MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025
2 News
Rights Group Petitions British High Commission, 17 Others Over Threat To Aregbesola’s Life
Yusuf Oketola
THE Interna onal Human Rights
Protec on Service Forum (IHRPSF) has pe oned the Bri sh High Commission in Abuja and 17 others over what it described as the persistent harassment and poli cal persecu on of the Naonal Secretary of the African Democra c Congress (ADC), Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola.
In the pe on signed by its President, Barrister Maurice OruEbam, the group accused some supporters of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and close associates of President Bola Tinubu of orchestrating a series of threats, defama on campaigns and coordinated attacks against Aregbesola.
Documents made available to OSUN DEFENDER over the weekend revealed that the pe on was also addressed to other na onal and internaonal bodies, media organisa ons.
The bodies include the Na onal Human Rights Commission of Nigeria (NHRC), TVC News, United States Embassy, Public Complaints Commission, Nigerian Bar Associa on (NBA), Federal Ministry of Jus ce and 10 others.
According to the pe on, these acts amount to gross violaons of the 1999 Cons tu on, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights (Ra fica on and Enforcement) Act, and interna onal human rights conven ons to which Nigeria is a signatory.
“Our a en on has been drawn to the con nuous harassment, in mida on, and poli cal persecuon of Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola by certain elements within the ruling APC, allegedly ac ng on behalf of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and his loyalists,” the pe on read in part.
“These acts include verbal abuse, poli cal blackmail, cyberbullying, threats of physical harm, and a empts to criminalize his legimate poli cal ac vies,” it added.
The IHRPSF noted that Aregbesola, as guaranteed by the Ni-
gerian Cons tu on, has the right to freedom of expression and associa on without inmida on or reprisal.
The group called on the interna onal community to place Nigeria under watch for growing poli cal intolerance and sup-
pression of dissent.
It also urged the Na onal Human Rights
Commission to open an immediate invesga on into the alleged threats and harassment of the ADC Naonal Secretary, while demanding that the Nigerian Police Force and the Department of State Services (DSS) provide him with adequate protec on.
“The harassment of Aregbesola represents a dangerous precedent for poli cal intolerance, injus ce, and the erosion of civil liber es in Nigeria.
Democracy cannot survive when dissenting voices are silenced and poli cal par cipaon becomes a crime,” the pe on stated.
OSUN DEFENDER had earlier reported, on August 17, a coordinated a empt to eliminate Aregbesola.
A group known as The Omoluabi Progressives had raised similar alarm, warning of a sinister campaign to silence the former Osun State governor.
In a statement
signed by its Organising Secretary, Oluwaseun Abosede, the group cited inflammatory comments and state-backed ac ons as indicators of an escala ng threat to Aregbesola’s safety.
It also referenced a social media post by journalist Mayor Akinpelu on August 2, 2025, which was amplified by presiden al spokesman Bayo Onanuga, sugges ng dire consequences for Aregbesola.
Inmates Groan As Tinubu’s Govt Owes Prison Contractors N30bn Food Debt
CONTRACTORS responsible for supplying food to inmates in correc onal
centres across Nigeria have raised alarm over the Federal Government’s failure to pay debts exceeding ₦30 billion.
The unpaid funds,
they said, cover several months of food deliveries under the Nigerian Correc onal Service (NCoS), including a ₦7.7 billion backlog from late 2023
Oyo CP Assures Residents Of Enhanced Security
Adeloye, Ibadan
OYO State Commissioner of Police, CP Femi Haruna has reaffirmed his command’s commitment to strengthening security across the state through closer collabora on with tac cal units and the Oyo State Rule of Law Enforcement Authority (OYRLEA).
Haruna gave the assurance on Friday when he received the Chair-
person of OYRLEA, Jusce Aderonke Aderemi (Rtd) and the Execu ve Adviser to the Governor on Rule of Law Enforcement, CP Sonubi Ayodele (Rtd) at the Command Headquarters, Eleyele, Ibadan.
He stressed the importance of intelligence sharing and coordinated strategies to effecvely tackle crime.
In a statement issued by the Commissioner for Informa on,
Prince Dotun Oyelade, the police chief pledged prompt and effec ve responses to emerging threats and high-risk incidents in support of OYRLEA’s mandate.
Jus ce Aderemi said the visit aimed to strengthen coopera on between the Police and OYRLEA, no ng that enhanced synergy would improve enforcement and security opera ons across Oyo State.
Also speaking, CP Sonubi (Rtd) emphasised the need for joint opera ons among security agencies to ensure stability and uphold the rule of law.
The mee ng was a ended by senior officers, including DCP Francis Ojomo (Rtd), Chairman of the Environmental Task Force, alongside other members of the OYRLEA management team.
ADC Fixes Dec. 12 For Osun Guber Primary
THE African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Sunday released its metable for the August 8, 2026 governorship elec on in Osun State.
The party also released its elec on, appeals and screening commi ees for the forthcoming EkiState governorship primary.
In a public no ce signed by the party’s organising secretary, Prince Chinedu Idigo, ADC said its membership revalida on exercise will hold from November 1 - 25, 2025, Purchase of Expression of Interest/Nominaon Forms - October 24 - Nov 28, 2025, among others.
