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Subsidy: Commercial Drivers Lament Alleged Extortion By Police On Osogbo Roads
Kazeem Badmus
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COMMERCIAL mini- bus (korope) drivers in Osogbo, State of Osun have alleged some police officers of extor ng them on some networking roads in the state capital.
They lamented that in spite of the economic hardship occasioned by removal of fuel subsidy, the police have con nued to extort money from them.
The drivers who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER on Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday at different loca ons in Osogbo, said the police officers had sta oned themselves in many parts of the state capital, to extort them and harass anyone who declined to give them money.
Some of the loca ons where the commercial drivers are allegedly being extorted by the police are: Oke Baale, Isale Osun, Old Garage, Ayetoro, Lameco, Tes ng Ground, Agunbeelewo, Kola Balogun and Technical.
According to the drivers, the police officers were always at the spots every day except Sunday, a situa on the medium confirmed.
They appealed to the Commissioner of Police in the State, Mr Kehinde Longe, to prevail on the officers, saying that the effects of the fuel subsidy removal were already hitng them.
A driver, Abiodun Omololu, while speaking with the medium, said he spent between N500 and N600 a day as se lement for the policemen, noting that they (police) will delay him if he refused to path with money.
According to him, the police officers were not bothered about checking their papers or what they have inside their buses but the money they wanted to collect from the drivers.
He said: “This is what we are passing through everyday from the police officers. Osogbo roads are now witnessing more police officers than before but they are not doing their job.
“I am not against police officers on our roads but they are not meant to be extor ng us, par cularly at this hard period when everybody is just trying to survive.
“Daily, I give out between N500 to N600 to these police officers. That does not include the money we give to transport unions and other road agencies. I don’t know how they want us to survive.”
Another driver who iden fied himself as Adisa Kabiru told the medium that the police officers always delay him whenever he refused to give them
Abandoned Telecom Masts Threaten Lives In Osun Communities
Yusuf Oketola money.
Kabiru said the policemen collected between N50 and N100 at different spots from each of the commercial drivers daily.
He called on the State Government and relevant stakeholders to come to their aid and stopped the officers from their alleged extor onate prac ce.
“If you are going to Agunbeelewo from Ota Efun, you will meet police officers at about three to four places before ge ng to your des na on.
“They are at Ayetoro, Old Garage, Lameco and Agunbeelewo and what they are a er is the money they wanted to collect from us.
“Failure to pay them will lead to delay. You can only be lucky if you have a friend among them. The amount they charged is N50 and N100.
“I want to appeal to the State Government and the relevant stakeholders to help us talk to these officers on the need to stop extor ng us. Everyone knows how the country is now”, he lamented.
When contacted Police Public Rela ons Officer, Osun command, Mrs. Yemisi Opalola said she was not aware of the alleged act of the police officers.
Opalola promised to make findings on the allega on.
RESIDENTS of Tooto, very close to Iwo in the State of Osun, has raised the alarm over abandonment of a highrise three-legged telecommunica on mast in the community.
According to the residents, the mast has been abandoned for more than seven years without any move from the owner to remove it.
The Baale of Tooto, Chief Lukman Lawal, explained that the mast had been le inac ve, lamenting that all his efforts to prevail on the service provider to remove it fell on deaf ears.
He disclosed that the mast had been vandalised many mes.
“We have told the company that owns it (the mast) many mes to come and pack all their belongings here, par cularly the mast, but they have refused to do so.
“The community feels unsafe with this gigan c structure which might have been deteriora ng,” Lawal told journalists.
In a report by Foundaon for Inves ga ve Journalism (FIJ) there is another abandoned mast at Tes ng Ground in Iwo.
The mast is said to belong to the defunct radio O.Y.O., a radio sta on owned by the old Oyo State government.
It was gathered that since the radio sta on became moribund more than two decades ago, the mast has been standing unused on a vast stretch of land.
OSUN DEFENDER learnt that some people had turned the building housing the mast to a home.
