Osun Defender Newspaper Online Version of February 9, 2026

•Residents In Fear Over Kidnapping Cases - Findings

•Closing Amotekun Offices For Months Political – CSJPP

•Police Mum On Omoyele, Others’ Fate Three Months After

THE growing power tussle in Osun State between the ruling Accord party and the opposi on All Progressives Congress (APC) may worsen the growing insecurity in the state, OSUN DEFENDER gathered.

Findings by the medium over the weekend revealed that the show of force be-

tween both sides may later plunge the state into more insecurity, par cularly with the involvement of the Nigeria Police Force and recent kidnapping cases in the state.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that in the last few months, three people including a re red customs officer were kidnapped by yet to be iden fied gunmen

One Year - Report

in Ora-Igbomina, Ifedayo Local Government Area of the state.

Ora-Igbomina is one of the boundary communi es close to Kwara State, where at least 162 residents were killed in coordinated a acks on Woro and Nuku communi es in Kaiama Local Government Area, last week.

Sources within the community said the perpetrators struck at some minutes to midnight on Sunday, February 1 at a private residence along Aran-Orin Road, Papa in the town.

The latest abduc on occurred less than two months a er an ex-Customs officer, Emmanuel Owolabi, was kidnapped in front of his house in by suspected bandits on December 15,

2025, He was, however, freed on January 12 at Oro Ago, a community in Ifelodun Local Government Area of Kwara State, a er the payment of ransom.

Police Mum On Omoyele, Others’ Fate Three Months A er Arrest

Addi onally, the state opera ons office and command headquarters of the Osun State Security Network codenamed Amotekun Corps have been shut since the September 30, 2025 incident in Akinlalu, a community in IfeNorth Local Government area of the state, where its opera ves allegedly killed four members of the town including two siblings, with eleven others injured dur-

ing a raid on the town.

Some police officers from the Intelligence Response Team, Force Headquarters, Abuja, had stormed the opera on base of Osun Amotekun Corps in Oke-Fia and Ile-Ife and arrested 20 personnel of the corps over the incident.

Also, the Corps Commander, Adekunle Omoyele was taken into custody on October 15, 2025 a er honouring an invita on. Both Omoyele and his officers are yet to be tried more than three months a er.

Also, the two offices have yet to be opened a er their sealing by the Police, despite growing insecurity concerns in neighbouring states, while the force has declined to speak on the

ma er since their detenon.

The development,

How Power Tussle May Worsen Growing Insecurity In Osun

OSUN DEFENDER learnt has s rred up tensions among residents of the state, as many have been wary of possible influx of bandits into the state’s forests guarded by the Amotekun corps.

Residents In Fear Over Kidnapping Cases - Findings

A cross sec on of the residents who spoke with OSUN DEFENDER said, the con nued deten on of Omoyele without trial is against the rule of law and an abuse of human rights.

A resident of Osogbo who simply iden fied himself as Akindele stressed that Omoyele’s deten on has nega vely impacted the effec veness of the Corps, which was established to complement the Nigeria Police and other security agencies in maintaining law and order at the grassroots level.

Akindele noted that since the deten on of the Amotekun boss, the presence of the Corps in communi es has significantly reduced, leading to heightened fear among residents and a perceived increase in criminal ac vi es.

He said, “Amotekun was created to assist other sister security agencies in protec ng lives and property. What happened in Akinlalu was unfortunate, but the con nuous deten on of the commander is unnecessary.

“Those directly involved in the misfire that led to the killing of innocent people have already been arrested and should face the law,” he said.

He further cri cised the sealing of Amotekun offices across the state, describing the ac on as excessive and counterproduc ve, especially at a me when communi es are grappling with rising cases of the , robbery and other criminal ac vi es.

Akindele condemned

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2026

Occupants, Ibadan South-West LG Trade Blame Over Railway Corridor Demolition

Abiodun Ogunrinde, Ibadan

OCCUPANTS along the Railway–OneTen corridor in Ibadan have blamed the Ibadan South-West Local Government for the demoli on of buildings in the area, following the clearance of structures to make way for a proposed road construc on project.

