News
Kwara Muslim group warns against hosting of Isese festival in five LGAs
Majlisu Shabab li Ulamahu Society, in Ilorin, Kwara State has stormed the residence of a traditional religion priestess to impose a ban on any form of isese festival in five local governments in the state.
Isese, the Yoruba word for tradition, is used to denote different kinds of festivals held by adherents of the Yoruba traditional religion in Nigeria and Cuba, Brazil, the United States, Benin, and other countries.
The Muslim group listed four local governments in the state where any form of traditional religion is prohibited. The local governments are Ilorin West, Ilorin East, Ilorin South, Asa and Ilorin metropolis.
The group warned a young woman who attended to them at the priestess’ residence that the Emir of Ilorin, Dr. Ibrahim Sulu-Gambari, sent them to convey the warning.
In a viral video published on Facebook published by one Arowolo Abdulfatai (Sheikh Abdul Fathai Arowolo), members of this group located in the Oke Adini area of Ilorin said the visit was prompted by reports of an imminent traditional festival, known as isese, planned by the priestess.
The priestess, who is an Osun devotee, Yeye Adesikemi Olokun Omolara Olatunji, had reportedly released fliers announcing a three-day traditional event aimed at celebrating certain Yoruba deities.
Reacting to the social media post, members of the Muslim group stormed the home of Yeye Adesikemi where her sister simply identified as Alaba, whom many of the Imams present, took turns to either address or confront with statements and questions, to warn against the actualisation of said event.
According to a report by the Punch, although the group stressed that the visit and their intentions were peaceful, the Imams, while making subtle threats, warned Alaba of the potentially dire consequences of holding the festival, while stressing that the state only supports Islamic activities.
Speaking in Yoruba, a member of the group, who described himself as an Imam, said, “Ilorin does not permit idol worshipping, we are ardent Muslims in the land of the emirate.”
Another Imam further reiterated the group’s stance adding that they were sent by the “Emir of Ilorin, to warn against this Isese festival.”
He continued saying traditional religious worshippers could celebrate in private but never publicly in the ’emirate’ as the only deity that could be publicly celebrated is the one Muslims in the state serve.
”We are here on behalf of the Emir of Ilorin to ask that you desist from any Isese. We are also backed by the laws of the land. We are not here to fight you but to warn you against this celebration.”
In a short video published after the visit, Yeye Omolara bemoaned the development.
Speaking in Yoruba she said, ”I have been living in Ilorin for many years and have experienced nothing but peace until recently. I have always been fair and kind to my neighbours and this has been reciprocated over the years.
”One of my people shared the invite online which caught the attention of the Imams. In a matter of hours, I was tagged on numerous posts and also began to receive death threats.
”I also heard that meetings were being held to ensure that the Aje festival does not hold in Ilorin.”
News
“Why did soldiers bury my son’s brain after killing him,” mother of slain Abuja NYSC member questions
Madam Habitat Abubakar, the mother of a 24-year-old civil engineer, Abdulsamad Jamiu, who was allegedly shot dead by soldiers in the Kubwa area of Abuja, has demanded justice for her son.
Abdulsamad, popularly known as Kesh, was reportedly killed inside his bedroom in the early hours of Saturday, April 26, 2026.
His mother was in Okene, Kogi State, with her husband for a burial and firdau prayers when the incident occurred.
She was said to have been shielded from the full details of her son’s death until she arrived at the family compound in Abuja, where she fainted after learning the truth.
She questioned the circumstances surrounding her son’s death and the alleged actions of the soldiers after the incident.
She said, “Why did they jump my fence? Why did they enter my son’s room? Why did they kill him? Why did they call the vigilance team to come and mop his blood? Why did they instruct them to go and bury my son’s brains?”
She described Abdulsamad as a responsible young man with a bright future.
“He was a responsible boy. He did not joke with his five daily prayers. He was straightforward. He had a bright future. He had plans for himself, for his siblings, for his mother. And just like that, his dream was cut off right in his room,” she said.
Abubakar appealed to President Bola Tinubu, the First Lady, Kogi State Governor, Ahmed Ododo, his wife, Sefiya, activists and Amnesty International to intervene and ensure justice for her son.
“This fight is too big for me. This pain is too big for me to bear,” she said.
