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Oyo faults Fashola on Lagos-Ibadan expressway delay

The Oyo State Government has faulted the claim by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola, that the drainage channel built by the state had slowed down the road reconstruction along the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.

The minister had said this while presenting the scorecard of the regime of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), in Abuja.

Fashola had been quoted to have said, “The Oyo State Government is building a drainage channel across the road, so we are having difficulties because the contractor has slowed down and we have to slow down too.”

However, the Oyo State Government, in a statement on Monday, said Fashola did not have the facts and was expected to have reached out to the administration first.

The statement read partly, “Our attention has been drawn to the claim by the Minister of Works and Housing, Babatunde Fashola (SAN), that the Oyo State government is responsible for the non-completion of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project. It is imperative to set records straight as a government committed to ensuring that the good people of Oyo State enjoy the dividends of good governance.

“Firstly, we need to clarify that two major projects, the dualisation of the 8.2km Agodi Gate – Old Ife -Adegbayi Junction Road and a few projects under the World Bank-assisted Ibadan Urban Flood Management Project to interface with the 127.6 km Lagos-Ibadan Expressway project at CH 115-117, CH 117 and CH 125. In real terms, this stretch is less than three kilometres.

“Secondly, we would have expected that the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing would have reached out to us to find out how long we would need to complete the aforementioned projects being that Oyo State has been in communication with the ministry.

“Just about a year ago, we had requested permission from the Federal Ministry of Works and Housing (through the Director of Federal Highways) to dualise the underpass at CH 115 -117. We were advised to make sure that the diversion routes are completed before embarking on the diversion. We complied 100%.”

The state government described the majority of the 22km stretch of the Lagos -Ibadan Express Road between the old Tollgate Ibadan – Ojoo as a work in progress.

News

Maryam Sanda removed from Tinubu’s pardon list

The name of Maryam Sanda sentenced to death in 2020 for the culpable homicide of her husband, Bilyaminu Bello, has been removed from the pardon list by President Bola Tinubu.

This was contained in a statement by the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga on Wednesday.

Onanuga noted that President Tinubu was exercising his constitutional powers of prerogative of mercy as captured under Section 175(1) and (2) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).

He stressed that the new list came about after consultations with the Council of State and the public opinion and signing of all relevant instruments necessary to formalise the updated list of beneficiaries.

According to the statement, Tinubu ordered the removal of individuals convicted of severe crimes, including kidnapping, drug offenses, human trafficking, fraud, and illegal firearms possession or trafficking, from the list.

Also, those who were previously pardoned on the old list have had their sentences reduced.

News

Fresh list of 34 persons granted clemency by President Tinubu released

A new list of those granted clemency by President Bola Tinubu has emerged from the Presidency.

The list contained about 15 Nigerians pardoned by the Tinubu administration.

Another four persons, whose death sentences were commuted to life imprisonment and fifteen others granted clemency, were also listed

Pardon:

1. Mrs Anastasia Daniel Nwaobia
2. Barr. Hussaini Alhaji Umar
3. Ayinla Saadu Alanamu
4. Hon. Farouk M. Lawan
5. Herbert Macaulay
6. Major General Mamman Jiya Vatsa
7. Ken Saro Wiwa
8. Saturday Dobee
9. Nordu Eawo
10. Daniel Gbooko
11. Paul Levera
12. Felix Nuale
13. Baribor Bera
14. Barinem Kiobel
15. John Kpuine

From death sentences to life imprisonment:

1. Emmanuel Baba
2. Abubakar Usman
3. Khalifa Umar
4. Mohammed Umar

Clemency:

1. Oroka Michael Chibueze
2. Adesanya Olufemi Paul
3. Daniel Bodunwa
4. Hamza Abubakar
5. Buhari Sani
6. Mohammed Musa
7. Muharazu Abubakar
8. Ibrahim Yusuf
9. Saad Ahmed Madaki
10. Ex-Corporal Michael Bawa
11. Richard Ayuba
12. Adam Abubakar
13. Emmanuel Yusuf
14. Chinedu Stanley
15. Johnny Ntheru Udor

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Anambra election: Violence won’t be tolerated – NSA warns

The National Security Adviser, NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, has issued a stern warning to politicians and stakeholders against violence in the November 8, 2025 Anambra governorship election.

The NSA warned that violence won’t be tolerated.

Ribadu gave the warning on Tuesday at the meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, held at INEC Headquarters, Abuja.

Represented by the Director of Internal Security, Hassan Abdullahi, the NSA reaffirmed the commitment of the Federal Government to ensure a peaceful and secure environment for the poll.

He charged political parties and candidates to promote peace and discourage violence before, during, and after the exercise.

“We are engaging with political leaders and local stakeholders to send a clear message that violence will not be tolerated,” he said.

According to him, the Office of the NSA is committed to implementing President Bola Tinubu’s directive on the strategic mobilization of security forces during the electoral period.

He further stated that enhanced surveillance, deployment of adequate security personnel, and improved intelligence gathering have been put in place to prevent any attempt by destructive elements or desperate politicians to undermine the electoral process.