Affected occupants, including ar sans, individuals and organisa ons, claimed the demolished properes were legally acquired from the Nigerian Railway Corpora on (NRC), insisting the exercise was carried out without fresh no ces.

They alleged that the demoli on, which took place in the presence of security opera ves, came as a shock despite their possession of valid documents issued by the NRC.

Chairman of the Alalubosa Ar sanal Associa on, Wasiu Amoo, said members of the associa on—comprising mechanics, welders, panel beaters, painters and auto electricians had for-

mally leased the land from the NRC.

He recalled that an earlier demoli on a empt in January was halted a er the interven on of NRC officials, adding that Monday’s exercise was conducted without prior no ce.

A representa ve of the Faith and Miracle Interna onal Church which was also affected, Sunday Adepoju, said the church was not no fied before its property was pulled down, barely two days a er comple ng a perimeter fence.

However, Ibadan SouthWest Local Government Chairman, Kehinde Akande, defended the demoli on, describing it as a lawful clearance to facilitate road construc on along the Aleshinloye–Iyaganku axis.

He maintained that noces were duly served and denied vandalising NRC property, a ribu ng reported damage to scavengers.

The NRC declined official comments, while the Oyo State Government is yet to respond.

Over 1,500 Nigerians Killed Under Tinubu In One Year -

NIGERIA’S security crisis has worsened under President Bola Tinubu, with over 1,500 people reportedly

killed by banditry, terrorist a acks and communal violence within the past year.

The most recent and deadliest incident oc-

Report

curred on February 3, 2026, in Kwara State, where at least 162 residents were killed in coordinated a acks on Woro and Nuku communi es in

How Power Tussle May Worsen Growing...

•Continued from page 1

the ac ons of the Nigeria Police and the InspectorGeneral of Police, Mr. Kayode Egbetokun, calling on the police authori es to reconsider their approach to the ma er in the interest of public safety.

He called for the immediate release of the Amotekun commander and other detained opera ves, insis ng that jus ce would best be served by prosecuting only those found culpable in the killings, rather than weakening the en re security architecture of the state.

Commen ng on the issue, the Public Rela ons Officer of Osun Amotekun, Yusuf Idowu Abass, said the opera ons of the security ou it are no longer effecve as before, as officers’ morale has been dampened by the con nued deten on of their colleagues.

The PRO stated this while responding to enquiry by OSUN DEFENDER on Wednesday.

He said: “The Commander and the opera ves remain in police deten on in Abuja and this has negavely affected the ac vi es of the corps. Opera ons are no longer as effec ve as before, as officers’ morale has been dampened by the con nued deten on of their colleagues.”

Similarly, Governor Ademola Adeleke in a statement also warned against the spillover of banditry and kidnapping from Kwara state into Osun, urging the police to immediately

li the ban on Amotekun opera ons to combat the emerging threats.

Adeleke also said the state is handicapped in its security response as the Amotekun service has remained sealed by the police with her top officers in deten on without trial for several months.

OSUN DEFENDER reports that the Amotekun opera on base was sealed following the arrest of some personnel of the security agency a er their alleged involvement in the killings of some residents of Akinlalu community in Ife North local government.

The governor in a statement by his spokesperson, Olawale Rasheed, posited that the Amotekun service

had developed the containment exper se especially in the rural border areas, submi ng that the police’s shu ng down of the service opera ons has created a big gap being exploited by bandits and criminals.

Governor Adeleke called on the Inspector General of Police to charge those detained to court and unseal the service, adding that further delay may endanger the rural popula on and open the state to further criminal infiltra on.

Other residents who spoke to OSUN DEFENDER accused the Inspector General of Police of dancing to the APC powerplay by keeping the security agents leaders in custody to cripple the security architec-

ture of the state, ahead of the forthcoming elec ons.

