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Osun Contributory Pensioners, Arewa Community Back Adeleke’s Second Term Bid

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Osun State Governor, Ademola Adeleke, on Wednesday, got the backing of the Contributory pensioners and the Arewa community for his re-election on August 15th.

A government house statement issued in Osogbo has it that at separate functions at the state capital, the contributory pensioners in their hundreds described the governor as God sent and a true lover of senior citizens, commending the governor’s many achievements in the areas of care and support for pensioners.

In an address read by Rasheed Ayinde, the pensioners noted the restoration of dignity and hope for the contributory pensioners and lauded the state government for redirecting efforts to tackling the documented needs of the senior citizens.

While listing so many accomplishments of Mr Governor in the last three or so years, Mr Ayinde also read out a long list of requests from the pensioners which bordered on their welfare and acceleration of ongoing payments of benefits.

“Mr Governor, we the contributory pensioners are assembled here to endorse you for a second term. You have worked so hard and you have delivered to us pensioners and the entire people of Osun”, Ayinde noted before the formal endorsement was affirmed by a mass of senior citizens at the occasion.

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The Arewa community led by Alhaji Saheed Aliu Maiburuji, the Ambassador of Fulanis for South West in their endorsement programme held at the Oasis centre witnessed mammoth crowds of Arewa indigenes from various parts of the state.

The leader of the group, Alhaji Maiburuji praised the administration of Governor Adeleke as a huge success, declaring that the governor has positively transformed Osun state.

“We feel the good impact of our governor and we looked round and resolved to back Mr Governor for a second term in office. We are ready to vote you in again,our dear governor.

“We mobilise ourselves here today to endorse you for a second term. All our leaders from the 30 local governments are here. We are for you sir”, Maiburuji declared, leading to the official endorsement of the governor at the occasion.

Governor Adeleke who assured the Arewa community of actions on their needs and aspirations appreciated both the contributory pensioners and Fulani residents, reaffirming the commitment of his administration to the welfare of all residents and urgent development of the state.

The governor addressed the pensioners further: “After the rousing adoption of yesterday by the Nigerian Union of Pensioners, I am touched by today’s overwhelming endorsement by the Combined Contributory Pensioners of Osun State.

“When we assumed office, many retirees were uncertain about their future. Faith in government was at its lowest. We promised to act and today, I am proud to say that we have matched our words with action.

“We ensured prompt payment of Accrued Rights Benefits, and maintained the regular payment of monthly pensions. We are paying outstanding arrears inherited from previous administrations.

“We commenced the payment of the half salary arrears owed to pensioners by previous Governments; we enrolled retirees free of charge into the Osun Health Insurance Scheme. We sustain the payment of death benefits and Group Life Assurance claims to families of deceased workers.

“Today, Osun State ranks the third-best performing state in the country in the implementation of the Contributory Pension Scheme.

“We have laid a strong foundation but there is still more to be done. We want to strengthen pension administration further, improve healthcare access, expand social protection programmes and ensure that every retiree enjoys the dignity and comfort they deserve. This is why continuity matters.

“The progress we have recorded over the last few years must not be interrupted. The journey towards a more prosperous and compassionate Osun requires consistency, stability and sustained commitment.

“I therefore urge you not only to support this administration but to become ambassadors of truth in your various communities. Tell your children, your neighbours, your friends and every eligible voter what this administration has done and what we still intend to do.

“When the time comes on August 15, 2026, I encourage all of you to come out enmasse and exercise your democratic right. Let your votes speak for continuity, stability and progress. Let your votes speak for a government that has demonstrated genuine concern for workers, retirees and the people of Osun State”, the governor told the elated contributory pensioners.

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‘Dem Dey Use Stick Dey Flog Women’ — Nigerians in India Camp Cry Out

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Nigerian women allegedly being held at a deportation facility in India have cried out over their treatment, with a video circulating online showing some of them displaying injuries and alleging that security personnel flogged detainees.

The video began circulating online on Wednesday and shows a group of Nigerian women inside and around what they described as a deportation camp.

Several of the women pointed to marks, bruises and apparent injuries on their legs, feet and bodies while alleging that they were beaten with sticks or canes.

SEE ALSO: Rufai Oseni Row: NiDCOM Breaks Silence on Nigerians Detained in India, Addresses Ekene’s Case

“See my video, see my leg,” one of the women could be heard saying in the footage.

Another woman said, “Mona see wetin dem dey do for deportation camp.”

“Deportation camp, na dem flog person, see,” another woman said while showing what appeared to be an injury.

The women further alleged that female detainees were beaten with sticks.
“Dem dey use stick dey flog women, mona dey see am,” one of them said.

Another woman, while pointing at an injured detainee, said, “Dem carry cane flog o… see her body, dem flog am.”

The women also alleged that police officers carried sticks inside the facility.

“Police carry stick like say dem dey cut firewood,” one of the women said.

The footage shows the women appearing distressed as they moved through the facility and gathered in an outdoor area.

They repeatedly appealed to Nigerians to share the video and draw attention to their situation.

“Make una see… make this video trend/go,” one woman said.

“Make una share am,” another added.
One of the women also expressed frustration over their alleged experience at the facility, saying, “We don suffer, every time, every time.”

The footage comes amid ongoing concerns over Nigerians detained at the Lampur detention centre, also known as Sewa Sadan, in New Delhi.