River State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, on Tuesday, inspected the ongoing construction work at the Creek Road Market, Port Harcourt, declaring that the project will be completed by January 2027.
The new market, which is divided into three sections is designed to provide a decent and more conducive environment for traders who had for many years extended their buying and selling activities to the road due to congestion in the old market.
The governor was conducted round the project site by Architect Opiribo West, the site engineer for E.S.T Masters Construction, the firm handling the project, alongside Hon. Tonye Belgam, the State Commissioner for Special Projects.
Addressing newsmen at the end of the inspection tour, Governor Fubara explained that the reconstruction of the market was borne out of the need to provide adequate space for the traders and clear the surrounding roads of the spillover from the market.
He noted that the ongoing rehabilitation of the network of roads in the old Port Harcourt Township had been significantly hampered by the lack of a modern market, stressing that the new market will be a promise kept and part of the high-quality infrastructure and urban renewal programme of his administration.
“You are aware that we did promise our people that all the roads in town will be fixed. But we had a very serious issue because of the Creek Road section of the township roads . Because of not having adequate space to accommodate the traders in the market, they extended their activities into the road and that became a serious issue for our construction work.
“So we decided that for us to deliver a better project that would impress our people, we must, as a matter of fact, embark on building a better and more comfortable market for our people,” he said.
In a statement signed by Onwuka Nzechi, Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Sir Fubara explained that while construction work has begun in Section A of the market, Section B is being prepared for immediate commencement of construction while Section C will require a more rigorous engineering approach because of it’s location on a borrow pit.
“As you are aware, we’ve been here once to check the activities of the contractor. Today, I’m here to see for myself the extent of work that is ongoing. And I feel very happy that they are doing a very good job.
“They just informed me that the market is divided into three sections. The section A and the section B and the section C. The A is the one we just saw here that they’ve already started from the ground. This B section is the other side which they will start soon, while the C section is the one that they discovered that it was a borrow pit.
“And you know, you can’t build on top of a borrow pit. So we had to do evacuation and filling. So I believe that once those things are done, the other part of the section of the market will also commence. They even assured me that the timeline I gave to them for January that they are going to deliver the project fully for our people to use,” he said.
Governor Fubara emphasised that the investment in a modern market is an integral part of his administration’s agenda on good governance through the delivery of legacy projects.
By Bonaventure Melah
Although the federal government is currently working on the Onitsha-Enugu expressway, one of the major interconnectivity roads in South East, concerns have continued to mount over the presence of over 32 checkpoints along the expressway which, observers say, are constitution serious barrier to smooth movement of persons and goods, thereby defeating the objective of reconstructing the road, in the first place.
Below is the list of the 32 security checkpoints along Onitsha- Enugu expressway:
1. Army Gate Onitsha
2. Nkwelle Junction
3. Awkuzu Junction Army
4. Awkuzu Junction FRSC
5. Dunukofia LG hqts Police
6. Enugwu-Ukwu Junction Police
7. Amawbia Junction Police
8. Unizik Junction Army
9. Mopol base Awka Junction Police
10. Prince and Princess hostel front army
11. Amansea boundary Police
12. Ugwuoba boundary Police
13. Ugwuoba bridge police team
14. Ugwuoba Junction Army
15. Ugwuoba Junction NDLEA
16. Ugwuoba Junction FRSC
17. Ugwuoba Central Army
18. Oji River Junction Army 1
19. Oji River Junction Army 2
20. Ezeagu express Army
21. Near Nkwo ezeagu Police
22. Near tiles factory Police
23. Umumba Ndiuno express Police 1
24. Umumba Ndiuno express Police 2
25. 9th Mile Checkpoint
26. Nude express (approach to ninth mile) Police
27. Ngwo express Army
28. Ngwo express anti terror squad
29. Onyeama Hill (near refuse dump) Army
30 Onyeama Hill (near coal mine) Army
31. Abakpa Interchange Police
32. Abakpa Junction FRSC.
Note: A traveller moving just 105 KM from Onitsha to Enugu will endure will have to endure this nightmare. A journey that should ordinarily take about 40 mins therefore ends within 3 hours.
Approximately, it stands at a ratio of one checkpoint after every 3.7 km. This is in addition to heavy extortion motorists face from the security operatives stationed at the checkpoints.
Source: Dr Amaka Oforbuike.
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