They alleged that the open admi ance of the Senator represen ng Osun East Senatorial District, Francis Fadahunsi to being behind the closure of the security ou it, alludes to the fact that the opposi on is bent on further polarising the state, ahead of the August 8, 2026 gubernatorial elec on.

Con nued Closure Of Amotekun Offices Poli cal, Self-Serving – CSJPP

Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER yesterday, the Coordinator, Centre for Social Jus ce and Public Protec on, Akin Akanji, berated the situa on saying the con nued shutdown of Osun Amotekun Corps is

poli cal.

Akanji, a security and public policy expert, stressed that the ongoing powerplay between both poli cal actors is inimical to the safety of lives and property of residents of the state.

He called on the Inspector General of Police to speed up the trial of those currently in custody, while unsealing the offices, to allow the corps perform its constu onal mandate.

His words, “The situa on we have found ourselves in Osun is sad. It is nothing short of the poli cal imbroglio currently happening in the state.

“While the local government issue remains more poli cal, our security has also been heavily poli cised. Our organisa on wishes to use this medium to call on the actors on both sides to sheath their swords In the progress of the state.

“Those who have been alleged to have killed people in Akinlalu should be tried and brought to jus ce in accordance with the laws of the land. There should not be any sacred cows. The state government should also recons tute Amotekun and retrain its officers on credible community security. This should be done urgently to stem the de of growing insecurity across the region from crossing to the state,” Akanji noted.

Kaiama Local Government Area.

Eyewitnesses said suspected bandits stormed the villages at dusk, killing residents, burning homes and forcing thousands to flee. Survivors described the a ack as hours of door-to-door execu ons and arson, leaving en re communi es in ruins.

The massacre has heightened na onal outrage and renewed cricism of the federal government’s handling of insecurity.

Data from conflict trackers indicate that since February 2025, more than 650 people have been killed in the Northwest by armed bandits, over 450 in the Northeast by Boko Haram and ISWAP, and more than 300 in the North-Central region.

The South-West has also seen a rise in kidnappings and violent a acks, sha ering its reputa on as a rela vely safe zone.

Although President Tinubu has ordered troop deployments and promised decisive ac on, cri cs say federal responses are largely reac ve and ineffec ve.

Protests have erupted in parts of the country, while tensions persist over restric ons on regional security ou its like Amotekun.

As violence spreads, public confidence in the government’s ability to protect lives con nues to decline.

•Tinubu

AMID the relentless flow of grim news, the posthumous recogni on of Afrobeat pioneer Fela Aníkúlápó Ku by the Grammy Awards has come as a rare breath of fresh air. The Life me Achievement Award bestowed on the legendary musician is not only richly deserved, it is a powerful reminder of the enduring global impact of his art. Fela did not merely create music; he launched a genre that has since become a major force in global popular culture. The honour has made not just Nigeria, but the en re African con nent, profoundly proud. This recogni on should also provoke deep reflec on within Nigeria. Over the years, the naon’s systems of honours and

“In a celebrated eulogy for Bob Marley, former Jamaican Prime Minister Norman Manley noted Marley’s positive impact on the Jamaican economy through foreign exchange earnings from record sales and tourism. Nigeria never fully harnessed Fela’s global appeal as an economic asset, despite the fact that Nigerian students abroad in the 1970s clearly understood his international potential”

A Very Well-Deserved Grammy For Fela Kuti

awards have been steadily devalued, sacrificed on the altar of mercan lism and poli cal convenience. Too o en, na onal honours lists read like chronicles of misplaced priori es, rewarding proximity to power rather than genuine contribu on to society. In this context, the Grammy recogni on of Fela underscores the value of higher standards and principled acknowledgement.

Fela Ku was far more than a musical genius. He was a cultural revolu onary and a fearless social cri c who helped define the post-independence era. Through his music, he offered sharp, o en uncomfortable analyses of power, corrup on and social injus ce—commentaries that remain strikingly relevant decades later. He was, in many respects, the social interpreter of his me, using rhythm and lyric as tools of resistance and enlightenment.