Similarly, the party also announced former Cross River State Governor, Sen. Liyel Imoke as the Chairman of the screening panel for
•Appoints Ekiti Guber Screening, Appeal, Primary Panel
its Eki guber primary. Prof. Oserheimen Osunbo - Chairman,
Appeals Panel and Sen. Ahmed Babba Kaita as Chair of the
States Now More Buoyant Under President
Administration
EKITI State Governor, Mr. Biodun Oyebanji, has commended President Bola Tinubu for improving the financial buoyancy of states through transparent alloca on of federal resources.
He said the President’s economic reforms have enabled states like Eki to execute projects without resor ng to borrowing.
Speaking in Ado-Eki , Oyebanji disclosed that his administra on has executed various people-oriented projects in roads, electricity, health and water sectors within his three years in office; all without taking any loan.
“Every project we’ve done in Eki was funded without loans. For once in
our history, the President has given states more than their fair share,” Oyebanji stated, urging ci zens to con nue praying for the President’s success and leadership.
While commissioning the project, FIRS Chairman Dr. Zacch Adedeji praised Oyebanji’s fiscal discipline and infrastructural strides, no ng that visible development is the best mo va on for ci zens to pay taxes.
primary elec on panel.
Idigo said only members of the party who have paid all necessary dues will be allowed to par cipate in the process.
In a related development, four governorship aspirants under the ADC pla orm have so far purchased nominaon form to contest the primary in Eki state.
They are Amb. Dare Bejide, Apostle Ayodele Adesua, Mr. Emmanuel Fayose and Otunba Olumuyiwa Babalola.
ADC Publicity Secretary in Eki State, Hon. Gboyega Aribisogun, while speaking with OSUN DEFENDER on Sunday, said the party is ready to take over the leadership of Eki State.
and a ₦23 billion shortfall from unimplemented feeding rate adjustments approved since August 2024.
Despite the government’s approval to raise the daily feeding allowance per inmate from ₦750 to ₦1,125, contractors said payments were s ll being made at the old rate.
Some lamented that the debts had become dire and unsustainable, forcing them to rely on high-interest bank loans while struggling to meet supply demands.
“We have not been paid for months, yet we are expected to feed thousands of inmates every day. Banks are threatening to seize our proper es,” one contractor said.
Another supplier said the situa on had crippled their opera ons, no ng that many contractors had lost assets used as collateral.
“We are feeding inmates at our own cost. The new rate was approved months ago, but it has not been implemented. How long can we con nue like this?” the contractor asked.
Efforts to get an official response from the NCoS spokesperson, Umar Abubakar, were unsuccessful, as calls and messages were not returned.
However, a senior officer in the service confirmed the debt, saying the Ministry of Finance had yet to release the required funds.
The officer warned that the situa on could affect the quality and quanty of inmates’ meals and poten ally trigger unrest.
“Feeding is central to the stability of any correc onal facility. If contractors pull out due to unpaid debts, the security implica ons could be enormous,” he said.
•Oyebanji
Ade
Francis Adekunle, Ado-Ekiti
Kazeem Badmus
•Aregbesola
MONDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2025 VOL. 20 NO 54 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com
ONE of the major issues Ogbeni Rauf Aregbesola confronted as Minister of Interior was the chronic conges on of Nigeria’s correc onal facili es. At any given me — even now — about 80 percent of inmates are awai ng trial, not yet convicted of any offence.
The rigmarole of endless trials, constant adjournments, absentee judges, lack of vehicles to convey inmates to court, and other bureaucra c lapses has led to the clogging of our prisons and the near collapse of jus ce administra on.
This failure has mul ple layers of blame. Some of it rests on the suspects themselves, par cularly those facing capital punishment, who exploit procedural loopholes to frustrate and prolong their cases, in the hope they will wear out the prosecutor and be freed.
Some lawyers also benefit from the merry-go-round of adjournments, raking in fees from endless appearances.
The government, through the combined failures of the judiciary, the prosecu on, and the correconal system, must bear the ulmate responsibility for allowing the wheel of jus ce to grind so painfully slow.
As a result, many inmates have spent more me in deten on than the maximum sentence prescribed for their alleged offences — a grotesque irony that turns jus ce on its head.
This brings us to the seemingly endless trial of Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB). Between Kanu and his lawyers, there appears to be a deliberate strategy to turn the trial into a poli cal circus — milking it for maximum propaganda value and make the case for his release compelling.
Unfortunately, the government and the jus ce system seem to be complicit, whether by indecision or design.
The charges against Kanu are not ambiguous. The evidence is said to be overwhelming; the witnesses, plen ful. Yet, the case has dragged on for years, oscilla ng between adjournments, procedural debates, and legal theatrics.
Such delay raises a troubling suspicion: that the government may not actually intend to convict Kanu, but rather to keep him in perpetual
“As the old maxim reminds us, “Justice delayed is justice denied.”
The Magna Carta declared it in 1215, and William Gladstone reaffirmed it centuries later. Yet in Nigeria, that simple truth still struggles to find expression in practice”
By SOLA FASURE
Indefinite Trial Of Kanu And Matters Arising
legal limbo — detained without closure, prosecuted without conclusion.
