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.
The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Police Command has warned motorists against driving against traffic, popularly known as one-way, cautioning that influential connections or calls from senior police officers and government officials will not shield offenders from prosecution.
The Command said the practice, particularly around road construction sites, diversion points and restricted routes, poses serious risks to lives and property.
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In a press statement issued on Monday, November 9, the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said the Command was concerned about the increasing disregard for traffic regulations by motorists who deliberately drive against traffic, ignore road signs and bypass designated diversions to avoid congestion.
Adeh stressed that no individual, regardless of status, position or connections, would be exempted from the consequences of violating traffic regulations.
She disclosed that the Commissioner of Police, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, had directed the Command’s Motor Traffic Department (MOTOPOL) and all Divisional Traffic Officers (DTOs) to collaborate with the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) and other relevant agencies to intensify enforcement operations.
According to the statement, the directive includes the arrest and immediate prosecution of motorists caught driving against traffic or disobeying lawful traffic instructions.
The Commissioner also warned police officers involved in the enforcement exercise against exploiting the operation to extort motorists, stressing that any officer found engaging in such misconduct would face disciplinary action in line with existing police rules and regulations.
The Command urged motorists to exercise patience, obey traffic signs and follow instructions from authorised traffic officers, noting that saving a few minutes through reckless driving was not worth the risk of losing lives or damaging property.
It also called on residents to remain security-conscious and report suspicious persons or activities to the nearest police station.
The Command provided the following emergency contact numbers for security-related reports: 08032003913 and 08061581938.
The Commissioner of Police, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, CP Ahmed Muhammad Sanusi, has inspected security deployments at churches across the territory, urging officers to maintain professionalism and vigilance during religious activities.
The inspection was disclosed in a statement issued on Sunday by the FCT Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh.
Sanusi conducted the inspection on November 8, 2026, to assess the operational readiness of personnel deployed to worship centres and evaluate security arrangements for residents and worshippers.
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The exercise followed a similar inspection of mosques across the FCT on Friday, November 6, as the Command sustained efforts to strengthen security around religious centres.
During the visits, the police commissioner charged officers to remain professional and responsive in the discharge of their duties.
He also commended residents for their peaceful and orderly conduct following mosque and church services, noting that public cooperation remained essential to maintaining security and public order across the territory.
The commissioner urged residents to continue cooperating with the police and other law enforcement agencies, remain security-conscious and promptly report suspicious persons, movements or activities to the nearest police station.
He further encouraged residents to utilise the Command’s emergency lines, 08032003913 and 08061581938, to report security concerns.
Adeh said the Command’s Public Relations Office remained open and accessible to members of the public for enquiries, complaints, information and other security-related matters.
The FCT Police Command reiterated its commitment to protecting residents and worshippers and maintaining security across the Federal Capital Territory.
Vice President Kashim Shettima has arrived in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom State capital, for the All Progressives Congress (APC) presidential campaign rally ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The development was disclosed on Friday by Stanley Nkwocha, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Communications in the Office of the Vice President.
Akwa Ibom occupies a strategic position in President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, with major federal investments expected to strengthen infrastructure and economic activities across the state.
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One of the major projects is the Lagos–Calabar Coastal Highway, which has an approximately 82.8-kilometre stretch passing through Akwa Ibom.
The project, according to the statement, “promises improved connectivity, expanded trade, greater investment and new economic opportunities for communities across the region.”
Beyond infrastructure, the administration’s interventions in education, agriculture, healthcare, youth empowerment and social protection are also designed to improve livelihoods and broaden economic participation.
The Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFund) is among the initiatives highlighted, complementing Governor Umo Eno’s investments in roads, aviation, tourism and human capital development.
The statement noted that the Uyo rally provides “another opportunity to strengthen the APC’s growing political presence in the South-South and make the case for continuity in 2027.”
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