It is therefore painful to recall that when Fela died, he was denied the kind of na onal honour accorded to cultural icons else-

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where. Bob Marley, for instance, was buried in Jamaica with full state honours, in recogni on of his cultural and economic significance. In Nigeria, however, charlatans are o en granted what is absurdly described as “befi ng burials,” while true heroes are neglected. This sad reality exposes the vacuous mendacity of the poli cal establishment and its failure to properly value excellence.

Beyond culture, Fela represented a missed economic opportunity. In a celebrated eulogy for Bob Marley, former Jamaican Prime Minister Norman Manley noted Marley’s posi ve impact on the Jamaican economy through foreign exchange earnings from record sales and tourism. Nigeria never fully harnessed Fela’s global appeal as an economic asset, despite the fact that Nigerian students abroad in the 1970s clearly understood his interna onal poten al.

Today, as Afrobeat and Afrobeats dominate global charts and fes vals, Fela’s pioneering role is undeniable. His legacy laid the founda on upon which contemporary Nigerian and African ar sts now build, genera ng immense cultural capital and economic value worldwide.

We salute the courage, foresight and enduring relevance of Fela Aníkúlápó Ku and others like him. Their contribu ons transcend me and poli cs. Heroes deserve to be recognised—first and foremost at home. Adieu, Abami Eda.

A Seminal Response – Comment On Last Editorial ‘Getting Curiouser And Curiouser...!’

•Below is a feedback on our Editorial of Friday, February 6, 2026

PRINCE Kanmi Ademiluyi has drawn a en on to what he describes as a deeply troubling contribu on to the na onal discourse on federalism and development. Responding to our editorial published last Friday on the persistent an -federalist tendencies aimed at further distorting Nigeria’s revenue-sharing formula, Ademiluyi highlighted a statement credited to Senator Sunday Steve Kadiri of Kogi State as emblema c of a wider problem within the legisla ve arm of government.

According to him, the senator’s posi on exposes an andevelopment mindset that con-

nues to undermine genuine federalism. Ademiluyi expressed dismay that in 2026, a Nigerian senator would advocate what he termed a rent-seeking model, despite the fact that as far back as the pre-colonial era, the Ly leton Cons tu on had proposed a more produc ve and development-oriented federal arrangement for the country. He argued that such thinking

“For Ademiluyi, the problem is not merely structural but intellectual, rooted in a mindset that resists decentralisation, productivity and local initiative”

explains, in part, the persistent lack of development at the state level, including in Kogi State itself. For Ademiluyi, the problem is not merely structural but intellectual, rooted in a mindset that resists decentralisa on, produc vity and local ini a ve.

He therefore called on civil society organisa ons to mount a sustained and coordinated campaign demanding cons tu onal amendments, par cularly a dras c reduc on of items on the Exclusive Legisla ve List—from the current 68 to no more than 10. Such a move, he noted, would empower states, deepen true federalism and unlock development across the federa on.

Telephone : 0809-301-9152

Website : www.osundefender.com/index.php e-mail : osundefenderhq@gmail.com osundefenderbank@gmail.com

In his concluding remarks, Ademiluyi warned that ideas anchored in what he described as an “antediluvian era” must be firmly rejected, lest they plunge Nigeria further into backwardness, poverty, disease and misery.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 09, 2026 VOL. 21 NO 11 www.osundefender.com, email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com

THE steady erosion of tradi onal ins tu ons, culture, and values in Yorubaland has reached a dangerous and intolerable stage. Poli cians now rou nely trample on sacred ins tu ons, while some tradi onal rulers shamefully desecrate their stools for material gain. This degenera on is not accidental; it is the direct outcome of poli cal arrogance, moral bankruptcy, and the mone sa on of our heritage.

