Makinde Proceeds on Annual Leave, Transfers Power to Deputy Governor

The Oyo State House of Assembly has approved Governor Seyi Makinde’s request to proceed on his annual leave, paving the way for Deputy Governor Barr. Bayo Lawal to act as governor during the period.

The approval was granted during Thursday’s plenary after the House considered a formal letter from Governor Makinde, in line with constitutional provisions requiring a governor to notify the legislature before leaving office.

Presiding over the session in the absence of Speaker Rt. Hon. Adebo Ogundoyin, the Deputy Speaker, Hon. Muhammed Fadeyi, read the governor’s correspondence to lawmakers.

According to the letter, the governor’s leave will run from August 10 to September 11, 2026. Governor Makinde stated he will officially resume office on September 14, 2026.

The Assembly unanimously approved the request and affirmed that Deputy Governor Lawal would oversee the day-to-day administration of the state to ensure uninterrupted government activities throughout the governor’s absence.

Lawmakers expressed confidence in the deputy governor’s capacity to provide effective leadership, citing his previous experience in acting roles.

“The House is confident in the seamless continuity of governance in the state under the deputy governor,” the Assembly noted in its resolution.

Speaking after the approval, Deputy Speaker Fadeyi wished the governor a peaceful and refreshing leave. He added that the legislature remains committed to sustaining cordial relations with the executive in the interest of Oyo residents.

He described Oyo’s governance structure as stable and capable of guaranteeing continuity in policy implementation.

Members also commended Governor Makinde for complying with the Constitution by formally notifying the House, describing it as a demonstration of respect for the rule of law and democratic governance.

The House directed that its resolution be transmitted to the executive arm for necessary action.

Police nab 3 suspected cultists, recover 9 guns in Lagos

The Police Command in Lagos has apprehended three suspected cultists and recovered nine guns, ammunition and other dangerous weapons during an intelligence-led operation in the state.

The command’s spokesperson, SP Abimbola Adebisi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday in Lagos.

Adebisi said the operation followed credible information from members of the public on the activities of some suspected cultists in the Imota, Ikorodu area of the state.

“Acting on the intelligence, police operatives stormed the location and apprehended the suspects of ages 37, 42 and 60.

“Items recovered from them include one beretta pistol, one locally made pistol, seven dane guns, 10 live cartridges, seven expended cartridges, one stun gun, two handcuffs and four cutlasses, among other exhibits,” she said.

The spokesperson said preliminary investigation revealed that the suspects were members of the Aiye Confraternity.

According to her, the recovered Beretta pistol allegedly belonged to a notorious cultist known as “Mayibone”, who is currently at large.

Adebisi asserted that efforts were ongoing to apprehend other fleeing gang members and recover additional weapons.

She said that the Commissioner of Police in the state, Mr Fatai Tijani, reaffirmed the command’s commitment to tackling cultism and other violent crimes across Lagos.

The spokesperson urged residents to continue supporting the police with timely and credible information to enhance crime-fighting efforts.

She encouraged residents to report suspicious persons, vehicles and activities to the nearest police station or through the command’s emergency lines.

Alaafin adjusts Oro festival in Oyo over BECE exams

The Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Akeem Owoade, has approved a slight modification to this year’s Oro Festival to accommodate Junior Secondary School 3 students sitting for the Basic Education Certificate Examination (BECE).

In a statement signed by the monarch’s Director of Media and Publicity, Bode Durojaiye, the Palace said the adjustment became necessary because the examination period coincides with the dates of the festival.

According to the statement, the Oro Festival will hold from Thursday, July 23, to Wednesday, July 29, 2026.

However, the restriction of movement for females on the last day of the festival, July 29, has been shifted to 5:00 p.m. to enable affected pupils to write the national examination.

Announcing the new arrangement, the Baale of Jabata, Chief Orowale Ajani, said the decision was taken in the interest of education and to ensure that no student is disadvantaged.

The BECE is administered by the Oyo State Ministry of Education and is required for students transitioning from junior to senior secondary school.