The medium also gathered that there is an abandoned telecom mast on the campus of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-

Ife.
According to the sta on’s site ID IHS_ OSU_1011B, the network infrastructure is a property of IHS Towers, a network infrastructure provider. IHS confirmed ownership of the mast in OAU and promised to improve the outlook of the site for future use.
“We confirm ownership of the site on the grounds of Obafemi Awolowo University. This site is not acve, and we have been assessing its future use.
“The safety and security of all IHS sites is our key priority and appropriate measures are in place at this site.
“In the immediate term, we are taking steps to dy and improve the presenta on of the site. We appreciate you reaching out to us on this matter,” the company said in an emailed response to FIJ.
African Child Day: Imole Foundation To Honour Osun Gov’s Wife

AS part of this year’s celebra on of African Child Day, a nongovernmental organisa on, Imole Founda on, under the auspices of the Spectacular Interna onal Magazine, will today (Friday), honour Mrs Ti lola Adeleke, wife of the Governor of the State of Osun.
Osun Labour Party Suspends N’tnl. Legal Adviser, State Women Leader
•Continued from Page 1
“We cannot shy away from the fact that some members of the party have been a emp ng to take advantage of the crisis at the na onal level to cause confusion and division in Osun State Chapter of the Labour Party. We equally acknowledge the presence of members with inordinate ambi on, which is gradually leading to the fac onalisa on of the party.
“The public should note that the en re drama of indignity going on in Labour Party is being sponsored by an electoral bandit whose main aim is to use fake Labour Party Na onal Working Commi ee to scu le the weighty pe on that the party and its presiden al candidate, H.E Mr. Peter Obi tabled before the Presiden al Elecon Tribunal.
“We observe that if the ac vi es of these undemocra c persons is not checked on me, it will either weaken the Labour Party structure in Osun or collapse it totally.
“Based on the foregoing, the State Execu ve Council of the Labour Party met on Thursday, May 11, 2023 to address all the issues and forge a way forward.
“We affirm and assert our loyalty, support and commitment to the Na onal Working Commi ee of our great party led by our lawfully recongnised
Na onal Chairman, Barrister Julius Abure.
“For the records, the Chairman of the Labour Party in Osun State remains Prince Adebayo Bello. Any other person parading himself in the above posi on is blatantly commi ng impersona on and may face the wrath of the law.
“All iden fied cardcarrying members of the Labour Party who were part of the so-called NEC meet- ing that took place in Bauchi, Bauchi State on Wednesday, 3rd, May 2022 hereby suspended from the party.
“Among those idenfied and affected by this decision are Barr. Samuel Oyelekan Akingbade (Na onal Legal Adviser) and Mrs. Suzan Ojo (State Women Leader).
“These two members stand suspended for an party ac vi es and gross misconduct.
This decision will be forwarded to the Naonal Working Commi ee of the Labour Party and other relevant bodies for further ac ons.”
Adebayo called on members of the party and the general public to disregard anyone or group parading him or themselves as state officials of the Labour Party in Osun outside the duly cons tuted and recognised State Exco led by himself.
The event which will hold at the Ataoja School of Science, Osogbo, by 10:00 am, has the Orangun of Oke-Ila, Oba, (Dr) Adedokun Abolarin as the Royal Father of the day.
A statement by the Convener of the founda on, Hembadoon Babatunde, described Mrs Adeleke as an icon of hope and a mother whose unwavering commitment and reless efforts in championing the cause of the children’s rights are unequalled and commendable.
It added that the interna onal magazine would officially launch its non-governmental organisa on, Imole Founda on, and present to the public its first book tled “Wounds That Time Won’t Heal” authored by the founder.
The Head of the Legal Unit of the University of Osun Teaching Hospital, Osogbo, Barr. Abimbola Olopade is going to deliver a paper on “Maintaining Zero Tolerance Against Any Form of Abuse, Neglect or Exploita on of Osun State Child “at the occasion.