoso District Native Authority Resolution (1953), and Oyo State Chiefs Law (2000).
The plaintiff argues that the nomination procedure for Ghandi was inconclusive because it was conducted by a minority committee instead of involving the entire family.
“A declaration that the procedure adopted for the nomination of candidate or candidates to fill the vacant stool of Soun of Ogbomoso Chieftaincy by the members of Laoye Ruling House through the purported 11-member screening committee was inconclusive.
“The member of the Olaoye ruling house as a family was denied their legal right of having a final say in voting and/or ratifying the aforesaid report at the time the kingmakers acted upon it, not strictly the method envisaged under the native law and custom, the Laoye ruling house as a body entitled to nominate a candidate for appointment to the stool of Soun and not by the minority of the members of the larger body.”
The plaintiff requested the court to declare that the active involvement of the 4th defendant (Ogbomoso North Local Government) in the process leading to Ghandi Olaoye’s emergence, rather than being a mere observer, renders the process invalid.
Furthermore, the claimant sought court orders to annul Ghandi’s nomination, asserting that the procedure used to select him contradicts native law and customs for the selection of a new Soun.
Additionally, the 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th, and 12th defendants, represented by Kolawole Fatoye, Olalekan Oguntoye, and O.E. Igene, filed counter-claims to which the claimant responded with a defense.
This legal case involves complex arguments and counter-arguments regarding the nomination process and its adherence to native customs.
However, on Friday, the new monarch was present at the palace for an official installation, which took place at Abata and was conducted by the kingmakers, led by the Areago High Chief Sobalaje Otolorin.
The kingmakers asserted that they had not received any court injunction preventing them from installing Ghandi as the new Soun of Ogbomoso.
Ghandi is scheduled to begin the traditional rites associated with his new role.
The new Oba is now known as His Imperial Majesty, Oba Ghandi Afolabi Olaoye Orumogege III.
In a shocking incident on Sunday morning, unknown gunmen suspected to be kidnappers invaded the home of Alhaji Auwal, a prominent businessman, in Garo Town, Kabo Local Government Area of Kano State.
The gunmen, estimated to be around 10 in number, forced their way into the residence, breaking down a door to gain entry.
An anonymous source revealed that the attackers were heavily armed, with three carrying firearms and the rest wielding other weapons.
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They quickly gathered the entire family in one room, instilling fear and panic in the household.
According to the source, Alhaji Auwal pleaded with the assailants to spare his family and agreed to meet their demands.
The kidnappers, who were determined to extort money, received ₦8 million from the family.
Despite this payment, the gunmen took the businessman’s eldest daughter, Zainab, a secondary school graduate, before fleeing the scene.
The whereabouts of Zainab remain unknown, and as of now, the kidnappers have not contacted the family.
This abduction comes just 48 hours after the tragic kidnapping and subsequent murder of former Gombe State Permanent Secretary, Atiku Mu’azu, who was killed by gunmen after a ₦10 million ransom was paid.
The two incidents have left the residents of Kano in shock and fear, prompting calls for increased security measures in the area.
Attempts to reach the spokesperson for the Kano Police Command, SP Abdullahi Haruna, for comment were unsuccessful as his phone remained unreachable.
Authorities have yet to make any official statements regarding the investigation.
In a bold move, Colombian President Gustavo Petro declared on Sunday that he would not allow US deportation flights carrying Colombian migrants to access his country’s airspace.
The left-wing leader took to X (formerly Twitter) to express his strong stance, stating, “The United States cannot treat Colombian migrants as criminals. I forbid entry to our territory to US planes carrying Colombian migrants.”
Petro made it clear that such flights would only be accepted once Washington established a protocol to ensure the “dignified treatment” of deported migrants.
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The president later confirmed in a separate post that he had already turned back US military planes that were en route with Colombian migrants on board, although he did not provide further specifics on the matter.
While AFP sought confirmation from US authorities regarding the blockade of deportation flights, no immediate response was forthcoming.
Petro’s statements come just a day after Brazil’s government voiced similar outrage over the treatment of deported Brazilians.
Brazil condemned the US administration under President Donald Trump, citing instances where Brazilian migrants were deported while handcuffed on flights, describing it as a “flagrant disregard” for their basic rights.
In his remarks, Petro emphasized that he would be open to allowing civilian US flights to transport deported migrants as long as they were not subjected to treatment “like criminals,” signaling a broader call for humane treatment of migrants under international deportation policies.
An explosion at a mining site in Sabon Pegi, Mashegun Local Government Area of Niger State, claimed the lives of four individuals and left several others injured on Sunday morning.
The blast occurred as miners resumed operations, sending shockwaves through the community.
While the exact cause of the explosion remains undetermined, local residents have pointed to the poor handling of explosive devices by mining companies as a possible factor.
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The incident has sparked concerns about safety practices within the mining sector.
Community sources confirmed the recovery of four bodies, but authorities fear the death toll could rise.
Investigations are ongoing to establish the cause of the blast and assess the full extent of the damage.
One resident, Aminu, described the chaos that followed the explosion. “The sound was so loud that many of us thought it came from the hydroelectricity dam nearby. People panicked and ran into the bush for safety,” he recounted.
Another community member highlighted the potential role of mining operations in the tragedy.
“Mining companies here frequently use explosives during their activities, and this seems like an operational issue, not something related to terrorism,” the resident said, dismissing concerns about a security threat in the area.
As of the time of reporting, neither the state government nor security agencies have released an official statement regarding the explosion.
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