Recall that in September, reports emerged that more than 200 Nigerians were being held at the facility, with some detainees alleging poor food, inadequate medical care and prolonged detention.

The Nigerians in Diaspora Commission (NiDCOM) subsequently defended its handling of the situation and said the Nigerian High Commission in India was seeking another amnesty period to facilitate the departure of Nigerians without proper immigration documentation.

No official response from the Indian authorities or the Nigerian government specifically addressing the allegations in the latest video had been made available at the time of publication.

 

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‘Military Gets Huge Budgets, Yet Air Crashes Persist’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Military Conducts Mass Burial For Slain Soldiers In Niger Ambush, Air Crash

Rights activist, public affairs analyst and Chief Executive Officer of The Dialogue, Shehu Muhammad, has questioned the continued occurrence of military aircraft crashes despite the huge budgetary allocations to the country’s defence and security sector.

Muhammad spoke while reacting to the recent Nigerian Navy aircraft crash in Irele Local Government Area of Ondo State during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief.

Describing the incident as “one incident too many,” he recalled that Nigeria had recorded several military aircraft crashes involving the Nigerian Air Force and Nigerian Army over the years.

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He said the recurring incidents had raised concerns among members of the public about the condition of military aircraft and the process through which military hardware is procured.

“People have begun to cast aspersions as to the honesty, sincerity, and openness in the purchase of military hardware, including airplanes,” Muhammad said.

According to him, the concerns are heightened by the substantial funds allocated to the military and other security agencies over the years.

“There are insinuations by the public that, after all, the military receive the highest amount of money from the budget year in, year out,” he said.

Muhammad also questioned the transparency of defence procurement, particularly the process of selecting contractors for the supply of military equipment.

He argued that the repeated crashes should prompt authorities to examine military aviation operations, aircraft procurement and the management of defence resources.

The latest crash occurred in Irele, Ondo State, with recovery efforts reportedly complicated by the difficult terrain around the crash site.

Muhammad said the latest incident should not be treated in isolation, but should lead to broader questions about military aviation safety and the management of resources allocated to the defence sector.

He called for greater transparency and accountability in the procurement and management of military hardware to restore public confidence.

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‘NYSC Has Outlived Its Usefulness, Should Be Scrapped’ — Shehu Muhammad

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Gombe NYSC Prioritises Safety of Corps Members

Rights activist and public affairs analyst, Shehu Mohammed, has called for the scrapping of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), saying the scheme has outlived its usefulness amid growing security concerns across the country.

Shehu made the call on Wednesday during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief, while reacting to the kidnapping of prospective corps members travelling to orientation camps in Akwa Ibom and Anambra states.

He described the incident as “one incident too many,” noting that kidnapping, maiming and the detention of victims in kidnappers’ camps had become frequent in several parts of the country.

SEE ALSO: 2027: North Should Back South-West To Complete 8 Years In Power — Shehu Sani

“I think it is just a case of one incident too many. There are more unreported cases of kidnapping and maiming and detention in kidnappers’ den, almost all over the country, especially in the northern part of the country: the Middle North West, North East, and North Central. It’s a daily, daily happening,” Sani said.

He said the security situation had made him question the continued relevance of the NYSC scheme, which was established to promote national unity.

“When Bukola was saying that she objects to the scrapping of NYSC, I tend to take a different view. My view is that the entire NYSC was meant to unite Nigeria, but if in uniting Nigeria you lose your daughter, you lose your son, you lose your uncle, you lose your sister, you lose your neighbour, then it’s not worth the trouble,” he said.

Shehu argued that corps members should instead be allowed to serve in their respective states, eliminating the need for young Nigerians to travel long distances to orientation camps.

“This NYSC issue should be scrapped, removed from the constitution, allow each and every corps member to serve in his own state, traveling with all the dangers, with all the costs,” he said.

He also highlighted the financial burden placed on families when corps members are posted far from their home states.

“If a child is going from Katsina to Anambra State to report to the camp, minimum that you give him is three hundred thousand naira for transfer cost, three hundred. How many parents have three hundred thousand naira to give their wards?” Sani asked.

He said the financial burden was only one aspect of the problem, with corps members also facing security risks and possible trauma during interstate travel.

“Minus all the dangers, the consequences, the uncertainties, the traumas involved. If your child has to go through a trauma, through uncertainty, through pain, through kidnapping, through raping, eventually through killing, why do you have to go for NYSC?” he said.

“As far as I’m concerned, the NYSC project has outlived its usefulness. It should be scrapped.”

Shehu also warned that kidnapping in Nigeria was taking a new dimension, with criminal groups increasingly targeting vulnerable groups.

“Corps members are vulnerable groups. Travelers for commercial purposes all over the country are vulnerable groups. Therefore they are now going for soft targets,” he said.

According to him, kidnappers also use abductions to blackmail victims’ families and government authorities into paying ransom.

“The next one is blackmailing either the parents or blackmailing government to collect money,” he said.
Sani alleged that ransom payments were subsequently used to finance criminal activities.

“So they can finance their arm purchase. They can finance their purchase of hard drugs to enable them operate without pity and compassion, and to send permanent fear into the community,” he said.

He added that the kidnappers were using their activities to create fear within communities, despite being relatively few in number.

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