To be fair, this predicament did not begin with the present administra on. Kanu was ini ally granted bail, but he jumped bail, fled abroad, and from there allegedly engaged in ac vi es that further breached Nigerian laws. His eventual arrest and extradi on from Kenya reignited the legal ba le, but since then, it has been more drama than progress.
To complicate ma ers, Kanu was on tape, direc ng his members, through his illegal radio sta on, to kill law enforcement agents in Lagos and destroy public property. They
not only did that, they destroyed a lot of the property of President Bola Tinubu in Lagos. It’s therefore difficult to dismiss the claim that the president has interest in his case.
But the government must now make up its mind. It cannot con nue to detain a man indefinitely without resolu on. If the inten on is to release him, then the proper course is clear: withdraw the charges, allow the court to strike out the case, and set him free. He can then con nue his separa st agita on, with all its implica ons for na onal stability. He might as well run into a mishap as o en happens to those who hold the state hostage.
Alterna vely, if the state has a solid case — as it claims — it should prosecute it to conclusion. Bring the ma er to a close and let jus ce be done, whatever the outcome. Beyond Kanu’s case lies a deeper systemic rot. Nigeria’s criminal jusce system needs urgent overhaul. There should be statutory limits for the determina on of criminal cases — say, a maximum of six months from arraignment to judgment. Jus ce must not be a never-ending story.
Furthermore, judges, prosecutors, and defence lawyers who deliberately frustrate proceedings should face disciplinary ac on by the appropriate bodies. Jus ce must serve both the state and the ci zen — not the selfish interests of those who manipulate it for profit or poli cs.
As the old maxim reminds us, “Jus ce delayed is jus ce denied.”
The Magna Carta declared it in 1215, and William Gladstone reaffirmed it centuries later. Yet in Nigeria, that simple truth s ll struggles to find expression in prac ce.
Un l the culture of indefinite trials and judicial stagna on is broken, the prisons will remain congested, the public will lose faith in the courts, and the rule of law will connue to wobble under the weight of its own contradic ons
•Fasure is a veteran journalist, writer and public affairs analyst.
Election And Toxic Politics
ELECTIONS are integral component of democracy. While best legal brains are nominated, confirmed and appointed to leadership posi ons in the judiciary at local, state and federal levels, the legislatures and execu ves must be periodically elected by the consent of the majority adult popula on in a democracy.
Democracy is not all about elecons
Democracy packs a lot, including separa ons of powers among the judiciary, execu ve and legislature; poli cal party forma ons; internal party democra c processes; poli cal campaigns; equality of ci zens and the rule of law; presump on of innocence, free hearing and trial; the freedom of the press and fundamental human rights of ci zens; and so on.
However, elec on into public offices is a fundamental necessity of democracy, and is usually, for good reasons, more a ended to than other issues; perhaps because once the people in public offices do not get their mandate through the consent of the people, all other cri cal expectaons are mortgaged ab ini o.
Democra c governance is about popular par cipa on in how the people are governed, in their best interest. It is assumed, therefore, that
those who seek to enter poli cs and get into public offices – elected or appointed – should be keen to listen to the people, fathom their yearnings and aspira ons, and ready to serve to deliver dividends that meet those yearnings and aspira ons. In Nigeria, it has turned out largely, except for a few excep ons in personality and places, to be a sadly wrong assumpon.
Public offices are sought, desperately and violently, for all sorts of reasons except for the public good to the extent that a former president declared elec ons as a do-or-die affair! How, for the sake of God, can any man/woman wish to be er the lots of his/her community and people so desperately as to not mind killing and maiming as many persons as he/ she perceives as standing in the way? There are unnumbered unresolved cases of high profile poli cal assassina ons and brigandage, the most lamentable and painfully ironic being the killing of a si ng Minister of Jusce and A orney General of the Federa on! Not to men on death and maiming of many “unknown civilians” and loss of proper es in nameless billions of naira.
The late President Muhammadu Buhari was quoted in a television interview to have said he will keep
the iden ty of his preferred successor close to his chest as he does not want him/her to be eliminated before his/her me. What a damning indictment to a deadly poli cs and dispiriting pointers to the fact that our elites and poli cians have not learnt much either from the past, or of democracy itself. The terrible hangover of protracted military rule – brutal and authoritarian – and the history of monarchy and colonialism combined s ll weigh heavily on their mentality.
With the unprecedented level of insecurity in the na on, it is no me to add poli cal and electoral violence, which are alien to true democracy. Of course, Fela has characterised ours as demon-crazy (demonstra on of craze) with all the toxic meaning anyone is free to read into that. However, me is now for the youth and women, who are the majority players in poli cs, to have a rethink on the role imposed on them and redefine their own place, goals and ac ons by themselves.
Such paradigm shi and ac ons are the only hope for a new “poli cs without bi erness” where elec ons will not be “a do-or-die affair,” and there will be no fear for an incumbent Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces men oning a preferred successor for fear of him/her being eliminated before his/her me.
STRIKER Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above