Even more disturbing is the role played by compromised Obas. From the controversial conduct of Oba Adewale Rashidi, the self-acclaimed Emir of Iwo, whose ac ons within the palace and public posturing distort Yoruba spirituality and history, to the Alaafin of Oyo priori sing homage to the Sultan of Sokoto above the Ooni of Ife, a clear and troubling pa ern has emerged. These ac ons and inac ons reveal an agenda that undermines the Ooni, distorts Yoruba history, and steadily advances external religious and poli cal dominance in Oduduwa land.

At the heart of this decay is the compromised process of selec ng Obas. Kingmakers, corrupted by money and poli cal pressure, now impose pliant and unworthy candidates on our communi es. These imposed Obas, once enthroned, show li le respect for the stools they occupy, trading ancestral heritage for personal gain. As a result, individuals indoctrinated by foreign religious ideologies feel emboldened to ridicule Yoruba culture, tradi ons, spirituality, and history without consequence.

Had Obas imposed by visionless and greedy poli cians possessed even a modicum of respect for the people and tradi ons of Oduduwa, the collapse of our values would not have reached this disgraceful level.

It is within this broader crisis of values and leadership that Bola Oyebamiji, the governorship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), must be judged. His widely reported a empt to shake the Soun of Ogbomosho, an act deliberately and rightly ignored by the monarch, was not a trivial breach of protocol. It was a public display of en tlement, arrogance, and ignorance of

“Oyebamiji is a political protege of former Governor Isiaka Oyetola, and his conduct reflects the culture of subservience and opportunism that defined that administration. Such a man cannot be trusted to defend Osun’s dignity, autonomy or values”

Why

Osun Must Reject

Bola

Oyebamiji:

A

Question Of Character, Truth And Dignity

Yoruba tradi onal e que e.

More revealing s ll was what followed. The same Oyebamiji who could not recognise the dignity of the Soun of Ogbomosho immediately ran to kneel before Kafayat Oyetola when he sighted her. This single act exposes the hierarchy he truly respects: not Yoruba tradi on, not ancestral ins tu ons, but polical patronage and servitude. It lays bare a man who bows to power, not principle.

Oyebamiji is a poli cal protege of former Governor Isiaka Oyetola, and

his conduct reflects the culture of subservience and opportunism that defined that administra on. Such a man cannot be trusted to defend Osun’s dignity, autonomy, or values. Beyond conduct and symbolism lies an even graver issue: dishonesty. As Commissioner for Finance under the administra on of Rauf Aregbesola, Bola Oyebamiji was fully aware that the modulated salary policy was the best op on available at the me. The policy was adopted to prevent mass retrenchment of workers while sustaining the un-

precedented infrastructural and social development projects ongoing across Osun State. Oyebamiji knew this. He defended it then. He implemented it then.

To now deny or distort his role is poli cal cowardice and intellectual dishonesty. A man who disowns yesterday’s difficult but necessary decisions cannot be trusted with tomorrow’s challenges. Leadership demands truthfulness, courage, and ins tu onal memory. Oyebamiji has demonstrated that he possesses none of these quali es.

Osun State does not need a liar who rewrites history to suit electoral ambi on. It does not need a man who disrespects tradi onal ins tuons while grovelling before polical patrons. It does not need an errand boy masquerading as a leader.

For his dishonesty, his lack of respect for Yoruba tradi onal instu ons, his poli cal opportunism, and his demonstrated servility, Bola Oyebamiji must be rejected at the polls. Osun voters must say no; to falsehood, to arrogance, and to the con nued humilia on of our heritage.

The dignity of Osun State, its people, and its culture demands nothing less.

STRIKER Striker is not the opinion of the Columnist featured above

ONE of the best known Bible parables told by Jesus Christ is that of the Good Samaritan. Indeed, it best demonstrates what is meant by sense of responsibility. When the Christ stated to his audience that the height of obedience to all laws is to love one’s neighbour like oneself, some mischievously wicked fellows from the audience asked the trap ques on, “who then is our neighbour”?