The Palace, however, urged residents of the Oyo Kingdom to comply with the adjusted schedule and cooperate with traditional authorities to ensure a peaceful observance of the festival.

NAFDAC begins nationwide mop-up of banned sachet alcohol

The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) says a nationwide mop-up exercise to remove alcoholic beverages packaged in sachets and PET bottles below 200ml from circulation has started.

The agency In a statement on Wednesday said the enforcement reinforced the Federal Government’s ban on the production, importation and sale of sachet alcohol in the country.

According to it, the nationwide enforcement operation is holding in the six geopolitical zones and follows the closure of manufacturing facilities found to have violated the ban.

NAFDAC said its enforcement teams were conducting coordinated operations in markets, motor parks, retail outlets, bars and other distribution channels to identify, seize and destroy affected products.

It advised manufacturers, importers, distributors, wholesalers, retailers, hawkers and transporters to voluntarily surrender any remaining stock of the banned alcoholic beverages.

It also warned that continued possession or sale of the affected products would attract seizure, regulatory sanctions and prosecution.

“The enforcement operations across the country will not be a one-off operation but part of a sustained enforcement and public education campaign.

“This campaign is aimed at ridding Nigeria of harmful alcohol products, protecting children and adolescents, and promoting responsible alcohol consumption among adults,” it said.

It stated further said that the nationwide exercise underscored its commitment to protecting public health by reducing underage drinking, harmful alcohol consumption and substance abuse among children and young people.

The agency clarified that the enforcement was not directed at compliant manufacturers operating within approved pack-size thresholds.

It said the exercise was targeted at eliminating products that pose significant public health risks.

NAFDAC called on Nigerians to support the exercise by reporting anyone producing, stocking or selling the banned sachet and below-200ml PET-bottle alcoholic beverages.

The agency also urged the public to avoid patronising the banned products, describing them as unregistered, unsafe and illegal.

It further appealed to Nigerians to work collectively to safeguard communities and future generations.

Don’t allow policemen to search your phone — FCT police chief

The Commissioner of Police in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, CP Ahmed Sanusi, has urged residents, particularly youths, not to allow police officers to search their mobile phones during stop-and-search operations, saying such actions violate the directive of the Inspector-General of Police.

Sanusi stated this during a press conference shared by News Central Television on Tuesday, where he reiterated that officers are prohibited from randomly searching the phones of members of the public.

“The issue of phone searching has been clearly stated. Due to the abuse and extortion tendencies of some officers and men, not only of the Police but even other sister agencies, it has been instructed that nobody should search any phone,” he said.

The police commissioner explained that although mobile phones could serve as evidence in criminal investigations, they should only be examined after a suspect had been lawfully arrested and taken to a police station.

“This does not negate the fact that phones are also being used to commit crime. But before such a thing can happen, the person must have committed the crime, must have been properly arrested and brought to the station. Then, when trying to uncover some evidence, you can now start searching to see whether the phone or other items have been used to commit or perpetrate such crime,” he said.

He stressed that officers should not stop people on the road and demand access to their phones merely because they suspect them of internet fraud or any other offence.

“But for you to just stop anybody on the road and say, ‘Bring your phone, let me search. Or, you have so and so amount on your phone’—any policeman who stops you on the road, according to the Instructions of the Inspector-General of Police, we are bound to obey to the last of it. Don’t agree. Don’t open your phones. Resist,” Sanusi said.

He advised members of the public to seek help by contacting the police emergency line or nearby officers whenever they are confronted by policemen demanding to search their phones.

“Ask the nearby people to help you call the police emergency landline. You will see our men there, and then we will ask them why, provided they are within the FCT. If they are outside the FCT, then you will call your Command CP,” he said.

Sanusi reaffirmed the command’s commitment to enforcing the Inspector-General’s directive, warning that any officer caught violating it would face disciplinary action.

“So I can tell you for free that we are still against that. We still stand against that. We will still enforce the IG’s directive. Some of them are on the attack because they are criminally minded. They want to perpetuate such acts. If we get them, they will face disciplinary actions and will be made to face the consequences,” he added.