Jesus, in His glorious response, then told the Parable of the Good Samaritan. In summary: a fellow, definitely not from Samaria, was fatally wounded and laid, dying by the wayside where he was seen and una ended to by several passers-by, including men of means from Galilee, where Jesus had preached the good news. Only the Samaritan, from Samaria where Jesus had apparently not spread the gospel, got the heart and the courage to stop by, carried the wounded fella to where he could be treated and saved, and guaranteed to foot the bill. Jesus then asked the naughty inquirer: who was actually the injured fellow’s neighbour? Clearly, the Samaritan; and Jesus admonished them – “whomsoever you are in a posi on to assist, do so, he is your neighbour.”

Let me quickly assert that the love of neighbour as oneself – the golden rule –is not unique to Chris anity but is shared in common by all major world religions to which majority of humanity belong. It was the inten on of the authors that if only every man and woman in the world could wish for his/her neighbour what he/she wishes forhimself/herself and would not do unto his/her neighbours what he/her does not wish, the world would be a paradise – a correct proposi on.

Perhaps, the best educa on on the Good Samaritan’s parable was given by the unforge able Dr. Mar n Luther King, Jnr. of

Sense Of Responsibility

the Southern Chris an Leadership Forum, Nobel Peace Prize Winner and leader of the Civil Rights Movement, United States of America. It was he who said “compassion is more than merely flinging a coin at a beggar.” He opined that, in the context of America (and we dare add Nigeria), a lot of people will find dozens of reasons (excuses) why they should not stop to help the fatally injured fellow: “What will happen if I stop to help? Imagine if it is a trap or a setup to rob! What if the fellow died, either on the way to help or at arrival? E.t.c. King Jnr now said what such people don’t think about, which is what they should really think about is what will happen on the other hand, if they don’t stop to help? In the final analysis, what happens if they stop to help should not bother them; they would have sa sfied themselves to have done “God’s will.” Let us add that they would have demonstrated the highest sense of responsibility!

Organisa ons of all types, including poli cal associa ons and par es, exist to promote a set of objec ves, which invariably promote the welfare of not only their members but development of society. Why should anyone belong to any of those organisa ons if not genuinely interested in the advancement and fulfilment of those objec ves?

How can one contribute to the realisaon of those objec ves except through ac ve par cipa on in the programmes and ac vi es that will lead to it?

Here now is our main point. What should guide our a tude during ac ve par cipa ons? The world is unfortunately the way it is today, thousands of years a er se ng down the golden

rule, simply because our a tudes and ac vi es, within associa ons, is hardly ever guided by sense of responsibility to others, only sense of responsibility to self, indeed at the expense of others.

As members and leaders of associa ons to which we belong, we must not only cul vate the correct sense of responsibility, be willing to accept responsibility for the welfare and goodness of others, we should always SEEK responsibility, and be ac ve in promoting the common good, always looking out for the wellbeing of others, that they too prosper as well as we hope we do.

Leadership, especially, imposes the highest responsibility. Shying away from it inevitably leads to organisa onal setbacks. Whenever you see organisa ons in disarray, check the sense of responsibility of its leaders, and relate it to how it has nega vely impacted on those of the followers. As our understanding of democracy and democra c prac ce con nues to deepen, every ci zen must come to the realisa on that he/she has a part to play in order to have the kind of beau ful and prosperous society that we dream of. It will not arrive by magic or be decreed into existence by a messiah. One simple contribu on we can pledge today is cul va on of the highest sense of responsibility to “our neighbours,” which we can findin all our various associaons; and to always challenge irresponsibility and self-centredness, especially when it undermines the progress of organisa ons and cons tute setbacks to a aining its objec ves.

OSUN DEFENDER is published by Moremi Publishing House Limited, Behind Oranmiyan Building, Gbodofon, Off Gbongan Road, Osogbo, Osun State. All correspondence to the Deputy Editor, MICHAEL BAMIGBOLA, Telephone: 0809-301-9152. ISSN: 0794-8050. Website: www.osundefender.com Email: osundefenderbank@gmail.com, osundefenderhq@gmail.com